#YouPayForWhatYouPost

Chapter 1

Tess Lincoln sighed and checked her watch for the tenth time. Her best friend, Lori Tyler, was late. Again. Today was not the day to be late. Their high school was holding a candlelit vigil for Miranda Moore. Miranda had been Tess and Lori's best friend since they met in first grade. Miranda had gone missing four months ago and there were still no clues as to what happened to her.

Opening her locker, Tess looked at the picture of the three of them taken by the pool last summer. Miranda was a beautiful girl, all that blonde hair, blue eyes, and a smile that hinted at mischief. Tess herself had long, dark brown hair and the chocolate colored eyes. Her skin was more of a darker shade, taking after her grandparent's Greek heritage. Lori was a complete contrast to them both. All that fiery wild curly red hair surrounded her face and almost hid her bright green eyes. She always looked like she had a secret and her laughing green eyes hinted at the devilment she was about to cause.

Looking at the three of them standing there, laughing and smiling for the camera, caught Tess off guard. She missed Miranda. The three of them had been thick as thieves growing up, each a permanent fixture in the other's homes. They'd shared everything growing up, survived puberty and their first heartbreaks together. She would never forget Miranda marching up to Aaron after he broke up with Tess for Dana and lighting into him in front of the entire school. She'd told him off but good. It still made her laugh just thinking about his shocked and mortified expression.

Miranda had been her very best friend, more so than even Lori, and sometimes, she wondered what might have happened if she'd just not answered her text. Miranda might still be here, laughing and getting ready for college next fall. They'd all been accepted into the same school and had planned on sharing a dorm room. Tess shook her head sadly. Miranda was gone. None of that mattered now because she wasn't coming back.

Lori was half an hour late. She should just go on out onto the football field and let Lori find her. The service would be starting soon and she didn't want to miss it. She closed her locker and sighed. Lori was being a pain these days. Making up her mind, she started toward the end of the hall where the exit door was. Lori could find her or not. Tess wasn't going to be late for Miranda's service.

The school was pretty much empty by the time Tess started out. Everyone else had wandered outside a good fifteen minutes ago. They'd opened the school on the first floor so they could use the cafeteria. Their small West Virginia mining town was big on get togethers being hosted by the mountain of food everyone brought.

Empty hallways had always creeped Tess out, especially at school. It was because of the movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street. Tess's mom had forbidden her to watch scary movies, but Miranda had somehow gotten her hands on a copy of it and they'd all snuck and watched it one night. It had scared the bejesus out of Tess. The part where Nancy had ran from Freddy in the school...Tess shuddered just thinking about it. Since then, she'd been almost terrified of empty school hallways.

Today was no different either, maybe a little worse. Considering she was going to a memorial for Miranda, yeah, it was more than just a little worse. For some reason it seemed darker in here today, shadows jumping out at her everywhere as she walked down the hall. A creak sounded to her left and she glanced back, but all she saw was the empty hallway. None of the doors on the first floor were open. It had to be her nerves. She'd been dreading the day when the school would finally give up and hold a sort of memorial for Miranda, even if it was just a candlelit vigil at dusk.

She started out again, her thoughts on Miranda and their last day together. Tess couldn't say she regretted her decisions, but sometimes in the middle of the night when no one but the shadows kept her company, she was afraid. If only she hadn't answered the text...well, nothing to be done now. All she could do was mourn her friend and move on with her life. It was what she'd wanted, what she'd planned, but days like today made it hard for her to do that.