Chapter 45

2nd November

Charles worked at his mom's shop in the morning. At noon he took his lunch break and met up with Brady and the gang at The Crusaders. The rest of the guys gossiped about what had happened at Damascus Lot, during Halloween Night.

"The reports said her name was Jenna and that she was the school outcast. Everyone said she was a witch and blamed her for everything bad that happened to them. Then while they were all out on the streets, the kids who had problems with her, saw her. They cornered her and she fought back. Since they outnumbered her, they overpowered her. they grabbed her and as that street adjoined with a nearby cliff, they tossed her high up into the air and she fell down into the waters below. Here I even have the newspaper!!" Pete spoke.

Pete put his newspaper copy onto the table and all five boys got glued into it. Pete turned the page for them where they can read the full article. The full article was two pages long. While the rest of the guys tried reading from the little bits of word imprints, Charles took a glimpse at the victim's photo. The photo of Jenna. Jenna was a pale redhead, dressed up like some kind of Goth or Wicca practitioner.

"Hey doesn't this remind you guys of what we did to Ivy??" Alex spoke like an insensitive moron.

"Not now Alex. This girl is dead. Do you know that it is bad to speak ill of the dead!!" Brady said in an annoyed tone.

"Ivy is not dead. She is dead. Do you know what is going to happen to all those kids involved in her death. They are all going to be spending the rest of their lives in prison. Imagine if that happened to us. This is no laughing matter!!" Pete sided with Brady.

Charles could tell that they were making Alex feel like shit, and from the look on Alex's face, he did feel like shit.

Charles didn't want to be right now. He wanted to go back straight to work.

"Guys listen. I don't feel too good. I will catch up with you all later!!" Charles said.

Charles walked out of their table. But from afar, he could hear Brady and Pete blaming Alex.

"Nice going Alex, you insensitive moron. Don't you remember what happened to Charles and the rest of us!!??" Brady lectured Alex.

"Unlike the rest of us, the judge was more harsher on him for having been the ringleader. The judge told him that he ought to be sent to prison for having masterminded the whole thing, for telling us to throw her into the river where she nearly died and for having thrown eggs on her stupid doorstep!!" Pete lectured Alex.

"I'm sorry guys. You know I didn't mean..." Alex tried apologizing.

" ... that is the problem with you. You never think," Pete cutting him off.

Charles felt sorry for Alex. But right now he would rather be in Alex's shoes than in his own.

Charles cycled back to work and helped his mom in the shop. He didn't want to hear anymore about Jenna or Damascus Lot. By the time it was 5PM, he worked at one of the shelves. By the time it was 7PM, his mom closed the shop. She drove them back home. When they reached home, Sara cooked them dinner and they ate at the dining hall. It was during the middle of their dinner, that the door bell rang.

DING DONG

"You sit here. I'll go see who it is!!" Sara told her son.

Charles gulped. Who could be at the door? Was it Ivy?

Sara left the dining hall and then came back to the dining hall.

"Charles, Eva is at the door. She wants to talk to you!!" Sara smiled.

Charles's heart beat was beating really fast. He knew that he better go see Ivy before he let things get worse. Charles left the dining hall and went to the front door. Ivy was standing by the door.

"Hi Ivy. How are you??" Charles asked in a genuine tone.

He hoped that Ivy wasn't going to lose control.

"Drop the pretense. I know you hope that I never show up in your doorstep. I know that you know what happened at Damascus Lot. I can also tell that you and Sara are having dinner right now. Just listen. After dinner I want you to go upstairs and lie to your mom that one of your friends sent you a text message and that you are going to go see your friend. I want you to come over to my place and call me when you are at my doorstep. That's all for now!!" Ivy coldly ordered him.

Ivy turned around and walked away from his door.

I am doomed, Charles panicked.