Jasper Jones Monologue

No one has figured out how I was involved in Laura's death. It's 10:51 pm as I try to fall asleep while the image of the night Laura died keeps entering my mind. After two weeks, they still believe she hitchhiked out of town. The reality of the situation hasn’t hit me yet. My sister killed herself. Watching Laura hang herself was like watching a car crash. I couldn’t look away, but at the same time, I felt paralysed.

Suddenly, the silence is shattered and my mind fills with fearful thoughts as my startled eyes flash open. Knock-knock.

‘Eliza!’ a familiar voice whispers.

I breathe a sigh of relief. It doesn't take me long to recognise it. Holy shit. Charlie is standing at my window! I leap out of bed like a horse at the starting gates.

‘Charlie?

why are you here?’ I ask while fixing my messy hair, then opening my window. The guy I like is at my window!
‘H-hey Eliza.

I know this is weird, but I have to talk to you. Jasper Jones is in trouble! The police got an anonymous tip today that he’s involved in Laura’s Murder.’

Wait, he thinks it was a murder?

‘No it wasn’t a…. h-he couldn’t have murdered her.

‘He didn't!' People in Corrigan constantly think Jasper is trouble! They’ll accuse him and lock him up without any evidence. We need your help. I'm here to see if you know anything… anything about what happened to Laura?’ He raises an eyebrow, waiting for my reply.

I divert my eyes down and stay silent. I want to tell him. Charlie is probably one of the few people I can trust. But, I feel so shy around him. I wish I could just tell him how I feel. Not only about what I know but also about my feelings towards him.

‘Please.. please Laura. Jasper and I need your

help.’
I'm sure he knows I know something. Why else would he come to me for help? I’m conflicted. Holding in the secret about Laura has been killing me inside. But if I tell him, he’ll know it was my fault she died.

‘Actually, I did find something that could help.’ I want to help Jasper and I feel a strange trustworthiness towards Charlie. I grab something from below my mattress. It’s the letter Laura wrote. I picked it up off the ground beneath her dead body. This letter probably explains everything, but I couldn’t read it by myself.
‘Are you still reading Breakfast at Tiffany's?’ Charlie asks, noticing the book on my bedside table.
‘Yeah.

I haven't been able to finish it.' I've had a lot on my mind. I walk over to him.

‘Laura wrote this letter before she disappeared.’ Charlie appears inquisitive when I give the slightly dirty letter to him.

‘Where’d you find this?’

I simply shrug.

‘I want you to read it’.

‘Are you sure?’

He's just as apprehensive as me to uncover what it says. I nod and he begins reading.

“To Jasper Jones,” the top says.

‘Wait. This is about Jasper?' Charlie seems intrigued.

Charlie finishes reading the letter and wow. My mind is racing. Charlie and I are sitting on the edge of my bed. He places his arm around my shoulder, comforting me while I tear up. I’m so glad Charlie is here. He makes me feel so safe. He goes to hold my hand, but he doesn't. I wish he did.

Everything makes sense now. The letter holds the evidence we need to help Jasper. I can’t believe how brutal and abusive my father was to Laura. I'm so mad at him! I always assumed they didn’t get along, but I never realised why. I wonder why he chose to rape Laura, not me? At least now I know I'm not the reason Laura hanged herself. My father is responsible! If it wasn't for what he did, Laura would still be

alive.
Charlie appeared surprisingly shocked when reading Laura had no choice but to end her life. Why was he so positive she was murdered? Besides, there's another urgent matter. I'm unsure whether I should tell Charlie I watched Laura when she hung herself. Perhaps some information is best kept a secret.