Transformation

Sneaky Leads

Emily's POV

It had been three weeks since Jake turned up at school, and he had been suspended. A week after the incident at school, I had been requested to give a statment to the police about what happened. Matthew had been desperate to go back and put him in his place that day, but he took care of me instead. His kindness made my heart ache.

There was still no word of Amy, and I nolonger asked after her every morning. Matthew and I had become closer than ever, if possible, and I felt my heart flutter every time our eyes met. I spent half my life blushing these days. I was practically over what happened now, although I still got the occasional nightmare. Matthew had freaked when I woke at his house one evening, screaming. I'd told him about them then. The only thing that had changed since before the whole thing, was that I still wore make-up, and 'baggy' clothes, as Matthew called them.

Three Fridays after Jake appeared, I was walking between art and chemistry. Aaron and his posse were standing in the middle of the corridor I usually took, so I walked outside, and round the long way. Hardly anybody ever came down here, so I was surprised when I saw a group of boys hanging out there.

Suddenly, I froze, and hid behind the corner of the wall. Why? Because they were talking about Amy, and they didn't sound like they were speculating. They knew. I strained to hear their conversation, and I edged slightly closer, cupping my ear a little.

"...that freaky asylum," rumbled a deep voice that I didn't recognise.

"Well nobody's guessed right yet," said another voice.

"Only a matter of time until they search for her dead body rather than her live one isn't it? They'll never suspect we have her in that place," snorted the first one.

"Oh pu-lease. Can we focus on the matter at hand?" asked a female voice that I recognised.

Veronica.

"She's right. How exactly can we use her to get the blond now?" asked a third voice, and another one that I recognised.

Jake.

I felt a horrible, creeping sensation all over my skin. Every hair on my body stood on end, and a shiver ran down my spine. Jake and Veronica. Who were the other two? They sounded older, like young adults as oppose to older teenagers. They certainly shouldn't be on school property. So Amy was being used as a hostage? That was what they seemed to be talking about. And who the hell was 'the blond'?

"We leave a note telling her where Amy is, then lay a trap," said the first voice.

"Ok, you two can't do it, because somebody might recognise your handwriting," said the second voice.

"We should do it as a collage. Letters cut from a magazine or something, then nobody will now who sent it. Then Jake can have his fun with her," Veronica said.

I had to give it to her, Veronica was cleverer than she let off most of the time. I heard them walk off, so I slipped out from behind my hiding place, and practically ran to chemistry.

***

Matthew had frozen when I told him what I had heard and stared at me. I shook his arm, but he didn't move. I looked to Luke, who was also staring at me, frozen. The entire table had gone quiet, and all eyes were on me. Not in the attentive way they'd been when I was telling the story, but in a slightly freaky way.

"Matthew? What?" I asked.

Wordlessly, Matthew ran a lock of my hair through his fingers. I caught his hand and put in back in his lap, my heart thudding at the skin on skin contact. I demanded a response from him again, but he seemed unable to speak. It was Luke who answered me.