Gavin made a face when he saw not one but two figures approaching in the darkness. He specifically glowered at Jethro and when they got to his side, he pulled the boy to a side and muttered at him.

"What are you thinking? What's she doing here?"

Jethro frowned back and lifted his shoulders innocently, "I wouldn't intentionally take her along. I was stuck with her." He explained, taking a glance back to check on Ava. The girl was looking at them, wondering what was happening. He hoped she was not hearing them.

"Stuck with her?" Gavin scoffed, "Why did you even visit her in the first place? You can't do twenty-four hours without seeing her?" Gavin continued his hot accusation which made Jethro grunt in frustration.

"I didn't visit her. She visited me instead." He rasped and then added, "And I know someone gave Lira my address who in turn gave it to Ava. I think that person should be blamed instead."

Gavin's eyes faltered after the statement. He was the one who had given Jethro's address to Lira, "But still you shouldn't bring her here." He hissed.

"I've got no other choice," Jethro shrugged, "But why on earth would you give Lira my address?" He sneered.

"We have a better thing to be discussing now. Don't we?" Gavin sidestepped.

Jethro huffed in annoyance at his response, "Jessy isn't here yet?" He asked.

Gavin did not reply immediately. He just grimaced at his friend and shook his head.

"What's that?" Jethro rasped.

"You want her to come and see Ava here. That would spoil everything, what are you thinking?" Gavin breathed harshly.

Jethro closed his eyes afterward, thinking of what to do, and then opened them when he got an idea, "What of this? You and Ava stay somewhere nearby while I and Jessy talk."

Gavin shook his head again in response and took in a lungful of air.

"Nice dude. We do that." Jethro took his silence as a yes.

Gavin still did not say a word. He just pouted and his eyes went large like a puppy's.

"Now you look like your twin." Jethro joked and Gavin finally smiled.

"I just hope this works." He croaked.

"It will," Jethro assured, tapping his shoulder. Gavin nodded grudgingly and they both moved to Ava who was busy observing the night.

"You guys kept on whispering, everything alright?" She asked when they got back to her.

"Yeah." Jethro gave a perfunctory smile.

"So, we can leave now?" She smiled back.

"No," It was Gavin who answered, trying not to sound harsh, "Jethro and I still got things to do. But you can leave if you want to."

Ava stared at Jethro for affirmation, the look on the boy's face wasn't saying anything, "It's dark and Jethro will escort me home, so I stay." She sang, much to Gavin's frustration.

"Alright." The boy gulped curtly.

Ava locked eyes with Jethro again, expecting him to say a word. Jethro chuckled when he saw that and then he finally spoke, "It's fine." He bobbed his head, "But.." He paused.

"But?" Ava prompted.

Jethro sighed and took two steps forward to be able to reach her hair and caress it, "You and Gavin would excuse for some time. I want to do something." He said in a low voice.

For a minute, Ava fell speechless. She just peeked at Gavin and then looked back at Gavin with furrowed brows.

"What do you want to do? Where are we going to stay?" She asked anxiously.

Jethro took in a lungful of air and cupped her face in his palms, "It won't take long, I promise. And you and Gavin will stay nearby, you'll be fine." He coaxed.

Ava nodded and blinked nervously before looking at Gavin. The boy raised his brows and gestured for them to start going. She obeyed and when they had walked a bit away, she glanced back at Jethro who gave her an assuring smile before they disappeared into a dark corner.

Jethro gazed blankly into the night, fingering his hair and waiting for Jessy to come. He took time to reflect on the moment recently had with Ava at the patio. He wished that never ended. He wished Gavin's call never came in. He beamed at the thought and then squared himself up when he saw the familiar girl walking toward him.

"Hi, Jessy." He greeted her when she got to him.

"Hi." She returned sweetly.

"Thanks for coming." He said and she gave a small smile, "So, Gavin said you wanted to tell me something." He quickly moved into the reason for the rendezvous. He had promised Ava he wouldn't take long.

"Yeah," Jessy continued to smile, "I already told him everything but he insisted I should tell you too. He said you wouldn't believe it when he told you himself."

"Yeah." Jethro drawled, "I just don't see the reason why Stan would do that to hurt Ava."

"I think he did that to hurt Finn instead," Jessy remarked.

"Why?" Jethro asked and Jessy smirked at the question.

"Finn was having his girl. So, he did that to stab Finn back."

"Really?" Jethro scoffed, "And yet he appeared in the pictures himself. Who does that?" He croaked, waited for Jessy to say something, and then gave a sinister chuckle when she would not, "Why did you say you've disappointed Ava so much the last time?" He decided to ask.

Jessy was startled on hearing the question, "I did? When did I?" She spluttered

"Nice pretense." Jethro sniggered and then stared coldly into her eyes, "What do you know about those pictures?" He challenged.

Jessy flinched and squinted furiously at him, "I don't get you?"

"You should stop pretending, you had a hand in what happened to Ava that night." Jethro laughed mockingly.

"What!" Jessy huffed, "I can't stand and hear this crap." She hissed and before she could turn away, Jethro grasped her arm.

"You're going nowhere." He snapped into her face.

"Really?" She scoffed and tried to set herself free from his hold but could not overpower him.

Jethro started dragging her somewhere and she strived to break away from him but to no avail. Jethro hurled her to a corner and set her back against a black wall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Assaulting?" She panted and Jethro ignored that to repeat his question.

"What do you know about those pictures?"

"Nothing!" She yelled back, "I know nothing."

Jethro took a hand up and clamped it around her neck. He threw his other hand backward and dug out a knife from his pocket. Jessy gasped when she saw it.

"You're going to use that?" She screamed, frightened.

"If you don't cooperate." Jethro snarled, raising the knife to her forehead, "For the last time, what do you know about those pictures."

Jessy sighed and checked the glinting edge of the knife before speaking out, "I didn't want to do it but..."

Jethro's eyes narrowed in shock, "But what?"

"Katie brought the plan."

"Katie!" Jethro shrieked in astonishment.

"I balked at getting involved but she exploited the envy in me. Finn and I were together before Ava came. I introduced Ava to Finn as my best friend and she took him away from me." Jessy narrated bitterly.

Jethro swallowed a deep breath, "So you then decided to hurt her?" He said with scorn.

"Katie brought the plan!" Jessy reiterated, "She doesn't like Ava being with Finn and I wasn't happy with that either."

"Alright," Jethro breathed heavily, "That's not all, is it?" He prompted her to continue speaking.

"Stan was involved too." She dropped another shocking piece.

"Stan?" Jethro almost slumped on hearing that.

Jessy gulped and avoided his keen gaze, "Stan was involved initially but he withdrew at the last moment."

Jethro put the knife down and raked some fingers through his hair, "What was the plan all about? What brought Stan in?"

"Katie did everything." Jessy replied in a teary voice, "She knew Stan wasn't glad Ava was now with Finn. She met with him and invited him to the party."

"Why did she invite him?" Jethro inquired.

"To piss Finn off and..." Jessy took a pause and then continued, "He was going to mask up and help take the nudes of Ava."

"Wow. Wow." Jethro could only mouth in his amazement, "So, how did he ditch the plan at the last minute?"

Tears were already forming around Jessy's eyes and she picked up a finger to tap them off, "He called a day before the party that he wasn't interested again. Katie was mad at that."

Jethro sighed and wiped a palm over his face, "Those boys who attacked Stan and Ava. Who are they?"

"I wouldn't know. Katie arranged them," She disclosed, "Since Stan said he wasn't coming again, she arranged some other boys to do the job."

"So, how did Stan appear in those pictures if he didn't come to the party?" Jethro questioned in a tone sensing a lie in what she had just said.

"He came." Jessy's voice shook, the tears finally falling down her cheeks, "We were surprised to see him too. He came to tell Ava to leave the party but Katie proved smarter."

"Proved smarter? How?" Jethro quizzed.

Jethro sniffed before answering him, "She sent those boys to attack him, take the nudes of Ava, and make him appear in them."

"And that's to implicate him so he won't spill the truth." Jethro reasoned and Jessy bobbed her head sadly.

"I didn't want to do it." She wheezed afterward, "My head was messed up with envy and I betrayed a sweet friendship." She sobbed.

Jethro studied her for a few silent seconds and then decided to ask, "What exact role did you play in the plan?"

Jessy hesitated before answering with remorse, "To convince Ava to come to the party. She wasn't going to come since Finn warned her not to."

"Is that all?" Jethro snorted, knowing that could not have been the only role she had to play in the plan.

"And to drug Ava, if Stan had not ditched the plan."

"Fuck." Jethro breathed, perplexed at all he had heard. Katie and Jessy had taken such cruel actions all because of hatred and envy. He clasped his forehead with a palm, feeling a severe ache.

"I regret everything I did." Jessy's sob came in again, "I wished to confess earlier but it was hard to do. I hate myself now. I don't know what got into my head when I said yes to the plan. I'm crazy, I'm..." She suddenly stopped and gasped at something she had seen.

Jethro noticed her reaction and also looked back. He was startled when he saw Ava. Her face was full of tears. She must have heard all that they had discussed.

"Jessy." Her voice shivered in pain as she called that name, "You did all that?"

Jessy could not say a word. She shut her eyes firmly and her cry went higher. Her heart heaved and she pulled at her hair in absolute contrition.

"I can't believe this. I can't." Ava wailed in her quivering voice, moving closer to her.

Before Ava could get to her, Jessy suddenly opened her eyes and snatched the knife from Jethro. Jethro wanted to stop her but it was too late. She brought the knife down her belly and stabbed herself with one heavy groan.