Get Too Close

Walking into school the next day was the biggest nightmare of Deslyns' dreams.

All eyes are on him. People are whispering and talking amongst themselves and their friends.

Luckily, he had Lauren and Jeremiah hide behind for the walk to their lockers. They had picked him up and told him that they heard about what happened because someone had seen all the commotion and eavesdropped on a few cops; so Des had explained everything to them on the way to school.

Well, almost everything. He may have left out one or two potentially crucial details... but they definitely don't need to know that Rhett's brother was in prison! Or that Des is helping Decan investigate the Venison family...

Maybe they should know.... maybe they can help, too? No. Only Deslyn can do this. If his brother finds out he told Lauren or Jeremiah about this, he'll call it off, and Deslyn can't help anymore. They can't find out. No one can.

With Lauren and Jeremiah knowing most of the story, Des has relaxed slightly more than before he got to school. The only problem he has now is going to class. They don't have the same classes this week, so Deslyn's stuck in classes all day by himself.

Damn.

Deslyn decides to cut classes and find Rhett instead.

"How hard can it be to find this guy?" Deslyn murmurs to himself in the empty hallway he's walking down.

He's been trying to find this guy for an hour now, and he's on the verge of giving up. He wants to find Rhett and ask him some questions, and in the very back of his mind, he's hoping to prove Rhett's innocence.

He checks the window of a classroom door only to find it empty. Just like the last one.

He sighs.

"How big is this fucking school!" He raises his voice in frustration.

Four or so more minutes of walking around the somehow empty school he almost gives up and begins to turn around and make his way back to the class he's already skipped half of but lingers for a few more seconds because of a voice.

He turns around and makes his way towards it and rounds the corner to finally find Rhett on the phone.

"Oh thank god." He sighs in relief.

He makes his way to Rhett but Rhett doesn't seem to see him or at least acknowledge him so Deslyn just stands there while Rhett continues his phone call.

"I don't have any time." Rhett says, annoyed.

Des can roughly make out the words "Make some." From the person on the other side of the line, and they don't sound too pleased either.

"Why now? Why today of all days? It's weird and makes no sense." Rhett complains.

Deslyn can't hear what the person over the phone says next, but Rhett sighs and leans back on the wall behind him, and that's when he sees Deslyn.

He's surprised for a second but collects himself quickly.

"Time and place. I've got to go." He says abruptly and hangs up on whoever he was speaking to.

"How much of that did you hear?" He asks.

"I don't remember, I wasn't really paying attention." Deslyn feigns innocent.

Rhett looks at him skeptically but moves on to his next question.

"What do you want."

"Nothing much, I just have a few questions about yesterday." Deslyn tells him.

"Sure, go for it." Rhett says, visibly annoyed.

Deslyn was expecting more of an argument or something and is a little surprised that Rhett gave in so quickly but continues anyway.

"Why'd you flee yesterday?" He asks.

"I didn't." Rhett denies immediately.

"You sure? Cause it was- and I don't know if you noticed, but it was kinda an active crime scene and well... you ran... that doesn't look too good, you know?" Deslyn shrugs and looks at Rhett expectantly.

"I didn't kill him, so I had no reason to stay." He moves off of the wall and towards Deslyn.

"Look, you're in my way, and I have places to be." Rhett says and places a hand on Deslyn's side and moves him to the side.

Deslyn just follows him, and Rhett turns abruptly and shoves him into a wall of lockers.

Deslyn puts his arms up to shield himself from any blows that Rhett might throw his way, but when nothing hits him, he opens his eyes to find Rhett just staring at him.

"You're really annoying, you know that?" Rhett says.

"I just want to prove you innocent. My brother doesn't believe you are, but I do, and I want to prove him wrong." Deslyn says. He's not looking at Rhett, though. He's looking at the floor or the gum packet in Rhetts pocket.

I want that.

Deslyn looks Rhett in the eye finally and then to the side as if he saw someone, and that makes Rhett look over, too, which gives Deslyn enough time to snatch it.

He conceals the gum in his fist and smiles at the floor.

Success.

Pride.

Relief.

Regret.

Guilt.

Shame.

All the things he feels before he frowns and looks up at Rhett, who's looking at him oddly.

Put your hands out.

Give it back.

It's not yours.

Deslyn repeats those three things in his head until he finally complies with his thoughts.

"This is yours, right?" He holds out the mint gum packet palm up to Rhett, and Rhett takes it back.

"You're really weird, you know that?" Rhett tells Deslyn.

"Yeah...." Deslyn purses his lips and looks at the floor again as Rhett walks away.

Once Rhett rounds the corner, Deslyn races to find him again. He plans to follow Rhett to wherever he is supposed to go, but upon rounding the corner himself, he's met with an empty hallway once more.

What the?...

He hears a noise and looks in the direction of it and finds a fire exit door.

He goes down the hallway and out the exit and finds Rhett again in the school parking lot next to his car, and Deslyn doesn't even think about it before running towards it.

He watches Rhett walk around to the drivers side door and check his phone, and Deslyn takes that as his opening to open the trunk quietly and hop inside.

Seconds later, he hears the engine start and feels the car rumble to life.

A few more and the car is moving.

What have I done.

____

Only 1076 words today, but idrc🤷‍♂️

It probably sucks but I'm ill asf rn, so again, idc🫶🏼

-Ghost