Chapter 8 Dead Again

"I'm hungry, and why the heck are you topless?" Peggy asked me almost immediately...

"I love me this way" I answered rubbing my little hairy chest. Peggy looked with a smirk and chuckled mockingly at my body. He made it to the refrigerator.

"Hey, that wasn't fair, you body shaming me, just so you know", I said pointing at him.

"I couldn't remember doing that, doooooor", he said, searching for whatever in the fridge. My phone rang. I saw the name being displayed on screen.

It was Juliet, one of my sisters, the youngest apparently. That wasn't just the time for calls, having crazy friends around during important calls is something else.

"Pizza, wow, I didn't see that coming" Peggy said triumphantly.

"What", Sofia said, wide eyed.

"Really, it's just so damn good" Sonia said, springing up to join.

"Do you like it",I asked while they were wolfing down slices of it.

"Yep, it's erm, really nice", Sofia said, with a mouthful.

My phone rang again, but I had to turn my phone in a silent mode.

There was a soothing silence.

"Urm, I'm sorry for Thursday, Alex's death day", Sonia said.

"Oh..." I shut my eyes and sank in the sofa facing them.

"Yeah" she sighed

"it's just I never knew it would be so.... She looked at me "sad". I smiled.

"What do you mean"

She smirk.

"I felt you were a bit...."

"Sad", I said, cheekily.

"Ermm, well not that exact word but yeah", she said.

Just then Peggy belched loudly and got up.

" Thanks man, I'm good now."

"Ranni came today", Sofia brought up. I sighed.

"Pardon...", Peggy said with a hateful look on his face and turning to his sister. She simply nodded to confirm her speech.

"He came to apologizes", I continued.

"Nah, he came to snoop our ass again", Peggy said, with the look still on his face.

'you pushed him away, didn't you', he added.

"No, he didn't", Sofia said wiping her mouth.

"What!!"

"Yes, I did, with conditions..."

"Dumb conditions", Sofia overtook me. I looked at her and she looked away, frowning.

"Look, I can explain.. I really had to because I wanted to know Alex's killer", I finally said. They gasped.

"What!!" Sonia said, almost aloud.

"Wait, how did you... Like why do you suspect them", Peggy said with a mocking smile. They were all eager to hear.

"The last time you and Ranni tried to fight in the classroom, they were all exhausted... It was too early to feel that way. Then secondly, I saw Arnold's shoes... It was bloodstained", I said, almost in a whisper. They all seem not to believe me. Sofia looked confused too.

" Are you telling me all these, because I could have no choice but to allow Ranni in", Peggy asked.

" Even if Ranni is back to us, I doubt he will tell us the truth", Sonia added.

" If he didn't, I know what to do next", I said calmly.

****************************

"Is everything okay", I asked in a low voice about Mr White, on his unusual silence. He simply looked at me, dully.

"Urm, how many people knows about what you just told me", he asked.

"Just my friends" I said, innocently. I got the point that Monday morning, I knew Mr White has gotten a lot from the deceased parents and relatives. He was just dropping a call from them, promising them to see to the end of the crime, just to avoid the police to be involve. And getting this information about Arnold's involved in the crime, got him real bad. He couldn't believe his students has a hand in that. I guess he was trying to maintain his positive reputation about the school. In his office, he looked sober and I saw how he gradually take down the whole gin that same morning.

"Greg, l need you to listen to me. Don't tell any other person about that, you got me? I will appreciate if you don't", He said, leaning forward and his hands on his table.

I nodded and rose, swallowing. It was easy to do, and I will do it. I will keep it as a secret.

"And son....", I turned.

" I promise to call the police if I don't see anything", I gave him a little smirk and went off.

Its been nearly two weeks since after the incident.

It was so dull afterwards and exams were quite approaching too.

It was Tuesday and I wasn't feeling too well, Ranni came to my house and we both went Peggy's house and to school. It was quite fun to do. We went into class and immediately we got to school. We couldn't stop talking about the experience we had with a bar man within the week. Peggy and Ranni giggled almost every second and was red with laughter.

We took seats and couldn't stop the discussion. Ranni walked in as well with Mark and Akon. They look cool. Arnold got me puzzled when he walked up to me and brought out a his hand for a shake. Peggy and the rest were confused as well. I simply brought out mine and we shook. He smiled and went to his seat.

We were silent for a while. "What was all that", I asked myself. Suddenly Mr Williams, my alien teacher came in.

" Gregory Abraham", he called out. I froze. Everyone looked at me. I felt nervous as I stood and he told me to follow him. We came at the school passage and he turned to me, then I noticed he was sweating.

"Mr White told you to call your friends, he told me you know which", he asked with his eyebrows raised.

"But.... But, why", I asked.

"Just do it", he said.

I entered in the classroom and it became silent immediately. I walked to Peggy and told him to come alongside his sisters. Ranni looked left out.

"We will be right back", I assured him.

"What's happening", Peggy asked when we went off the class and hurried to Mr White's office.

"I don't know but whatever it is, it isn't good", I answered. Just when we got there, he came out and told us to follow him. He walked quickly too, which we found unusual. We got to the basketball court and I saw a body hung on one of the net. I reduced my pace and everyone did same. Mr Williams shut the door behind us and obviously, it was only meant to be a secret, and it was only the six of us. We got to the scene and saw Joanna's corpse hanging on the basketball net. Her body was so rough and battered with deep wounds, wounds made with a knife or something. She was really tortured before her killer gave her a slow death by hanging.

"Peggy, come have a look", I said when I saw a writing on the ground with her blood, saying:

"Peggy, tu es proximus"

"What does that mean", Peggy asked terrified.

'I didn't do anything, I didn't...kill her', he added almost sobbing....