"The tragedy of life is not death ... but what we let die inside of us while we still live."
Adalynn Stanton is accepted into one of the highest competitive schools in her state, the Greenhouse Academy. At first, all she thinks she will have to do...
"Big reputation, big reputation Ooh you and me we got big reputations, ahAnd you heard about me, oohI got some big enemies."
~ End Game by Taylor Swift
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"I-it's Marcus."
Upon hearing the announcement, both Hayley and Brooke stared at Adalynn in pure shock.
"You're kidding," Hayley gaped at her. "I - I thought he'd quit his job?"
"Well, he obviously hasn't quit lurking around," Adalynn grumbled.
"Do - do you think he's up to something suspicious?" Brooke questioned, her head tilted quizzically to one side.
Hayley frowned, also looking confused. "Yeah? What's going on Ad?"
Adalynn gulped. She hadn't shared any of her findings with either of the girls and to do so now would be betraying Jackie. She had been in a hurry to return to the Academy to pursue her hunch: that Judy also knew about these mysterious cliffs. However, she hadn't thought of the long-term consequences. "Uh ... I - I can't tell you right now ... maybe later. But, what I can say is this: Jackie and I have been trailing Marcus for a long, long time now. We think he's up to something dodgy, but we don't know what."
"Do you think he's in alliance with Judy somehow?" Brooke asked, her face brightening up a little. "I always thought there was something off about both of them."
Hayley narrowed her eyes at Adalynn as she hissed, "Is that why you and Jackie were acting all sneaky? You two have been off on your own at the weirdest times and I've overheard you two talking about some of the weirdest things. What the hell is going on?"
Before Adalynn could reply, however, Marcus' quavering voice cut through the air, making all three girls freeze in fright. "Hello? Whose there?"
Only silence met his statement.
After a few tense minutes, Adalynn slowly, hesitantly, poked her head up over the rock once again and breathed a small sigh of relief.
Marcus, who had contented himself that there was no one out there, had his back turned to her and had placed his hand on a ledge of rock that he was standing close too. It illuminated green and suddenly, a loud creaking sound filled the air.
Adalynn ducked down, covering her ears and gritting her teeth.
As the noise began to die down, she glanced upwards and saw Brooke, standing right up and staring towards the cliff-face in plain view of Marcus!
"Brooke!" she practically threw herself on the girl and tackled her to the ground. "W-what are you doing? You're gonna get us caught!"
"L-look," Brooke pointed a trembling finger behind Adalynn's shoulder.
