Evil Hearts - A Listen To Your Heart Book

In The Night

It was late when the exhausted teenagers finally reached the cabin. Ben had given up halfway on carrying Audrey, so Chad carried her the rest of the way.

"We're finally here!" Ben announced. The teenagers let out an audible sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness!" Audrey exclaimed. She got off of Chad's shoulders and carefully hobbled to the door with his help.

Ben unlocked the door. "Okay so there's only two rooms so the girls get one and we get one. But there's also the couch cuz there's only two beds in each room, a twin and a queen."

"Well that works out for us," Lonnie said. "Audrey will clearly get her own bed and Evie and I can share. What about you guys?"

"I'll take the couch," Jay said.

"Dougie and I can share," Chad said. Doug frowned at his nickname.

"Dude, I told you to stop calling me that in middle school," Doug groaned.

Chad smiled cheekily. "I know."

"Aw I like Dougie!" Evie said.

Doug glared at Chad. "Thanks a lot pal."

"No problem, pal," Chad joked.

"Well you can take the other bed, Carlos," Ben said.

"And leave you and Jay alone? I don't think  so," Carlos said. "I can sleep on the floor in the living room, I don't mind."

"If you say so," Ben said.

"Okay well now that our sleeping arrangements have been made, can we get some sleep?" Audrey asked. "I'm exhausted."

"You're exhausted ?" Ben and Chad said simultaneously.

Audrey rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm heavy."

"Well I don't know about that," Chad quipped.

"Yeah, I've seen you , you know," Ben said. "The dessert table always looks emptier after you arrive."

Audrey gasped and playfully smacked both if their arms, earning a glare from Lonnie and Jay. Carlos, Doug, and Evie noticed the sudden tension.

"Okay, time to go to sleep!" Evie announced. "Cmon Lonnie, let's help Audrey up the stairs."

Lonnie frowned. "Gladly."
*************************************
To say Mal did not like her sleeping arrangements would be an understatement.

After a lengthy day touring the campus with Evan had been semi exhausting. The flyer for this art camp said it was in the city. But due to complications of venues it ended up being in the old community college in the "suburbs", which was literally in the countryside.

The campus was huge and Mal struggled to follow Evan around all day, so when he finally took her to her sleeping quarters, she was very relieved.

Unfortunately she was stuck with two roommates who were literal polar opposites. Vega was incredibly loud and sunshine and rainbows 24/7.

"Hi! I'm Vega!" She chirped as soon as Mal had entered. "You must be Mal! I'm so excited about this art camp. I'm not the best artist but I have passion and what's more important than that?"

"Talent," Sasha dead panned. Sasha was the complete opposite of Vega. She was dreary and depressing, sucking the life out of everything. She also had snide remarks to everything Vega said.

After two hours of their nonstop arguing, Mal had had enough.

"Okay, seriously stop!" Mal yelled. "I came here to find some peace after an eventful year. Not to hear you two clicking like chickens. So please shut up! Vega you're way to happy, and that's okay, but you don't have to try to convert everyone to happy little elves like you!"

Vega frowned and Sasha laughed. Mal turned to Sasha.

"And you, I don't know what goes on in your life to make you so depressed and cynical, and trust me I love a good sarcastic remark, but you don't have to be bringing everybody down, especially people like Vega who just want everyone to be happy. So if you'll excuse me, I'd love to sleep in silence. Goodnight!"

Mal turned over in her bed and covered herself with her blanket, expecting to hear more arguing, but it was silent. Mal smiled and drifted off to sleep.
************************************
Helping Audrey up the stairs was easier said than done. Chad and Ben had to help her up and Evie led her the rest of the way to the room.

"I hate this so much!" Audrey groaned. "I feel useless!"

"Oh I'm so sorry," Lonnie remarked. Audrey frowned and Evie have her a look.

"Lonnie are you okay? You've been kind of quiet since we got here," Evie said.

"I'm fine," Lonnie lied.

"No you're not," Audrey said. "You been giving me dirty looks all day. Did I do something?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask your two faced boyfriend stealing self that?"

Audrey add Evie shared a look of understanding. "Is this about Chad, Lonnie?" Evie asked.

"Oh gosh no! I don't like him like that!" Audrey said. "We're just friends. I would never intrude on someone who I knew my friend liked. That's just girl code 101."

Lonnie smiled. "I know you wouldn't. Gosh I don't know why I got jealous. You're not that type of girl. I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

"I knew you weren't that type of friend. I mean you stepped back for Crys-"

"Psh. Girl why are you even bringing that up? I don't-" Evie have Audrey a look. "Ok fine. I did step back for Crystal. And I may have some feelings for Jay. Or maybe I don't. I honestly don't know how I feel it where I stand or if I'm even doing anything right! I mean Florian dumped me and it really hurt, you know?"

Lonnie and Evie gave her sympathetic looks.

"I know how you feel.." Lonnie said.
************************************
It was 3 am and Audrey couldn't sleep. She tried to turn in her bed, with serious discomfort, to look at her sleeping friends beside her.  They were both sound asleep, Lonnie even snoring a little.

She carefully got up from her bed and hobbled to where her stuff was. She didn't want to be a burden to her friends and thought it'd be better if she left on her own.

She grabbed her bags and carefully and quietly walked down the stairs. Her ankle burned at every step but she tried to hold back her tears. When she finally reached the end of the stairs she carefully crept around a sleeping Carlos. She accidentally stepped on a loose floorboard and it creaked. She winced and froze hoping she didn't wake anyone up. Jay stirred, but stayed sound asleep. Audrey let out a a sigh of relief and kept walking.

Outside, everything was pitch black and Audrey could hardly see anything. She cursed herself for forgetting a flashlight. She considered going back, but she was already too far away to see in which direction the cabin was. Suddenly she heard leaves crunching behind her.

The footsteps started to sound closer, or it was Audrey's heartbeat. Either way she couldn't think due to the sound in her head. She tried to walk faster but it hurt with every step she took. Her able was on fire now, but the adrenaline masked the pain. Suddenly the footsteps were right behind her and she felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed and turned around. She lost her balance and fell, hearing a crack on the way down.

"Shh! It's me Audrey!" The person said, bringing their flashlight to their face.

"Jay?!"