Page 2 of Carnival
“Yes, Aria,’’ I take a deep breath. “It’s him.’’
“Okay,’’ she nods. “And we care… why?”
I frown. “I mean, it’s not every day you find out the boy you slept with for the first time is a murderer.’’
“Eh,’’ she shrugs. “Maybe. But you and I help my parents unload their illegal weapons, test them out, and then make sure they’re wiped clean of any fingerprints. Is it really surprising?”
“Well, when you put it like that…’’
“And I still can’t believe you slept with a clown,’’ she laughs. Her laugh is contagious, and as soon as she bursts into a fit of laughter, I follow suit. Aria’s long hair falls down her waist as she props herself up on her elbows and continues to chuckle.
“So,’’ she chuckles once more. “Why have you brought this up? I highly doubt it’s to brag about your first time being with a fucking clown.’’
“I don’t know,’’ I admit, rolling over to lie on my back and staring at the ceiling. “The fact that he is almost definitely the killer makes me feel… I don’t know,’’ a small whine slips from me. “I want to know more.’’
“Alright, Ms. Detective,’’ she mocks. “What’s the plan?”
“I’ll go to New Orleans for carnival week.’’
“Rose, you cannot be serious.’’ She sits up straight. “Who in their right mind would purposely go to the place where they think a murder will happen again?”
“I just… this curiosity in me won’t go away. I’ve spent countless nights just… thinking of this, researching the case.’’
“Great,’’ her tongue drips with sarcasm. “So what? You go down there, find the man with the same mask– who, mind you, may not be the killer in question– and hit him with the ‘Hey! Sorry. Not sure if you remember me, but two years ago, you banged me in this terror house. So, are you going around killing people?’,’’ she scoffs. “Do you not understand how utterly ridiculous this sounds?”
“Okay but–’’
“No buts,’’ she cuts off, harshly. “It’s dangerous, Rose. Please tell me this is just a joke and you’re not seriously trying to pursue this lunatic?”
“You make it sound like I’m an obsessed fangirl about to jump his bones.’’
“You do sound like that!” Aria takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. “How about we bring this up to Arlo and Blair? I think that’d be the best thing to do.’’
I scoff. “So you three could gang up on me? No, thanks.’’
Arlo is her older brother, and Blair is Arlo’s girlfriend. I grew up with Arlo and Aria, and Blair came into the picture a while back. Whenever I want to do something like this, they always gang up on me, and my ideas immediately get shut down.
“We’re not ganging up on you; we’re trying to keep you safe, idiot.’’
“It’s a carnival!”
“With dead bodies each year! I’m honestly shocked the carnival’s still a thing, too. What kind of government allows that?”
“Ours, apparently.’’
Aria scoffs and stands up. She walks toward the door, yells out her brother's name, then plops back and sits next to me, a massive grin on her face. I groan, grabbing a pillow and holding it pressed against my face.
“He’s not home, by the way,’’ I mumble under the pillow.
“I know,’’ she laughs. “But seeing your panicked face for a split moment was worth it. But on a serious note, don’t tell me you’re actually going to go down to New Orleans.’’
“Maybe,’’ I mumble and remove the pillow. I sit up, running my fingers through my hair.
“And do what?”
“That’s the thing! I feel… incredibly stupid. I actually had sex with a killer!”
“Yeah, but you don’t need to travel to Orleans to understand that.’’
