GOOD GIRLS AND SERIAL KILLERS

FOURTEEN

Olivia:

   Everything has been going shit since Max Hastings escaped jail.

   The police isn't even able to find him, and no one knows what he's up to. 

  I don't want to get involved again, but I think I'm already involved somehow.

   Yesterday, Aunt Cara called us terrified, and today I was standing next to my best friend lying down in the hospital bed.

-"Why did she have to do that?" Stella wiped her tears. "Why— Why is this happening?"

-"They're coming for all of us man." Kayan was serious. My brother. Serious.

-"One thing I don't understand is what on earth whoever that is wants to do to Rui by dropping his grades." Aaron pointed at Rui confused.

-"Maybe his goal is to make us kill ourselves. Just like Layla tried." Rui replied.
  
   He looked tired. Like he hadn't slept in days. He didn't look like Rui anymore.

-"We have to be careful guys." Jules straightened up and brushed a few curls out of Layla's face. "We can't know who's the next one."

-"This is Max doing this." I said. "He was the one chasing me and Aaron in the parking lot that day."

-"How far do you think he can go?" Louis asked and locked eyes with me.

-"Very far." I nodded.

ONE WEEK LATER:

-"She woke up!?" I yelled at Aaron through the phone.

-"YES! JUST A WHILE AGO! So get your ass here Liv, right now!" He sounded happy. Finally.

   I said a quick goodbye to mom and dad and got into my car, speeding to the hospital. When I got there, they were all surrounding Layla, and she was looking pale and tired, but she was alive. And that's all that mattered.

-"Layla!" I yelled and wrapped my arms around her tightly.

-"Hey." She hugged me back, and it felt so good to have her by my side again.

   We talked for a while, until silence fell, and Jules asked:

-"Why did you try to kill yourself?"

-"I know..I should have been stronger but I-I don't know. It was stupid." She lowered her head.

-"It was actually." Rui chuckled. "Stupid and reckless."

-"Thanks for the confidence boost." Layla smirked.

-"Statistically speaking." Rui shrugged.

   Nic coughed, and everyone turned their attention on him.

-"Uh guys.." he showed us his phone screen. "I think I'm next."

   I got up and grabbed the phone from his hands as I read the message out loud.

  Unknown:
-You can't come back after being dead for ten years. Might as well fix that... ;)

  Stella clumped her hands over her mouth horrified and Nic took the phone from my hands and started typing.

-"What the hell are you doing man?" Louis looked over his shoulder to the screen.

-"I'm typing out a reply, what does it look like to you?" Nic shot back.

-"Dude don't be absurd give me the phone—" Louis tried to take it away, but Nic had already send a message.

Nic:
-What does that mean?

Unknown:
-You should have stayed dead. I mean.. Barging into everyone's life like that?

-"I told you Max Hastings will go far." I rubbed my hands over my face.

-"But what does he want?" Kayan asked.

-"Revenge from your mom and dad, obviously!" Aaron sighed dramatically. "I feel so smart right now."

-"Oh shut up Aaron." Kayan shot back.

-"Real mature boys. Grown ass men, by the way. Bravo." Jules clapped her hands sarcastically. "You deserve an Oscar for this performance."

  Nic:

A month later:

  Unknown:
-Nic Nic Nic, do you really think that your parents want to have you around after so many years?
-Does your own sister feel comfortable around you?
-You don't belong here Nic.

   There were countless messages, all of them meaning the same thing. That day at work I was distracted as hell.

-"Hello?" Louis waved a hand in front of my face.

-"Oh yeah, sorry, what were you saying?" I run my hand through my hair.

-"I wasn't saying anything—" Louis wrinkled his nose. "I was trying to see if you can still communicate."

-"Fuck off." I threw a small box of medicine at him and he laughed.

-"Thanks." He threw it back at me.

  I sighed and flopped down on the chair.

-"Louis can I ask you something?"

-"Yeah go on." He turned his head towards me.

-"What were you uh... What were you doing while I was..Gone?"

   Louis seemed confused for a moment but then he answered anyway.

-"I mean, I thought you were dead. I didn't have many friends though.. But still I guess I was just accepting the fact that you were gone."

   I nodded. Even though years had passed, it didn't feel like me and Louis were any different from when we were kids. But it still felt off, seeing him after all this time.

Time skip:

   Mom and Dad didn't neglect me. I never noticed that. But as I started to actually pay some attention, they were mostly paying attention on Stella. It was like I didn't exist sometimes, and damn that hurt.

  Unknown:
-Hi Nic.

   I ignored the message but I knew i had to do something.

  I ran to my room and backed my bag. I stopped to stare at a picture of me and Stella when we were young. And then I grabbed it and shoved it into my bag. I got downstairs and drove to the airport.

    When I was on the plane, I looked down. I disappeared again. But this time, i did it because I wanted to.