Bitches Shred In Pieces

05: There Will Be Consequences

The Wednesday's dark clouds seem to bring a big storm soon. Michelle can hear the thunder inside the classroom, shaking the entire room. She is anxiously waiting for the last bell to ring so she can go home and think about the note she received. How did it feel to bury your worst enemy? Satisfying or terrifying? I'll be watching.

Who the hell is XOXO? Yesterday, at night, Michelle was guessing that it had to be Lena. She looks like the kind of girl that would play pranks on her friends. But what if it isn't her, or Tony?

  The bell interrupts her thoughts as the Katerina High students roam into the crowded hallways. She is the last one to leave, expecting less drama coming out. As she opens the heavy, thick doors that lead out of the building, someone calls her name. Her heart begins to race, but calm when she realizes who it is.

  "Joseph?" Michelle throws her flowery JanSports bag a little higher over her shoulder as Joseph nears her.

  "Want to go to Tommy's someday? I was going to say today but the weather isn't being too kind," he says, smiling as the two of them walk outside.

  The heavy wind smells like wet ground and grass. Also, the leaves from the maple tree close to the parking lot are shaking uncontrollably. It's obvious that, indeed, it's going to rain terribly.

  "Yeah. A storm is coming," Michelle whispers, trying to keep her ink-black hair steady. "See you another day then."

  Joseph smiles wider and runs to a white hummer while waving goodbyes. Michelle is confused, though. Isn't it weird that he didn't mention Karen missing? She shrugs it off, trying not to think about Karen right now—or ever.

  Excitement rushes inside of her as she recalls what happened. Joseph just asked her on a date! Michelle can't help but grin at such thoughts. Honestly, she did miss the way the two of them would brag about their educational accomplishments or how his soft lips tasted like peach for some reason. And how can she forget the sleepovers at his house, where they would cuddle for hours without getting their parents mad. It was when the David thing didn't happen yet. Oh, she regrets that Spring Break so much.

  Another voice interrupts her daydreaming. This time it's Tony standing behind her. Next to him is blond Lena with her glossy, pink lips. He looks desperate while Lena looks... well, like Lena—calm and still gorgeous.

  "What's up, guys?" Michelle asks. A lock of hair slaps her forehead so she tucks it behind her ear.

  "Go to Lena's house tomorrow at six," he informs as his light-brown hair flies everywhere.

  "Why should I?" Michelle hopes it isn't to discuss about the body the three of them buried.

  He glances around them before leaning close to her. "Have you been getting... notes?"

  Michelle steps back. They've also been getting them? She thought that, since she's the one that actually fought with Karen that night, it would only be her receiving them. She is wrong. "You, too?" She refers to the two of them.

  Lena nods. "We have to do something fast. I can't think of myself in jail so we have to know who is sending them!"

  "Fine, fine. I'll go to your house," Michelle says, looking away from them.

  A specific honk makes her turn around, spotting her sister Charlotte's car. She jogs to the blue Nissan without exchanging another word with the others. Truthfully, she feels sorry for them. Why do they have to be included in a murder that was caused by her?

"Today you're going to be alone in the house. Again!" Charlotte quickly mentions as Michelle closes the door.

"What? Why?" Michelle asks, annoyed. Her entire family is getting into the habit of leaving her home alone.

"Mom went with dad to look for a job," replies Charlotte, driving off the school campus.

Michelle looks at her bag which is on her lap. Now that her father doesn't have a job, Mrs. Perkins is going crazy. Will they run out of money? Hope not.

Charlotte notices Michelle's expressions. "It's crazy, isn't it?"

Michelle looks up. "What is?"

"Our father and mother are falling apart without the money. We weren't like that. There was always enough and now it seems like... there's simply not." Michelle knows rich-Charlotte isn't capable of saying the words 'poor.'

"You're right."

As they park outside of their house, Michelle's phone rings. She looks at the caller ID and instantly turns it off. David.

Charlotte unlocks the car. "Who was it?"

Michelle bites her lip, something she rarely does. "School notification for a project."

"Ok. You can get out now," she says.

And Michelle does, running to the front steps. One time, when she was alone, David, Joseph's father, was also here. She doesn't expect him here anymore, though. She made it clear that there is nothing happening between them.

The house is extremely cold and smells like the lavender detergent Mrs. Perkins uses. But there's also something that doesn't feel right. Probably now that her father doesn't have a job makes the house somehow feel different, so Michelle shrugs and heads to her room. Stepping in and catching another black note in her bed wasn't planned.

"Shit," Michelle whispers, grabbing it and going downstairs again.

She doesn't dare to even peek at what the card says when she nears the stove. She turns it on, staring at the rising flames—a beautiful mixture of blue and orange. She's stares at it for a little longer before finally letting the black card catch fire from a corner. The red kiss fades into ashes as Michelle throws it into the trash can.

A swish sound coming from the front door interrupts the silence filling the kitchen now that the card is completely gone, just ashes. Did someone try to get in? She feels her heart skip a beat as she grabs a kitchen knife that is resting in the table, taking careful and silent steps towards the big door. She jumps on front of the main entrance, knife pointing forward.

  But there's no one.

She looks down and sees another black card. It seems like the person in the other side of the door slipped it from underneath the door. That means that the individual sending those notes is right outside.

XOXO is here.

Gripping the kitchen knife tighter with her hand, Michelle snatches the door open. She runs outside, turning her eyes all around the front yard. The only sound outside is the whistling wind and the loud thunder in the sky. Everything is grey and gloomy, no signs of anyone ever being outside just a few seconds ago.

Michelle's breathing cracks as she opens the new card. When she reads what is written in gold letters, she wails, feeling her breath trapped in her throat.

ʏᴏᴜ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴇʀʀɪʙʟᴇ ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴsᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴄᴇs.

—xᴏxᴏ

~

A\N: She had to mess up, didn't she? What are the consequences? Like and comment for more! 💋