Day 4: Abnormal Days

"We can still explore around the library, then, if there's anything left to explore," she said, frowning slightly. "Do any of you have ideas? The only other real evidence I can think of is what the others might find in the rooms, and alibis. Which, err, will be discussed at the trial, I'd assume?" She smiled, unlike last time, she actually had an alibi this time. She couldn't possibly be a suspect.

Laura giggled a bit. Asher's lack of shame was actually rather charming.
"Me neither, bud," she said as she walked towards Asher's room.
"Well, you're is first! To be honest I don't even know why we need to check it out. I doubt you'd ever hurt a fly, let alone someone as puny as Oscar."

Wasting little time, Eloise marched up to Oscar's door.
"He didn't even lock it. Or maybe the murderer used the ID and got in, we don't know. In any case, it's open!" She almost threw the door open, but the kid's picture on the front of the door sobered her.

"Wow, it's a mess in here."

Adda nodded.
"Well, Herbert said he'd found the weapon, but there's also the bloody textbook." She sighed, then with her unoccupied hand punched the floor.
"Someone died! How is there nothing here to look for?!" she exclaimed.

Asher swiped his ID and swung the door open, a bit embarrassed. Bandages from previous days as well as miscellaneous objects like cheap carnival prizes littered the floor. When he first stepped in, he sat down on his bed.
"Hey, Laur, wanna take a seat for a second? Catch a breath?" he sighed.
"This is all moving way too fast for a slow carny like me."

Herbert peeked inside, and suffice to say, it was a mess. "Well poo poo." he looked around.
"This ain't a search. Et's cleanup." he grumbled, somewhat unhappy, walking in and nudging the papers on the floor with his foot.

"I don't think we have anything else to look for. I think we already have all we need. Sadly, I got no idea what the hell we got, and what the hell we're supposed to do with it." He smiled a little.

"I'm gonna leave the piecing together stuff to you two," he paused. "Mainly because you're the only two people I'm sure didn't do it this time 'round."

Laura stepped in to the room after Asher, careful not to step on any of the things laying around the floor. She admired some of the miscellaneous carnival prizes. She loved colorful things.
"Can't really say I relate, Ash!" Laura said, sitting down next to him. "I'm a racer, so fast-paced stuff like this is my specialty. Anyway, what's on your mind? Oscar's death getting to you?"

Asher's hands had slowly begun to shake as they had left the presence of the others.
"I guess. Not just his, either, but... everything..." he looked up at her.
"I mean, Jaden, then Oscar- Alex, and now someone on the run? I don't know who I can trust in this messed up school... I don't even know if I can trust myself!" Small tears rolled down his cheeks.
"I mean, sure, the motives so far haven't been terrible- but how do I know one won't come along and drive me over the edge?!" He shook more as he tried to compose himself.
"There so much in life I haven't done, haven't atoned for, and don't want to face... Some things are even here- and right out of reach..."

Eloise made her way around the room with delicate precision. Paper after paper littered the floor. What did this kid spend his night time doing?
None of them were decipherable, minus one that seemed to be addressed to someone. Eloise took advantage of the fact they were investigating to snoop a bit, but she put the letter down immediately. Not in the mood.

She eventually found herself investigating his bedside table only to find broken green glasses on the top. "Herbert," She said, lifting them up to catch his attention. They seemed oddly familiar.

Adda smiled a bit. "Thanks..." she mumbled before looking up to Marci.
"Y'know, who knows how long the trial could go on... maybe breakfast wouldn't be bad..." Her gaze shifted to Oscar.
"But I still don't want to go, per se. Maybe someone could do a bagel run or something? Just grab a little food and bring it back. I mean the cake's here, but..." her voice trailed off.

Laura stared at Asher, confused. It seemed as though she couldn't work something out in her head.

"I don't really get it," she said bluntly. "If you're worried about snapping, which by the way is actually a lot more fun than you think but that's a whole talk for later..." Laura stopped for a moment, having gotten distracted. "Oh. Right. If you're worried about snapping, but you also feel like you have a lot to live for, just be careful and don't get caught!"

She gave the boy an eerie smile. "It's really simple, right?"

Herbert visibly stiffened when he saw the glasses. "Put em away," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper, looking away quickly.

Suddenly, he was fascinated by the cabinets, and began to look through them.

"Sounds like a good idea...I don't want to leave either, though..." she turned to David sheepishly. "Would you mind?"

"I dunno where you grew up and what your life at home was like, and I won't ask." He stood up and walked closer to Laura.

"But my family is my life. At the same time, though... I have people here that I care for. Following your advice would mean leaving them behind here..." he cast his eyes towards the floor, and let slip something that he meant to keep in his mind.

"It would abandoning you."

He stood up and grinned. "Of course. 3 bagels, right? I'll be back in a jiffy!" He hurried out, heading for the cafeteria, glad to get away from the two girls. As nice as they were, that may have been one of the most awkward experiences in his entire life yet.

"Alright, alright," Eloise put the glasses back on the table. She wouldn't have thought Herbert of all people to be so sensitive about going through a dead person's belongings. Before she could remember why they were broken in the first place she was going through his chest of drawers. It was a simple, almost childish piece of furniture.

Laura's smile never left her face as Asher went on talking. "Of course it would! It would mean abandoning everyone that's left for the purpose of getting out of here for your own selfish gain. It would also mean having to kill someone with your own hands! You'd have to own it though! Don't half-ass it and get yourself caught." She stepped around Asher's belongings, walking right up to him.

"Actually, now that I think about it..." Laura grabbed her crutches and stood up off the bed. "You won't even have to worry about it if we end up picking me as Oscar's killer. Or if that doesn't pan out and you don't want to leave me behind, there's always the option of killing me."

Adda lifted her face to look to Marci. The smile there was countered by the emotions showing through her eye.

"We'll catch whoever did this, right?" It was the same question posed multiple times, but it was something she planned on drilling into her mind.

"Ah got nothin so far." Herbert sighed, pushing the final drawer shut with his foot, looking into the bathroom next.

"Where oh where would our murderer hide shet, oh where oh where could it be?" He said, his voice sounding slightly like he was singing sarcastically. He gave the bathroom a look-around, peeking into cabinets. Nothing looked disturbed, in fact, everything looked like it was already like that before he found it. No blood, no notes, no nothing.

"Woll, it ain't here." he finally answered his own question, chuckling lowly to himself.

"Of course. If we did it once, we can do it again," She laughed bitterly. "You can only improve skills over time, after all."

Adda thought for a moment.

"With the timing, this had to be because of the motive, but..." she paused for a moment.

"Who could want to hide something about themselves so bad that they'd kill for it?"

She looked at her curiously. "Who reacted the worst to the folders? That could be a clue. If I had to guess, the material we all found in the folders would line up with whatever's in those boxes."

She shrugged. "It's not the best theory, but it's something."

Asher held his head in his hands and laughed a bit, mouthing to himself, "How'd my first crush wind up on someone like this? And why exactly won't it go away?"

He looked to Laura.

"Investigate. It's not right for me to check my own room, right? As soon as the others knew, they'd start flipping out more than the trapeze artists back home."

Adda nodded.

"That makes sense, only that also starts to blame others. Like, I know we didn't exactly enjoy the files. But still, it's a lead to work off of."