Digging through layers of who someone is can be a hassle. Going deeper and deeper trying to find out who they are, the purest version of them, the parts they hide, but all you reach is bone. There’s nothing left of them. There is a weird opposite to the whole idea about “unlocking the deeper part of someone,” when you know that there isn’t any deeper part of anything in them. Eventually, you stop trying to dig them out like there’s some hidden treasure inside their chest. They're just an average person, a normal person. But who could ever like a normal person?
Matthew wasn’t that deep of a person, he was very surface level. If he was mad, you would know, if he was happy, you would know, if he was upset, he made sure you knew. He always wanted to be a deeper person, have things he kept to himself, have layers. And the one person that made him feel like he had them is gone.
“What do you mean ‘Ava’s missing?’ ” Matthew stood in the beige principal's office hands firmly on the desk after he slammed them down in anger.
“Your friend, Ava Yuputka, has been missing for fifty-four hours.” The strange man said with a cool tone, as he opened his folder.
“OH, REALY? I didn't get that the first time, thank you so f–”
“Mat,” Daniel interrupted, as he looked towards him and placed his hand on his shoulder, “Shut up.”
Matthew opened his mouth to dispute, but closed it when he saw the anger in Daniel’s eye, opting instead to sit on the uncomfortable chair in the corner, arms crossed, and his face twisted in a scowl. Daniel had layers, people knew what he liked, people knew who he was, but there was always some mystery surrounding Daniel. Daniel was far from what people called an “open book.” But the anger in his eyes was strange, Matthew had never seen that side of him before, and he would be lying if he said it didn’t scare him a little.
“What Mat here was trying to say Mr.–” Daniel stopped, waiting for the man to give them his name.
“Desvelado,” he said with an unamused face, “Detective Desvelado.”
“Well, Detective, what he was trying to say was, why did you call us in?” Daniel’s tone was just as cool as Mr. Desvelado’s.
“Well,” the Sheriff decided to answer, “we wanted you to know considering you four were the last to see her, and–”
“So this is an interrogation?” Matthew piped up from the corner, shifting in his chair.
“We just want you to answer some questions.” the Sheriff said smoothly.
“I don’t see a lawyer present.” Daniel retorted, Matthew stood up next to him.
“And I don’t think you have contacted our parents ether.” Matthew said. Daniel secretly appreciated the help.
“We are just trying to ask some friendly questions.” Mr. Desvelado said tightly.
“Well, I could be completely wrong,” Taylor started, “but I don’t think cornering a bunch of teenagers in the principal's office is too friendly.”
Matthew and Daniel looked back at her. Taylor’s arms were in a kind of half hug around Chloe, who was just about shaking as she looked at the ground. Matthew turned around and looked at the detective when he saw that. Then Matthew whipped his head around to say a few choice words to the Detective and Sheriff. Taylor saw it coming, and tried to talk first.
“As you can probably tell, this is affecting all of us, could we just go home?” Taylor asked.
“Please.” Daniel added, with no serenity in his voice.
The quiet was deafening, in that tiny office, even with the AC running, and the chatter from outside, the lack of noise in the office was prevalent. The detective looked them all up and down, than said, in the most tired voice any of them have ever heard, “Alright go home, do what you want, but…” he dragged his hand down his face, “Just go.”
And at that, they left. The second they stepped out, they all looked at each other. Taylor realised she still had her arm around Chloe comforting her, and pulled away quickly.
“Uh,” Matthew started, “ Thanks for having my back in there.”
“Don’t mention it.” Daniel said nonchalantly.
“It was really cool of–” Matthew got cut off.
“I said don’t mention it,” Daniel’s voice had lost the little warmth it had when he said it before, “Let’s just pretend like this never happened.”
This was another quality about Daniel that Matthew really wish he had. Daniel had dry anger, is face turned to stone and his voice got sharp. Matthew had wet anger, where his eyes filled with water and his voice got shaky, and he hated it because it made him feel weak when he had tears in his eyes. Wet anger shows that you care too much, and dry anger means you’re done.
“How could you say that?” Chloe finally spoke up, “Ava, is missing. Don’t act like you don’t care, I know you do.”
“You know nothing about me.” Daniel said over his shoulder as walked away, “So stop acting like you do.”
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