On Monday, during the morning Math period, Clarissa had relocated her desk to the centre of the classroom again, far away from Sineas. She did not even look at him as Mr. Sawyer dictated notes. He had forgotten his Teacher’s Textbook for the third time.
Sineas looked ahead at Clarissa. She was wearing a white top and a black, silk skirt. He could not see her face but he guessed she looked as calm as a light breeze. He kept staring at her so much that his teacher had to remind him to keep his eyes in his book.It had been a loud morning. For ten minutes of the beginning of the lesson, students had been discussing Justin. Not in whispers but blatantly tossing around threats about whoever had killed him. One said something about the killer’s mother being a deranged slut. Mr. Sawyer had to seek assistance from the no-nonsense Mr. Regwizini to restore order in the classroom. The lesson had finally started smoothly with fifteen minutes of Mr. Sawyer’s time ha
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Psych 36. No Hard Feelings
Clarissa jumped onto her feet again. ‘Fight?! Fight?! Justin practically beat him up right here while the entire school watched!’‘Miss Sherman, I don’t want to have to tell you to sit down again,’ Deputy James warned her. He was still using his calm but authoritative tone.Clarissa was now breathing heavily. She took one long and dangerous look at the deputy then another at the Inspector. Finally, she sat down, crossed her arms and pouted in the opposite direction.Inspector Charles turned back to Sineas. ‘Now, Sineas, I understand these past thirteen years have been difficult for you. Your grandparents’ car accident, your father’s suicide and your mother’s…illness. Yes, it must have been tough.’ He paused. He tapped his fingers on the table several times. He looked at Sineas’ facedown eyes. He said, ‘Did your fight with Justin trigger something in you like…a certain rage or..?&rsqu
Psych 37. Justin's Funeral
There was only one cemetery in Malrich. The eerie part about this cemetery, Sineas thought, was that it was just two kilometres from the school. He could only see about a hundred if not a hundred-and-fifty tombstones. ‘White people only die of old age if not cancer,’ he had once heard his mother say to his grandmother when he was five. The rich green grass had been trimmed neatly, probably everyday since the first tombstone was erected in the cemetery. Most of the guests were wearing fancy, black tuxedos as if they had been saving them for a special occasion such as this. A multitude of people had shown up for Justin’s funeral: Justin’s squad, the teachers, the principal and Justin’s family and relatives. Basically, the entire school had shown up. Sabrina and Doreen were even appropriately dressed for this occasion. They were wearing mourning cloaks with see-through veils covering their faces. They were standing behind Justin’s mother and little s
Psych 38. Inspector Charles
Sabrina pulled it violently out of her grasp. ‘You should be in that casket, not him!’ Sabrina bawled into Clarissa’s face.Sineas walked backwards until he stood between Clarissa and Sabrina. He looked into Sabrina’s eyes. ‘Leave.’Sabrina made a wicked laugh whilst she pressed the tips of her fingers on her chest. She gasped, ‘This thing right here!’He dug his hands deeper into his pockets and made a step closer towards her. ‘I doubt I’ll be telling you again,’ he said.‘Oh, no, no, no, loser!’ she said waving a dismissive finger in his face, ‘don’t you ever get the impression that you can just…’Doreen began pulling her away from them yet Sabrina continued to launch insults at them.Sineas turned to Clarissa. She looked traumatized. ‘You okay?’ he asked her.She nodded profusely, still watching Sabrina drift slowly out of sight. &l
Psych 39. Don't Panic
Sabrina rolled her eyes before she rolled over onto her back on top of her bed. She turned up the volume of her headphones and see-sawed her head harder to the music. As the song reached its climax, she began banging her arms and the back of her head on the bed. She grinned, laughed and rolled again. She fell hard onto the floor with her belly. ‘Oh, crap!’ She bundled up her headphones then she sat up. Her cellphone had fallen under the bed. She got onto her knees and reached under the bed. She could feel it but her fingers pushed it further back by mistake. She grunted in anger and looked under the bed. It looked like it was close enough to reach. She extended her hand under the bed again, patting here and there trying to get a good enough grip on the phone as she ignored her mother calling her name out loud. It felt like she had pushed the phone a bit further back. She sat up and bit her lip placing her hands desperately on her hips. She was thinking. She p
Psych 40. Loving Thy Neighbor
The Shermans were having a quiet dinner at 7:30 P.M.‘I heard you were questioned by the police this morning,’ Mrs. Sherman said to Clarissa. She was still wearing her kitchen apron over her long, black dress. The family was having turkey and rice and potato salad. Mr. Sherman was present, still dressed in his black tuxedo. He had attended a business meeting that afternoon and had arrived home to find his wife had already finished preparing dinner. There had been no time to change into something more dinner appropriate. His clean shave, short haircut and slim body made him look like a mafioso beneath the kitchen’s fluorescent light. Clarissa was sitting across her mother at the longer sides of the rectangular table and Mr. Sherman was sitting at one of the longer ends at Clarissa’s right (Mrs. Sherman's left).Clarissa stared at her mother. It looked like she was trying to read her mind as she took a mouthful of salad, digesting her question. She shrugged slowly, ‘Yeah, so?’ s
Psych 41. Malrich Park
School had finally dismissed and after four or five failed excuses, Sineas finally agreed to go with Clarissa to Malrich Park. As soon as the siren had rang, they both got into a taxicab and headed west of the school. The park was only one-and-a-half kilometres from Malrich High and as soon as a bright green colour came into view, Clarissa’s face lit up. She squeezed Sineas’ shoulder. ‘That’s Malrich Park!’ she said pointing through the windshield at what, to Sineas, looked like an oasis. There were no fences to restrict any potential tourists from exploring it and no security to further complicate things. To Sineas, it looked more like heaven on earth. There was nothing but green for miles, strong and steady looking benches along the countless, meandering concrete paths. On the benches sat different forms of people: lovers, avid readers, exhausted behind-the-desk employees…and bosses, tired speed walkers and joggers and the usual construct
Psych 42. Bale to the Surface
She looked at him from the corner of her eye.He continued, ‘I think the best part I like about you is that you’re not like everyone else. From day one, you had my back. You always seemed to see the best in me when everyone else failed to.’She smiled. ‘Thanks.’They finally decided to sit on an empty bench. They watched two joggers run past them. The park was not as full of people as Sineas had expected. A few children were throwing a Frisbee two paths away. Another family was having a picnic a few metres away. Or was it the same family? He didn’t concern himself with the thought. Clarissa was right. The park did have a way of speaking to you. Showing you what you wanted to see. What you needed to see.She sighed. ‘I just wish time would stand still, Sin. I wish it would stand still forever. I don’t want this moment to ever pass away. I think the world owes us that much especially after what it’s put us throu
Psych 43. Good Riddance
Janice turned the volume down. A hand was cupped over her mouth. She was speechless.Sineas looked equally shocked. He cleared his throat after a moment of silence. ‘Wow. This is really hard to take in.’Aunt Janice shook her head slowly for a good six seconds. ‘I’m so sorry, Sineas.’‘Sorry for what, Aunt Janice?’‘About that school. That satanic school I put you in. That place has a murderer on the loose and…’‘What are you talking about? This could all be just a coincidence.’She shook her head again. ‘No-o, Sin. Two people in the same school killed in the exact same way in such a short space of time? You call that coincidence?’Sineas got to his feet and stood in front of her. ‘Aunt Janice, come on! You don’t seriously believe that, do you?’She stood up, her arms folded. She looked sombre. ‘Go upstairs and pack your bags. We’