(FEATURED)
It's been months since the unceremonious fall of Kimie Sato's older sister. The whole of Ridgerock High knows it, and by now, the majority have moved on. But Kimie still watches those who had a hand in it continue to walk free, and the mo...
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A girl with short hair and a paper coffee cup in her hand stood in my way as I headed to my locker on Monday morning. She was standing in front of her friend, right in the middle of the hallway, and with the look of things, they weren't going to move anytime soon.
I'd already made up my mind to go around them and risk getting accidentally shoved by the loud, playful guys next to them when I caught some words from their conversation. Thankfully, I hadn't gotten to them yet.
It was crazy how I heard them despite the noise.
". . . cops are here," the girl with the coffee said. "I heard it has to do with the investigation. Apparently, they found some leads or something."
Her friend snorted, eyes straying to the boys behind her friend. "This is getting crazier and crazier. I'm surprised they haven't shut the school down."
At that point, I'd walked past them, and even though I tried hard to listen to what they were saying, their voices floated away and joined the others. I walked as fast as I could, still a little weak from yesterday's events, but determined not to let that stop me.
As much as I tried ignoring the fact that Piper and Dion's murders happened, I knew things were very real. Ridgerock would never let me pretend everything was fine.
I saw the edge of a folded piece of paper sticking out of my locker when I got to it, and, curious, I pulled the paper out, not even giving myself the chance to guess what was written on it. It could've been a murder note, or one aimed at scaring me, but at the moment, my brain wasn't functioning like it was supposed to.
The handwriting was unfamiliar, but when I saw the signature at the bottom of the note, I was filled with surprise.
Sorry about the other day. I wanted to get you chocolate but wasn't sure you'd like it. Sorry once again - J
J. Jamie.
Instinctually, I looked around for him, but he was nowhere in sight. I didn't know why, but the note made me smile, easing the stiff muscles of my face and lifting a burden from my chest.
I stood there in front of my closed locker, reading Jamie's words over and over, and had barely recovered from the pleasure when I felt a presence behind me.
That smell was too familiar.
"When I'm trying to find you, you seem to disappear."
I quickly spun around, my heart leaping out of my chest, long enough for me to feel breathless, but not long enough to make me drop dead.
Axel's smile was wide and contagious and, needless to say, beautiful. I stared at him in shock for a while because one, after Saturday, I couldn't help but feel weird, and two, he was in school, which he was supposed to be suspended from.
"What?" he finally asked, pushing disobedient strands of hair away from his face. "Is this how surprised you are to see me?"
Yes, I thought, this is how surprised I am to see you.
