Death Note: Blood Ties - 6. CONFRONTATION

Chapter 6: CONFRONTATION

Ethan:

Mr Harris was loathed by most students in the school. He was a small man who always wore business suits to school, even when the other teachers dressed casually. He loved the idea of heading assemblies and looking important. He had no hair and his head shined as if it'd been waxed. Either that or he was constantly perspiring. As he addressed the student body I could tell that there was another emotion he had in place of his usual arrogance. Behind the anger and disapproval there was something else: fear.

He and all the other teachers didn't know how to deal with this situation. It was clear that whoever was doing this was not just a stupid kid who wanted attention. It was a smart kid who wanted to create chaos. Why else had this student not been caught after so many horrific vandalisms?

I wouldn't be surprised if they'd already contacted the police. If they had it would be most likely that only a few policemen would come, make a big show of walking around the school just to get noticed. They would then hope that Shadow would be frightened and stop writing messages. If my messages were received it wouldn't be necessary for me to continue anyway.

It will appear that Shadow was scared off by the police. That's exactly what I need.

I don't want them to catch me and make things difficult. If I got caught they'd announce my full name and that would be a disaster. The killer would write my name in the death note. Game over.

What I needed to do was look around to see if anyone makes a reaction to the code word I put in the letters. Mr Harris stared out at the students. They all knew that someone in here was responsible for the vandalisms. I wonder if they would be smart enough to figure out who.

"The police have been called and will be arriving here shortly. Whoever is calling themselves Shadow has been doing the wrong thing. It's pathetic and sick!" He said viciously. As if he'd be able to evoke a reaction from me so easily. How disappointing.

"We'd also like to ask for anyone who knows anything to come forward. My office is always open. As for this menace defacing the school, if you come forward now your punishment will be much less than what it will be if we catch you, and we will catch you if you continue." Now they're trying to scare me into confessing? This is just getting ridiculous.

"These vandalisms against the school will not be tolerated. As for the messages about Joel Robinson's death, these cruel, beastly-" he's quite descriptive "-messages or whatever you call them, death notices-"

I immediately scanned the area. Time seemed to cease. There were hundreds of faces around me. All of them looking forward. They were of peaking interest, but the expression I was really looking for was shock, fear, suspicion. Did I imagine that sound? A gasp? A sharp intake of breath? Were other people going to look at who made the sudden noise? Would their heads point me to him/her? With the faint sound alone I couldn't determine gender. Several heads somewhere behind me turned to where the noise was louder. Over there. The killer is in that direction. If I stood now while only a few seconds of time had passed I might be able to make out one of those three expressions.

I couldn't though, it would be like announcing that I'm Shadow. The killer would try even harder to find my name. They'd know my plan. The turned heads were from the Year Eleven group. As I thought. Nobody else noticed them. Do I risk it? Do I stand up and look at him/her? The desire was almost overpowering, but I forced myself to remain seated.

"-are extremely inappropriate and need to stop right now! That is all." Mr Harris concluded.

Mrs Mirsky walked forward "You may leave now. Roll call teachers please escort your classes out of the hall. One at a time." People got up to leave, whispering excitedly or complaining about getting up. When Mrs Lee told us to stand we did.

I walked with a triumphant smile on my face. I bet you won't be ignoring me anymore now will you, killer? I thought to myself. I guess I'm smarter than you gave me credit. You won't make the same mistake again. I've backed you into a corner. You'll have to retaliate, and in your desperation you'll slip up, and I'll catch you.

The death note will be mine again, and I'll kill you with it if I have to.

Jack:

He's smart!

I had no idea Ethan was so much like me. Is it really possible he planned this far ahead? My teeth ground together. You piece of shit! I thought savagely as I walked with my roll class. I could've left you alone but cause you asked for it, I'll kill you! If I leave him alive he could give away details about the death note to the police, and that can't happen!

In assembly several people turned to face me when I gasped. I didn't see Ethan's face, but I couldn't be sure. No, if Ethan had seen me he would have approached me or be following me now. He couldn't risk the chance that I be alone, in case I already knew his name. Then I'd just write it down. Maybe he wants me to face him? I looked behind me. I couldn't see Ethan.

I lagged back to the end of the line and then when I was sure my fat bitch roll teacher couldn't see me I ran off. I headed back towards the hall. I watched the other students leave while I peeked from the side of the toilet block. It wasn't hard to spot Ethan. He was below-average in height, thin and he probably needed a haircut - it was almost girlie in length. Behind his thick black glasses his cheeks were pulled up in a smirk. He thinks he's got me? I almost laughed out loud. All I got to do is watch where he goes. The roll call teachers were taking their classes back to the rooms where they did roll call.

While hiding I followed his class across the quadrangle, outside of the hall. They were heading to the science block. I kept watching until I saw the roll call teacher, a middle-aged Asian lady with glasses and a bright purple shirt, unlock the door with a key on a piece of string around her neck. My eyes widened. On a plaque attached to the door it said 'Lab 3'. My grin stretched over my face. I'd wait a day, but tomorrow Ethan would die. Unfortunately, he wasn't smart enough. He'd led me to his roll call room.

After roll is taken every morning on the roll sheet inside folding clipboards, a student is picked to return them to the front office. Next to each name is that student's school photo. I'll volunteer to hand in the roll for my class early, then I'll catch whoever leaves Lab 3 tomorrow with the roll and nicely offer to carry it the rest of the way.

I'll finally know Ethan's full name. This is the only way I can find it out without taking the risk of someone telling Ethan. I'm not supposed to bring the death note to school either, since Gallu would follow me if he knew I was going to use it, and that would also give me away to Ethan. Tomorrow I'll have to bring it secretly, once Gallu gets distracted by the TV or leaves the house to explore.

I only wished I'd come up with this plan sooner. Enjoy yourself now, cause tomorrow is the last day of your life. You're fucked. I turned and left, smiling, back to my roll call room.

Ethan:

The next day I sat in roll call quietly. My hands were together on the desk and I twiddled my thumbs idly. I was thinking hard about my situation. I was definitely taking a big risk, the biggest in my life.

I was fighting someone whose name I didn't know, whose face I haven't seen and who has a notebook with the power to kill someone just by writing that person's name in it. This someone most likely knew my face, and could kill me without making a big deal of it. All they needed was my name.

I realised that my entire plan relied on the fact that they didn't already have my name. There was a chance that I could die soon, if I wasn't careful. I held my breath and tried to concentrate. After Mrs Lee finished roll call she handed the clipboard over to Billy, the small timid-looking boy in my Environmental studies class. He left the room with the roll in hand, and closed the door behind him.

Jack:

I saw someone walk out of Lab 3. He looked smaller than Ethan and was skinny like him too. Light-brown hair, a girlie fringe. I couldn't get a good look from behind, but started to follow him. I won't talk to him until he's in the office and away from the windows of the Lab. I needed a private place to kill Ethan with the death note hidden in my bag.

I watched as the boy walked quickly to the office past the science block. I couldn't help smiling. I hadn't told Gallu that I was going to kill someone today.

He'd probably be mad if he found out, but I knew he would've insisted on coming today and I would've been unable to stop him. I couldn't risk Ethan seeing Gallu before I killed him, considering he was the only other person that could see the Shinigami. The only other person who's touched the death note. So far no one had stopped me. This is going to work! I'm gonna kill Ethan and then this book will be my property.

Hannah:

I drove my silver economy car haphazardly toward the school, cursing myself. Why did I have such a problem with punctuality when it came to school? Oh that's right, cause it freaking blows!

I'd been clearly warned by the deputy principle that if I came to school late one more time my parents would be called. That would be rilly rilly bad... My windows were up so no one could hear the deafening sound of Paramore's 'Misery Business'. The only song that band made that I liked. I swerved my car to the side of the road. I hopped out with my school things and locked the car.

The school looked empty, a horribly familiar scene that meant the school was well into first period. Frick, I need to get another late note. I groaned as I headed to the office, the first block inside the school gates.

I was not looking forward to another lecture by the receptionists inside. Maybe they'd let me off if I told them I'd missed the bus or something? I sighed as I walked through the school gates and approached the office.

Billy:

I walked in the office, my head low, and was about to skulk to the reception desk when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I stopped and turned. He was someone in my year, tall and a head shaved like a marine. Brown eyes ringed with purple. He looked mean. Delinquent.

"Give me that." he said.

Tone nice enough, but insistent. I was taken aback and stared, frightened as usual by interactions with another teenager.

A blonde girl, also in my year, wearing black fishnet beneath her uniform and listening to an iPod, stopped by the entrance, which the tall boy was blocking.

"Excuse me," she mumbled and pushed past him. He ignored her and held out his hand to me.

I realised he wanted the roll I was holding. I wanted to say to the towering figure that I was gonna hand it to the receptionist myself, but when the words wouldn't come out, I just held it out for him. Mute. He snatched it from me and something happened to his eyes. They looked deranged. Wicked.

He shoved past me and started walking to the staff toilets. He had his hand on the door handle, but then the old lady talking to the blonde girl called out to him.

"Excuse me, those toilets are for staff members only! Use the student toilets instead, please."

The glare she received was terrifying. Livid. It made me feel uneasy in my stomach, even the receptionist gaped and the Year Eleven girl's eyebrows rose. He turned on his heel and went to leave.

"What are you doing with that? Give it here!" The lady called, indicating to the roll in his hand.

He kept going, ignoring her, but then he stopped. Someone blocked his way. The person stood, holding the door open with one hand. His expression was determined, but with a confident smile. I'd never seen Ethan with that expression before.

Ethan:

Jack stared at me, wide-eyed.

"No way," he said quietly.

"Got you." I said with a smile "Jack Martin."

Unlike him I had my school photo album, and I looked at and memorised everyone's photo in my year. I paid special attention to the students who apparently used drugs or at least looked like they did.

"How the fuck did you know?" he asked.

Billy from roll call, a blonde girl who I didn't know and the elderly receptionist were looking back and forth between us.

"I knew that after you heard about my 'death notices' at the assembly you'd know it was because of me." I told him "I suspected you'd follow me. I saw you spying from the corner of my eye. The temptation to look at you then was almost unbearable but I forced myself not to and to wait instead for this moment to look and see who you are."

Jack's eyes were wide as he listened to what I was saying. I pressed "I knew you'd try to get my name from roll call at that moment! It's what I would've done. So I followed you! I excused myself and came right here. It was my plan to figure out who had the death note and it worked!" I yelled triumphantly. "Jack Martin you are the killer I've been looking for!"

Everyone except Jack and me looked completely dumbfounded.

Jack looked down at his shoes. I had no idea what he was doing, crying or laughing? He was growling in anger. He looked up again and those violent eyes frightened me. I thought for a moment that he was going to attack me.

"Knowing who I am and what I've done won't help you if you're dead!" he shouted and swung his bag off his back, he plunged his hand into it and pulled out the black notebook.

"Noooo!" My heart jumped and I slammed my body into him.

He was bigger than me but I managed to make him lose his balance and fall. I grabbed for the death note and he elbowed me in the face. I howled in pain. Jack grabbed the notebook and went to get up but I snagged his leg and he fell again. The receptionist screeched and hurried off to find a teacher. Jack had dropped the death note and was reaching for it. I crawled over and flicked it away, across the carpet so it was out of reach. He turned his blazing eyes to me and grabbed my face, he head-butted and I saw stars.

Jack moaned as well and I felt something warm spilling from my throbbing nose.

When my vision cleared I saw that Jack was on his hands and knees and he was looking up at Billy, who was at the other end of the room and reading the cover of the death note that he held. For some reason this infuriated Jack even more.

"Give that to me!" he ordered. Billy froze.

"Don't!" I warned him. He looked too frightened to do anything other than just stare at Jack like a deer in headlights. The blonde girl walked over and swiped the death note from Billy without him noticing.

She glanced at the cover and then flicked through the pages. She stopped on a page and frowned. She turned the death note to face us so that Jack and me could see the page. Below 'REECE CALDON' scrawled across the page in messy capitals was 'Tony Macmullen' with a cause of death and conditions of death instructed in pen. Below Tony's name at the bottom of the page was 'Joel Robinson' as well as his cause of death, time of death and circumstances of death right down to his declaration that God would smite him.

"Joel's death is written in here." the girl said to us. "In perfect detail. This is exactly what happened. I know because I was there. I suppose everyone in Year Eleven was but that's not the point. You called this guy 'killer', and you said he wanted to figure out your name. Joel's name is written in here... so what is going on?"

She was looking at me. She's quite clever, like me and probably Jack. Billy stared at all three of us in confusion and bewilderment.

"Give me the book!" Jack growled.

I leapt up and ran past him, desperate to get to the death note first. I saw as I passed him in my peripheral vision, he headed backwards in the other direction. It wasn't until I reached the girl's side that I realised I'd made a mistake. Even if Jack had got the death note he still didn't know my name. When I'd tackled him he'd dropped both the notebook and the roll list! He stood with it open in front of him, a malicious smile on his face.

"Ethan Jones." he read out loud "Now I know your name."

"That may be true." I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out the red pen I brought with me for this very situation. "But I also know your name and-" I snatched the death note quickly from the blonde girl's hands "I can kill you right now."

I opened the death note to a blank page and held it in one hand and with the other I hovered the pen dangerously above the paper. Jack froze and stared at me without moving. Billy started looking frantic.

"Why isn't she back yet?" he said, looking towards the reception desk anxiously. The blonde girl just eyed us both cautiously.

"Jack Martin." I said clearly. My voice rang with finality and sounded like a judge giving a criminal the death penalty. "You are a murderer." I told him. "Joel Robinson was not your first kill. You already knew the death note worked after you used it on Tony Macmullen, who died of a drug overdose."

His eyes widened, shocked that I was privy to that information.

I continued "You still chose to kill him anyway. He may have been a bully but did that warrant a death sentence? There are also another hundred names written in here. It's clear that you've become mad with the power of this note book and need to be stopped. Yes, you are a killer, but I am not." I snapped the book shut.

Jack was surprised. I threw the death note onto the floor between us. Jack made no move to get it and just stared at me. I wiped some of the blood off my face, smearing it onto my sleeves.

"Ever since I knew that someone else had the death note and was using it for themselves, I regretted throwing it away. I wanted to find out who you were so I could meet you and talk to you. While I know that killing innocents is wrong, and that I would never kill another student like you've done, I can't bring myself to pass up this opportunity again." I clenched my fists at my sides. "There's no way I could kill you Jack. Even though you've killed other people. I just don't want that over my conscience. Instead... I think we should work together."

Jack stared at me for a while. Then he finally spoke "I believe you, Ethan. For some reason, I do."

Even in such a kill-or-be-killed scenario, we had room for rational discourse. Neither of us wanted to kill the other if we didn't have to. I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my bleeding nose. I really hoped they weren't broken.

"That notebook kills people." the blonde girl said. It wasn't a question.

She believed us or at the very least believed that we thought the notebook actually worked. Billy continued to look worriedly around for any sign of help. Jack knelt down and picked up the death note. He held it under his arm and stood up again.

"You still own the death note. That means when you picked it up I would've lost all my memories, but I figured out not long ago that if I carry pieces of the death note on me, I'll still remember using it." he pulled out a folded page of lined paper from his pocket.

I stared at him blankly. He could've killed me without the book.

"You never read all the rules, did you?" he asked me, noticing my confusion. I frowned, What else about the death note don't I know?

"So now we'll share it." Jack stated. I guess he was touched that I didn't have it in me to kill.

"What about these guys?" I said, motioning to the girl and Billy.

"I don't think we can kill them without it being suspicious." Jack said aloud.

"Excuse me?" The girl was shocked. Billy paled and didn't say anything. I turned to look at them both.

"How well can you guys keep a secret?"

Jack groaned "It'd be hard enough with two of us sharing one death note, but four? Fuck me... I don't know what's keeping that old bitch but we should go before she comes back with a teacher. I'll explain shit as we go."

I tried to wipe more of the blood away but winced from the pain.

"You three go, bleeding like this I have to go to the infirmary. If anyone asks, I'll tell them I tripped and face-planted."