𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑

𝟞

mackenzie's pov
current day

"hey, kenz!"

the person that called my name walks up and slams my locker shut.

"hey, i still needed my physics textbook." i scowl.

"well i need to talk to you. it's more important." she slips her arm into mine.

this, ladies and gentlemen, is my best friend, maisy stella. she's wild, she's a little crazy, she's a troublemaker, and she's also the second most popular girl in the junior class, right after me. oh, and she also happens to be my best friend.

"about what?" i ask, slinging my bag over my shoulder and walking alongside her. i glance back at my locker longingly. i really did need the textbook.

maisy tugs her arm back, making me snap back into reality and she looks at me like i'm crazy.

"seriously, kenz? don't try to pull that with me. i know that you're on top of all the latest tea, just like i am. you know what i'm talking about." she snaps.

i fiddle with my fingers, still walking forwards. she's right, i do know exactly what she's talking about. the same thing that's been on my mind for the past two days, and it's been the talk of the junior class.

the new transfer student.

"i heard you went to summer camp with her a year or so back." maisy states flatly, peering at her perfectly manicured nails.

my heart rate picks up immediately.

"w-what? where did you hear that? why do you care?" i ask.

maisy rolls her eyes. "calm down, kenzie, i just remember you telling me about it a while ago. i am the reason you got sent there, after all."

i take a deep breath and my heart settles down. it's fine. she doesn't know anything. it's fine.

"so what about it?" i try to be nonchalant.

"i'm asking you if she's a threat, kenz. you're a little slow today. is she pretty? is she confident? is she nice? will she threaten our social status?"

i resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"mais, popularity isn't that important. in two years we'll be in college and nobody will even know what your name is." i say.

maisy scoffs.

"okay little miss 'suddenly i have good morals' what crawled up your ass today? you seem on edge."

if only she knew.

i wanted to talk to maisy about it, but all she cared about annie was if she was going to have a better wardrobe than she did. and besides, what maisy said is true. she did get me sent to summer camp, she did get me sent to juvie, and she almost did get me sent to court a few months ago. i love maisy to death, but she's a really bad influence.

there was only one person i could think of to talk to about this, and i and called him twice the second i found out about it.

he didn't answer either time.

it took a lot for me to dial his contact, the number i hadn't dialed in so long, i wasn't even sure i still had it, and i didn't even know if it was still his number. but i did it anyways, and he didn't even pick up.

"today is her first day." maisy pipes up, gaining my attention.

i nearly choke.

"what? you mean, like, she's here? in this building? right now? as we speak?"

maisy laughs.

"yeah, kenzie, that's where you usually are on your first day." she replies sarcastically.

what if i had a class with her? what if she sees me and remembers me? what if she decides that she wants to turn me in? what if the second she sees me, she's overwhelmed with guilt and she calls the police and tells them everything, she describes the way my hands shook that night or the secrets i told her, only her, or when they ask for her evidence she tells them to check my locket, my prized locket, the one thing i didn't burn along with the rest of my clothes because it meant too much to me and it probably still has the dna on it and i can't go back to jail i can't i can't oh my god oh my-

"kenz!"

maisy calls my name, but it feels faraway, like she's yelling across the room. suddenly i feel dizzy. very dizzy. so very dizzy-

"mackenzie!"

suddenly arms are on my shoulders and her voice is right next to me and maisy is staring at me with concern, actual concern. i blink and realize we're still standing in the middle of the hallway and some kids have stopped to stare.

my cheeks heat up and i peel myself off the lockers that i had somehow pressed myself against.

"god, kenzie, what the hell was that? are you okay?" maisy asks, pulling my arm into hers again and walking to our next class.

"sorry, mais." i mumble. she stares at me for a second longer than she should, but she doesn't press any further.

"whatever, kenz. just don't do that again, that was weird." she mutters to me.

what she didn't know was that things were going to get a whole lot weirder.