I Thought I Killed Bradley Woods?

(Short Story)

        As Abril finished setting up for her sleepover bash, she got a text from an unknown person. As she opened the message her eyes grew big. She read, “You won’t get away with what you did three years ago. You and your friends will pay… for the death of Bradley woods.” Abril dropped her phone just as the doorbell rang.

          After a few more knocks Abril scrambled to her feet and ran for the door. She paused as she looked out the peep-hole. She let out a breath when she saw Crista and Paisley. She quickly opened the door and pulled them in. she locked it behind them and as she turned around she saw they had the same look of horror as she did. She glared at them and said, “We have a problem.” Crista nodded, “Someone knows what we did to Bradley Woods.” Abril looked confused, “How did you know-“ Paisley held up her phone as Abril read the same message.

          In Abril’s room, she starts to pace again as Crist and Paisley sat on her bed. Paisley slightly smiles, “I see you still pace when something is bothering you.” Abril stopped and looked at her friends. “Sorry.” She pulls her computer chair out and sits in front of them. “This is so not fair. This was supposed to be our time together, to reconnect, and someone’s ruining it.” Paisley shook her head, “Guys, if someone knows what we did… we could go to jail!”

          “Paisley, calm down. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. This person obviously wants revenge. If they wanted just justice, they would’ve already went to the cops instead of messing with us.” Said Abril. Paisley shrugs, “Well, what are we going to do? I can’t go to jail, I’m in my second semester at Harvard. You guys know how hard I worked to get into that school.” Abril grabs both their hands for comfort. “I’m going to handle it. Like I’ve always have.” Abril stands up and dials the number that texted them. They all froze when they heard ringing downstairs.

          They all stood on Abril’s doorway and listened. Crista shakes her head fiercely and shouts, “No way! No way is that coming from downstairs!” Abril sucked in a breath as the call went to voicemail. “Every- everyone has their phones, right?!?” Paisley and Crista both hold out their phones. Abril nodded, “Okay. Guys don’t freak, but we’re going to have to go down there… together.”

          They all hell hands as they walked downstairs. Abril dialed the number again as they reached the end of the stairs. They all turned toward the ringing which was coming from the kitchen. They walked in unison into the kitchen. As they looked around they saw that it was empty. They let go of each other and started to inspect. Their eyes met as they saw a phone next to a package. Abril picked up the phone and gasped as a picture of Bradley was shown on the screen.

          Back upstairs in Abril’s room, Abril checks out the phone as Paisley and Crista open the package. Abril sulks on to the bed shaking her head in disbelief. “So, trying not to completely freak out about someone breaking into my house, or the fact that they left a random brown package and a phone filled with pictures of Bradley!” Crista held up a cassette tape that had a note taped to it. The note read: “From me to you. Happy graduation.” Abril gestured to her TV. “I have a cassette player somewhere over there, you’ll have to hook it up though. Crista nodded as she and Paisley walked over to the TV to set up the VCR.

          Abril couldn’t believe the photos she was seeing. They weren’t all just of Bradley, she was also in the phone. There were pictures of them together, when they were dating. She really did think he was the perfect boyfriend, until she got to a different set of pictures. There were pictures of the four of them… and some without her. Some with just him and her friends. The guy she thought was perfect broke her heart and wrecked her friendships. He had to pay… and so he did.