Dead Girls Walking: A Novel

Chapter Four

Lacey

Someone knows.

The words themselves didn't seem real. Like a dark fantasy had finally come to life and was ready to bring Lacey and the others down. She didn't even need an explanation. She knew exactly what it meant.

It was official. Someone had finally discovered that they lied about about the night Olivia disappeared. They hadn't just driven home with no issues and collapsed face-first on their beds. Lacey stayed awake for hours, feeling a strong sense of fear and couldn't get the image of Olivia out of her mind. At seven am was when she knew something was wrong.

She heard the landline ring, and her mother answered. She was already awake to do her pilates. "Oh hello, Sophie, I wasn't expecting...I'm sorry, what's the problem?...No, I haven't seen Olivia...I could ask my daughter. She was at a party last night, which is so unlike her, but I'll ask her if she's seen her. Lassandra!"

Lacey's eyes shot open, awaking from her fake-sleeping state. She went into her living room. "What's up, mom?" she asked.

"Mrs. Keller is on the phone, and she said Olivia didn't come home last night. Did you happen to see her at all?"

Lacey gulped. She didn't know what to say. She remembered Viola's words. Just forget about it. She's looking for attention. That commanded her to say the words, "No, I didn't."

"Alright," her mother raised the phone back to her ear, "She didn't see her. I'm very sorry. I hope she comes home soon." She hung up the phone and began on a rampage about how she didn't like Sophie Keller at all and that she was "so strange". Lacey wanted to scream at her mother to shut the fuck up. She and Sophie were best friends all through high school. They were seniors the year of the Chaceton High Massacre. Victoria Beck was their best friend, and they watched her die in front of them. Her mother never talked much about it. Like Lacey and the others never mentioned their secret.

Another text appeared on her home screen. Sit w me at lunch. We need to talk. It was from Viola again. Her lunch period had just started, and she was dreading having to face them.

Lacey entered the cafeteria, and scanned the crowd for Viola. She spotted her in a circular corner table, alone. God, they hadn't spoken in what felt like months. She took a deep breath and began to make her way towards the table.

"Lacey! Where are you going?" said a familiar voice from behind her. Shit. Joslyn.

Lacey turned around and looked at her usual table, who just caught her trying to slip away. It consisted of Joslyn, Claire Napolitano, Becky Cruz, and Alexis Ward, who all looked at her in confusion.

"I just need to talk to Viola about something really quick. I'll be back in a few minutes." she said, unable to come up with a quick excuse.

Joslyn glanced at Viola from across the room, and muttered. "Alright." Lacey knew her friends didn't approve of people like Viola. They thought of her to be a bad influence. Whatever, Lacey had more important things to worry about then being seen with the Notorious Bathroom Juuler.

She made her way to the table, which had just been occupied by Marissa Chastain a second before she sat down. Marissa was a sweet, quiet girl who most considered the school yoga goddess. She smiled at Lacey, the first interaction they had in months.

"Hey." Lacey said, unsure of how to start the conversation.

Viola bit the inside of her cheek. "Someone left this in my locker." She put a small crumpled up piece of paper onto the table. Lacey glanced down at the neat handwriting.