Twisted

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Gabriella's POV

I jogged into my bedroom, not tired in the least. Yesterday was so much fun! Can't really beat crushing your friends in a race. Haha, just kidding. Anyway, I'm sure McKayla and Alice were, like, sprawled across their beds eating Oreos or something. Well, NOT ME!

I pulled on my shorts and selected a green T-shirt, a shade darker than the color of my eyes. I looked out of my window on the fourth floor of the apartment building. Oh, yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that I'm nineteen, and my sister, Violet, is twenty-three. I, of course, am still smarter than her, despite the age difference. She lives in the apartment above mine.

I've always thought it dangerous to live so high up off the ground. Between you and me, I'm a little afraid of heights. If someone were to ask me about it, I would probably deny it left and right. Well, now there's the truth.

I really don't like heights.

I got a little paranoid as I leaned out of the window, my arms crossed over the window ledge. I looked down at the bustling city streets below me. I gazed at a young couple holding hands, a rather large woman eating an ice cream cone, her other hand wrapped around her son's, and a large number of single people trying to get on with their lives.

I closed the window and flipped my cherry-red hair over my shoulders to put into a ponytail. As I tucked the last few strands in, I couldn't help but resent myself for dying it so many times that the soft, silky texture has been reduced to a feeling that is equivalent of nylon thread.

I grabbed a light jacket (it was freaking crazy weather this November) and headed out of the door- but something white caught my eye. I backed up into my apartment and shut the door, making my way over to what appeared to be an envelope of some sort. I picked it up, and realized that it was more of an off-white, cream color. I turned the envelope over, but didn't find any address of any kind. Wondering what I had to lose, I opened the envelope with no care at all, tearing a bit off in the process. The corner fluttered to the ground. I shrugged and proceeded with reading the letter. The simple stationary bore a cursive "G" and below it, an ominous sentence.

"You have until ten." I read out loud. I knitted my eyebrows together. What the crap? Below that, there lay a row of seemingly random numbers. I shifted my weight back and forth as I looked over the numbers.

13 38 95 24 53 96 75

Okay then. I didn't understand what it meant. Then again, who could? No one, that's who. I chuckled to myself at the unfunny joke. I rolled my eyes and tossed the envelope on the table. I took my water bottle off of the table and got my music. Okay, all set.

I shut the door and nearly skipped down the stairs. I was excited to finally get something done, as I had been cooped up finishing my homework in the dull apartment for over four hours. Stupid algebra.

Once I had reached the bottom of the winding stairs, I found my running playlist and started jogging on the sidewalk, trying not to run into anyone. The sun was shining, and a light breeze was blowing. I decided I didn't need my jacket, and I took it off and tied it around my waist. I looked up at the sky to see that it was a beautiful day. I felt my ponytail swinging back and forth across my neck.

I was startled by crashing into someone. I stopped running immediately. "Sorry!" I said instinctively. "Are you alright?" The guy I had run into gave me a surprisingly warm smile.

"That's alright, no harm done." He was a good deal taller than me, but then again, who wasn't? He had broad shoulders and honey-colored hair that hung down almost to his caramel colored eyes that seemed to sparkled in the light. He was handome enough, but nothing special.