Monday 21 May 2012

5 Days, 13 Messages, 1 Voicemail


“Miss, could you please come with me?”
I got up from the uncomfortable plastic chair and followed the officer through the unusually quiet police station. I was sweating and fidgeting like crazy. Okay, I know what I’m going to say. They can’t put me in jail because I can’t remember, right?

He led me into a poorly lit room with another officer and left.

“Hello Miss Haze, I’m detective Collins and I would like to ask you a few questions about Miss Williams. You were close with her right?”

“Yes we’re friends” I mumbled.

“Were.” detective Collins corrected.

I felt a stab of pain go through me. He kept asking questions, every time he mentioned her name my insides felt like they were being squeezed and grinded to a pulp.

“Where were you from 12:30am to 4am on April 1st?”

My whole body stiffened. I fought to keep my voice even while trembling hands betrayed me. “I’m not too sure officer; I had a lot to drink that night.”

He looked suspicious but didn’t press her further.
...
I slammed the door of my new sleek car and finally exhaled. I didn’t even notice I was holding my breath. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay. I couldn’t convince myself, I knew I did horribly in the interview but I’m going to be okay. Suddenly I realized something. Dawn isn’t going to be. She’s dead. I couldn’t control it, tears started leaking out of my eyes as I flashed back to 5 days ago when our biggest worry was if our boyfriends texted back or not…how could of this been I think to myself.

“Sweetie what are you doing all alone in that car?” I jumped, and then relaxed when I saw it was just my mum. Dinner was the usual, mum chatting away like she didn’t just see her daughter crying over her dead best friend, and me pretending to listen.
“Excuse me, I’m not too hungry” I mumbled and ran two steps a time up the stairs to my room. I had to call Lola, she’s the only one who would understand. “Damn, where’d I leave the phone?” I said to myself. Must be under the bed. I got down and felt around. I froze; I accidentally grabbed a hold of my cardigan. Slowly, with my quivering hand, I pulled out the blood stained piece of clothing. I have to get rid of this, I panic. They can’t search my house can they? I decided I would throw it in the bins down the street. Tomorrow. Before dawn



“Mum, where’s the phone?” I yelled, charging downstairs. I went to retrieve it with a frustrated sigh.

I listen to the sharp ring.

“Hi, you’ve reached Amanda, I’m currently not available but please leave a message.”

“Hey its Crystal, I left my phone at your house, bring it on Monday? Thanks!”

I hung up the phone and lay in bed, not bothering getting changed or taking a shower. I thought of all the times I’d had with charlotte over the years. I knew where this was going. The familiar knife cutting and twisting in her chest. I didn’t feel like fighting it today. I reached in my nightstand and took the pills out, swallowed two. The calming dizziness and comforting feeling of drifting away…

~

“you’re with the edge and this is Jay jay, Mike and Dom and isn’t it a beautiful morning-” I pulled the plug on my alarm radio. No one should be this happy in the morning. I got up and slowly prepared for school dreading having to deal with the sympathetic looks and hugs.

I jumped when I slammed my locker, Olivia snuck up on me.

“Hey Liv”

“Hey Crystal, I was thinking, do you want to go shopping today?” She smiled like one of those scary clowns you see in horror movies.

“Ugh…sorry I’m really busy with homework but next time defiantly.”

Olivia’s face fell. “Oh…I’m just really sad about Charlotte, you know…”

Damn, how was I supposed to say no to the twin of someone I probably murdered? Trying to sound enthusiastic I said: “You know what? I think I can work something out.”

“Great, see you then.” She beamed. “Oh, and Amanda told me to give you your phone.”

I mumbled thanks and accepted my scrappy looking phone.

The day passed slowly, as if it were teasing me. Every lesson, i would feel that empty seat behind me where Charlotte used to sit.

I got home and charged my phone for the first time in 5 days. 13 new messages and 1 voicemail. I went for the voicemail.
"Hey this is Olivia, I can't make it today because my netball team called an emergency meeting but next time for sure."
This must be my lucky day.
I was just about to run a warm bath when my phone sounded. It was from Amanda, the text read: ‘hey I'm on break, how did the police station go?’

Oh god, how did she find out? Right of course, which else could spread something so personal, no one but Olivia. I decided it would be best to just delete it and pretend it never happened. Then I was about to delete from my trash, thinking ‘mum always looks through my texts’, when I stopped dead. There was a deleted voicemail from Dawn at 1am, the night she was murdered. With shaking hands i was about to press listen, when a uncertain thought crossed my mind. No, I didn’t want to do this, what if it confirmed that I was the one who killed her? How would I live with myself and more importantly, how would I turn myself in?