Chapter One
*** One month earlier***
I screamed. I screamed and collapsed on the floor, sobbing. I felt the eyes of so many people on me, waiting for my next move. I shrieked, flailing my arms and legs out, hitting whatever I could.
"How could you do this to me?" I screamed, and fell silent, clutching my chest, eyes squeezed shut.
The whole room erupted into applause, whistling and cheering. I gave myself a little smile. I knew I was the best actress in the entire school, and I wasn't embarrassed to brag about it. I stood up slowly, raising my arms to the crowd. I could almost see the other cast members roll my eyes at my cockiness.
"Thank you, thank you!" I yelled, blowing kisses to the crowd, flipping my curly blond hair over my shoulder and sashaying offstage.
As soon as I saw Lucan, I collapsed into his arms, pretending I was exhausted. He just rolled his eyes and dropped me into a chair. He had a girlfriend and all, but I was still really into him, so I tried my best to win him over from time to time.
"Lucan, do you think you could walk me to my car? I need to get back to my house soon, and I'm really very tired," I said, as I mustered up the best desperate damsel voice I could.
Lucan sighed and waited for me to stand up, tapping his foot impatiently. He was always in a rush, as if he needed to be somewhere, but was always late. I sighed weakly and held up my hand to him, offering for him to pull me up. He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand roughly, pulling me up.
"Let's go then, I'm meeting Amber later, and I am not going to be late because of you again," he said, his eyes narrowing.
I really didn't understand why he liked Amber. She really did get on my nerves. Plus, she somehow got Lucan to date her, which is even more infuriating, as I deserved him way more than she did. I let Lucan pull me up, and as soon as I was standing, I quickly interlaced his fingers with mine.
"Cardin, seriously, I'm already with Amber," he protested, but he didn't pull away. I rolled my eyes and kept walking.
"Why would you like Amber when you could have me?" I asked, still wondering what on earth he saw in her.
We slowly walked to my little black car in silence, him never letting go of my hand. I smiled and hoped his meant he was slowly getting over Amber. He stopped and slowly let go of my hand, lingering just half a second more than he should have. He then stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to go.
"Wait, Lucan!" I called, grabbed the back of his shirt. He turned and stared at me. I grinned and winked. "See you around, Lucan."
He stared at me, his eyes narrowed. He then smiled, turned on his heel, and ran into the night, not turning back even once. I grunted and climbed into my car. There was something fishy about him, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.
"Well, it's his loss," I grumbled, sticking my key into the ignition and revving the engine. Today was a good performance and that's all I should be focusing on. Not how Lucan made my stomach felt a hint of unease when he looked straight at me.
I quickly sped home, my car running through at least two red lights. I finally sped into my driveway, parked the car, and ran up to the house, excited to get inside. My mom was supposed to be home tonight from her supposed "work trip", but the way she said it made me feel like there was more than she was letting on.
"Hello? Mom, are you home?" I called, listening to my voice echo into the house.
There was no answer. I walked farther into the house, peering into doors, trying to spot her. Maybe she had fallen asleep somewhere, her job often made her extremely tired, not that I knew what her job was. She was the most secretive person I had ever met; I didn't even know who my father was. Usually, when I came home, my mother was asleep in bed, on the couch, at the table, once even on the treadmill. I was worried about her sometimes, but I figured she knew what she was doing.
"Mom? Are you home yet?" I called, going into the kitchen.
I saw her workbag lying open on the kitchen floor. I knelt beside it, wondering why it was out here in the open. My mother kept this hidden in her room when she wasn't using it, never wanting me to see what she was working on. I looked inside the opened pockets, but there was nothing here. In fact, it was completely empty. No papers, no books, no pencils or pens. All that was left was a single of piece of paper, written in some kind of unintelligible code.
"Mom!" I yelled, standing up and looking around the kitchen, looking for some other sign of her being here. I noticed an open diet soda can sitting on the counter, and a few empty cheese string wrappers beside it. I didn't eat any of that, so I knew she was home already, but where was she?
I jogged up the stairs, looking into her room. She wasn't asleep in her bed, but the bed was unmade. This was getting a bit weird. I went from room to room, looking for my mother. My body began to nervously shake as I ran from room to room, searching. I finally reached her office, and I trembled as I tried the knob. This was the last room in the house. She had to be in here. I pushed the door open. There was nobody there. But I looked around me and gasped, my breath hitching in my throat. I felt faint and dizzy. And then I let out a bloodcurdling scream.
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Whoa! Cliff hanger! You people keep reading! I'll update soon, promise. Comment and vote!
