you're next | dolan twins

t h r e e

"Rachel." My step dad says in surprise as I walk into the kitchen. "What are you doing up?"

"I'm going to school." I simply state as I grab a box of cereal from the cabinet.

"Are you sure sweetheart?" My mother chimes in as she watches my every move. "We told Ethan not to bother picking you up today."

"I can drive myself." I dryly respond.

Should I really be in school with a killer texting me from Amanda's phone? Absolutely not, but I need to get to the bottom of this.

If this person knows what I've been hiding, they know damn well I never want it to get out. That means the threats won't stop until I figure out who it is.

"Is everything okay?" My step dad questions.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" Annoyance grows in my voice.

"We told you that you can take the day off." He reminds me.

"I don't want to fall behind this early on in the school year." I mumble as I grab milk out of the refrigerator.

"Okay, then that's fine." My mother doesn't push my decision, and I'm glad.

I awkwardly sit at the table and quickly eat my breakfast. After I'm finished I brush my teeth and grab hold of the keys to my car.

"Have a good day, if you need to leave early you can." My mother reminds me.

"Bye." I shout before rushing into my jeep.

I start the engine and prepare for my drive to the most unsafe place I can be in right now. I know I should bring the note and the text to the police, but this person killed Amanda and apparently I'm next. Something tells me I shouldn't get on their bad side.

Nicole already said she wasn't coming in, so she won't be here to witness the horror. She's honestly the smartest one. After my short drive, I pull into my parking spot and inhale a deep breath. It's now or never. The second my feet land on the pavement, a familiar voice calls out to me.

"Rachel?" My eyes meet Ethan's as he jogs over to me. "I thought you were staying home today."

"So did everyone else, but here I am." I stare up at him. He looks good today, but he always looks good. He's wearing a simple white t-shirt with black jeans, but it still looks presentable.

"I'm glad you came." He holds my hand and puts a piece of my brown hair behind my ear. "I've been so worried about you."

"I shouldn't be cooped up in my room all week. It's not healthy." I shrug off my nerves as I stare into his eyes. Ethan smiles down at me and nods his head.

"Hey guys." Jeremy approaches us with a sad expression. "Did you hear about the funeral this weekend?"

"Yeah." I tilt my head down at the ground.

"Let's talk about something else." Ethan wraps his arm around me as we begin to walk into the building. "What did you think of the football meeting yesterday?"

"Boring, all the good players graduated last year." Jeremy sighs.

"Not true." Ethan teases with a smirk.

"I don't know if I'll go through with it this year." Jeremy mumbles.

"You should." I chime in as we walk down the hallway.

"Maybe." I can tell that he's discouraged.

"Once the funeral is over, we can all try to get back to normal." Ethan tries to be positive but fails.