Chapter 15

With all that was going on, we seemed to forget we were still high school students, not like our peers, of course.

We were supposed to have a winter ball, but it was postponed due to Tasha's attempted murder. 

Officers were patrolling the streets day and night. Parents had neighborhood watches and took shifts looking around for any clues. Camilla transferred schools, Natasha and Carl broke up, and now it was time for me to end things with Thaddeus.

        ***

Wednesday morning, Lisa was ready to do it. She only told Natasha what she was planning on doing. The mood was lighter than it had been in the past few months. People seemed to be healing and moving on. A picture of Christopher was hanging on the "wall of heroes," which had alumni of the school that had made it big and other notable people. 

"So, Lisa, I want you to come to the fundraiser with me this Saturday," Natasha said.

"Agh, Tasha, you know I don't like people or places," Lisa sighed, opening her locker.

"You'll be at the food stalls eating all you want to," Natasha persuaded.

Lisa closed her locker and rolled her eyes with a grimace. 

"And at what time are you ending things with Thaddeus?"

"When I see him." "I haven't seen him today, and he hasn't returned my calls," Lisa replied as the two walked to entomology class.

After class, Lisa finally saw Thaddeus with some of his friends from the team in the parking lot, friends she wasn't fond of.

"Thaddeus, your wife is coming," one of them said as she approached.

"Hey!" Lisa greeted Thaddeus.

"She can't see other people anymore?" "Thaddeus what have you done to the little virgin?" one mocked and laughed.

Lisa gave him a death stare and paid attention to Thaddeus, who said nothing about his friend's remarks.

"Thaddeus, have you even hit the stuck-up mother Theresa yet?" Another one named Ricky mocked

"Fuck you Ricky," Lisa fired a shot.

"Hey, watch how you talk to my friends," Thaddeus said.

Lisa was shocked. He always defended her, and now all of a sudden he's allowing his friends to make a circus out of her! 

"For the record, we've only had sex three times, and lil Thaddeus didn't even last as long as I expected him to," Lisa was vexed, and Thaddeus' friends laughed and catalyzed at the roast.

"Lisa, c'mon, you're getting out of hand," Thaddeus grabbed her wrist. She aggressively shook her hand to loosen his grip, and he let go.

"We're done, you useless bitch." "Never call me, text me, or look at me!" Lisa spat on his new sneakers and left for Natasha's car.

The students who were watching took videos of the breakup that went viral on social media. #powercouplebreakup trended throughout the week, which went by quickly. On Friday, Lisa and Natasha dressed to kill, even getting compliments from Roxy, who had been away because of a knee injury.

"Can I see you tonight, please?" Read a text from Thaddeus.

"Lisa, you need to get a confession from him to get him locked up." We can't pretend everything is picture perfect, and you two just broke up! He tried to kill me! I think this is the perfect opportunity to get that. "Go see him," Natasha said.

"Tasha, I'm scared," Lisa broke down.

"Don't cry," Natasha consoled. "If your mascara gets messy, that's on you." She laughed, also crying.

"We'll get through this together," 

"Don't you think we'll need help?" "Roxy has connections; Carl knows what happened; we just need other people to know what we know in case anything goes wrong," said Lisa, wiping away her tears.

"I have a perfect idea!" Natasha exclaimed.

That afternoon, Natasha asked Cole to help her set up an anonymous website, where she was going to do the craziest thing ever. Cole had no idea what he was getting himself into, but was willing to do anything for Lisa. He was charmed by her.

When the website was ready, Natasha made it more of a blog that couldn't be traced back to her or Carl. The opening statement of the article was a bombshell:

"Thaddeus Calwell, the handsome devil."

It was captivating and pulled readers in like a black hole. Thaddeus was a heartthrob, but his days of being Avery High's Brad Pitt were soon ending. The article continued:

"An addict, an abuser, and a murderer." Quite an accusation, isn't it? Is he really the boy you all fell in love with? 

Christopher's ghost is speaking through me to unveil the truth of his murder. What really was the motive? Was it Lisa? Or was Thaddeus hiding a bigger secret? "Was Christopher his secret lover?" Natasha ended and posted, and hell broke loose!

Lisa was so busy getting ready to meet Thaddeus that she had no time to read the article. She carried pepper spray, a pocket knife, and a recorder in her black leather jacket. She wore comfortable black sneakers in case she had to run for her life and loose black jeans.

"Wya?" He texted.

"I'm at the complex," Lisa replied.

The complex was an old, empty place. It seemed to have been beautiful in its prime, but had been abandoned and had cracked walls. Lisa felt a knot in her stomach. Could this be how she died? in a beautiful, broken room? Although there was a restaurant nearby and a busy avenue, it just seemed like no one would hear her if she tried to scream.

She was as quiet as she could be, with her phone's torch lighting her way. The sound of a falling stone scared her a little, but she had to watch out for Thaddeus.

"An abuser?" A voice from behind her echoed. She turned around swiftly with pepper spray in her hand.

"You think I killed him, don't you?" the voice continued. It was Thaddeus.

"Thaddeus, what do you want?" Lisa tried hiding the fear in her voice.

"You're scared, aren't you, baby?" He sadistically asked.

"I'm not scared of you!" Lisa circled, taking deep breaths, hoping to see him.

"Says the girl with the pepper spray in her hand," he showed himself.

"Thaddeus, what the hell?" Lisa's voice cracked.

"You're so sexy when you're scared," he breathed on her neck.

"Thaddeus, stop it. "We're not together!" She shook, holding back her tears of fear. He circled around her, sniffing her hair as if she hadn't said anything.

"Did you buy new shampoo?" "It smells like strawberries," he smiled.

Lisa chuckled and started crying.

"No Lisa, don't do that," he whispered and put his forehead on hers, holding the back of her neck. "You look so broken when you cry," he let go of her neck.

"Now, baby, you'll have to forgive me for this, but I can't go to prison." "I can't leave you alone," he said, holding her waist. 

Lisa was terrified. What did he mean by forgiving me for this? Before she could do the unthinkable, she felt a knife pierce her stomach, and she felt her blood escape her body and dampen her white t-shirt.

"I love you," Thaddeus shed a tear and reached into her pocket to get the knife and recorder.