Simon Death High (8 page)

Adam tightly gripped the steering wheel as
he knew the bumpy road was coming up. He knew with any wrong
movement, he could crash the car into a tree. “Sorry buddy, but
this street is super bumpy. You're gonna have to get a bag if you
vomit,” he said to Michael.

“I think I'll be fine,” he gagged.

The car began to wobble throughout the
street. No one noticed but Hannah's head hit the roof a few times
because she was sitting high on a pillow. She narrowed her eyes to
try to see anyone but she couldn't. “Crap!” she screamed as Adam's
headlights blew out, causing the entire street to be pitch
black.

“I'm not liking this trip anymore,” Michael
said. “We should go back home!”

“That's why you guys weren't invited,” Linda
snapped. “You should just pull over, Adam.”

“But, I can't see anything,” Adam cried.
“What if we crash?”

“Stop being a punk and just pull over into
the woods,” Tyler snapped. “Do it already!”

Adam obeyed and nervously drove the car into
the woods. As he continued to drive, his wheel popped as he drove
over a sharp branch. “Damn!” he cried. “This can't be serious.”

“Please, tell me you have a spare tire!”
Lucy cried.

“I don't think so,” Adam said as he parked
the car and turned it off. He sighed and began to think if he had a
spare tire in the back. He tried to think back to when he visited
South Simon and knew a gas station was not too far from where they
were. “I'm going to go walk down to the gas station down the
street. Anyone wants to join me?”

Everyone stayed silent as Adam jumped out
the car and pulled out his flashlight. They watched him until he
was out of sight as he walked.

“What are we going to do?” Michael said,
afraid he was talking to himself because everyone was quiet.
“Hello?”

“Ah!” Linda screamed and everyone turned to
her, as if they could see her. “Someone just cut me!”

Hannah pulled out her cell phone and put the
light on Linda, “What?”

Linda shoved Hannah away with her bare feet
and hopped over onto Tyler's lap. “You have blood on your hand! It
was you!”

“Oh, no! It wasn't me. I was sitting on my
hand—my period must have came!” Hannah cried.

“Ew,” Michael muttered. “That's nasty.”

“You just cut my thigh,” she cried. “Look
I’m bleeding and it hurts real bad.”

“Are you sure it wasn't your bag?” Lucy
rolled her eyes. “It has all those sharp rhinestones.”

“Why are you always defending her?” Linda
said.

Hannah began to laugh. “Why would I cut you?
I can't even reach that far. I’m on your right side and the cut is
on your left thigh.”

“Don't look at me,” Tyler snapped. “I
wouldn't hurt you.”

“Hmm...” Michael said as loud as he could.
“Sometimes I wonder...”

Tyler turned to face Michael, “What does
that supposed to mean?” he snapped. “You think I would hurt
Linda?”

“Maybe,” Michael said.

“What are you trying to say?” Linda
said.

“He knows what's up,” he muttered.

Hannah tried to pull Linda in for a hug, but
she pushed her away. Linda leaned back onto Tyler but then jumped
back and fell onto the floor of the car, hurting her butt. “What is
that in your coat?” she gasped and crawled closer to Hannah.

“Huh?” Tyler said and grabbed his jacket
pocket.

“You heard me!” she screamed. “It felt like
a gun!”

Hannah and Michael screamed, “A gun?”

“Okay,” Calm as possible, Tyler pulled out
his gun from his coat. “Let me explain!”

“AH!” they all screamed.

“It was you! You're trying to kill us!”
Linda snapped. “You are the killer.”

“I knew it!” Michael said. “That's why you
hang out with the police officers so they won't suspect you—”

Tyler began to chuckle. “You guys, let me
explain—”

Without thinking, Linda took her foot and
kicked Tyler as hard as she could in the face. His head snapped
back and hit the window. The car was now quiet.

Adam ran back to the car and opened the
door. “What is going on?” He turned on the car light inside and
everyone stared at Tyler. “Um, is he dead?”

Linda poked his stomach and he was still
breathing. “And, to think all this time I thought it was Hannah and
Dr. Smith—”

“What?” Hannah gasped as she placed a towel
under her. “Why would you think that?”

“I heard you and him talking about all the
girls and how you couldn't be seen together. I don't approve that
you guys are together, but as long as you're not the murderer—”

Lucy began to laugh, “Oh my gosh!”

“Wait, hold on, you think I’m dating Dr.
Smith?” Hannah laughed. “This whole time you thought I was with Dr.
Smith!”

“Well, because you are,” Michael said. “You
even told us.”

“I saw you two at that bar or something,”
Linda said.

“And, I saw you in the car with him earlier
today,” Michael added. “Isn't he the one meeting us here?”

“You guys have everything wrong,” Hannah
laughed. “What you heard the first time, Linda was not about the
murders, it was about the dance team. You can't tell anyone this,
but Dr. Smith used school funds to provide tutoring for the dance
team and by us new uniforms. The state grew suspicious when he was
asking for more money after they saw us at dance camp with new
stuff.”

“But, why would he do that?” Michael
said.

“Because we thought it wasn't fair that the
football, basketball, and cheer teams were getting all new stuff
and we have had the same uniforms since freshmen year.”

“So, you're not dating him?” Linda said.

“No, ha...that's gross,” she shivered.

“Then, who were we talking about?”

“I'm dating this...
guy.
..he's kind of
famous.”

“Huh?” Linda and Michael said.

“Well, I left to California to support my
dad in his trial against fraud. I didn't want to tell you guys
because you guys always think of me as perfect. I didn't want you
guys to know how terrible my life has been. That's when I met
Christian—”

“You don't mean Christian Monroe do you?”
Michael said. “That abusive actor, right?”

“Yeah, and so that's why I couldn't bring
him around,” Hannah said. “And he doesn't abuse me if that's what
you're wondering.”

“And Lucy knew this?” Linda snapped as she
nodded. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I thought you knew,” Lucy said. “I just
thought you were being crazy Linda again with all your theories. I
didn't know it was this bad.”

Linda hugged Hannah and gave her a kiss,
“Wow, I feel so stupid.”

“I'll be back,” Adam said as he got out the
car.

“Okay, can we talk later about this
nonsense.” Michael leaned over the seat and began to dig around
Tyler's pockets. “We need to get rid of him!” Gently, he pulled out
Tyler's wallet from his pocket and handed it to Linda.

Her eyes narrowed as a detective's badge was
the first thing she saw. “Dammit, we made a mistake...” She looked
at his ID and his age was really thirty-four—Tyler Jenkins from
California. “He's an undercover detective?” she questioned.

“Huh?” they all gasped and put their hands
out to see the badge.

Hannah scratched her head in confusion, “So,
he is working with the police? He thinks I was with Dr. Smith too?
Ew!”

Linda smiled and tried to wake him up. “Now,
I know why he didn't want to kiss me!”

Michael rolled his eyes, “Who cares!”

Hannah grabbed Linda’s wrist. “Hey, this is
the same—”

“Apparently the jocks do it.”

Hannah looked out the window to see where
Adam was. He was still checking out the car. “Did Adam do this to
you?”

“Um, yeah.”

“Why is he even here?” Hannah snapped. “He's
a little sketchy.”

Linda raised one eyebrow, “You're funny, you
think Adam is sketchy...since when?”

Tyler jumped up and began to kick his legs,
ready to protect himself. “...I swear, my gun doesn't have bullets,
but if you hit me again—”

Quickly, Linda put her hand over Tyler's
mouth shutting him up. “You're a cop,” she nodded and smiled. “Why
didn't you tell me?”

“I was trying to,” he snapped. “I'm
undercover, I can't just tell you that sort of stuff. I thought you
guys would be mad at me.”

“So, you know a lot about the murders?”
Hannah said. “Like what do you know so far?”

“I can't say,” he said and tucked his gun in
his pants.

“Please! Tell us, or we will tell that
you're a cop!” Hannah yelled. “Tell us!”

“Okay!” Tyler snapped. “I never thought I
would be intimidated by a cheerleader.”

“I'm on the dance team, just to correct
you.”

“Who cares!” Linda said. “Tell us what you
know, Tyler.”

“Well, we discovered that the person who are
doing the murders is connected to the Mandy Perez case—”

“The chick who died last year. Her?” Michael
said as he stared at Hannah, which he knew she knew very well.

“Yup,” Tyler nodded. “And we also realized
it's not the work of some random person, but someone who attends
the school.”

“So, like a student?” Linda said.

“A very psycho student,” Michael said.

“And it's not me,” Hannah said. “Just
putting it out there.”

“Well, at this moment...it can really be
anyone. I mean, everyone is a suspect at this point. Even you
guys,” Tyler said. “But, let's not talk about me being a cop.”

“Can we tell Adam?”

“He doesn't like me,” Tyler said. “He's the
last person I would want to know. Let's just keep this between us.
Plus, I liked you guys even though I think I can be your dad.”
Tyler chuckled and put his wallet back into his pocket.

Adam got back into the car, “I think I fixed
the car,” he cheered as he turned it on. “We should stay at a motel
until morning.”

“Luckily, we have no school Monday,” Hannah
said.

“It's not like we were going,” Adam
said.

“What does that mean?” Tyler said, as he
lifted one eyebrow.

“We will be having way too much fun!” Adam
said as he drove back onto the road. “If you're not completely hung
over when I’m done with you, I’ve failed my job.”

Linda rolled her eyes, “I don't drink.”

Hannah and Lucy laughed realizing Linda was
trying to seem innocent since learning that Tyler was a cop.
“Sure...”

“Not anymore. I don't want to end up like my
dad.”

“So, what happened when I was gone?” Adam
said. “I hope I didn't miss anything important. You guys worked
everything out?”

“Of course—we are best friends,” Linda said.
“We were just all a little confused. It's not a big deal.”

Tyler chewed on his tongue as the silent
built. He tried to read Linda’s expressions but he could barely see
her. He put his hand on hers and squeezed it tight.

“What?” she whispered to him.

“I'm sorry I lied to you.”

“It's okay. I feel a lot safer now that
you're with us.”

9 | Black Roses

After catching Tyler up on Hannah's
situation, Linda hurried to Hannah's bag that was on the bumpy bed
and began to search through it. Michael, Tyler, and Lucy ran over
to her, trying to see what she was looking for.

“What the hell are you doing?” Tyler pushed
Linda away from the bag. “Are you crazy?”

“I still don't believe her!” Linda said, as
she heard Hannah get into the shower. “She is lying to us.”

“She's not lying,” Tyler snapped, as he
shoved Linda away from her stuff. “Hannah isn't the one.”

“Yeah, Linda, she isn't the one. I can't
believe you would think that,” Lucy said.

“Oh shut up, Lucy!” Linda snapped and shoved
her away. “Why the heck are you always defending poor Hannah? Do
you know something, like always, you bitch?”

“How dare you!” Lucy shoved Linda in the
neck, “What the hell are you trying to say?”

“I'm saying that you always know the inside
scoop but tell us when it's too late—when the damage is done. What
if you're working with Hannah and killing those people? Are you
going to kill me next? Or maybe Tyler first because he's a—”

Tyler kicked Linda in the leg as Adam came
back into the room. “He said we can have the other two rooms. So,
we can pair up—”

“I'm with Hannah!” Linda said quickly as if
someone wanted to be in the room with her.

“I'll stay in this room with Adam,” Tyler
said.

“I guess I’m stuck with Lucy,” Michael
moaned.

“You say it like it's a bad thing,” Lucy
said as she gathered her things to go to the next room.

Hannah opened the bathroom door, with her
hair dripping wet, “What's going on?”

“You're sharing a motel room with me,” Linda
said as she grabbed her hand. “Bestie.”

“Um...okay?” Hannah said as she followed
Linda to the motel room next door. She kicked open the door. “I
can't help but be freaked out by this motel.” Hannah turned on the
flickering lights of the motel room and threw her bags on the bed.
“This room just looks like hundreds of people have been murdered in
here.”

“Are you sure you're not with Dr. Smith?”
Linda asked. “I just knew it was you two.”

“No! How can I prove I’m not with him,” she
snapped. “Do you want me to call Dr. Smith...not that I have his
number. Plus, Dr. Smith has a girlfriend.”

“And?”

“I'm not, Linda. Let's changed the subject,”
she paused, “like how creepy Tyler is a cop. That makes him hotter
since I thought he was disgusting. Didn't you think he was
disgusting?”

“Yeah, to think all this time he was knowing
all the bad things I do. I can imagine how many students he's had
arrested. He knows that I drink...wow.”

“I'm sure I know why he's really here,”
Hannah mumbled.

Linda walked over to the bed Hannah was
sitting on, “What do you mean?”

“Well, of course he's been investigating all
of us without us even knowing. Before he was with us, he was
hanging out with the jocks, then, the band geeks, and some of the
dance team members. He knocked me off his list, you, Michael, and
Lucy, but not Adam.”