Mirror Mirror on the Wall Whose the Killer After all?

Chapter seven

After I pull myself together, I grab a rag and run over to the window.
I wipe the handprint over and over again, trying to get all of the sauce off the handprints.

Once I get the window cleaned up I pick up the shrimp.
I throw each one in the trash can and realize that I now need to make a new dish.
I go to the refrigerator and look to see what I can make.
I find crab meat so I decide to assemble crab cakes.

As I put the crab cakes in the oven I realize I still have to get ready and I only have 30 minutes.

I head up the stairs and go into my room.
I try and think of what I should wear when my mom walks in the doorway.

"Rachel, have you seen my my black heels?" She asks me.
"No. But I'll check my closet." I say as I walk to my walk in closet.
I look around but don't see them so I turn around and walk out of my closet.
"I didn't see them mom. Sorry."
She huffs and tells me it's fine and walks out.
I go back to my closet to figure out what I'm going to wear.
As I am finishing getting ready, the door bell rings.
I don't hear my mom heading to the door so I leave my room and go down the steps.
I open the door and am in shock at what I see.

It's Nick.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Nice to see you too." He chuckles.
"Oh um sorry. Hi." I say. "Really though, why are you here?" I ask.
"Your mom invited everyone at the station and I don't have anything better to do so I came." He admits.
"Oh well come on in." I say as I open the door wider as he steps in.

I notice him looking around when he says:
"You have a nice house."
"Thank you." I say.
"Your welcome."

Now that introductions are out of the way I don't know what to say, but I'm saved by the doorbell.
"Excuse me." I say as I open the door to greet the guests.
I continue to do this for the next 15 minutes.
Finally things start to slow down, so I head into the kitchen when I remember... I felt the crab cakes in the oven.
I run over, grab a oven mit, go to the oven and open the door, ready to take them out when I see there is nothing in there.
So I turn around to see where they could have gone when I see them on the counter and Nick is handing them to everyone.
I go over to him and tap his shoulder.
He turns around and smiles.
"Hey." He says.
"Hey. You know you don't have to hand out the food." I say.
"I know." He says. "But I smelled something so I looked in the oven. You know, I saved your crab cakes." He says smugly.
"Thank you." I say as I grab the tray out of his hands and set it down. "Why don't you go party." I say.
"I will. I was just waiting for you." He says.
"Oh." I say as I blush. "Well what are we waiting for. Come on." I say as I start to dance.
"I'm a horrible dancer." Nick admits.
"Yea so am I. Come on." I say.
"Okay. Fine." He says as he attempts to dance and I burst out laughing.
"What? I'm dancing aren't I?" He says.
"Yea you are its just really funny!" I laugh until I realize how rude I'm being.
"I'm sorry." I say, hoping he's not angry. "Why don't we do something else."
"Like what?" He asks.
"I don't know." I say. "What about we go out on the porch and look at the stars? Would that be okay?" I ask.
"Yea. That would be great." He says so I lead him to the porch.
Once we get outside, we find 2 chairs and take a seat.
"So how do you like your job?" I ask, trying to start conversation.
"It's all right I guess." He says.
"Oh. Okay."
"So tell me about yourself." He says.
"Um okay. I live with my mom. I have lived in this house my whole life. Um-." I start to say but he cuts me off.
"I want to hear about the things that make you different." He says.
"What do you mean?" I say.
"Rachel, you are so different the anyone I've ever met. I want to know more. I need to know more."
"Okay." I say and I say anything and everything...except about Carly.
I don't know how long we were out there for until I open my eyes.
I'm in my room.
On my bed.

I turn over and I see a note on my bedside table.
I think it's from my "messenger" until I see Nick's name and his number with a note.
If you need anything

I grab my phone and program his number into it.
I put the note back on the table and decide to get something to eat.
I walk downstairs and spot my mom.

"Hey mom."
"Hey sweetie. Did you have fun last night?" She asks.
"Yea I did." I say, thinking back to talking with Nick.
"Good."
"Mom?" I say.
"Yea?"
"Do you know how I ended up in my bed last night. I only remember being on the porch." I ask.
"Oh. There was this boy. I recognized him from the station. He carried you up to your room. Then he helped clean up and left. He seemed like a very kind young man."
"Yea he is." I say.
"Oh. Do you know him?" She asks.
"Mom, he's just a friend." I say.
"Oh okay." She says with a smile.
"Seriously mom." I say, hoping she will drop it.
"Okay. Anyways I have to stay late at the station. A lot of people are off for the holiday. So I have to stay later then usual." She says.
"Okay."
"Will you be okay for dinner?" She asks.
"Yea I'll be fine. Do you want me to make something for you?"
"No that's okay. I can manage." She says. "Well I have to get going. I will see you later." She tells me.
"Okay. Bye mom." I say as she heads out the door.

I decide to catch up on school work so I grab my textbooks and head on to the porch.
As I am flipping through my reading assignment, my phone buzzes.
It's from an unknown number.

Don't you hate it when something you hid very well is found by someone else?
Oh my gosh........no no no.
I run inside and go to the compartment under the stairs.
I open it and feel a tear slip down my cheek.

The recording is gone.