I close my eyes and let the hot, steaming water cascade down my face and wash away the tears from last night. How I'm going to face everybody today, I just don't know.
"Skylar frickin' Frances!". I snap back into reality and hear my name being called. "Gimme a minute!", I yell back. I turn off the shower, wrap my towel around myself and walk out of the shower and into my dorm room. Janet Anders is leaning back on my desk, her arms crossed. She eyes me as I fold my own arms, daring her to speak. "You saw it on Instagram, didn't you?" Her voice is even. I already know what she is talking about, and I make that clear. "And what if I did?", I shoot back defensively. God, give me a break, I'm trying to forget about Dariela. Janet rolls her eyes and pushes her Fitzgerald frames back up onto her face. "The whole dorm is having a vigil tonight and the principal told me to invite you especially. Oh joy. And before you get all Kill Bill on me, think about it, okay?" She comes closer and puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "And if not for her, at least for her family", she says with a sympathetic look. She leaves without waiting for my response, and I am alone in my dorm room. I start to think about what Janet had said.
"At least for her family." The very last people I would ever want to do anything for! Especially not her parents. They can burn. And Janet of all people should know that I'm not on good terms with Dariela's folks. Ugh, that insensitive little rat! I open a drawer in my desk and pull out my journal. I quickly glance at the time. 15 minutes until classes start and I'm still half dressed. But I'll definitely have enough time for a quick diary entry. I snatch a pen from my pencil pot and sit down on my chair, the words flowing effortlessly onto the page.
"A part of me misses her. Okay, every part of me misses her. Dariela's body hasn't been found yet, but everybody assumes she's dead. As far as I've heard, there has been no police investigation at all, and everyone seems so hush-hush about it, like it's something taboo. I wonder if it's too late to call the information line, to tell them what I know. Maybe then they'll open an investigation? I dunno, I just don't think she's dead. Not sure what Janet thinks though. Even though she's been super insensitive about my relationship with Dariela's parents, she's the only one I can trust right now. Tell you more when I'm back from classes."
S-
I leave my journal on my desk, lather myself with lotion and put on a Northface sweater and some camo jeans. I grab my backpack that's slung on my chair, pack the stuff I need and am about to rush out the door when a thought pops into my mind. My novel! I turn right back around and snatch it from the top of my wardrobe. As I am about to stuff it into my bag, I notice a bit of black on the corner of the label. What the--. I open the book to the contents page. My eyes widen as I see what is written in it. Written over the contents page is a quote scrawled in black marker:
"TRUTH IS LIKE THE SUN. YOU CAN SHUT IT OUT FOR A TIME, BUT IT AIN'T GOIN' AWAY".
YOU ARE READING
Overcomplicated.
Misterio / SuspensoDariela Jay's disappearance has the Rubenfield community convinced she is dead. No questions asked, no police investigations are conducted and everyone is quick to move on from her "death." But Skylar and Janet refuse to accept that. As both girls s...
