A R I A

With the number of screams and high pitched squeals I've received from both Zoe and Liz, I am sure my ears are going to bleed anytime now. They had forced me to tell the events of my very first date in detail, as well as word for word, and I have never felt this awkward and bashful in my entire life. Hailey's reaction, on the other hand, is a completely different story. She went from gagging like she'd just swallowed a slice of my old neighbours' chocolate pie to chanting some random person's name. 

"Maria, Maria, Maria!" she yells, bouncing onto the couch and knocking over the bowl of popcorn in the process. Zoe shrieks and lunges to save the bowl, but instead, she manages to get popcorn and kernels in her hair and all over her clothes. 

"Maybe Hunter's right," Zoe scowls, weaving her fingers through her hair in an attempt to shake the popcorn out, "maybe you are a devil. Now all this popcorn has gone to waste. You're a sick human being, Hailey. This is popcorn. How could you?"

"Hey, it hasn't gone to waste," Lizzy says, scooping some popcorn off the couch, "I'd still eat it."

"Maria, Maria, Maria!" Hailey chants louder, grinning widely and totally unashamed from Zoe's scolding.

"Who is Maria?" 

All three girls look at me like I'm some kind of idiot and then continue to ignore me. What the heck? So they all know who this Maria person is, then? What have I missed?

"Actually, I like Aries better," Lizzy says, placing her feet on the ottoman. 

Zoe scoffs, "you only like Aries because that's Ryan's zodiac sign."

"Maria, Maria, Maria!" 

"That's not true," Lizzy shakes her head, but a visible blush flows over her cheeks, "Okay, maybe it is—oh! Aries and Leo are compatible, by the way. I think I met my soulmate." 

Okay, why are they suddenly talking about astrology?

"Soulmate, soulmate, soulmate!"

"Someone get this kid a pacifier, please," Zoe groans, looking at Hailey boredly, "but, for once I actually agree with her on this. I prefer Maria."

Again with this Maria? What the hell are they talking about?

"Yes!" Hailey exclaims, her dark eyes twinkling with excitement. "Maria, Maria, Maria!"

Ugh. Whatever, they're probably talking about a show or a book, or something. I turn my attention to the clock and cringe as I come to realize I was supposed to drop Hailey back home thirty minutes ago, and then get back home right after since Uncle Paul wanted me home early today. For what, though, I have no idea. The sun had set a long time ago, and even though it's barely seven, the sky is pitch black. 

I pull out my phone to see that neither Paul nor Joyce have called or left any messages. My brows furrow. That's strange. Considering how late I am, it's weird how my uncle hasn't blown up my phone with his calls.

"Zoe," I nudge her, "has Joyce called you?"

She frowns and clicks her cellphone on but then shakes her head. "No, she hasn't. Weren't you supposed to drop Hails off a while ago?"

"I lost track of time," I say and look over to Hailey, who's busy nagging Liz about her dog, Chewbacca. "I'm gonna call Joyce, give me a mi—"

The sudden sound of my ringtone cuts me off and I even jump a bit. My phone slips from my grasp and I'm reminded of all the times I've tried to firmly hold a slippery soap bar. I scramble to accept the call, not even bothering to look at the contact name.

"Hello?"

"Aria?" It's Miles. His breathing is uneven. I get the feeling that something is wrong.

"Miles? What happened?" I stride into the kitchen after signalling for Zoe to give me a minute.

"Where are you?"

"Zoe's, why?"

"How long will it take you to get to the cavern?"

The cavern?

"You mean the place in the middle of the woods? The same woods where I got shot and you—"

"Yes, that place. How long?"

"Um," I hesitate, peeking out of the kitchen to look at Hails again, "I have to get Hailey back home first, so, fifteen minutes?"

"Meet me at the entrance. Just get here, and get here fast."

"Mil—"

He hangs up without another word, leaving me curious and confused. Why does he want me to meet him at the cavern? Why did he sound so urgent?

"Hailey!" I gnaw on my bottom lip and rush to pull my shoes on after wearing my jacket, "Hails, come on, I need to get you home now."

She pouts, stubbornly shaking her head. "But I don't want to go yet!"

"Hailey, your mom's waiting," I tell her, fishing my car keys out from my pocket, "We have to go, okay? We've stayed longer than we were supposed to."

"Please, Aria? I want to stay. Just five more minutes?"

What is she going to do in five minutes?

"Aria, what happened?" Zoe steps in front of me.

"I don't know," I play with the jacket's zipper anxiously. "Miles just said I have to meet him someplace. He sounded stressed."

She leans back on her heels and sways slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Go then, stupid. Liz and I will drop Hailey off at home. I'll just let Mom know."

At this point, I'm too worried to stick around to decline Zoe's offer, so I just nod and yell a quick 'see ya' to Hailey and Liz before I swing the door open. Usually, I would be opposed to the idea of venturing through the woods in order to get to the cavern alone at night, but because of the tone in Miles' voice, I couldn't care less.

It takes me less than ten minutes to get to the woods. I park the vehicle on the side of the road, hesitating before I enter the dark forest. The cold December air numbs the tip of my nose and my knuckles. I regret my decision to not wear gloves and shove my hands into my pockets, stumbling over a few roots. It begins to snow only a minute later, and the cooing wind's breeze adds to the chill that crawls up my spine. It doesn't help me stay warm, either. Why couldn't Miles choose a place indoors? Why the cavern, of all places?

Even though I've only been there once, I remember the cavern being somewhere around the middle of the woods. I quicken my pace, keeping my eyes wide open as they adjust to the darkness. My heart slams against my chest wildly. What if I come across a wolf pack or something? I'd see their eyes glowing first, wouldn't I? Shadows cast by tree branches and bushes contribute to the eeriness of the aroma. My mind even manages to morph a figure of a person in the dark, standing by the many trees. I shudder and look away, keeping my gaze forward until I see the entrance of the cave. 

Flames are ignited in the fireplace and the warmth instantly hits my body. How long has Miles been here? He's sitting on a log, gazing into the glow of the flames with his elbows resting on his thighs and his chin held up with his palm. I would've thought Miles hadn't even noticed me if he didn't shift a bit, making room for me to sit next to him as he stares into the fire, deep in thought with his eyebrows knitted. I resist the urge to move the hair that has fallen over his eyes and instead rest my head on his shoulder, staying quiet until he speaks.

"I'm sorry I called you here," Miles says softly, his eyes never leaving the fire. "I know I shouldn't have because of all the shit that went down in these woods," he finally turns and I lift my head from his shoulder to face him, "but I came here because I needed to clear my head after I saw my br—Michael. This was the only place I could think of."

"How long have you been here?"

"At least two hours," he murmurs, picking up a twig off the floor before tossing it into the crackling fire.

I frown. Two hours? "What happened?"

Miles' jaw clenches, and for a brief second, I look at his face in awe. Damn. It should be illegal to look that attractive.

Oh my God, will you just focus for once?

"He told me to check the files, and that's it. That's all he said, over and over again," he releases a tired sigh, "it was the most frustrating conversation I've ever had, if you can even call it that."

"Files?" I question. "What files?"

Miles' tongue pokes out as he lowers his gaze. His expression hardens, and it's the most solemn look I've ever seen on him. "The files from the Brooks' case. Everything was there, Aria."

"Wait, what? How did you even get a hold of them?" I blink in confusion.

And just like that, his serious expression dissolves, replaced with a proud grin. "I may or may not have bribed the Chief into letting me go through them."

I raise both of my brows. He bribed the Chief? "With what? Your cupcakes?"

"No, he doesn't like cupcakes," Miles rolls his eyes, "I promised him I'd let him have a ride on my motorcycle when I get it. Apparently, he's always wanted to ride a Harley Davidson, and once I offered, he gave me access to the whole damn compartment."

This time, I'm the one to roll my eyes. Who knew the Chief of Police could be bribed by a teenage boy?

"Can't he get fired for that?" I ask.

"Yeah, but no one else has to know," he grins again, but then it's quickly dropped, "everything was there," Miles repeats, "Michael's records. Copies of reports from the autopsies. Bags of pieces of evidence from three years ago. Everything."

Autopsies? They never told me anything about autopsies. Of course, it makes sense why they would do an autopsy. Hell, I know nothing about surgical procedures but even I'd still do one if it meant learning more about my parents' death. I find it strange how no one has ever mentioned it to me before Miles, though. What about Uncle Paul and Aunt Lyd? They must've known about it for sure, right? Why was I left in the dark?

Realization dawns over Miles' face when he sees my bewildered expression. "You didn't know about the autopsies, did you?"

I shake my head and feel tears brimming my eyes, but I blink them away before they could fall. "What . . . what did they find?"

Miles presses his lips into a thin line, his Adam's apple bobbing. My heart starts to beat rapidly once again. His nervousness is making me nervous. Why won't he just spit it out already? Surely there was nothing I didn't already know about. I know how they were killed, and I know what they were killed with. What else could there be?

"Aria—"

"Just tell me, Miles," I cut him off, "please."

And so, he does.

"Bullets," he looks me in the eye, "They found bullets."

Those words alone are enough for a shiver to travel through my whole body despite the fire. The flames could be licking away at my skin but I'd still feel as if I just climbed out of a bathtub full of ice. I'm rendered speechless. 

"Bullets?" I breathe, shaking my head. "No, that's not possible. Miles, are you sure you read the right reports? My parents were slaughtered, slashed with a blade. Their bodies were mutilated, Miles. I saw them myself, in person. They weren't shot!"

"Shortcake, listen to me." Miles gently grasps my shoulders, keeping me in place when I try to stand up. "Listen to me, okay? In the report, it had the serial number of the bullets' shells. The pistol Michael used to shoot you left shells, too, and they didn't have the same number. If he had any other firearms, the cops would've sought them out by now. The slaughterings—that was a decoy, Aria. You only saw what they wanted you to see."

"No, Miles. Your brother is just trying to save his own ass," My nostrils flare and I take his hands off my shoulders. "He ripped them apart! I could barely see their faces. I could barely recognize my parents, and it's because he killed them!"

"He's not my brother. He hasn't been for a long time," Miles says lowly, the sadness in his voice becoming obvious. "You're not thinking rationally. If he was trying to save himself, why did he turn himself in? Michael wouldn't be saving himself either way, because whether he killed your parents or not, he still shot you and abducted Hailey. Her dad was murdered, too. Who else could it have been?"

I turn away from him and look into the fire. I know what he's saying, but I can't believe it.

"The slaughtering was a coverup, Aria. It hid the gunshot wounds so well that they weren't even visible."

"I-I saw . . . I saw . . ." The words get caught in my throat and I'm unable to finish my sentence. Miles takes my chin between his thumb and his fingers and turns my head ever so slightly to look at me.

"It wasn't Michael," he whispers, igniting another chill in my spine, "Someone else murdered your parents, Aria, and they're getting away with it."

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BOOM! PLOT TWIST, Y'ALL! WHADDYA THINK?

I'm gonna keep this short because I really have to pee and I also just wanna go back to playing Star Wars: Battlefront 2 so that's all I'm gonna say in this a/n.

Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter! I love you all, stay safe!

Chloe ❤