Before I tell you my story, you should know a few things. I am not a nice person. I am not a good person. I am, in fact, a very bad person. If you were to ask my best friend, Sarah, she'd tell you that I'm a little bit crazy. She'd say that I always have been, and that it's part of my charm. What she doesn't realize is that she's the only one who sees the real me, and even she has no idea just how deep my darkness goes.
You see, from the outside, I'm the poster child for a perfect life. I'm pretty and popular and well-liked by all. I'm tiny and petite with long hair the color of honey. I live in a quaint, picturesque town where everyone knows everyone else's business. It's the kind of place where relationships are everything and secrets are currency and I have the biggest secret of all. My obsession with James Reed began innocently enough. He moved to our town two years ago, and from the moment I saw him, I knew he was meant to be mine. Tall, dark-haired, with piercing blue eyes that seemed to look right through you—James was perfect. He was also completely oblivious to my existence.
I first met Sarah Jennings in kindergarten. We've been inseparable ever since. She's the only person who knows me inside out—or at least she thinks she does.
Sarah is sweet and kind, always seeing the best in people. She has no idea what I'm capable of. "Emily, are you even listening?" Sarah's voice snapped me back to reality. We were sitting at our favorite café, a cozy little spot with mismatched furniture and the best coffee in town. "Sorry, what were you saying?" I asked, forcing a
smile. "I was talking about James," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're always zoning out when he comes up."I laughed it off. "Can you blame me? He's gorgeous."
Sarah shook her head. "You're hopeless." If only she knew how far my hopelessness went.
Later that evening, I found myself standing outside James's house. I had been there many times before, always under the cover of darkness. Tonight was different,
tonight, I had a plan. I watched as he moved around inside, completely unaware of my presence. My heart raced as I imagined what it would be like to be inside with him, to have him all to myself. Suddenly, the front door opened, and James stepped out onto the porch. I ducked behind a bush, holding my breath. "Who's there?" he called out, his voice strong and commanding. I stayed perfectly still, praying he wouldn't see me. After what felt like an eternity, he went back inside and closed the door behind him. I let out a sigh of relief and quickly made my way back home.
The next day at school, I couldn't focus on anything but James. Every time I saw him in the hallway or caught a glimpse of him in class, my heart skipped a beat."Emily!" Sarah's voice broke through my thoughts once again. "Are you okay? You've been acting really weird lately." "I'm fine," I lied. "Just tired."She didn't look convinced but didn't press further. That evening, as I sat in my room, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. I knew I had to do something drastic if I wanted James to notice me. The opportunity came sooner than expected. A few days later, I overheard James talking to his friends about a party he was going to that weekend. It was being held at Mark Thompson's house—a secluded place on the outskirts of town. Perfect.
The night of the party, I dressed carefully, choosing an outfit that would make me stand out without being too obvious. As soon as I arrived at Mark's house, I scanned the crowd for James. There he was, standing by the pool with a drink in his hand and a group of friends around him. My heart pounded as I made my way over to him."Hey, James," I said casually as if we were old friends. He looked at me in surprise. "Hey... Emily, right?" "That's right," I replied with a smile. "Mind if I join you?" "Sure," he said, gesturing for me to sit down next to him. We talked for what felt like hours—about school, music, movies—anything and everything. For the first time since he moved here, it felt like we were connecting on a deeper level.
