Murder Out By Caster Bridge

Chapter ten

And that's what led me here to this crummy interrogation room. All because I saw and followed a black truck that led me to the dead body of Barry Bloomsdale. At least, I wasn't in a ton of trouble this time.

Or I hoped I wasn't.

I just hoped my cousin was all right. I hadn't heard anything since we were brought in.

It wasn't long as I sat there gathering my thoughts, that the door opened and the detectives came in and asked me questions and I answered them.

"Are you sure that's everything?" asked the young detective whose name I still haven't bothered to learn.

"Yes," I said. In my statement, I made sure not to reveal too much. I mean, I couldn't very well tell them about my magic or about how a ghostly truck led me to the crime scene which had me fibbing a little. They wouldn't believe me. Or if they did, they would think I was loony. Besides, this town already had problems with superstitions.

"So, basically, you have no way of proving your innocence?" asked the young detective with blonde hair.

Detective Bradley, who was leaning against the wall, glared at the younger officer. "Officer Wade, we heard Mr. Brooks' statement. I, for one, didn't detect anything abnormal. The same with his cousin which is why we let him go already."

"But still, you have to admit this whole thing is a little unusual. No one knew Mr. Bloomsdale was even missing and then this guy and his cousin just so happen to find the truck with his body inside. And not only that but also dead," he said. "Also, you have to know that his mother skipped town. How do we know for a fact that he didn't do this in some rebellious and witchy way? He is the grandson of that crazy witch lady, isn't he?"

"Officer Wade, I am telling you to cool it on the accusations."

I rubbed my sweaty hand anxiously against my jeans. How did they know about my mother leaving town? How did they know about my grandmother? And more importantly, how did they know that I was her grandson?

Absently, I traced Hayden's initial that he inscribed on my hand out of nervousness. I wished he was he to help me.

"I can prove his innocence."

That voice...

It couldn't be.

But it was.

I knew because a wave of those calming salty emotions I admired and missed so much washed over me. I hadn't felt them since I saw him at the cafe. Feeling my heart beating faster, I turned in my seat to see Hayden. He was standing in the doorway. Though, my eyebrows furrowed. He didn't look the same. His turquoise eyes were darker, duller than they had been earlier. His clothes were wrinkled and his red hair was less shiny and more matted.

"Hayden," I said, trying but failing to keep the surprise out of my voice. I also fought the urge to smile. Even though I was happy he was here, another part of me wanted to jump up from my seat, grab him by his shirt, and demand why he avoided me.

_________________________________________

After Hayden gave his statement with me waiting outside of the room, the detectives decided to let us go. As we walked out of the police station together and over to where I parked my Jeep, I turned and glared at my best friend.

"Seriously, Hayden?" I asked, irritated. "You haven't talked to me these past two days and then I see you with some girl, who bought you coffee, and kissed you." Yeah, I admit it, I was jealous when I had seen that.

"Weston..."

"No, don't," I said, pain in my tone of voice. "You just showed up out of the blue and come to my rescue. I don't get it. Is it because of your mother, whatever she did, and how she feels about me? Is that why we aren't allowed to be together? What she did to us broke our friendship forever."

"I didn't want that!" my best friend yelled. In his emotions, I could tell he wasn't just angry. He was feeling remorseful. He didn't like this any more than I did. "I don't know what you want me to say, Weston."

I sighed. "Why did you come?"

"I came because I knew you were in trouble."

"After two days of not talking to me, of me avoiding my mother, staying at my cousin's, being at work, and here you are just randomly saving me? I didn't think you cared."

"Weston, of course, I still care. You don't have to pretend with me. I can tell you are hurting just as much as I am."

"How do you want me to feel? I couldn't talk to you because my mother broke my phone. But I called you on my cousin's phone multiple times and it said your number was no longer available. You could have visited me!"

"So could you!"

"I wanted to! But I was stopped by my cousin and my work. Did you know that my mother disowned me?"

"Why would she do that?"

I leaned against the Jeep as I fought not to start tearing up. "Because when I was fifteen I came out. I told her I was gay. That's part of why we were always fighting. Not to mention, she didn't want to acknowledge my magical abilities which led to more fighting and why we lost our closeness."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I have a serious crush on you, Hayden!" I blurted. "I didn't know how you felt and if you were like me. I guess it doesn't matter now. I will be living with my grandmother, who apparently just came back and lives here."

His eyes saddened. "This is all happening because of me."

"Well, meeting your mother was no walk in the park."

"I know. I never wanted you to meet her like that. I didn't know she'd come after me. She either followed us or one of my ratty siblings did and snitched. I'm sorry, Weston. I swear I didn't know it would happen."

"What happened to you?" I asked. "What happened to me? What happened to us?"

"My mother," he said. "She placed a curse on me, but because we made a pack together, well, the curse also affects you. I don't know what this curse is or what it entails. I never meant to keep this from you. And I guess this is a better time than not to tell you the truth. Being magical, being a part of what my parents have planned, I want none of it. I have never seen someone so kind until the day we met. You do remember that summer day, right?"

Of course, I remember it. It was a day I could never forget. That summer day when I had been eight and sitting alone by the creek, watching all the small fish and naming each one of them.

"What are you doing?" he had asked, sitting down beside me.

At that moment, I couldn't help but laugh. It was such a ridiculous thing for him to even ask me. "I'm just sitting here alone naming the fish. Oh, and reading this book," I had said, picking up the new book that my mother had bought for me back when she had devoted her time and energy to me.

He had tilted his head in confusion, which had made me laugh even harder before he had asked, "Why are you all alone?"

I shrugged. "Why are you here alone?"

He had laughed. "Well, I came here because I heard a strange legend about this creek."

"What kind of legend?"

"That there's supposedly a koi fish that lives here. I wanted to see it for myself because I was told it brought luck. I'd never seen one before, and I guess I wanted to know if it was true. Do you know anything about it?"

I had shaken my head. "No. Are you sure it wasn't some silly rumor?"

He had shaken his head.

His story had been weird. I'd never heard of such a legend before. Yet, that same day, we did see that legendary koi fish. And it had been the most marvelous sight I'd ever seen.

"Weston?"

Snapping out of the memory, I stared back at Hayden. He had moved closer while I had taken a ride down memory lane. I wanted to be mad at him for keeping things from me, but that would make me the biggest hypocrite. Plus, those magically calm emotions of his, and the aftertaste of salt and sugar were so strong that I wanted to just bathe in them. Why must he be so different from anyone I've ever felt?

A part of me longed to comfort the hurt in his heart. But I resisted. I battled every single instinct to throw myself at him and embrace him until the hurt faded back to the same salty calmness I liked so much. He didn't deserve my coldness. But I didn't know how to feel. Questions with no answers scattered my thoughts. The answers I sought would only come from him, but I didn't want to force those same answers on him.

"Weston?"

I jumped, startled. Heat blistered my face embarrassingly and my heart fluttered uncontrollably. "Uh, yeah, I remember, Hayden, but what does that memory have anything to do with this?

"Everything," he stated. "That was the first time I ran away from home, and the first person I saw was you. You were talking to yourself, naming every single fish living in that creek. It was like those tiny creatures were the only friends you had. It was like you had a cloud of loneliness surrounding you. You looked as lonely as I felt. I knew then that I wanted to be your friend, and I needed a good excuse for you to talk to me."

"You needed a good excuse to talk to me?" I asked, fighting the urge to laugh.

He nodded twice. "Yes, I was afraid you wouldn't talk to me," he said. "That was why I told you about that legend. I was hoping it would help me all to you; help me become your friend. You looked like you needed one. I didn't imagine that you and I would get to see the fish since I made the whole legend thing up."

A part of me knew that. I couldn't deny it. But it didn't stop me from being his friend nor did it stop us from actually seeing his made-up legendary fish. I smiled and took one step towards him. "You looked like you need a friend, too."

A small sincere smile lightened his face and brightened his dull eyes. "Maybe I did," he teased, smirking.

"You know, my mother hates you and told me that you were a terrible influence on me."

"Maybe she is right," he said, coyly before he frowned. "I wish you had told me about you."

"I couldn't do that," I said. "Yes, your mother was right. I do possess magic, but it's not as powerful as she claimed. Maybe she was mistaken."

"She wasn't. We both saw it, Weston. You made it rain like it was the easiest thing which made my mother fall flat on her..." he trailed off as he started belly laughing. "To be honest, it was funny. My mother is not someone who enjoys being outmatched in magic."

"Well, I know nothing about that. My magic isn't usually like that. It's small things only. Is this... My magic... Going to be the reason for us to no longer be friends? Because, Hayden, I don't care that you have magic. I have magic, too. But I don't care about any of that either. You're my friend. What more could there possibly be? You turn out to be a villain?"

"Yeah, right," he said. "I couldn't play the villain. Or at least, I don't want to." Like magnets, he and I took a step forward. "I don't care what you may or may not have, Weston. Water abilities or not, you are still my best friend of all time. Having magic fits with your whole personality. It's ever-flowing and your emotions change like the tides. It fits you perfectly."

I blushed. "Maybe. I'm surprised you want to still be my friend after I just blurted out that I love you. I know you don't like me like that. I saw you kissing that girl. I'm sorry..."

Before I could say anything else, he interrupted by pulling me into a hug and I couldn't help but wrap my arm around his shoulders. Then we both moved until we were staring each other in the eyes.

"Weston," he whispered.

And then it happened.

He kissed me.

As exhilarated as I felt, the kiss was a bit awkward. But it was every bit fueled with overwhelming emotions. I couldn't help but melt into the kiss, closing my eyes as I tasted sea salt and watermelon on my lips.

As we kissed, something frightening happened.

Thunder boomed over us making me open my eyes. Looking up, I saw storm clouds turning black and then it started a downpour so hard that lightning began to zap and bolt around us. In the distance, I could hear people screaming in panic. Neither of us minded. We just stood there embraced in each other's arms with our lips locked in the most sincere and loving first kiss.

It was then that Hayden's emotions zapped into me so hard that I couldn't process them.

I gasped, losing my breath, and pushed him away as I stumbled and fell against the Jeep. I fought to catch my breath. A quick gaze at Hayden made me avert my eyes. He was staring at me all crazy-like. Shock zapped through me. I couldn't help but place my hands on the sodden metal and stare at the glistening grass.

"Weston..."

"Don't," I said, forcing my voice to work. I waited until the hyperactive emotions swarming through me calmed a little. They didn't. It was like a tremendous rush of water was washing over me like chaotic waves. This was something I'd never experienced before. Sure, touch strengthened my ability, but it never caused me to feel like I was in a drowning stream of emotional electricity.

"Weston, listen..."

I closed my eyes. It was now or never. Since we were being so open with each other, I guess it was time to fill him in. "There's something you don't know about me, something that I've been afraid of admitting, Hayden."

"You don't have to say anything, Weston."

"But I do!" I screamed. Confessing this was going to be hard, I knew that. I just didn't know how hard. His salty emotions were in a pool of calmness. My emotions weren't calm and heavy raindrops splattered on the windshield behind me and the windows of the car.

"Weston..."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Stop, please," I begged, panting for breath. "Don't pretend anymore. Beneath that calmness in you is a heart full of hurt and betrayal. I know it. I feel it, Hayden. I can't figure out why you're angry, but I can come up with a million reasons you might be. And you have every single reason to hate me."

"I don't hate you! You are putting words into my mouth!" he shouted. "I don't understand what kind of turmoil you are experiencing, but you aren't thinking clearly, Weston. I don't know what is going on in your head, but I know how empathetic you are."

"It goes beyond that!" I yelled. "I feel every single emotion that you and others around me feel."

Hayden's eyes widened, and he took a step back. Panic, skepticism, distrust, and horror all swamped me. My fists clenched as the rain beat down harder until I watched in horror as Hayden was getting completely soaked while I somehow stayed magically dry.

"You..."

I couldn't take the pain anyway. I wrenched the driver's door open and plopped down in the seat. I spared one last glance at my best friend. "I'm sorry, Hayden."

I yanked the door shut before I started the car. I remained perfectly still, looking ahead. I didn't want to look back as I pulled out of the parking lot. I didn't want to see his hurtful, distrustful expression. It hurt once, and that was more than enough pain for one day.