The next morning there was a knock on Hazel's door. She opened to find Detective Lock.
"Hello, Miss Key." He said, letting himself in.
"Um..hi Detective Lock, what can I help you with?"
He wandered over to her desk, looking at the picture of Rin and herself.
"I hear you've been busy."
Hazel paused before replying, biting her lower lip shyly. "I guess Headmaster Dupree called you?"
He turned back around to her and sighed. "Of course he did. He wanted me to speak to you. I need you to stop investigating."
"Well if you did your job correctly, I wouldn't have to step up."
He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Hazel, Detective St. James and I are working around the clock to solve this, I promise you. And I don't need you putting yourself on the killers radar by getting too close to this. Do you understand?"
Hazel looked at the ground and sighed. "I guess."
"Good. You have a nice day, Miss Key."
He walked toward the door, as his hand clasp the doorknob, Hazel remembered something.
"Oh! Detective? I heard you guys took in Alexander Goth. I wanted you to know that Cam and I found out that Alex was actually in love with Rin and so he couldn't have done it."
He paused at that, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Well...his parents haven't let us talk to him so we didn't know any of this. Now we can save time by looking at other students. So...thank you."
"You're welcome."
Detective Lock gave her a respectable nod before finally leaving.
Hazel followed Detective Lock's demands, throwing herself into her dancing and staying away from the topic of Rin's murder. Eventually the time came for the auditions for the recital's prima ballerina. Hazel proudly won the spot. As she got ready for Camilla and Sebastian to take her out to eat in town to celebrate, there was a knock on the door. She answered and was surprised to find Sebastian carrying a framed painting.
"Hey, Hazel. I brought you a gift."
She smiled brightly as she stepped aside to let him in. He held up the canvas proudly and said, "I wanted to congratulate you on your big win. Painted this myself just for you."
"Wow, Seb, it's beautiful! I'm going to hang this up right now."
Sebastian helped her hang the painting and then they sat down on the edge of the bed to wait for Camilla to arrive. Hazel looked up at the painting and reached over to wrap his hand in hers.
"You really did a great job, Sebastian. I love it."
He flushed and smiled. "Yeah not too bad for being left handed huh?"
She snorted and then sighed. "Rin would be proud of you, you know?"
Hazel choked back a sob and looked away. Sebastian stroked her shoulder with one hand, caressing her cheek with the other. "I think so too..."
At that, he leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. Hazel pulled back abruptly giving him a confused look. "What are you doing, Seb?"
His expression flashed a second of anger then changed to hurt. "I...I thought...," He paused before continuing. "I mean, we're so good together. I thought maybe we could become more than friends."
Hazel stood and backed away from him, flustered. "I'm sorry, Seb, but I just don't feel that way about you. We've been friends for so long now...I don't want to ruin that."
He dropped his gaze to the floor for a moment before standing. "Wow...I...think I'm going to go now."
"Seb, please, I'm sorry." Hazel pleaded as he left but he didn't turn back.
As soon as he left, Hazel called Camilla to cancel the dinner and tell her what had happened with Sebastian.
"Holy shit," Camilla breathed. "Who knew he had the balls to just come at you like that?"
Hazel snickered. "Cam, that's beside the point. I had no idea Sebastian liked me like that. He was so hurt when I turned him down..."
"You know how Sebbie is, he'll pout and then bounce back in a few days, he never stays mad about things for long."
"Yeah you're right."
There was a sound on Camilla's end suggesting she was settling on her bed. "Well, if we're not going to eat then I'm going to work on a project for school. Oh! And I was wondering if you would switch personal studio times with me tomorrow. Your slot is only an hour before mine but I need the extra time for the project. Is that okay?"
"Of course, Cam. That's fine."
"Alright, thanks, I better get started then."
They exchanged goodbyes and hung up.
The next day Hazel came to the studio at her new time slot. Entering she scrolled through her phone.
"Hey Cam, did you get a good practice in?"
When she was met with deafening silence she looked up...
...and screamed.
"
"Um..hi Detective Lock, what can I help you with?"
He wandered over to her desk, looking at the picture of Rin and herself.
"I hear you've been busy."
Hazel paused before replying, biting her lower lip shyly. "I guess Headmaster Dupree called you?"
He turned back around to her and sighed. "Of course he did. He wanted me to speak to you. I need you to stop investigating."
"Well if you did your job correctly, I wouldn't have to step up."
He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Hazel, Detective St. James and I are working around the clock to solve this, I promise you. And I don't need you putting yourself on the killers radar by getting too close to this. Do you understand?"
Hazel looked at the ground and sighed. "I guess."
"Good. You have a nice day, Miss Key."
He walked toward the door, as his hand clasp the doorknob, Hazel remembered something.
"Oh! Detective? I heard you guys took in Alexander Goth. I wanted you to know that Cam and I found out that Alex was actually in love with Rin and so he couldn't have done it."
He paused at that, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Well...his parents haven't let us talk to him so we didn't know any of this. Now we can save time by looking at other students. So...thank you."
"You're welcome."
Detective Lock gave her a respectable nod before finally leaving.
Hazel followed Detective Lock's demands, throwing herself into her dancing and staying away from the topic of Rin's murder. Eventually the time came for the auditions for the recital's prima ballerina. Hazel proudly won the spot. As she got ready for Camilla and Sebastian to take her out to eat in town to celebrate, there was a knock on the door. She answered and was surprised to find Sebastian carrying a framed painting.
"Hey, Hazel. I brought you a gift."
She smiled brightly as she stepped aside to let him in. He held up the canvas proudly and said, "I wanted to congratulate you on your big win. Painted this myself just for you."
"Wow, Seb, it's beautiful! I'm going to hang this up right now."
Sebastian helped her hang the painting and then they sat down on the edge of the bed to wait for Camilla to arrive. Hazel looked up at the painting and reached over to wrap his hand in hers.
"You really did a great job, Sebastian. I love it."
He flushed and smiled. "Yeah not too bad for being left handed huh?"
She snorted and then sighed. "Rin would be proud of you, you know?"
Hazel choked back a sob and looked away. Sebastian stroked her shoulder with one hand, caressing her cheek with the other. "I think so too..."
At that, he leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. Hazel pulled back abruptly giving him a confused look. "What are you doing, Seb?"
His expression flashed a second of anger then changed to hurt. "I...I thought...," He paused before continuing. "I mean, we're so good together. I thought maybe we could become more than friends."
Hazel stood and backed away from him, flustered. "I'm sorry, Seb, but I just don't feel that way about you. We've been friends for so long now...I don't want to ruin that."
He dropped his gaze to the floor for a moment before standing. "Wow...I...think I'm going to go now."
"Seb, please, I'm sorry." Hazel pleaded as he left but he didn't turn back.
As soon as he left, Hazel called Camilla to cancel the dinner and tell her what had happened with Sebastian.
"Holy shit," Camilla breathed. "Who knew he had the balls to just come at you like that?"
Hazel snickered. "Cam, that's beside the point. I had no idea Sebastian liked me like that. He was so hurt when I turned him down..."
"You know how Sebbie is, he'll pout and then bounce back in a few days, he never stays mad about things for long."
"Yeah you're right."
There was a sound on Camilla's end suggesting she was settling on her bed. "Well, if we're not going to eat then I'm going to work on a project for school. Oh! And I was wondering if you would switch personal studio times with me tomorrow. Your slot is only an hour before mine but I need the extra time for the project. Is that okay?"
"Of course, Cam. That's fine."
"Alright, thanks, I better get started then."
They exchanged goodbyes and hung up.
The next day Hazel came to the studio at her new time slot. Entering she scrolled through her phone.
"Hey Cam, did you get a good practice in?"
When she was met with deafening silence she looked up...
...and screamed.
"
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