The Topaz Challenge: Hottie on Campus

Anonymous newspaper

On a typical Saturday, Ellie Rosing can be found at the Jeebies Cafe, at the local mall, where she meets Isabela, and they spend the rest of the day window shopping, and getting pampered at the salon. But today is not a typical saturday. Ellie cancelled her day with Isabela, who was very devastated since her life revolves around Ellie, but Isabela has more important plans. Plans that involve bleach....and hair. Just like Ellie, Tabea also has her typical saturday plans; hanging out at the park with her crew. And luckily, Ellie also knows Tabeas plans, so, Ellie arranged her not typical saturday around Tabeas typical saturday. At exactly 12:00 pm, Ellie departs her house, a bottle of bleach tucked away in her gold, Givenchy tote bag. She walks down the street, takes a few turns, and lands at the Sanger's doorstep. Ellie knocks on the door, and a lady in grey overalls, and frizzy hair opens the door. 

" May I help?" She asks confusingly, staring at Ellie. She's probably used to all of Tabea's hip hop friends who wear baggy shirts with slang, and cargo pants. 

Ellie plasters on her most artificial smile, and says in her honey covered, sickly sweet voice she uses on adults, 

" Hello. My name is Ellie. I am Tabea's friend. She asked me to drop off her biology book, I borrowed it." 

" Oh well, I can just give it to her when she gets back from the candy store with her sisters." 

Ellie's smile drops and shatters to a million pieces. WHAT!? Tabea is supposed to be living her typical Saturday, and in her typical saturday, she goes to the park for the whole day with her crew. That was going to give Ellie plenty of time to snoop around Tabea's room, and plant her little plan. She'll just have to improvise. 

"Oh," Ellie says, putting on her smile again, " Well, it'll only take me two minutes and I have to pick up my...." Ms. Sanger never hears the end of the sentence, because Ellie pushes past her and runs up the stairs to Tabea's room. She's never been to Tabea's house but she's taking a guess that Tabea's room is on the 2nd floor. 

" 2nd room," Ms. Sanger calls out, shuffling back to the kitchen to finish her risotto. 

" Thanks. I'll just be a minute," Ellie calls back in her honey sweet voice. 

Obviously this is her room, the walls are covered with posters of famous rappers and street dancers, Ellie thinks. As Ellie makes her way to the other end of the room, she stops dead in her tracks. Not only her feet, but her mind stops dead in her tracks. Her body stops dead in her track. Her eyes must be playing tricks on her, Ellie thinks. She can't believe what she is seeing on the shelf in front of her; 3 head mannequins, with 3 silky straight, blonde, bum length wigs placed on them. There is a banging downstairs, footsteps coming closer, and then a loud gasp behind her. 

Ellie turns around to find a half embarrassed, and half angry Tabea. They just stare at each other for a few seconds, then Tabea finally speaks, 

" What are you doing here?" 

" I was....I was...I don't know," Ellie mutters. 

Tabea plops down on the bed, and sighs, 

" Well, now you know my secret." 

" I won't tell anyone," Ellie says quietly. 

Tabea raises her eyebrows in doubt. 

" Promise," Ellie grumbles. 

" Really? And how trustworthy are your promises?" Tabea challenges, squinting her eyes. 

" very," Ellie says. 

" If your promises are very trustworthy, then you can promise to tell me why you were in my room?" Tabea asks. 

" I was going to switch your shampoo with bleach," Ellie admits, feeling ashamed. 

" What!?" Tabea shrieks. 

" I'm sorry okay?," Ellie apologises. 

" Whatever," Tabea shrugs. 

" But...why do you wear a wig?" Ellie asks cautiously. 

" Bullies in my old school shaved off my hair, and the doctor said it could not grow back," Tabea says slowly and quietly. 

" I'm sorry," Ellie says, after a short pause. 

" I need to show you something," Tabea says seriously, changing the subject. 

Ellie nods, and Tabea pulls out a newspaper article. 

" I woke up this morning, and It was stuck to my window," Tabea says, handing the article to Ellie. 

" Girl found dead in Redwood ranch," Ellie reads out the headline, and then stares at Tabea. 

" Read it," Tabea urges. 

Ellie skims through the article in her head, but reads out what shocks her, 

" Cara Waltzer, aged 16, was found dead on Sunday morning, at the Redwood Ranch. Reports prove she was strangled to death...." 

" Who left this on your window?" Ellie asks shakily. 

" I don't know," Tabea answers hopelessly. 

" This was written one month ago on July 14th. A few weeks before school started," Ellie notices. 

There is a moment of silence, then suddenly Ellie shrieks, 

" Oh my god!" 

" What? What is it!" Tabea inquires. 

" It was July, when I cam back from Tunisia, and...and...I was at the frozen yoghurt place downtown, and they were there. Cara and Aria. They were fighting, loudly and a lot. But, but, Aria had curly, frizzy black hair and was chubby," Ellie remembers. 

" Did you hear anything they said? Words? Phrases?"   Tabea questions Ella. 

" I heard Aria say something like, ' I'll tell them....did to help Alana....' and then....oh god....and then, right before she left, she threatened Cara, 'I'd say watch your back, but I'm more of a neck person.' "

"Watch your neck. Cara was strangled. You know what this means, right?" Tabea says slowly. 

" Yes," Ellie says nervously. 

" Aria murdered Cara in order to be part of the topaz crew," Tabea justifies everything. 

" So, what do we do? Do we tell Alana? Do we tell the girls? We can't-" Ellie gets interrupted by Tabea, 

" Stop! Stop! No, we don't tell anyone." 

" What do you mean we don't tell anyone?," Ella asks in shock. 

" We don't have any proof. We can't prove anything," Tabea shouts. 

" Tabea! There is a murderer on the loose! We have to at least tell the girls," Ella yells. 

Tabea sighs, 

" Fine. But just the girls." 

" I'll call them," Ella offers. 

Tabea nods.