Chapter 28: Chapter 28

I shake my head repeatedly until I feel myself grow light headed. The sick feeling in my stomach builds up until it's overwhelming.

"No way, Jake wouldn't do that." I whisper, feeling my entire body shaking in fear.

"You've got this wrong Myra!" I snap, pacing the room up and down. A million thoughts run through my head and I picture Jake in handcuffs, being dragged away.

"So the police are wrong too Emily?" Myra hisses, her eyes wide at my panicked state. I stop pacing, placing a hand on my head where the start of a migraine is beginning to form.

"This can't be happening, this cannot be happening!" I mutter in disbelief, throwing my hands up in the air.

"Why is this happening?" I question, turning to face Myra with a crazed wide eyed look on my face.

"Emily, get it together!" Myra instructs in a quiet but firm voice. She walks over to me and holds me by the shoulders, shaking me back to reality in an overly dramatic way.

"This isn't a movie Myra!" I yell, dropping her hands off me and taking a step back. I inhale deeply, running a hand through my hair and forcing myself to calm down.

Okay Emily, think logically.

"What evidence do they have?" I ask quietly, spinning on my heels and facing Myra. She pauses for a moment, collecting her thoughts —

"Around midnight, someone that matches Jake description was spotted walking away from the murder scene quickly followed by Tobias. A witness described both of them and the descriptions are spot on. Both of them were clutching baseball bats and the victim died from a strike to the brain so it all kind of adds up!" Myra tells me.

I remain silent as I digest the information, nodding slowly. "So where are Jake and Tobias now?"

"No-one has seen them since last night." Myra sighs heavily, clutching at her forehead.

"The police are out looking for them?" I question. Myra nods and my eyes widen further. My heart begins pounding against my chest and I cover my mouth, the contents of my stomach threatening to come up.

"Wait here," I whisper before dodging around her and pulling open the door. I run up the stairs two at a time, barging through Jake's bedroom door and lunging for my phone on the nightstand. My screen is lit up brightly and I clutch tightly onto the phone, pushing my hair out of my eyes. My eyes dart across the screen and I feel like I've been punched in the gut as I read the messages —

Emily, I've fucked up.

Emily, ring me as SOON as you see this!

Emily?

Muffin, I'm so sorry.

The numerous amounts of texts made this all too real for me. I unlock my phone, my hands shaking as I call Jake. His phone continues to ring on the other end.

"Come on Jake, come on!" I plead, desperation in my voice. I sit on the edge of his bed, my leg bobbing up and down with nerves as I wait.

"Emily?"

His voice is quiet and low and my eyes immediately widen as I clutch on to the phone tightly in fear of dropping it.

"Jake, what the hell is happening? Where are you? Are you hurt? Is Tobias okay? Where the hell is Ivory? Did you really kill Dylan? The police are here." I babble, talking so fast my words begin to merge together.

"Muffin, stop! Calm down." Jake says firmly down the phone and I hear him inhale deeply. I hear Tobias' muffled voice in the background —

"Is that Tobias? I'll kill him myself if he's to blame for this!" I respond, tugging at my hair desperately. My hands continue to shake and I clutch at my stomach, trying to remain calm.

"We didn't do anything, I swear it to you." Jake pleads down the other side and I immediately feel relief wash over me from his words.

Jake doesn't have a reason to lie.

I blow out a sigh of relief and stand up before sitting back down again, completely clueless on how to act.

"So why do the police think you killed Dylan?" I question, the frown on my face deepening.

"Because Dylan is dead." Jake says bluntly. I picture the boy I'd barely spoken to, laying on the floor, dead.

"What? How is that possible? I need you to explain." I whisper-yelled, conscious of the police sat downstairs gunning to arrest Jake and Tobias.

"Meet me in the library downtown. I'll explain everything, okay Muffin?" Jake says firmly, waiting for my reply. I nod quickly before realising Jake can't actually see me.

"Y-yes, yes!" I respond just in time to hear the soft click on the other end. . . He's gone.

I place the phone down on the bed and exhale out deeply before standing up. My legs wobble underneath me and I feel nauseous, my stomach turning in fear and nerves. I quickly hurry back downstairs and into the living room where Myra is pacing backwards and forwards.

"Well?" She asks, signalling for me to shut the door behind me.

"They didn't do it." I breathe out, my shoulders slumping in relief. Myra's face remain: emotionless at the news and I frown at her, not understanding why she isn't relieved.

"Can they prove they didn't do it? You don't understand Emily, the police have been after Jake and Tobias for years." Myra explains, her jaw clenching in anger. I remain quiet, realising she's right.

Just because you're innocent doesn't mean you won't be imprisoned for it. . . Especially when the entire local police force are out to get you.

"Crap," I mutter, biting down on my lip nervously.

"Exactly. . . Which is why you need to give them an alibi." Myra explains, walking up to me. She stares into my eyes deeply, pleading with me.

I swallow the lump in my throat, knowing the danger that comes with a false alibi. I myself would be imprisoned for wasting police time and providing a false alibi.

"Well?" Myra asks, waiting impatiently for my reply. I look down at my stomach and shut my eyes tightly, hating myself for what I'm about to say.

"No. . . No I won't give them an alibi.”