𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫? - 𝐓𝐌𝐑 𝐀𝐔, 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐨

017 - help me

Who was forcing her?

The question repeats in my head as I carry Teresa to the volleyball court.

"Oh my gosh!" Mr Vince rushes over, seeing Teresa's state. "What happened?"

I nod towards her neck, letting him see for himself. There are red marks, showing the hands that choked her.

I pass her body over and immediately turn around, going back to my cabin; I'm about to throw up, and I don't want to see her like that.

Walking back, I spot Braedyn, and I can tell where he's going.

I slowly walk behind him, pushing past branches. And then we get to the lake.

I stop, watching him sit down on the edge, breathing heavily.

"Hey," I whisper, causing him to jump a little as I lower myself next to him.

"Hi," he responds, voice quiet, and close to breaking. "I got told we're having another bonfire tonight. You gonna come?"

I think for a moment. I don't want to be alone.

"Sure," I answer. "Are you?"

He nods. "Yeah, and I'm going to confess to Newt. Hopefully he feels the same."

At that, my head perks up. "Really?"

"And I might kiss him," Braedyn continues. "If I feel bold."

"You should," I encourage. "You two will be so cute together."

He smiles, his cheeks catching a blush. "Thank you."

"I'm also pretty sure he likes you back," I say, shrugging with one arm.

"I wish." Braedyn chuckles. "But no matter what, I'm still going to confess. I don't care if he rejects me."

I raise an eyebrow at him, my lips a grin.

Reading my face, he laughs. "Okay, so maybe I do care."

And I laugh too. After everything that has happened, I'm able to laugh. And It feels good. Great.

"He won't though," I reassure him.

Braedyn nods. "Sure."

Silence creeps in, and Braedyn takes a deep breath.

"Should we head back?" He suggests, beginning to get up anyway. "I want to check on Teresa."

"Yeah, sure." Following his lead, I get up and we start to walk back to camp.

As soon as we get back, I run straight into Astrid.

"Excuse me, Whitley." She points her finger at my chest, causing me to back up. "What the hell happened with Teresa? What did you do?"

I stare at her with confusion. "What? I did nothing."

"I saw what happened," she states. "You choked her."

"I didn't do anything," I protest. "And If you saw, then why didn't you do anything? Don't you care about Tes?"

"I care about her more than you," she snarls. "I've known her way longer, remember? So shut your mouth and leave my friends alone."

"I didn't do anything!" I repeat, now frustrated that she's blaming me when I did nothing wrong. "And she's my friend too."

"You sure?" Astrid questions, cocking her head. "Because she didn't seem to sit with you, did she? I think someone's friend would want to sit with them."

"What's the bet that you were the one choking her, and it's your master plan to make everyone hate me?" I suggest.

"Everyone already hates you," she tells me. "I wouldn't have to do anything."

I groan at her confidence. "You sure? Because I saw hands gripping on her neck, and they looked awfully close to yours."

"How do you know what my hands look like?" She asks, trying to make me look like a creep. "You pervert."

Without control of them, my eyes roll. "Shut up. You're nails, dumbass."

She lifts her hand up, revealing pink nails.

"I saw them," I lie, hoping to sound believable as I lift an eyebrow at her. "Suspicious, don't you think?"

"You know what I think?" She doesn't give me a chance to answer. "I think you're lying for attention. Same as when you took those photos."

"I didn't take those photos!" I yell, hatred entering my voice. "I hate the fact you are making it seem as though I did, when I didn't. Someone else did—most likely you—and they sent the photos around, spreading my body without consent!" I take a deep breath as she looks at me, her eyes wide.

"You sent them to me, so I don't know what you are talking about," she lies, hiding her stunned expression

"Stop lying!" I shout, letting spit fly into her face, but I don't care; I'm fed up. "Stop lying! Stop faking things up about my body!"

"I'm not faking anything," Astrid argues back, though her voice stays mainly low. She pulls out her phone. "Look."

There, on the screen, are the pictures she sent. And fake messages that I'm supposed to believe were me. But that never happened. I never sent them. She took them. And now she's lying about it.

"You really think I believe that?" I bark a laugh. "I would be stupid to—"

"Guys!" Interrupting our argument, Sonya and Minho rush over.

"Guys," Sonya repeats, stopping in front of me. She catches her breath. "We found something."

My face lights up in hope. "Something good?"

"No." She shakes her head. "Something creepy as hell."

I've already seen enough creepy things.

I nod, glancing at Braedyn before we follow them to where they are going. They lead us to a huge stone.

At first I don't think much of it, and shrug it off as them being overdramatic. I turn to head back.

"Ley, look."

I take a steady breath and examine the stone. There, carved in giant letters, are different initials—W.R. Whitley Reid. B.L. Braedyn Lill. N.D. Newt Dawson. T.H. Teresa Hunter. A.G. Astrid... and whatever her last name is. And lastly, larger than the others, T.G. Tyler Graple.

He's here.