Jack O' Diamonds

chapter one

"Have you heard? It's happened again!"

I close my locker with a slam, and glance towards my best friend. She's already eavesdropping on the conversation happening just two lockers down from us, and I nudge her side in an attempt to get her attention.

Her green eyes meet mine, and they crinkle in annoyance.

"Did you hear that?" She whispered, and I packed my books into my bag with a curt sigh.

"Alyssa, we're both standing next to them. I can hear the same thing you can."

Flicking her dark hair over her shoulder, she adjusted her bag on her right shoulder, flashing her pink nails. Alyssa was a very pretty girl. Short, and full of an attitude, but that's what I liked about her. She had a round, full face, and she made a point of reapplying her pink lip gloss as she turned away from the conversation she'd been not-so-subtly listening into.

She pressed her side up against the locker.

"So?" She sassed, quirking a brow. "Did you hear then?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Alyssa. I did."

She stared up at me. "That serial killer's struck again."

Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I began to make my way to our next lesson. Alyssa followed by my side, still squinting up at me as she waited for my response.

"I know, Alyssa. Again, we heard the same thing."

"The press have gone and nicknamed him Jack'O Diamonds from what I saw."

I let out a curt scoff.

"Jack'O Diamonds?" I repeated, testing the name on my tongue. I couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of it. "Isn't that from a film?"

Alyssa let out a loud scoff. "That's not the point."

She wrapped her hands around my arm, keeping close as we entered a busy hallway. Students were filing to and from classes, this particular block being the busiest of them. We, unfortunately, had to attend most of our sixth form lessons down here.

At Broadstone High, there was also the Broadstone Sixth Form.

Meaning, we had to endure high school kids once more.

"The point is, this is like, historical," she grinned, diggging into her pocket and pulling out a pot of gum. "This is going to be the most interesting thing that's ever going to happen to us!"

I throw her a concerned look.

"What about falling in love? Getting married?" I counter, unimpressed. "Is that not interesting?"

Alyssa waved a hand.

"No, Benny, you don't get it," she sighed.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes again.

"Sure."

"Yeah, sure," she repeated, and wordlessly held out the pot. I took a piece, and tossed it in my mouth like clockwork. "We're living through the age of a serial killer. One they haven't even caught yet. He's been given a name and everything. You gotta admit, it's pretty cool, right?"