Closer than you think

                                                                      Chapter One

                                                                    Holly's Warning

 We all have that one friend. That friend that came over early to help set up your Eleventh birthday. That friend that was there for the emergency sleep over, after your first break up. Mine’s name is Holly. She's confident and makes the best pan of brownies in all of Florida. Holly Bennett has brown hair, and green eyes. And though we look nothing alike, we always joked about how we were so close we were practically sisters. We spent almost every day together, until the last day of school. When Holly went missing. 

Morning before the last day of school. 2:34 AM 

Brrrrrinnng!Brrrrinnggg!Brrrinnggg! I flipped over in bed looking at my alarm clock, it read 2:34. I didn’t even have to look at my phone to know who was calling me. Holly was always calling me at this time of night for something or another. One time it was to go break into a water park. I wasn’t going to answer it this time to hear what idea she had up her sleeve tonight. I rolled over and fell back asleep. Not knowing that that phone call might have been the most important phone call of my teenage life. 

I woke up in the morning to my alarm clock playing ‘Last Friday Night’ by my favorite singer Katy Perry. I got up and naturally looked at my phone. It read “one voicemail from Holly Bennett” that was weird. Holly wasn’t the kind of girl who left messages. You either pick up, or you miss her. I opened the voice mail and listened. At first there was only heavy breathing. I smirked, she’s probably pulling a prank. Then,

“Marilyn!” it was Holly’s voice, but it sounded frightened, and urgent.

“Marilyn! Please, please pick up! I’m in trouble! Someone’s been following me! I can’t tell you anymore right now. Oh Marilyn this is all my fault! It’s the crash, it’s all about the crash. Meet me at school tomorrow. And Marilyn watch out for -” then the beep came and the voice mail ended.  What the hell? Watch out for what? I texted Holly and asked her about the wack message she left, but she didn’t respond. I listened to the voice mail over and over as I got ready for my last day of school. 

Holly and I had already planned out what we were going to wear for the last day of school. She was going to wear a black and white striped crop top that showed her belly button ring and high waisted  shorts. I was going to be wearing my neon pink Hollister tank and white shorts. After I smoothed my blonde hair into my sequence headband, I rushed out the door into my white Aston Martin Rapide. 

Camden high school wasn't a very big school, but then again, the town Camden Florida wasn't a very big town. But even with its lack of numbers, common high school rules still apply. Everyone stayed to there own clique. Occasionally some nobody might become the "IT" person that everyone wanted to talk to, but for the most part straying out of your groups was not common. As for Holly and I, the status quo was you either really loved us, or really hated us.

While on the drive to school I kept on playing Holly’s message over and over in my head. “ it’s the crash, it’s all about the crash.” the car crash, the one Holly and I were in. the one that killed Jessica Lewis.

~~~~

“Holly turn it up, I like this song.” I said as the music blared ‘Gas Pedal’. We were driving around Camden with nothing to do. The parties were boring , the people were lame. As we were stopped at the red light a car pulled up next to us and rolled down it's window.

“ Hey, wanna race?” it was Jessica Lewis,  in her new bright green Camaro. She revved her engine, and grinned at us.  

“ God she’s such a freak.” Holly laughed, whispering under her breath. Holly had always thought Jessica was wierd. I mean, she was. There wasn't really any nice way to say it. Her blond bangs were cut a little too high on her forhead, and her eyes were like large round orbs. She talked in a fast keening voice. There was just someting slightly off about her, and because of this she was labeled the wierdo in school.