Zenon's Game Chapter 123

His voice was firm. Mine had all but disappeared. I leaned against Zenon, losing most of my energy. He held onto me.

"Hey man!" Axel waved up at us, "How's it going? We brought Candace's car back!"

Sure enough, there was my old car parked in front of our house. Gloria unbuckled herself and came out. I thought I would be happier to see them and my car.

Gloria waved up at us, clutching onto her handbag. She handed Axel the keys.

"Candace, catch!" he yelled and threw my keys at me.

Has he forgotten all he knew about me? I can't catch!

The key soared through the air towards us.

...Catching the necklace during the street fight has set expectations at a really wrong level...

I tried to catch the keys, but they flew between my flailing arms and landed perfectly in Zenon's outstretched hand. He slid them into my pocket and planted a kiss on my hair.

Bryce came out from under the awning. He'd apparently come with Axel but had stood under the shade during this whole interaction.

"My sunglasses are dirty," he announced, walking across the lawn to my front door, "Mind if I clean them inside?"

"NO!" the three of us yelled.

Too late. The damn door was still unlocked. We heard Bryce step into our home. The three of us backed away from the window and went towards the banisters.

Please don't come upstairs.

We watched as both Bryce and Axel walked into the house, oblivious to the crime that had taken place in my bedroom.

"I forgot how bare this house is," Bryce muttered as he looked around, "I don't get why you don't buy art."

"He's been inside our house before?" Heidi gasped.

"Yeah, you filmed it, remember?" I answered, remembering how I was passed out on my couch when they all strolled in.

"I still find it crazy that you two live on the same street," Axel exclaimed, walking into the house after Bryce, "Hey! I bet you can see Zenon's bedroom from yours!"

He walked towards the staircase and bounded upstairs before we could stop him. He wanted to see my view...

"You can't," I told him.

It's true. Zenon's bedroom faces the other side.

I heard the sound of the sink in the kitchen as Bryce poured water over his dirty sunglasses. Who wears glasses in November?

"Where's your shoe?" Axel asked me.

My sister, Zenon and I were standing at the head of the staircase, blocking him from walking past us. He stared at my feet, where only one sneaker was on. My orange sock was in full view.

"What's going on?" Axel asked, suspiciously.

He stood on his tip toes and peered over us.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Axel yelled, almost falling down the stairs. He must've seen the jersey.

There was a crash in the kitchen. The sound of Axel shouting had freaked Bryce out.

"ARMANI!" Bryce cursed.

His sunglasses must have been designer. RIP.

We crowded around my front door. It was now wide open thanks to Zenon's kick, and there was no body inside. My room looked untouched, just as messy as when I had left it this morning.

"You should really make your bed in the morning," Heidi mumbled to me.

So not the time.

Bryce, Axel and Zenon were standing in a row, staring at the jersey.

Bryce asked, "Did you accidentally kill someone?"

There was a silence.

"It's Art's jersey." Zenon said.

Somehow, Zenon was already a step ahead of us in solving this. I should've called him sooner.

"What?!" I gasped, finding it hard to breathe.

I don't know who Art is, but he sounded like a human. And the thought of a human hurt-

"How do you know?" Heidi was gazing up at Zenon in awe.

"It's his jersey number," Zenon answered.

I support Art was on the basketball team with Zenon.

"But he was with us an hour ago at the mall," Bryce frowned, "So someone must have gotten to him after we left."

"Who else knew we were there?" Zenon asked.

"All of us," Bryce said, looking around.

"I saw Bianca in the store with her brother," I said.

"And Jake," Bryce answered.

"And everyone I know," Axel said, raising his phone, "I posted the french fries onto my story... and I tagged everyone and the location."

"So we have a murder mystery on our hands," Heidi decided.

"And who are you?" Bryce asked.

Have they not met?

"Are we sure that's blood?" I asked, "Before we jump to conclusions..."

"GLORIA!" Axel called out the window, "We need a mop. Did you bring one by any chance?"

"Axel, she doesn't walk around with cleaning products," Zenon sighed.

"But it's Gloria," Axel answered simply, "She has everything."

"No sweetie," Gloria's sweet voice answered back, "Is everything alright up there? Should I make some hot chocolate?"

Bryce tapped my shoulder and asked, "Why don't you have a shoe?"

"OK, everyone, stop." Zenon told everyone off, "Let's deal with this now. I'm calling Art."

"I hope he's OK."

We huddled around Zenon's phone as he dialed his friend, and we all waited with baited breath. I inhaled and was too scared to exhale. I was just hoping that Art was OK.

The phone rang.

There was blood on the carpet and Bryce's designer sunglasses broken on the floor.

I had one shoe on and my other foot was catching the breeze in an orange sock.

This day was not going well. I swear nothing good begins on a Monday...

My thoughts were on Arturo. I wished he was safe. Now that we knew the jersey belonged to him, whose to say the blood wasn't? Please, please be ok.

The phone rang.

I had no understanding of why this was happening. Arturo and I had never met. Why would his jersey be in my room? Who put it here and why?

"Please pick up," my sister whispered next to me.