RUN!

38. Just a Game

Song: Dark but just a game by LDR

*Lee Min-ho*

Reyna keeps biting her nails like they're supposed to be edible. If I wasn't so busy at it is I'd probably had called her out on it long ago.

Nick crosses another name on her long list of boys that either liked Avery, spoke to her as often as she allowed and those that had an unhealthy desire to bang her.

"Only 5 guys left," I state the obvious. Our criteria is quite unclear but we're striking out anyone who had never gone to Pops, who didn't regularly attend Landon's parties and anyone who wasn't on Avery's chat list. Also we have a physique in mind. Any short kiddo was out.

"You know this could be so wrong. We may have striked out the actual kidnapper," Reyna says. Her voice is high pitched and I'm starting to think that maybe she had too much cups of coffee.

"Thinking like that won't get you anywhere Rey," Nick scolds her. I send her a nasty glare and turn back to the paper.

"What are the cops doing about the case? Like where exactly are they, do they have suspects? Items? Do they even have an idea of what may have happened to Avery?" She goes on. Nick drops the pen and it's clear we're taking a break to calm our feline friend. I stand up to grab another bottle of lemonade from the freezer. We were all supposed to meet here at my house after school but Adonis went to that red house. He should be back though, he left when school was still on.

"What do you think happened to Avery?" Nick asks Reyna directly.

"I think she was sexually harassed, raped and kidnapped in that order," she replies immediately.

"Reyna!" I cry out. "That's horrible why would you think that?"

"What do you mean why? Didn't you read the diary entry. Avery was a different person after that day. And I kept thinking about the timeline right? She was okay last year...she first mentioned a new guy around September but it was nothing serious and she was fine. She was really fine. Then she blocked him sometime before the end of the year. This entire shit started this year and her attitude slowly became more withdrawn. Signs of abuse."

"You never got a name?" Nick speaks first, not bothering to hide how incredulous it sounded.

"Gosh, I don't remember! Everyday there was at least one boy who texted Avery, it's hard to keep up."

"That first diary entry is still a mystery," I remind them.

"Which one?"

"The one we showed you when we first met," I look at Reyna.

"That never happened. I'm certain of it," she says firmly. I grab my bottle and settle back in my seat. Somewhere upstairs my sisters are busy watching YouTube videos about K-pop idols they'll never meet.

"Are you saying she made that up?" I raise a brow. Nick runs a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Where did you find the diary?" he asks me.

"In her locker at school."

"If she kept it there then it's possible it may have been tampered with," he presumes.