Fake Me To Church

Twelve Years Ago

Part One

Lane Alexandria Martin strutted gallantly through the doors of EdgeWay Christian Academy. She was flanked on her left by her best friend and confidante GiGi Gravestepper, whom she'd known since third grade.

As the two walked together through the hallway, having come back early from lunch, they passed the school's life-sized memorial to Ruby Densett, the girl who'd gone missing just a few weeks ago.

Lane hadn't known Ruby very well; but if she had to guess, she'd say Ruby'd probably just run off with some high-schooler. She always had a thing for older boys, especially the ones who were stupid enough to fall for her.

"Honestly, I envy her," Lane said to GiGi matter-of-factly as they passed the shrine. "I wish some older guy would give me a one-way ticket out of this crap hole."

"Oh, come on, Lane," GiGi laughed as they walked on, approaching a dull-gray set of lockers on the right. "EdgeWay isn't so bad."

"GiGi," Lane retorted, "be real. The teachers suck, the principal's office smells like barf, and I'm pretty sure that one lunch lady with the ugly hairnet has all of Kingdom Insecta crawling through her scalp and having a big fat orgy in her ratty split ends."

"Dang, Lane—you're mean," GiGi joked. "Remind me why we're friends again?"

"Because, GiGi," Lane drawled, deliberately stroking her long, vanilla-blond hair and twirling it at its end with her dainty index finger. "I'm just so gorgeous. The boys can't keep their eyes off me. And if they think you're my friend, you're automatically gorgeous by association. It's science."

GiGi giggled. "Speaking of science, Insecta is a Class, not a Kingdom. Weren't you paying attention in biology? We have a test on this next week."

"GiGi, there's only one person I pay attention to in biology, and it's not Mrs. Alvin."

"Lane," GiGi chided, her voice slightly less playful, "Sam Irish's perfect eyes and chiseled face won't help you pass biology."

"Relax. I have a C."

"No, you have a C-minus. And this taxonomy test isn't going to be easy."

Lane sighed. "GiGi, stop trying to bring me down. I'll study this weekend." She paused. "Do you think Sam's good at biology? Maybe he could tutor me..."

"Lane!"

"I'm just kidding! Besides, I'd much rather him tutor me in anatomy..."

GiGi rolled her eyes as she opened the door to Mrs. Haffley's sixth-period English class, ending at last her and Lane's trek through the hallway.

The girls sauntered over to their seats in the middle of the classroom, GiGi whipping out her makeup bag:

"Time to freshen up," she giggled with glee.

"Couldn't agree more," Lane smiled back at her.

"So glad we left lunch early. Even Mrs. Haffley isn't here yet. And that means we've got a sec for a little mid-afternoon glow-up." She grabbed her tapered blending brush and toyed with it in the air. "I just hate the way lunchroom food ruins my look. It's so not fair."

"Ditto," Lane affirmed, preparing to take her seat next to GiGi when—huh?

Just as she moved to slide into her chair, a singly folded sheet of loose-leaf notebook paper caught her eye. It sat solitary upon her desk, adhered to the top with a strip of tape.

"GiGi!" Lane gasped. "Somebody left a note on my desk."

"Ooh," GiGi cooed, her lips finding a sly smile, "a secret admirer."