Secrets

Chapter Thirteen- Crunchy leaves and Autumn screams

Two weeks after finding out about Molly and Lauren's twin, we all were on edge and none of us barely left our houses. I wanted to call Chloe and Jade but something crumpled in my stomach and I felt sick. I called mine and Chloe's nan instead "Hey Nan!" I said when her comforting voice answered "Hello Jessie!" She replied happily and loudly so I moved the phone away from my ear "Uh, Nan, have you heard from Flo?" I asked nervously and the line went quiet "She phoned me yesterday, I think after the times you have had, you girls need to clear the air." She added and I breathed "And Auntie S?" I asked and nan sighed "Angry, relieved, confused, hurt." Nan said and I heard pop pops in the background "Is that Jess?" I heard him say "Tell her I have a fiver for her here" he said and nan shushed him "Did you hear that?" She asked and I laughed "I did, I will come over in the week I promise" I added and Nan replied with "Whenever your free, no rush. Chloe is meeting up with Jade I think in the new coffee shop in town, oh what's it called? oh I can't remember Jess, sorry but if you go now you might be able to catch them, you will see the shop when you come into town."

After rushing off the phone with my nan I pulled on my black and white converse and jumped in my silver cruiser and off I went, flying towards town. Once I entered town I ran to where I knew the old bookstore used to be, which had closed not long ago and see a thriving new looking coffee shop. "The golden mug" Was frosted into the glass and through the windows I see Jade and Chloe sitting on two orange urban bean bag type seats opposite sides to a wooden rustic table, a black geometric light above them illuminating their faces, Chloe's face still scratched up from the whole ordeal. They see me standing there, no turning back now. I breathed a long deep breath and wandered in through the long rustic wooden and glass door, a bell tinkled to announce someone coming through the door and a bored looking waitress looked up and stared at me, I grinned and pointed to Chloe and Jade and she sighed, her orange curly hair bouncing as she stood up and shoved on her brown apron "Be over in a minute" she said flatly and I cringed inside "Wow, someone needs a customer service course!" I said quietly to the girls as I sat at the table and lifted my chained handbag over my shoulder. Both of them giggled and it felt nice to hear them laugh.

"So, I was wondering, Halloween is soon and, you guys doing anything?" I said trying to break the awkward silence and they both looked up "Erm, I mean, we could do something, considering the police have arrested Molly there isn't anything we should be afraid of now right? I mean Lucie is back where she belongs, in the pine mental health center so I suppose, yeah! why not! be good to go out!" She added but you could tell she was still a little nervous. I looked at her "You don't have to be so brave around us you know, Flo. Have the nightmares stopped?" I asked and she nearly choked on her coffee, her bright blue and pink painted nails gripping harder into the coffee mug that had a golden mug on the side of it "No. No they haven't, but uh, I think eventually they will!" She said, a fake grin appearing on her face and she looked down, I stared at Jade and concern edged on her face too "And you? How are you?" I asked her and she too put on a brave face "Yeah, am ok, Stacey has me under a watchful eye, so I know for a fact I am safe!" She said with a laugh and all three of us laughed.

The waitress was standing behind us and we only just noticed "Oh sorry!" I said and her face was stony "Its fine, its what you guys do isn't it, always have, stuck up, concentrating on nothing but yourselves" She muttered and Shock filled the air "Excuse me?" I said as I stood up "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Anger filled my cheeks and the waitress stepped back, dropping her pen to the sides "It means this town was better when you were all gone, no stuck up nasty little bitches ruining peoples lives. I'm not sorry your friends are dead, but I am sorry you three are still alive." She said and Chloe and Jade stood up and Jade looked her square in the face "Wow, so much anger, and what did we ever do to you? we don't even know you!" She said confused but clearly annoyed and the waitress stepped towards her a look of utter hatred across her face "Not me, you bitch, my sister" She said and slammed her notepad onto the floor, took off her apron and through it across the room "IF THESE- IF THEY ARE ALLOWED HERE, I QUIT." She screamed and stormed out the door, leaving the elderly manager looking a little bewildered "I am so SO sorry!" The little old lady said, blonde and red streaks of hair running through her bun and some grey poking out, creases around her matching autumn eyes. "Please, let me get you a drink on me!" She added and Chloe stopped her by gently touching the old woman's arm "It's fine. it's fine, I guess we must of sparked some, trauma or something for her." Chloe said softly and the woman squinted her eyes "She lost her sister, a long long time ago. come through to the kitchen, I will tell you a little more why I make us all some hot chocolate, on the house" She said and waddled towards the kitchen, we all stared at one another and I pushed Jade in front of me, Chloe skidded behind me and we walked like a family of ducks into the kitchen. The little old lady had turned the open sign to closed on the door so we wouldn't be disturbed.

The hot chocolate smell filled the air "What syrup do you all want in your choc?" she said smiling, but the smile was sad "Uh Hazelnut please!" Chloe said, rather a little too excitedly and she looked at me and shrugged her shoulders. The woman looked at me and said "And you two?" I looked at Jade and then back to the woman "Uh, Hazelnut is fine for us too!" I said and She grinned "Very good" She said and giggled. Once we all had our cups she lent against the metal counter, where they clearly prepare the food. "Leena is my niece, she's a lovely girl. But she suffered such a tragedy. Her sister killed herself in school many years ago, when that wicked girl was alive, she was bullied badly by her and her friends. They made Lola's life a living hell." She added and we all gasped "Lola? Lola Carmickel?" I asked and looked at Chloe and Jade to see them feeling the exact same as me and it seemed the woman also started to register something, who we are. "YOU!" she said anger filling her and she knocked the cup out of Jades hand, luckily Jade managed to jump back just in time to avoid shards of china and hot splashes of cocoa.

We all turned on our heel and sped away from the woman, who by now was shouting unintelligible things at us and I felt my heart pounding, I was shaking. I walked over and grabbed my bag from the table and Chloe and Jade grabbed their things and we turned to leave "Guys" Chloe said slowly and as I spun around I see one of the dolls sitting in the same place Chloe was, it was her doll that Molly had made. The doll had a note on it and I leaned forward and picked it up 'Leave town, or you will all live to regret it' It said in sprawled black writing and I read it out loud to the girls and they both gasped "Wait a minute" Chloe said and she walked forward and lifted the dolls chin, the dolls mouth began to move and we all jumped back in unison "Your not safe yet, you may be alive but I am out for your blood" The doll said sweetly with a giggle after and suddenly the doll started to turn red, liquid from all different places made it look as though the doll was bleeding in every different spot. I screamed and turned to run with the others and the smell of incense hit my nose and as I made my way out the door I looked up, the little old woman, smiling a weird, creepy smile waved at us.