The Psycho Is Innocent | ꪜ

Chapter 35: Threats

A R I E L

OVER THE PAST few months since Tobias has been arrested, a lot of weird events have been taking place in my life. I mean, I brought them onto myself, seeing as I volunteered to prove Tobias's innocence since this god-forsaken town refuses to do so. Two girls got murdered, Tobias was framed for it. I've gotten blackmailed on countless occasions, stalked, learnt things about Tobias I'd rather have him explain to me and then I watched friendships crumble and wither away.

But never in a million years would I expect to find out that the person who has been behind my blackmailing and stalking incidents is my very own best friend. This is why I don't trust people. This is exactly why my circle is small despite my popularity. I carefully pick who I want in my life through a series of evaluations but never did I come to this conclusion: one day my best friend would stab me in the back. But now I was here, hovering over her as I wallowed in astonishment.

         I pinned both her hands above her head to prevent her from moving and continued to stare in shock. Yes, I see my blonde-haired blue-eyed best friend laying beneath me with tears streaking down her face because I've caught her...but I still can't comprehend the fact that it's her. "You're my blackmailer?" I inquired, my voice suddenly growing small and timid. Why do I sound like the scared and unsure 14-year old I once was?

          She pursed her lips in a thin line and flickered her eyes shut. "FUCKING TALK TO ME!" I don't know what was this feeling rippling inside me. Pain? No, surely I don't feel that. Betrayal? Of course, I feel betrayed. When I first met Evelyn I knew she had some sort of mental illness even though she constantly reassured me that her parents were just as paranoid as mine. But as I sat above her right now, I was beginning to think that was all a bloody lie. She lied to me. Why would she lie to me? Why does everyone constantly lie to me?

"WHY!? Why Evelyn!? I'm your best friend." How could this be possible? What was the motive?! What did I ever do to her? She snapped her eyes open and for the first time in years, I could see the pure hatred bubbling beneath her blue irises. "I hate the fact that you're one of the smartest kids at school yet sometimes you can be so blindly idiotic and oblivious! I–I don't know if it's an act or if you're really just stupid, Ariel! I did it because I'm in love with you! What don't you get from that!?"

          How could she think I don't know about her feelings for me? I tried to push that on the back burner years before because I didn't want it to ruin our friendship. But she never stopped, did she? Instead, her feelings for me manifested into this obsessive behaviour. She's really sick. "You may be thinking about a lot of things but you're wrong. I needed to find a way for you to stop digging into this Tobias mess and getting yourself trapped in his freaking world, getting sabotaged by the things he's done!"

"Don't you dare make this about Tobias!" I screamed in her face. She whimpered as if she were a wounded puppy and buried her cheek into the dirt road. I hated the fact that every time I have an argument with someone they use Tobias against me. What has he done to deserve such hate from every person he comes in contact with? Why does everyone think my life revolves around him when all I'm trying to do is FULFILL MY PROMISE!?

          "I hate him so much," she sobbed. "He took you away from me just like Larson did. I finally got my break when that bastard went to prison but then you came with this Nancy Grace bullshit and your entire life became about him again! E–even miles away, locked up in a cell it still feels like he's here! I just wanted you to forget about him, I'm here. I was always here but you never saw me. You only saw him. He's like the damn drug that you can't get enough of." She continued to sob beneath me as if I had just driven a knife into her gut.