COLD

°Chapter Seven°

====== Dear Diary =======

I went to Hunter's houseparty last night.

A few people at school were privileged to get an invite. So the house was not crowded and there was plenty of alcohol and snacks for all of us.

I managed to sneak out of the house without my mom knowing. It was fun dancing and drinking with Wesley and all his pals.

We've been dating for two months now. It's really fun and I fall inlove with Wes each day more and more. Most girls at school are green with envy, especially that Audrey and Kimberly.

Anyway, back to the houseparty.

It was fun for the first half of the night. We were tired and a bit drunk by the time midnight hit.

I rushed to the washrooms upstairs leaving everyone at the bonfire and some at the pool outside. When I got out, I jerked back in surprise seeing Jacob standing over the sink, staring at me strangely through the mirror.

Jacob doesn't like me much, I know. He talks and laughs alot with other girls and guys at school but not me. He always has this frown on his face when he sees me.

So, it creeped me out when he followed me to the washrooms. And the eerie smirk on his face gave me chills.

He suddenly grabbed me, trying to make me stop from screaming. His breathe reeked of liquor as he tried to kiss me. Trying to force himself on me.

I screamed but no one came to my rescue. I kicked him on the crotch and he hit the wall, hurting his head and sprawling on the floor as he cried out.

Suddenly, Wesley and his g**g burst into the washrooms and burst out a laugh.

"Prank!"

It was some sick joke! But they were just joking. Messing around with my head.

Wes is right. I should stop being so sensitive and making a mountain out of an anthill. It was just a joke. He couldn't let Jacob r**e me! I know he wouldn't.

Right?

❤️❤️❤️

****

Jacob Stewart woke up to screams and shouts from downstairs. This was now the norm since his dad, Arnold Stewart, had quit his job about a year ago. His mother, Karen Stewart, was displeased by his 'selfish' decision.

"You're a useless man!" she yelled at him. "A f*****g useless prick of a man! All you do is sit around on the couch all day watching people on the TV. People that are making more money than you! I should have listened to my parents! I never should have gotten married to you! f*****g useless piece of s**t!"

" Oooh! There you go again, woman! " Arnold raised his voice. "You clung on to me like a parasite years ago, desperately begging! Begging for me to marry you! I should have known it's a trap! I should have listened to Beth instead of -"

"Beth!" she cackled. "How dare you bring your other woman into this! You two deserve each other! You're both as ugly and as poor and as useless as the other! What a perfect match!"

"Why are you always pushing me, Karen!" he lowered his voice. "It was my decision to quit my job! Why do you have to -"

Karen cut him off. "Can you just hear how selfish and mean you are? You quit your job because it's your decision? Arnold, we have bills to pay! Fees to pay! Food to buy! There's just a lot of bills and expenses and then you, SELFISHLY, decide to quit your job! You didn't care about me or your kids or our family! You just thought about yourself and now I have to be the f*****g father of this family! "

"You act like I don't help you with s**t around this house!" he squawked. "The savings I have are what we use most on expenses!"

She let out a bark of laughter. "And I don't!"

"I didn't say you don't. I said-"

"Nobody cares about the s**t you have to say, Arnold! Just get yourself a job and maybe I'll listen to your crap!"

Jacob groaned as he finished up dressing for school. Everyone wondered why he was so quiet at school nowadays. It was the chaos at home. His mom and dad were always fighting every chance they got. They threw the meanest insults at each other and when he tried to make them stop, they insulted him too.

He threw his backpack at his back after combing his blonde wavy hair the last time. He stared at himself one last time in the mirror.

Who was this standing in the mirror? He didn't recognize him anymore. He was pale... And dark... And cold...

What was happening to him? What was happening to Wesley? To Hunter? To all his friends? They were his support system but it felt like they were slowly falling apart. All of them...

He couldn't wait to finish college and get away from this town for good. He'd be done with college and never think of coming back again. Furthermore... What was there to come back to? His violent abusive parents? His dead friends?

The minute he'd complete his mission in this town... It would be dead to him. He looked at the diary on his bed and hid it under his pillow.

A scream erupted from downstairs and he swiftly flee down the stairs and found his parents in a heated scuffle. Arnold had Karen on the floor, strangling her furiously as he glared at her with blood-shot eyes.

"I'm going to finish you woman!" he swore.

"Dad! Stop it!" Jacob yelled, trying to separate his dad from his mom.

But he kept on strangling her and Jacob knew he had to act fast to stop this. He pushed his dad so hard that he sprawled, hitting the ground hard with the back of his head.

Karen crawled away from Arnold and hid behind Jacob's back. His dad pulled himself back up and stood unsteadily.

"See! You even taught your useless son how to disrespect me!" he snapped.

"You two! Can you just stop it with this? This is unhealthy for all of us so just stop it!"

It shocked his parents every time just how cool and calm he would be in heated moments. Jacob wasn't the one to act up when things got messy. He would remain calm and collected, something even his parents weren't capable of.

" No I'll stop it! " Karen squawked.

"Just shut up, woman!"

"I want a divorce, Arnold."

****

Tyler ran up to Jacob and Hunter, who were strolling on the corridors leading up to the classes. He was stunned that Hunter had been released.

It was just last evening that he had gotten arrested. He couldn't wait to hear what had happened.

He jumped on Hunter's back, shuffling his dark frizzy hair.

"Tyler dude!" Hunter shoved him off.

"I'm happy to see you man! Hey Jacob!" he waved at Jacob, who just shrugged.

Hunter heaved a sigh and looked at Tyler, dipping his hands in his pockets nervously.

"My parents bailed me out," he muttered. "Those stupid bunch of detectives say they have solid evidence against me that I killed Audrey. They are building up a case against me. My parents got me an attorney."

"An attorney?" Ty was startled.

"Yea, an attorney."

"You're innocent, Hunter. What's the need for an attorney?"

"Not everyone believes I'm innocent like you, Tyler," he said. "Especially not the damned police. They say my DNA was allover Audrey's body... Her autopsy report reveals she died by suffocation. But there's evidence that she was strangled hard before being suffocated... My finger prints was allover her neck..."

Hunter could not believe the horror he was going through.

He let out a sigh. "This all feels like I'm in some horror movie..."

Jacob creepily replied, "Isn't life the real authentic horror movie with blood-sucking monsters and the victims?"

They both stopped and stared at Jacob, stunned. "What!"

"I'm just kidding guys," he walked faster, entering the class first. "Stop looking at me like that!"

But Hunter was creeped out by that very statement.

****

The minute Hunter entered the class, all the students went into a frenzy. He had gotten a few glimpses and glances strolling with Jacob and Tyler to class. But he had just ignored them and thought nothing of it.

The class burst into a buzz, flashes of lights filling the class as they boomed the class with boos, whispers and snickers.

"Murderer!" A guy at the backseat yelled.

"Killer!"

"s******c monster!"

All sorts of insults were thrown at him, some students hitting him with pens and books. Tyler and Jacob tried to shield Hunter but the students couldn't stop attacking him with their harsh words.

A lump burnt his throat, staring at a class that was once so afraid of him, disrespect him in such a manner. He was living a real nightmare.

He scanned the entire class and his eyes settled on him.

Wesley.

He just sat there, staring at him with what seemed to be a sated smirk.

He wasn't doing anything about this. Infact, he seemed happy that this ordeal was happening to him. He could see it from the satisfaction in his smirk.

But why?

Why would he not help him? If it was Wes in his shoes, he would have helped him. Even if they weren't on good terms. He would make the students stop and shut the f**k up!

Tears stung his eyes as he watched Wesley. A cold chill ran down his spine looking at his cold eyes. Being attacked by these students didn't break his heart as much as Wes sitting there doing nothing did.

Blake and Rence entered the class separately. They were astounded to find the class in a frenzy attacking their friend. They joined in Tyler and Jacob, trying to act like their bodyguards. Helping their friend out.

But this didn't stop Hunter from reaching for the door and storming out.

Jacob and Tyler tried to run after him.

"Hunter!" Jacob yelled after him.

"Leave me alone!"

****

He enjoyed every moment.

Every moment he watched the look on Hunter's face. A look of defeat. A look of despair. A look of hopelessness. A look of emptiness.

His parents might have been able to bail him out and buy him some few seconds of freedom but no amount of money could be able to help him escape the horror that was on the way.

A bunch of kids in a frenzy attacking him was nothing compared to what was coming. He had been able to plant evidence and convince the police that Hunter killed Audrey.

Stupid police!

Now he would make them believe that Hunter had killed Mrs. Yang.

Poor Mrs. Yang...

The shock on her face. She looked at him with glassy eyes as he slowly and strategically cut her tongue out.

She had been a pretender all her life. How shocking that she was killed by someone of her caliber... A male pretender.

He pushed the Hunter case aside and now focused on Audrey...

He had some unfinished business with Audrey!!!

But first, he had to scheme a plan!

****