The Haunting

Chapter 18

Analyse took out her notebook and copied the notes on the board. Today was all on mental disorders.

“Pssst!” Elizabeth tugged at her black cardigan. “Pssst! Ana give me last week's study guide!”

“Um sure.”

She dug into her black leather bag and got her folder out.

“Here,” she gave it to Elizabeth and smiled.

“Thanks.”

The teacher, Ms. Wilkins, walked in front of the classroom and set up a video on a girl with schizophrenia.

Analyse continued her writing. Elizabeth cringed next to her.

“What's wrong?” she asked.

Elizabeth's green eyes grew wide in fear as she shook her head from side to side.

“It's the police,” she whispered. “They took Meredith's diary last night. They wanted to check her mental state of mind. I don't know why.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Horrible. I know. And you know what's worse?” she leaned back against her seat.

“What?” Analyse whispered, after catching the teacher's warning glare.

Elizabeth threw her hands onto the desk. “We have a criminal in our own sorority house and the police are concerned about some girl's diary!”

Analyse felt a little hurt. “Meredith is NOT just some girl.”

Elizabeth sighed in frustration. “I know.”

There was a period of respected silence, for Meredith's sake.

Then Amber turned around, obviously listening.

“Who's the criminal in our dorms?” she asked, concerned.

Elizabeth's green eyes lowered into Amber's blue ones.

“It's that pig, Heidi.”

“Wait, hold up,” Analyse whispered. “Heidi? What made you suspect her?”

“She's a filthy piece of-”

“Look, just because she's weird doesn't mean she's a criminal.”

“You should have seen her,” Elizabeth seethed. “She re-died her hair red, to cover up the blood-”

“-Lizzy, you're.. crazy. You can't just judge someone because of their hair. And what blood?”

“Meredith's! You weren't there! I saw that look of.. of murder in her eyes! I saw her!”

“SSSHHHHHHHH!”

Ms. Wilkins walked over to their desks and covered her lips, giving them all glares.

Elizabeth looked at Analyse with desperation and silently pleaded with her.

“You saw her kill Meredith?” Amber said silently, almost inaudibly.

“No, but I have a strong feeling it's her!”

Analyse put her head down. She watched the schizophrenic girl on the screen and sighed. Meredith wasn't mentally ill.

“Hey guys,” she whispered, “remember Meredith's boyfriend.. Daniel?”

“Oh yeah. Yeah, I do. Do you think he knows anything about this?”

“I don't know, but we have to find out. They stopped talking last month. I think she broke up with him or something.”

“We have to find out what happened. I mean... if Meredith didn't tell us about anything... then.....”

“Girls, do you want a detention?” Ms. Wilkins looked at the three of them, who shook their heads side to side.

Ms. Wilkins walked back to the front of the classroom and when they were for sure that she wasn't looking, Analyse leaned in and whispered,

“Well.. if it matters so much, then we have to visit Daniel.”

“What? Doesn't he live, like, in Westbrooke or something?”

“Yeah I think. But are you guys in? We'll take my car to the city.”

“I can't, I have swim,” Amber said ruefully.

Analyse looked over at Elizabeth.

“How about you?”

The look on her face was priceless.

“Let's go after school.”