Knife in my Heart (Purple Devil Series book #1) #Wattys2016

Chapter 26

     It's been about a week the last time that I was in school. Nothing has changed. Same cliques with the same people in them, same teachers sitting in the teacher's lounge drinking coffee and gossiping about students, same lockers being opened and slammed shut filled with books. I walk down the same hallway to my same locker with the same combination. Something that's  different,  is that Eli is waiting for me. Usually I wait at his. 

"I didn't think you were gonna show up." His smile spreading through his whole face. 

"Yeah I figured since it's Friday that I can take my time on the homework and stuff. Get caught up." I open my locker to find a note taped to the door. I rip it off and tear it open. 

"'Welcome back' is written in a very intricate design on the top. I skim down to the message that is written in purple ink, in block letter. 

"Thought I would be the first to welcome you back. Seems like things are back to normal." On the very bottom is a picture of me sitting in the warehouse. I'm sitting in that wooden chair with my hands tied behind my back, and I'm still unconscious. "Purple Devil took this when I was at the warehouse. Look." I hand the note to Eli and he stuffs it in his backpack. 

"We're not doing this here." He says so quiet that I had to lean in for me to hear him over all the noise of people greeting each other before homeroom. 

"Fine. Don't throw it away. It's evidence. See you in history." I squeeze his arm and head down to the same hallway to my same homeroom. It's true that I'm back and nothing has changed, but then again, everything is different. 

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    "Class please leave your worksheets on my desk when you leave." Everybody nods in agreement and Mrs. Gerald leaves the room. Emily, sitting behind me leans forward and I can feel her long, shallow breaths lingering on my neck. The little hairs stand straight up when she whispers softly. 

"Where do you think she's going?" I shrug my shoulders and keep focused on my spanish exercises. I usually don't mind spanish class. But ever since the new developments, I dread sitting in front of Emily. I can just feel her beady eyes making daggers go through my neck. As if the gods were listening, the bell rings. I pack my things in a hurry and leave my sheets on the desk before walking out the door. Before I could warp into the sea of people, Emily catches up and before I can even blink, we're walking side-by-side. "So, what are your plans for the day?" Her loose red curls bouncing with every step.  I re-grip my backpack on my shoulder trying to come up with something that way she won't ask to do anything. 

"Um, I, uh have a date." I pipe up. Did that really just say that? Emily's eyes grow wide in disbelief. 

"OH MY GOD, who?" We stop walking and she leans against the soda machine. "You have to tell me who it is or I swear I will hurt you." At first I thought she was kidding, but her eyes studying my face like she's looking for an excuse to hurt me for real. 

"It's Eli." I say blankly. Her disbelief, happy face is now replace with cold, and nothing. 

"Oh. Why him?" 

"Because I've liked him forever and he feels the same way so why not." Trying my best to sound like her comment didn't touch my and we are still best friends like we were in grade school. 

"Well, if you like him then that's what matters I guess. Hey I have to run, but we'll totally hang soon. Bye." And she's gone. It's like the wind took her with no trace. Wish I had that ability. I narrow my eyes and head toward my locker. 

Putting my books away, I see Liv and Mackenzie walking their way over. "We saw you talking to Em, what'd she say? Was it full of lies? Did she threaten you? Is she going to return those shoes that she wore to the dance last month because those are actually mine." I don't even hear Mackenzie's thousand questions. All I can think about is that she has been playing this game for a while now, and between then and now, we have told her a lot of secrets. Good, bad, ugly. Really ugly actually.