In Memory of Reed Fray

Sixteen

The school was buzzing about what happened to Toby Dorscher. It surprised Tori how the student body knew about him but then again, news had always travelled fast in Benjamin High and it wasn’t that Toby was a nobody, people knew him as the new kid and as the bad boy besides Skylar Fray.

Skylar Fray.

Tori didn’t understand what was going on between them. They’ve had these moments that any girl could describe as romantic but then again its Skylar Fray. She couldn’t understand anything that goes on in his mind. And if there was anything going on between them, it wouldn’t do anything more than complicate the situation at hand. With what happened to Toby, the notes Viola was getting, and the warning that she received too, it wasn’t time for romance. Things were already complicated as it is.

But did Skylar like her?

She chided herself for thinking that. Tori Garcia and Skylar Fray? They would never work. If it had been Reed or maybe their older brother, Austin, then people wouldn’t find it weird. She and Skylar had too much animosity. Sure they got along now but after they figured out this case? Would they get along then?

“Tori!”

She looked up and was met by one of her co-dancers, “Oh hey, Bridget, what’s up?”

Bridget’s blonde ponytail swayed at her back and Tori felt envious that she was a pretty blonde and she must’ve been Skylar’s type. Scolding herself again, she waited expectantly for her to say something, “Mr. Carson’s looking for you.”

“Really? Why?” she asked and when Bridget just shrugged, she exhaled loudly, “I better go see him then. See you at practice on Friday!”

Tori adjusted her book bag and headed to Mr. Carson’s office. She hasn’t been there, ever. But from the sliding glass it had as a window, it didn’t look like much. It was a typical office with a table and two chairs and a couch. Sometimes Tori would imagine the students lying on the couch and telling Mr. Carson all about their dilemmas, you know, like on Dr. Phil. But students at Benjamin High rarely had a reason to visit the counsellor’s office. It was always either the detention room or the principal’s office. The students here didn’t do anything minor havoc at school to cause a warning from the guidance counsellor. Even with failing grades, students didn’t consult the counsellor. It always made Tori wonder what was the purpose of having one at school when really, it would just be another staff to pay and they weren’t doing anything.

But then there were students like Viola Rose who had too much baggage. She once saw Mia Thompson get out of the office too. It always had made her wonder, if Mia had gone to see the counsellor about her problems and when she was best friends with Reed Fray who she could always confide in anytime of the day, why did she still cut her own life short? But besides Mia and Viola, there were other students who came to see the counsellor, no one just really noticed. Sometimes people seem like they’re on top of the world when inside, their hearts are shattered to bits.

“Hey Mr. Carson!” Tori greeted brightly and the counsellor motioned for her to sit on the chair in front of his desk.

“Hello Ms. Garcia,” he said. Mr. Carson spoke in a soft and careful tone, like he was carefully planning out what he was supposed to say, “I heard you were the one who found Mr. Dorscher.”

“Yes. It was me and then I called Skylar Fray to help me. Is he okay now?”

Even if she had the weekend and she could just perfectly drop by at the hospital, it still bothered her to see Toby so weak and fragile and she kept seeing his bloody face. It nauseated her. And last she heard, he was in a coma and he was still in the hospital. She felt sorry for him for having to go through it, he didn’t even do anything wrong to be a victim of Viola’s stalker.

“Yes. He’s stable but still unconscious. Everyone is worried because we don’t want another Reed Fray,” he said quietly, “Parents had been petitioning to shut the school. They have this idea that a serial killer is on the loose and he’s out to get the students of Benjamin High. But why would a psychopath suddenly have interest on teenage boys? And what did the two boys have in common to suffer those fates?”

Tori wanted to tell him everything right then, the words already on her tongue and threatening to spill out. How it was all connected to Viola Rose and her mother. But Skylar had told them not to trust anyone, that anyone could be a suspect. And if that someone didn’t do anything, they would still have risked that person’s life. It was already hard to have the three of them risking theirs.

“Do you know something Tori?”

She met Mr. Carson’s green eyes. They held so much concern and she had to wonder if he always had this concern for everyone around him, “I don’t know anything, Mr. Carson.”

The counsellor sighed and adjusted his thick-rimmed glasses, “I just hope that nothing goes further with this. I don’t want any more of these kinds of happenings in this school. But I especially don’t want it to happen to a poor, defenseless girl.”

His words sent a jolt of panic through Tori. A poor, defenseless girl. She wasn’t exactly defenseless since she brings a small knife with her every day, hidden in a place no one will ever notice. But it was only one knife and though with her accuracy and precision in handling it, what good could it do when the killer had a gun and was cruel enough to pull the trigger before she could throw her knife?

“Yea,” she said weakly, the note flickering in her mind, “Let’s hope that won’t happen.”

Mr. Carson looked at her and it seemed as though his green eyes were boring through her soul, “How are you feeling, Tori? After seeing Mr. Dorscher in that state?”

Tori thought for a moment. The moment she had found Toby limped and unconscious and the blood splattered on his face, it scared her. But when she realized his heart was still beating, she ran for help. When she saw Skylar, the relief surged in her before she even realized it. But when he was more terrified at the sight and thought that her, she realized she couldn’t rely on Skylar at the moment, because she knew that the image of his brother had just crossed his mind when she saw the look on his face.

“I was scared,” she admitted after a while, “But with Skylar shell-shocked to do anything at first, I had to be the stronger and rational one between the two of us if we wanted to save Toby.”

“And you did well,” Mr. Carson mused, “But if you’ve been feeling off lately, you can just come to me.”

Tori flashed him a smile, “I have been feeling off, Mr. Carson. But it’s nothing that I can’t handle.”

Mr. Carson tilted his head to the side, “Sometimes bottling up the emotions can lead to insanity.”

“Thanks for the concern, Mr. Carson,” Tori said sweetly, “But really. I can manage.”

Mr. Carson ran a hand through his neat blonde hair, “Alright then. But if anything, you know where to find me.”

“Sure thing,” Tori answered, “Well, bye Mr. Carson!”

“Wait, one more thing Tori!”

Her hand was already at the knob and she was ready to spring out of his office. But she wasn’t raised to be rude or anything and so she turned back and looked expectantly at the counsellor, “Yes, Mr. Carson?”

“Keep safe,” he said, his green eyes boring to hers again behind that thick-rimmed glasses and his words sent a shiver down her spine. And it wasn’t a good one either, it even made the Goosebumps on her skin rise, “I think you’ll need it.”

She stared at the blonde man, “Why?”

She shouldn’t have asked because waiting for his reply scared her. Countless possibilities rang through her head. Did he know? Was he aware that the killer was back? Was he an ally or an enemy? But the biggest question danced in front of her eyes, was he the killer? But when he smiled, she could the see the sincerity in it.

“With what’s going on, I think everyone does,” he said softly and Tori felt so relieve. He was just a counsellor looking out for the well-being of his students.

“Thanks, Mr. Carson. It goes the same for you too,” and with those words, she exited his office. The moment she came out, she came face to face with Viola, “Oh hey!”

Viola’s smiled wider. Tori had always wanted to become Viola’s friend. Viola just seemed so distant the moment she arrived at Benjamin High. And it wasn’t that she had the same reason as Reed, who wanted to save the damsel in distress. It was just that, Tori knew how it felt like to be the new, shy girl and she wanted to be the first friend Viola could have before she broke out of her shell. She just didn’t realize that she had a lot to bargain for.

Viola was about to greet her back when both of them heard a loud thud inside Mr. Carson’s office. Both of them looked at each other with wide eyes and immediately went inside. The moment they came in, they saw Mr. Carson sprawled on the floor unconscious. It seemed as though he was hit by the fifty pound trophy on the shelf. But Tori had no idea how the trophy would manage to fall down on poor Mr. Carson.

She turned to Viola who was shaking at the sight, Tori knelt beside Mr. Carson and realized that the trophy must’ve hit him pretty hard because he was bleeding, “Viola call help!”

But when Viola just stood there looking as shocked as Skylar had when he saw Toby. Tori nudged her legs, “Viola get help!”

She could’ve slapped the girl if she stayed a minute longer but she seemed to have cleared her mind and dashed outside to call for help. A few moments later, football jocks were crowding the office as well as students who had free period. The boys pulled Mr. Carson up and Tori could faintly hear the roar of the ambulance.

Viola was shaking beside Tori and she wrapped her arms around the frightened girl. Her blue eyes were wide with fear and Tori wanted to break down too but she knew she couldn’t. Viola was different than Skylar who had went to see his brother’s dead body. Viola had seen how her Dad had been shot, she was more scarred than Skylar.

“Hey out of the way!”

The sea of students parted to let Skylar Fray enter the office. He looked panicked and once his eyes rested on Tori and Viola, he looked relieved then. He headed for the two girls and without a word, wrapped Viola in a hug. The girl sobbed in his chest and Tori felt her heart melt. She liked Skylar but she didn’t feel any bad blood at Viola being in Skylar’s arms. She was actually glad Skylar hugged Viola because there was no telling how scared the girl was after everything she’s been through.

Realizing that everybody was staring and whispering, Tori glared at all the students crowding in the office, “Well? Show’s over! Everyone get to class!”

With that, the crowd dispersed. Tori wasn’t exactly queen bee but her bitchiness was known to the students in Benjamin High after Skylar humiliated her. Skylar let go of Viola and sat her down on the sofa and Tori retrieved a glass of water for her, “Just lie down for a moment, honey.”

She was thankful that Viola didn’t protest and did what she said. Tori headed over to Skylar who was bent down on the trophy. He looked like he was going to retrieve it, “People might come in to check that, to know what happened to Mr. Carson, you should be careful if you leave your marks.”

“I don’t think anyone would assume this as a crime scene,” he said quietly, “Other than us.”

When Tori met his grey eyes they were blazing with fear and anger. She knelt beside him and stared at what he was staring at. At the back of the trophy a note was taped. Gently, Skylar pulled it out, careful not to touch the trophy. He smoothed the note and both of them read it quietly.

I don’t get what’s wrong with you. You’re old enough to be my uncle. And you’re a teacher. Don’t you know that student-teacher relationships are strictly prohibited? But it seems as though no one got the memo of what’s going in here with you and my Elena. So I decided to take matters in my own hands.