[CHAPTER FIVE] Bait & Switch [DW AU]

Instructions

{ Chapter Five - Tisha } Zoning out and only focusing on the motions of sweeping with my broom, I finished cleaning every room in the first and second floor before 10 o’clock. ‘Huh. That must be a new record.’ I think to myself in a rather droll way as I glance over my checklist. Every room’s name has a checkmark drawn beside it with red pen. Glancing over it a second time (mostly because checking things twice just makes me feel inexplicably secure, like checking twice if a door is locked or turning the lights off twice in a room before leaving), I notice I missed a room; the security room. With a sigh, because now I won’t have time to eat breakfast with Shelly, I make my way to the security floor. Because nobody (except Rodger, really) goes in it, it’s always coated with layers upon layers of dust. Okay, well, maybe I’m exaggerating it, but you get the idea: it’s not a pleasant room to be in. Before I even grabbed the doorknob to the room, I could smell a sharp, pungent smell coming from inside that made me break into a coughing fit. When I could breathe again, although barely, the scent was slightly metallic too. ‘What’s in there?!’ I think, bewildered. ‘It hasn’t been THAT long since I last cleaned for it to smell this bad!’ Hesitating, I grab the doorknob. Maybe if I get this done fast I’ll still have time to eat with Shelly. Opening the door, I see the lights are already on. Huh. Maybe Rodger came in here last night. He’s been investigating Vee’s murder recently after all. I wasn’t really close to Vee, so I don’t quite know how I feel about her death, but I do know that it was untimely and tragic. Broom in hand, I begin to sweep a pile of dust before I saw… someone on the floor. Shelly. It was Shelly. And all of a sudden, with an absolutely awful feeling in my stomach, I knew where the smell was coming from. Rodger said that last night, around 10:40 PM, Shelly went to the security room alone. They were going to go together but Rodger said something came up and he had to go. She was killed with a brick hit against her head, her fragile fossil head easy to shatter. “What was so important that you had to leave Shelly to DIE?!” I yell at him. I don’t care that everyone is staring at me. “Scraps needed help finding something.” He responded as calmly as he could, although I could hear something resembling guilt in his voice. “It only took about five minutes to find it, and by the time we found it, I assumed Shelly was done in the security room, so I went to bed. And I didn’t leave her to die, Tisha! Nobody knew that was going to happen!” I dart my head toward Scraps, who was standing in a corner, talking to Brightney. I don’t know why those two toons, who were never friendly before, mind you, are all of a sudden friendly with each other, and I don’t even care either at this point. I storm toward them, and when Scraps notices the look on my face she looks scared. Good. “Scraps.” I say, trying to sound intimidating but instead sounding like I’m trying really hard not to cry. Which is true, because for the past hour, I’ve been trying to keep the tears that keep pricking at my eyes away. “H-Hi… Tisha!” Scraps gives me a bright smile. “What did you do to Shelly?!” I exclaim. She looks taken aback. “Huh? I- I didn’t do anything-!” “You intentionally separated them, didn’t you?!” I continue. “You- You separated them so you could kill Shelly!” Brightney steps between us. “Calm down, Tisha. That’s irrational. Scraps couldn’t have killed her if she was with Rodger the whole time.” “N-No! Rodger said- he said that-” I choke out a sob before continuing. “He said it only took five minutes to find what she was looking for! Scraps could’ve-” “I didn’t do anything to Shelly! I didn’t even know they were going to the security room!” Scraps exclaimed. “Why is everyone blaming ME?!” Brightney muttered something incoherently, which made Scraps give her a dirty look. Rodger comes over to the conversation. “Tisha, maybe you should just get some rest-” “Get some REST?!” I snap. “You’re telling me to get some rest and forget about what just happened?! We have a killer loose in Gardenview, Rodger!” “I’m well aware-” “Then how come you’re not doing ANYTHING about it?! Aren’t you a ‘detective’ toon or something?!” He begins to stutter something, but stops. I’m more mad than devastated at this point. Shelly didn’t deserve this. And nobody seems to care. “Whatever.” I grumble, and it comes out sounding very tearful. “I’ll go ‘get some rest’ then. Bye.” I storm out of the kitchen, down to my room, and slammed the door behind me. There was no Shelly to chase after me and comfort me and tell me everything was going to be okay. And by the time I collapsed onto my bed, I realized I never even ate breakfast.