why would you even bother telling someone your secrets before killing them

[self_composed]

By the end of Bio, the halls are full of people eager to inform Bella and everyone else within earshot that her friend is a murderer. They have entirely the wrong attitude to have formed the impression because he just now murdered someone, and also her father hasn't come looking for her yet, so this is probably nonsense.

Bella goes to gym.

Comments

[edgeofyourseat]

"Dunno. If I had to guess, I'd say it's Theo not bothering to get out here on time and them not bothering to get on his case for it."

[self_composed]

"Makes sense. Should we migrate to the parking lot so we spot him when he comes in?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Sure, why not."

[self_composed]

Bella gets up, grabs her coat, and meanders out. She's careful on the sidewalks; there could still be ice, even though it hasn't snowed for a few days.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice follows her out, looking thoughtful. And not paying any particular attention to the footing.

[self_composed]

There is one slightly damp bench at the edge of the parking lot. Bella looks at it, and then says, "We can sit in my car."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Deal," says Alice, looking at the bench.

[self_composed]

Bella hops into the driver's seat of her nice warm car. Well, nice dry car. She turns it on to cause warmth.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice tucks himself quietly into the passenger seat.

[self_composed]

"You look pensive," observes Bella.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yep," says Alice.

[self_composed]

"You know what's great? How you're so consistently informative and helpful and I spend almost no time in your company uncomfortably curious," says Bella.

[edgeofyourseat]

"...I genuinely cannot tell if you're being sarcastic or not," says Alice.

[self_composed]

"Yes," says Bella. "Yes, I am being sarcastic."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Oh." He glances at her and smiles. "Sorry. ...This one's kind of a long story, though."

[self_composed]

She shrugs. "If Theo appears and interrupts you, I won't blame you for not having finished your long story, I'll just expect you to pick it up the next time we talk."

[edgeofyourseat]

He drums his fingers on his knee.



"...Can I borrow your notebook again?"

[self_composed]

She hands it over, and a pen.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice flips to the same page he used previously and starts...

...drawing.

[self_composed]

Bella peers over his shoulder, puzzled.

[edgeofyourseat]

A sketchy, scribbly view of an alley - brick walls, a Dumpster. A figure walking along it who might or might not be Alice; the scribbles of hair suggest that it is.

Next: a hand landing on his shoulder. Just the hand, and a bit of arm, and the shoulder and a bit of neck.

Next: he pushes the hand away. No one's face is visible, only his shoulders and the two hands.

[self_composed]

Bella watches the sequential art unfold in silence.

[edgeofyourseat]

Next: the hand grabs the front of his shirt.

Next: he shoves the other person away, both hands on their chest; it's a man wearing an open jacket that might be denim or leather.

Next: Alice's shoulder/neck area again, this time with the other man's arm wrapped around him from behind, holding a knife to his throat. (No one in this sequential art seems to have a face. The image ends at the line of Alice's jaw.)

The placement of the knife aligns precisely with the scar under Alice's jaw, which does not exist in the picture.

[self_composed]

Bella swallows. She doesn't say anything.

[edgeofyourseat]

Next: Alice's lower back, his shirt and jeans both visible, the latter half falling off and bearing a slash across his hip that goes right through into the flesh underneath. A few lines of background suggest he is pressed against a flat surface.

Last: Alice's hands, flattened against asphalt, decorated with drips of what is presumably blood.

This sequence has taken him to the bottom of the original page, all the way down the other side, and halfway down the next one. He draws a sharp slashing line across this page, under the final image, and hands Bella her book back.