Scaled to Death

Chapter 6

Ronny kisses Rachel, who returns the kiss as they listen to Dan, the senior class president, talk at their high school graduation.

After they had left that fateful night a year ago, Rachel had gone home, and Ronny rode his bike around the neighborhood. His mind was reeling with what he had just done. He had felt sick, excited, and in disbelief. Had he really killed those kids from his school?

After he calmed himself down and accepted that he did in fact kill someone, he rode home, placed his bike inside the garage, and headed inside like nothing had happened. He took a shower before he talked to his mom about meeting up with Rachel. He said they just talked and left out the killing part of course.

It took the high school to find the four bodies a few weeks because the small finally made its way into the building. No one really went up to the roof anymore, so no one found them sooner. All the doors were locked so the police were baffled by what had happened or how they had even gotten up to the roof. The entire school staff including the principal and vice principal had been taken in for questioning, but they were all found innocent.

Ingrid went back home to Holland, not wanting to stay at a murder school. Several parents pulled their children as well, in fear their kids were next. After summer, Rachen enrolled, got caught up in everything, and was able to graduate that year with her senior class. Thanks to Ronny and the guys help, of course. The murderer has still not been caught, but everyone gradually came to the conclusion the murderer has moved on to kill in another town since the killings stopped.

Now Ronny, Rachel, Wallace, Titan, Duke, Samual, and Bart sit with the senior class in the school’s large gymnasium ready to graduate and get out of town. Ronny hasn’t told the guys Rachel’s the killer or that he had helped in the end. It was his and Rachel’s little secret.

Dan finishes talking and the graduation continues after the clapping dies down. The students receive their diplomas, throw their hats in the air, and hurry to find their families.

Ronny’s parents hug their son and his girlfriend while the wait for Rachel and the boys’ families join them. They tell the other boy’s congratulations and snap pictures of everyone. Rachel, Ronny, and the boys snap a few pictures with their families and then head off to celebrate together.

They go to their favorite eatery, grab a booth, order their food, and just talk. They have plans for the summer and then it would be time for them to say their goodbyes. They were all leaving to head to different colleges. But they already had plans to meet the next summer in Oregon where Rachel and Ronny will be moving for college. Then every summer after that, they’ll meet up together in other states where the others went to colleges or the states surrounding their college states.

Rache and Ronny leave the guys after they pay, wanting to spend time together alone. Ronny drives them to their favorite spot at the abandoned Drive-In that sits just outside of town. Ronny parks and turns to look at Rachel.

She smiles at him and holds his hand. Ronny leans over and they kiss a sweet lingering kiss.

Ronny breaks the kiss and grabs a purple bag from the back seat of his black Honda Civic. “I got you something.” He hands it to her.

Rachel grins. “I love presents.” She pulls out the paper then retrieves a sheathed boot dagger. Her eyes grow wide as she pulls the blade from its sheath to see Ronny had their names etched into the blade with a heart in between their names. She touches the sharp tip and smiles. “Oh Ronny, I love it.”

“Two more things in there for you,” he says, nodding back at the bag.

She puts the dagger back into its sheath and sets it aside. She pulls out two pieces of papers that shows Ronny has bought them a couple’s axe throwing class and a knife throwing class. Rachel claps her hands. “Yay!” She picks up a blue bag from in between her feet and hands it to Ronny.

Ronny pulls out Ingrid’s wig and looks at Rachel confused. She motions for him to keep looking. He looks in the bag and his eyes widen. He pulls out another wig, a sheathed knife, and a paper with a paid notice for a couple’s fighting class.

Ronny puts everything back into the bag and grins at Rachel. Rachel giggles and hugs Ronny. They are on the same page.

“I’m so glad I’m not alone anymore, Ronny, and that you understand me,” Rachel says when she sits back in the car seat. She pulls out her yearbook and opens it. “So, where do we start?”

Ronny and Rachel kiss over the yearbook where they have already circled their fellow students with a red pen.