Chapter 4: The Gloves Are Off

Autumn was trying to figure out what she wanted to say. Everything had happened so fast, she just kind of reacted.

They got around the house back by the edge of the trees. Autumn felt Piper yank her arm away and turn around.

“You don’t scare me,” she spat.

Autumn just stared at this person that she no longer knew, confused by her statement.

“What makes you think that I want to scare you?”

Piper just stared at Autumn with venom.

“Seriously, Piper? What the hell is going on with you?”

“With me!? What’s going on with me? You went to prison Autumn, I don’t even know you anymore, or what you are capable of,” Piper yelled, but her voice fell to a whisper at the end.

“No, you don’t know me anymore and I don’t know you. But whose fault is that? You never once came to see me in Prison, and I know no one else did because you told them not to.”

Autumn watched Piper roll her eyes. The typical sign that Autumn was right and Piper didn’t want to confirm it. Apparently, some things hadn’t changed.

Her rage boiled over at the confirmation. “I can’t believe you! Why would you do that to me?” Autumn was trying her best not to shout.

“Why would I do that to you? You’re delusional. You’re the one that killed your own boyfriend. Our friend!”

Autumn felt as if she had just been sucker-punched.

“You really think that I killed Michael?”

“The whole town does, Autumn! Including our friends. Why do you think you didn’t have lines of people wanting to see you?” Piper sneered.

Autumn had known that people beleived that she had murdered Mike, but for some reason, after all this time, she really didn’t think her old circle believed she was capable of that…

Tears started to sting Autumn’s eyes.

“Piper, you have to believe that I didn’t do that. I couldn’t.”

“Listen, I don’t have time for your sob story. The court didn’t believe you and neither do I.”

“You were supposed to be my best friend,” Autumn whispered. She wiped her eyes and forced herself to look straight at Piper.

“I was. And you thought you had the world. But you being you apparently thought you needed more. That’s the only reason I can come up with why you did it.” Piper crossed her arms in finality.

“I was going to break up with Mike, you knew that. Why would I have killed him to get anything?”

Piper shrugged.

“I don’t know and I don’t really care. I’m done letting you get away with all of this.”

Autumn couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Get away with what? I served my time for a crime I didn’t commit.” She took a step towards Piper, anger warming her chest.

“My boyfriend was murdered. I was convicted.” Autumn stepped closer to Piper, who involuntary took a step back.

She was close enough to Piper that she could feel her breathing shallow at Autumn’s accusations.

Good.

Autumn couldn’t explain it, but prison had brought out a different side of her. She wasn’t afraid of this new version of herself. She used to avoid confrontation, especially with Piper. Now though, she didn’t care.

People were scared of her. Not because of what she had been accused of, not at all. They were scared of her because they weren’t sure that she had actually done it. It was the unknown that troubled them.

Autumn decided, after watching Piper try and hide her fear, that she would embrace this.

She leaned into Piper’s face, and whispered, “So tell me again what you won’t ‘let’ me get away with?”

Piper finally found her voice.

“It was a figure of speech.”

Autumn stepped back and started laughing. She could see the surprise on Piper’s face.

“Oh, you and my mother have a terrible choice in picking phrases.”

She could tell Piper didn’t see the humor. Autumn didn’t blame her. It was cold, the sun was going down and Piper was probably the last place she wanted to ever be.

Autumn switched back to her serious tone. “I have one major question you still haven’t answered.”

Piper looked at her and waited.

“Not one, not a single one of you came to ask, attempt to understand or see me.”

Piper said nothing.

“Five years and you couldn’t even ask why?”

“I didn’t want to see you,” Piper retorted. “No one did.”

“Really? Not even Jackson, Dalton, or-“

“No one!” Piper screamed.

Gloves were off finally and Autumn was ready.

“But why not you? My best friend in the whole world couldn’t even stand to see how I was or ask me why!” she yelled back at Piper.

“Best friend? You were always so selfish and still are. You wanted me to see how you were? How about how I was doing?” Piper spat as she jabbed herself in the chest. “You probably killed Mike because you didn’t want anyone else to have him.”

“What are you talking about? Why would I care? Piper, I have no idea how I wronged you so terribly for you to hate me like this. You know I didn’t kill Mike,” Autumn pleaded.

“How would I know? You are capable of so much. You claim to be a reformed citizen, acting like prison didn’t change you,” Piper ridiculed.

“I’m not claiming anything and it did change me. We all have changed, Piper. Last time I saw you, we were 18, getting ready to start our lives. Now, five years later you think I’m the only one who’s changed?”

“You need to understand that we will never be the same as we were before. We can’t go back. What’s done is done and I can never look at you the same. I can never trust you.” Piper turned to walk back up to the garage.

“Piper, wait.”

Autumn saw her stop, but not turn around.

At least that meant Piper was listening.

“Do you really truly believe that I killed Michael?”

She saw Piper’s shoulders slump. When she finally turned around, Autumn saw tears forming.

Autumn continued.

“Do you think I killed him just because I didn’t want to be with him anymore?”

Piper wiped her red nose on her sleeve. She regained her composure and said, “It could have happened. Mike would never let you go, he thought you two were forever.”

“Piper, everyone thinks that in high school.”

“True, but he knew about you and Jackson. Mike came to me to ask if it was true.”

Autumn was in shock.

Her and Jackson?

“What are you talking about? Jackson and I were together before Mike moved here-“

Piper cut her off.

“That’s not it and you know it.”

Autumn just stayed silent, trying to understand what she was being accused of.

“Ugh, don’t act so innocent, that won’t work anymore. I know you claimed to have been knocked out by the true killer, but that couldn’t be proved. It just made you more guilty trying to cover up that Mike tried to defend himself.” Piper crossed her arms. She looked as if she was waiting for a confession.

Autumn saw the agitation growing on Piper’s face.

“You can guess how surprised I was when Mike came and asked me about you and Jackson. Not at the news that you two were hooking up behind his back, no, that didn’t surprise me. It was mainly the fact that you hadn’t even trusted me enough, you’re so-called ‘best friend’ to tell me what was going on.”

“What in the hell are you talking about?” Autumn demanded. She was getting just as irritated. How was it that in one lifetime she could be accused of so many things that she never did?

Piper threw her hands in the air.

“Dear God, Autumn! Just admit it. You’re a terrible human being. If there was any justice at all, you would still be locked up.”

“I never did any of those things! Jackson kissed me once while I was with Mike and I stopped it! I could never do that to Mike, or anyone for that matter.” Autumn noticed her voice was started to crack as she pushed back her own tears.

“And why didn’t you tell me that?!”

“Jackson was embarrassed about it and I didn’t want to make it a bigger deal! I knew you liked him and that would just add to something that didn’t even matter.”

Piper started laughing. “Oh, so you didn’t tell for my benefit. How sweet.”

“Pipe-“

“Just stop!” Piper yelled, throwing up her hands.

“You may have people fooled, but not me. I saw you for everything you are the moment that curtain was lifted. And don’t think you can come running back to Jackson now either. We are together and you can’t have him.”

Autumn felt defeated.

“I don’t want him.”

Piper scoffed. “Yeah, ok. Whenever you can’t have something, that’s exactly what you want. You need all the boys’ attention and always have. Stay away from me and stay away from Jackson you fucking slut.”

And with that, Piper spun on her heel and briskly walked back to the party.

Autumn turned and walked toward the trees.

When she made it to one, she fell against it sobbing.

Her best friend hated her and accused her of things that she had never done. Was Autumn really that awful of a person that the people who knew her best actually thought she could do such a thing?

Autumn finally took a deep breath and pulled herself together.

Piper said that Mike had came to her thinking that Autumn was being unfaithful just a couple days before the incident. Why though? Had Jackson said something or was Mike just being paranoid.

These were all questions she wanted to know. Then again, these were things that also pointed to motive for her.

Suddenly, she remembered Mike’s sister’s testimony at her trial. She had accused Autumn of cheating as well and that Mike had wanted to confront her about it.

Had Mike told her that or had Piper, knowing that his sister would be taking the stand?

Autumn knew it wasn’t true, but her conviction had been lack of evidence she hadn’t done it on top of the testimony Mike’s sister had given.

“But where did this information even come from?” she asked herself aloud.

She needed to start somewhere. Not knowing where Mike’s sister ended up or if she would even talk to her, she had only one other option: Jackson.

The last thing she wanted to do was piss Piper off, but she needed to know.

There was no reason for Jackson to start the rumor, he knew that Autumn was going to break up with Mike. Maybe he knew who may have though and why they would have started that.

Autumn had to find a way to ask Jackson about it. He hadn’t seemed like he had as much hate towards her as Piper did, but know that they were together, this would prove a little trickier.

“Hey!”

Autumn jerked her head up.

She saw her mom’s boyfriend waving her back up to the party.

Autumn forged a smile and headed back.

She wondered how much more she didn’t know about her own case and that fateful night. Digging needed to be done, but one thing at a time. Right now, she had to play Guest of Honor.

‘More like dishonor,’ Autumn thought, chuckling to herself.

She knew her attempt at humor was her own defense to keep from crying all of the time, but right now, her humor was all she had.