one of us is lying

episode 7 : revelations and red herrings

**Location: Ava's House – Evening****Time: 7:00 PM**---**Ava (🌟):** (Sitting at her desk, surrounded by notes and pictures from that night at the lake. She's trying to piece together the puzzle, but the more she thinks, the more confused she becomes. Her phone buzzes, and she glances at it nervously, half-expecting another message.)**Message on Ava's Phone:** "You're getting closer, Ava. But the truth isn't what you think."**Ava (🌟):** (Eyes narrowing, she quickly grabs her phone and texts the group.)**Group Chat: "The Secrets We Keep"**- **Ava (🌟):** "Just got another message. They're watching us. Meeting tomorrow is more important than ever."- **Liam (🔥):** "Great. Just when I thought I could sleep tonight."- **Sophia (💎):** "We'll figure it out, Ava. Don't worry."- **Mason (🎯):** "Stay alert, everyone. If they're watching, we can't afford to slip up."---**Location: School Hallway – The Next Morning****Time: 8:15 AM**---**Ella (🌙):** (Walking up to Ava, looking nervous) Ava, can we talk for a minute?**Ava (🌟):** (Nods, leading her to a quieter corner) What's up, Ella?**Ella (🌙):** (Hesitant) I've been thinking... what if the person behind this isn't someone from outside? What if it's one of us?**Ava (🌟):** (Surprised) You think someone in our group is doing this? Why would they?**Ella (🌙):** (Fidgeting) I don't know, but it's just a feeling I can't shake. Everyone's acting so strange lately, like they're hiding something. Even Mason's been different since that night.**Ava (🌟):** (Thoughtful) I've noticed it too. But if one of us is behind this, what do they stand to gain? It doesn't make sense.**Ella (🌙):** (Whispers) Maybe they're trying to protect themselves. Or maybe... they want to control the situation.**Ava (🌟):** (Determined) We need to keep our eyes open, but we can't jump to conclusions. Let's focus on the lake incident and see where it leads us. We'll meet up later and go over everything.**Ella (🌙):** (Nods) Okay. Just... be careful, Ava.---**Location: The Library – During Lunch****Time: 12:30 PM**---**Mason (🎯), Liam (🔥), and Sophia (💎)** are sitting at a secluded table in the back of the library. They're flipping through old yearbooks and making notes.**Liam (🔥):** (Grumbling) This is pointless. Half these people aren't even around anymore.**Mason (🎯):** (Calmly) We need to be thorough. We can't afford to miss anything.**Sophia (💎):** (Looking up from her book) What if we're focusing on the wrong thing? What if this has nothing to do with the lake, and we're just wasting time?**Mason (🎯):** (Sighs) Then we start over. But for now, it's the best lead we've got.**Liam (🔥):** (Frustrated) I just don't get why someone would go through all this trouble. If they wanted to expose us, why not just do it?**Sophia (💎):** (Quietly) Maybe it's not about exposing us. Maybe it's about making us suffer.**Mason (🎯):** (Pauses) That's a dark thought, Sophia. But you might be right. This feels more personal, like someone's trying to break us down, bit by bit.**Liam (🔥):** (Closes the yearbook, rubbing his temples) So what do we do? Keep playing their game, hoping to figure it out before they do something worse?**Sophia (💎):** (Firmly) No. We turn the tables. We start looking into the people we've wronged, anyone who might hold a grudge. We find out who's been in our shadows all this time.**Mason (🎯):** (Nods) Agreed. But we have to be careful. If they realize we're onto them, they might escalate.**Liam (🔥):** (Sighs) Fine. But we better find something soon. I'm tired of being a pawn in someone else's game.---**Location: The Park – After School****Time: 4:00 PM**---**The group gathers again, this time more serious and focused than before. They each hold a list of names, suspects they've compiled from the lake incident and other possible connections.****Ava (🌟):** (Starting the meeting) Alright, let's lay it all out. Who's on your lists?**Mason (🎯):** (Holding up his list) A few old classmates who were at the lake, plus a couple of people who've had it out for us in the past.**Sophia (💎):** (Adding her list) Same here. A few names from the lake, but also some people we might've overlooked. People we didn't think twice about.**Ella (🌙):** (Nervously) I've got a couple of names too, but... I'm not sure if they're really suspects. It's just a hunch.**Liam (🔥):** (Leaning back, crossing his arms) We've got our work cut out for us. But the more we dig, the more we risk tipping them off.**Ava (🌟):** (Resolutely) Then we have to be smart about it. We need to approach this carefully, without making them suspicious. We should split up, each take a name or two, and start digging discreetly.**Mason (🎯):** (Nods) I'll take the classmates from the lake. I know where to start looking.**Sophia (💎):** (Decisively) I'll handle the people we overlooked. Maybe there's something we missed.**Ella (🌙):** (Hesitant) I'll look into the hunches. It's not much, but it's worth checking out.**Liam (🔥):** (Sighs) And I'll take the ones with grudges. Let's hope we find something solid.**Ava (🌟):** (Encouraging) We'll meet back here tomorrow after school. If anyone finds anything, no matter how small, we need to share it.---**Location: School Grounds – Dusk****Time: 6:30 PM**---**As the sun sets, casting long shadows over the school, Ava walks home alone, her mind racing. She's deep in thought when she hears a rustling behind her. She stops, turning around, but sees nothing.****Ava (🌟):** (Nervously) Hello? Is someone there?(Silence. Ava shakes her head, trying to convince herself it's just her imagination. She starts walking again, but the feeling of being watched lingers.)**Ava (🌟):** (Whispering to herself) Get a grip, Ava. Don't let them get inside your head.(She picks up her pace, determined to get home quickly. But as she turns the corner, she spots something on the ground—a small, folded piece of paper. She hesitates, then picks it up, unfolding it cautiously.)**Note:** "You're closer than you think, but so far from the truth. Keep searching, and you'll find your answer... if you survive long enough."**Ava (🌟):** (Shocked, she crumples the note in her hand, her heart pounding) This is getting too real...--- Ava's clenched fist, the note barely visible as she hurries home, looking over her shoulder with every step. ***End of Episode 7***To be continued...*