CHAPTER 1
The New Guy
(Sylania)

His name is Nick. He has brown hair and brown eyes to match. He was standing awkwardly at the front of the classroom.
“All right class, this is Nick’s first day, so be nice to him,” Mr. Digiro said to us.
I looked over at Grace and she seems to take a liking to Nick, too. Her crystal blue almost grey eyes couldn’t keep from starring at him.
“Nick, why don’t you sit next to Ms. Grace? Grace, raise your hand please.” As soon as he finished his sentence she shot her hand up.
Of course, she will have him in her web of drama in five minutes tops. Grace Thomas was the principle’s daughter, so obviously she was the queen of eleventh grade. She gets everything she wants, and when I want something she jumps at it. That’s just because she hates me. In our freshmen year at a dance we wore the same dress, which freaked her out. Then I accidentally spilled punch on it (it was a white dress) and she really got mad at that. Ever since, it’s been her personal life mission to TOTALLY screw my life up. Frankly, she’s been doing a pretty good job.

So, anyway, Nick walked back and sat next to her and she immediately started talking to him. I could tell he wasn’t listening though, because he turned to me and smiled. I smiled back and quickly looked up at the board.
All through class we kept taking quick glances at each other, sometimes smiling, and other times we just locked eyes.
Then the bell rang, and everyone rushed out the door. I went to my locker and started to turn the combination when Grace came up to me.
“Listen, I know you like Nick, and, well I think it’s cute,” she said with a little laugh.
“Really, oh do tell me why,” I said as sarcastically as I could.
“Well, you see, he is going to be my boyfriend. So back off you little wench!”
“Oh, I would, but then, I would have to actually care about what you just said and for the record, he is not yours. He doesn’t look like the type of guy who likes air heads.”
“What did you just say?!”
“I’m sorry was I talking to fast?” I asked in a slow voice.
She had a really mad face, but didn’t say anything. She just walked away as fast as she could. I turned back to my locker and Nick was right next to me!
“Oh, uh... hi. I’m Sylania. Welcome to Crystal Mountain High.”
“Thanks. My name is Nick.”
We stood there quietly.
“So... where did you move from? I asked trying to start a conversation.

“WHAT? Why are you asking me that? That is my business, not yours!”
“Chill, I was just asking. I’ll see you later.” I grabbed my books and started walking off, but he grabbed my arm.
“Wait Sy... Sla... uh...”
“Sylania, and what do you want?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just... I’m going through a rough time, okay? Listen, I came to talk to you about something. You know Grace, right?”
“Yeah, I know It.”
“She told me something I just want to ask you about.”
“Okay, did she tell you I’m basically a lesbianic slut?”
“Uh...yeah.”
“First of all, don’t listen to her. Second of all, good-bye!”
I practically ran to my next class. How could she say that about me? I’m so going to get back at her. All through second period I kept thinking of ways to get back at Grace. Well whatever I do she will get mad or scared, or both.


CHAPTER 2
A Visit From The Past
(Nick)

So, here I am at Crystal Mountain High, and so far it’s okay. This teacher named Mr. Digiro told me to go sit next to this blond girl named Grace. Let me tell you, she is annoying. As soon as I sat down she started talking to me. As I looked around the room, I saw this girl with medium-length dark brown, almost black hair and dark green eyes.
“Um, so anyway, do you see that girl over there?” Grace was pointing at the girl I was looking at.
“She has gone out with almost everybody in our grade. Including some girls, except me of course.”
“Are you sure about that,” I asked Grace.
“Positive, I’m very in tune to the dating gossip around the school. I have eyes like a hawk. Nothing gets by me.”
I thought she was lying, but just in case, I wanted to ask the girl myself. The bell rang and I went to go talk to her. When I saw her, I saw Grace, too. Grace walked off looking pretty steamed. I didn’t care though.
I stood next to her and she told me her name was Sylania, and she welcomed me. Only she asked me where I was from. That would mean I would have to think about my past, and think about what happened. I totally freaked out.
“Chill, I was just asking.” She started to walk off, but I stopped her. I told her Grace said something that I wanted to ask her about.
“Okay, did she tell you I’m basically a lesbionic slut?”
Yup, so my first day here and somebody already hates me.
So, I go to second period and we do this project where we have to work with partners and I get partnered with this guy Derek.
“So dude, I hear you got Grace Thomas and Sylania Lastron on you. You are way lucky.”
“Why am I lucky?”
“Well, Grace is the queen of the school, so going with her would make you popular. That is pretty good for being new. Sylania is not that popular, but she is everything Grace isn’t.”
Now I’m confused. What does he mean by that?
“Okay, what does Sylania have that Grace doesn’t?”
“She’s smart, cute and nice. Grace is just hot. Other than that, she is an air head and a brat.” We started laughing.
The bell rang for lunch. Wow, I thought looking at the lunch line. There are like one hundred people there. Good thing I packed. I looked around the cafeteria and saw Sylania sitting with another girl. The girl she was sitting with had short curly red hair. I went over and said hi.
“Hey, Nick this is Kiara. Kiara, this is Nick.”
“Hi, Kiara.”
“Hi, Nick. How is your day so far, besides the drama with It?”
I remembered Sylania referring Grace to as “It.”
“It’s okay. I met this guy named Derek. Hey, there he is. Is it okay if he sits with us?”
Sylania and Kiara exchanged looks.
“Sure,” Sylania said slowly.
“Hey Derek! Over here!” Derek saw me and came over to sit down.
“Hey Derek,” the girls said at the same time.
Derek smiled. “Hey guys. Have you told Nick anything about me?”
“Only that you’re a demon from hell who eats the souls of other teenage boys,” Kiara said.
We all burst out laughing.
“Do you guys know each other,” I asked them all.
“Yeah,” Kiara said, sounding a little embarrassed.
“How?”
“We were friends in middle school,” Sylania said quickly.
I don’t think they told me the whole story, but that doesn’t matter right know. We all just talked and laughed like we’ve known each other all our lives.
A little bit later, the bell rang for third period.
“I’ll see you later guys. I have to go to my locker to get some books. Bye!”
“See-ya,” they all yelled.
I went to my locker, and opened my back pack. My knife fell out.
“Crap!” I looked around the hallway.
Okay, it’s okay, no one is here. I couldn’t keep from feeling like there was someone watching me, though. I looked down at my knife. I never did clean the bloodstains off. It gleamed in the light, and I thought about the last time I used it. Then everything went cold. I looked up and saw two familiar faces. They were both translucent girls.
“Amy... Christy,” was all I could say before they were gone.
All off the sudden, I felt a sharp pain, and I dropped the knife on the floor, a large cut formed in my palm.


CHAPTER3
My Idea
(Sylania)

“So, what do you think?” I was sitting with Kiara in third period.
“I think you are insane! I know Grace gets on you nerves, she gets on mine too, but scaring her like that is not a good idea.”
“Look, it will be easy to do, and she will learn a lesson. All we have to do is ask Nick to do a little favor, that’s not a big deal is it?”
Okay it wasn’t a little favor, it was a huge one.
“First of all, you need Derek, too. Second of all, pretending to be a murderer is not small!”
“Listen Kiara, my plan is simple. At the dance next Friday we will double date. You know, you and Derek, and me and Nick. You and Derek will start saying things to Grace that will make her jealous. Knowing her, she will come over and yell at me. That will be Nick’s cue to take Grace away and pretend to kill her! It’s so easy. Come on, why don’t you agree with me? It’s not like Nick is a real killer and would actually do it.”

“You don’t know that! Maybe the reason he didn’t tell you where he was from is because he killed someone?”
She had a point... oh no she doesn’t! Nick is not a killer, he is just not that type.
“Kiara, you are babbling right now. Why won’t you just help me, please? I need you because you’re my best friend and I wouldn’t trust anyone else but you.”
That is true. I couldn’t do this without her. It took her a while to answer, but she finally opened her mouth.
“I don’t agree with it because I don’t get what her lesson to learn is...but, you are my friend and I am with you to the end.”
“Yeah!!” I realized I said that a little to loud because everyone turned to look at me. “We just got the answer and I am totally happy,” I said real fast.
Our teacher looked really proud and a little confused, and went back to helping some other student’s.
“Besides, what could go wrong Kiara?”
“Oh, a lot of things,” she mumbled to herself.


CHAPTER 4
You never can escape your past
(Nick)

The entire rest of the day, I was just in a haze. Did I really see them, or was it just a trick of my mind? It couldn’t of been them, they’re...they’re... dead. I know they are, that’s why I am here anyway.
No one knew what had happened that day. People came up to me and asked me if I was all right, even Sylania tried to find out what was wrong. I couldn’t tell anyone though.
So, I went home, or the place I’m living at for now. It was an old abandoned church in the back of the woods behind the school. There was a little river that ran behind it, so I always had fresh water. There were berries, nuts, and animals for me to eat, so I will be healthy until I get out of this place.
I did my homework, and then went outback. The river was peaceful and eerie at the same time. It was quite, but too quite.
I thought about heading over to Derek’s house. He is having a big party, sort of a ‘week-before-the-dance party’, as he says.

I decided to go, and when I got there, Derek said hi and said Sylania and Grace were both here. He also said that Sylania needed to talk to us and as soon as he saw me to tell me so.
Sylania and Kiara were both in a back room at Derek’s.
“Hey, how are you?” Sylania looked happy, nervous, and concerned.
“I’m fine. So what did you girls want to talk about?”
Kiara opened her mouth to say something, than Sylania cut her off.
“We need your help to get even with Grace. We have a plan, but I’m not sure you will like it.”
Derek and I looked at each other, than back at the girls.
“Okay, what do you need us to do,” Derek asked kind of slowly.
“Well, we all are going to the dance on Friday as couples,” Sylania started.
Then Kiara said, “Derek and I, and Nick and Sylania.”
“Right, then Derek and Kiara will say stuff about me and Nick to make Grace jealous. She will come over and yell at me. Then...well...you see...this is where you come in Nick. I don’t think you will go for this, though.” She and Kiara looked nervous.
“Just tell me what I have to do!”
“Alright, you have to pretend to try to murder Grace,” Sylania blurted out.
For a minute we all just stood there, then, I ran right out of the room. I was so angry, and hurt, and confused. They asked me to pretend to kill someone. What if I took it to far again?
All of the sudden, Amy appeared in front of me.
“What do you want from me,” I pleaded.
She said, “I want you to go back home.”
“NO! I won’t do it!”
“Mom and dad think you are dead like me! They are so upset, and I can’t let them stay like that! Go home!”
“NEVER!”
She sighed and said, “I guess I’ll have to make you then.”
She took a step closer to me. Then, everything just blacked out. The next thing I knew, I heard a loud, high pitched scream. I opened my eyes and almost screamed myself. I had a knife in my hands, and it was covered in blood. Then I looked down and saw Grace on the floor....dead.


CHAPTER 5
Why Did this happen?
(Sylania)

I can’t believe it. Nick just stormed out of here. He looked so upset, and it was all my fault! I’m the one who told him! I’m the one who came up with the horrible idea!
“I feel so terrible! He’ll probably never talk to me again!”
I was trying so hard not to cry. Kiara and Derek were trying to comfort me any way they could, but they weren’t succeeding.
“Come on Sylania, he just needs some time. It’s not your fault,” Kiara whispered.
I couldn’t fight it any more. I just cried and cried until I fell asleep. I think Derek carried me to a bedroom, but I didn’t care.
All of the sudden I felt cold. Not like the A.C. just kicked on. It was like ice-cold, so cold I could see my breath. I put the covers over me, when I realized Derek and Kiara were there, and they looked cold too.
“Guy’s, what is going on?” They didn’t answer, because there was someone else in the room. She had long golden-red hair, and a very pale face.

“Who are you,” Kiara chirped.
“Who I am is none of your concern. What I am here for, however, is.” Her voice was soft, like one long piece of velvet, but there was firmness in it.
“I expect you have met a boy named Nick? Well, he is evil. DON’T let him get you alone in a room.”
“Why, how do you know him,” I asked, sounding a little more scared then I thought I was.
“How I know him is not the matter, but you must trust me on this. Please, no one else can die!”
“Listen,” I started with a new found confidence. She was talking about my friend, saying he is evil, and I’m not okay with that. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but I don’t care. Nick is my friend, and no matter what you say, I won’t change my mind about that!”
The girl just disappeared, leaving us sitting there.
“Wow, that was weird,” Derek said.
“Yeah, did either of you know who she was,” I asked a little shakily.
“No, that was weird I admit, but I was talking about how you stood up to her. Go Sylania! Yeah!”
We all laughed, it was a nervous one, but it was something.
I went home, and my parent’s read me the whole riot act about how it was late, and I should have called. I went to bed, thinking about Nick, and the warning I got. Was that girl telling the truth, or was she just a prankster? Well I guess the only way of knowing is by going to Nick’s house and asking him.
Tomorrow.


CHAPTER 6
The Truth Must Be Told
(Nick)

Sylania came over to my house today and apologized for last night. I think she even started tearing up. I had let her come into the church, and we sat down on one of the old pews. I forgave her, and then she started pounding me with all these different questions.
“Nick, what was your old house like?” or “Where are your parents?” and “Why the hell are you living in an abandoned church?”
“Sylania, why are you asking me all these questions? Are you doing a survey or something?”
She just looked at me and said I would think she was crazy if she told me.
“Trust me, I’ve seen a few things that make me think I’m crazy. What is it?”
“Okay, well after you stormed out I fell asleep crying. Derek carried me to a bed, and after a little while I woke up freezing. Kiara and Derek were there, and they were cold, too. Then we saw this girl with golden-red hair who said she knew you.”
I cringed. “Did she have silvery-green eyes?”

She thought a moment, then said, “Come to think of it, I think she did. Do you know her?”
“Oh...no. I was just wondering. You know, lots of red heads have green eyes.”
She looked at me curiously. “Nick, you’re lying. Tell me the truth. Do you know her, and how do you know her?”
I took a deep breath, than I began to speak. “Her name is Christy. She is, was, my ex-girlfriend.”
“Well, if s-she was really pale, and she seemed to be floating, and she came to us than vanished... she’s...she’s...”
“Dead. Yes, Christy is dead. She died a few months ago. In fact, she was brutally murdered by someone very close to me.”
Sylania looked a little scared, but she didn’t say anything. Then she closed her eyes and said, “Who killed her?”
“I don’t think you should know. The answer is really painful.”
“Did you do it? Did you kill her?”
“NO! Why would I kill my girlfriend?!”
“I’m sorry; I was just jumping to conclusions. Please, tell me who killed her.”
I don’t think she is strong enough for the truth, but I have to tell somebody.
“It was...my...it... my sister. My sister killed her.”
Sylania just sat there, looking like she was sorry she asked. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think...” She sounded genuinely sorry for me.
“It’s okay. It was my fault she died.”

She reached over and put a hand on my shoulder. “How could you say that? You didn’t know she was going to die. Why did your sister kill her?”
Should I tell her? She is a really close friend, and I know she won’t tell anyone my secret.
“One day, my sister caught Christy cheating on me, and my sister told me. I broke up with Christy, but she still went out with the other guy. My sister went to yell at Christy, saying that what she did was wrong. Christy didn’t care though. She said that the guy she is going out with now isn’t gay like I was. Christy also said that she would make me pay for ruining her reputation. When kids at our school found out that she was a cheater they stopped hanging out with her. She said I would pay in blood. Now you have to understand, my sister was very protective of me, and she had anger issues. It runs in our family, but what she did I didn’t agree with. One night, she went over to Christy’s...and killed her.”
It took a while for this to sink into Sylania, and then she said, “Whenever you were talking about your sister, you were speaking in past tense. Why were you doing that?”
“Well, that’s because....SHE’S DEAD TOO!” I started crying.
“How did she die?”
“I did...it was...” I couldn’t finish my sentences because I was crying.
“I know it is sad to lose people who you care about. I lost my real parents in a shooting. They were both policeman. One day they were chasing some robbers, and they shot them.” She started crying too. “The people I live with now are my foster parents.”

I stopped crying and put my arms around her, and she just cried there in my arms.
“Anyway,” I finally said after getting a headache from all the crying. “I’m the one who killed my sister.”
All the sudden, she pulled away from me and stood up. “WHAT?”
“She came home and told me she killed Christy, and I got upset. So, I killed her.”
“Oh my god...you’re a murder,” she said softly.
“Sylania, no wait-”
“No you killed someone, whether she killed someone else or not, that still makes you a killer!”
Now she was raising her voice, whether it was out of fear or anger, it was scary. You would picture someone like Sylania to be quite, and stand in the background, but right now, she is loud and very upset. I will never think of her as a soft quite girl again. Her face was twisted in anger, and she looked scary.
“I did the right thing, she killed someone! Why are you yelling at me?”
“I am mad and yelling at you because doing the wrong thing for the right reasons is still the wrong thing.”
“Oh who are you to judge?! You’re the one who wanted to scare Grace half to death! That’s wrong too!”
She took that way too seriously. “You know what? Go to the dance with Grace. You two deserve each other. Your both popular and you know how to kill someone on the inside...and OUT!” She ran out of there really fast.
The first thing that came to my mind was why she was talking about the dance. I mean what the hell? It was a week away and I hadn’t even thought about going in the first place, let alone with Grace or Sylania. Then, my mind started wondering down a different road, and I actually started thinking about the core of what she said.

What she said was true. That doing the wrong thing for the right reasons is still wrong.
I was curious as to why Christy showed up to them though. She probably knew that Amy was going to talk to me, and try to make me go home. She knew that I would say no. I can’t think about that right now, though. I have bigger problems to deal with at this minute.
How would I tell my friends that I killed Grace? The thing is, I don’t even remember talking to Grace. The last thing I remember is I was talking to Amy. Then she took a step closer...
I gasped because I then knew what had happened!


CHAPTER 7
I Have To Tell Someone
(Sylania)

It’s not true. It’s not true!
I kept repeating those words in my head. Nick just told me he killed someone. Kiara was right. He is a murderer. He killed his own sister. I could understand it if he just didn’t talk to her again, but killing her is taking things too far. He must have ran away after he did it. The hints were all there. That he lived in the old church in the back of the woods, and slept on pews with some blankets. Another big hint would be his parents don’t even live with him.
I just drove around town for about an hour, thinking about what I should do. I should tell the police, because that is first degree murder, or maybe I should tell Kiara and Derek first and ask them what to do. Yeah, I’ll do that.
I called them and told them to meet me at The Hot Spot café in ten minutes.
The Hot Spot café is a small family owned coffee shop. A lot of the high school kids went there to hang out. It was decorated Italian style, because the family was Italian. They were really friendly, nice to everyone, and the coffee is amazing.

So, when we all were there I told them what Nick told me. Derek and Kiara just sat there with their mouths and eyes wide open.
“I told you he was a killer! I knew there was something freaky about him,” Kiara yelled at me.
“Shhhh! Do you want the whole world to know, Kiara? Listen Sylania, this sister of his, did you get her name?”
“No, I didn’t ask. Why?”
“Well, you can access recent deaths on the internet and get the names of the latest recorded deaths.”
I thought about it for a minute. “Derek, you’re a genius!”
“Yeah, I know. Why don’t you come and bask in my glow?”
Kiara pushed him playfully. “Okay, so what are you going to do with her name,” Kiara asked.
“I can find out who his parents are and where they live. We can go there and tell them Nick is here.”
Everyone just thought about it for a minute, and it made sense.
“Okay, so you have to ask him on Tuesday,” Derek said, looking at me.
“Why do I have to do it?”
“Well, he trusts you, and doesn’t know you told us.”
I thought then remembered something. “Hey, why did you say I have to ask him on Tuesday? Why can’t I ask him at school on Monday?”
They both looked at me like I was crazy.
“Didn’t you hear? School is out on Monday because someone died,” Kiara said.
I stared at them. “Who?”


CHAPTER 8
School Is Nothing But Drama
(Nick)

“Amy! Amy, where are you? Come on! I need to talk to you!” I’ve been trying to call her for an hour. It was important that I talk to her. “Amy, I know what you did on Friday. You killed someone else. You’re a murder!”
That made her show up. Amy was always a perfect person, and when you called her something imperfect, like a murderer, she got mad.
“I didn’t kill anybody. It was all you!” She sounded really mad, but I didn’t care. She used me to kill someone.
“Possession does not count! Admit it! You possessed me, and made me kill Grace!”
She just stood there, or should I say floated there. It was weird. I never thought about looking at my dead sister at age 15. She was only 17 years old when she died. In fact, it was only a few months until her 18th birthday.
“Okay if you looked at it technically, yes I did possess you.”
“What do you mean if I looked at it technically? There is no other explanation!”
“Listen, all I did was control you, you’re the one who thought about killing her.”
I thought back, and then figured it out. “My friends told me I had to pretend to kill Grace! I got angry and thought about what happened with you!”
She looked really hurt by that. I mean, it really wasn’t her fault she was dead. “I’m sorry, okay! You don’t know how confusing and hard it is to be dead!” With that, she disappeared.
On Tuesday, everyone was talking about Grace’s death. They had news reporters there and everything. I guess she died in the school science lab. I probably didn’t recognize the area because I just wanted to get out of there. Everyone was interviewed by policeman.
Sylania came up and sat next to me at lunch.
She was really angry. “Listen I know it was you, so don’t give me the ‘I don’t know what your talking about’ crap. I don’t care for that. What I want to know is why you did it?”
I tried to explain to her that it wasn’t me, and that I was possessed, but she thought I was lying.
“Sylania, get over your self and listen to me! I didn’t kill her and you can think I did, but guess what? I don’t care about what you think. So go away because I don’t need your pettiness right now, okay?”
“You know what? Screw you! Do you know what else? Go to hell!”
“Okay, do you want me to say hi to your parents while I’m there?”
She stared at me and just got up and walked away.
Crap, why did I say that? She will probably never talk to me again. Well I don’t care if she does, because I don’t care about her, or do I?


CHAPTER 9
I’m Just Sick Of It
(Sylania)

He is so fake! He’s trying to tell me that he was possessed by a ghost, and that is why he killed Grace. I don’t care what he does any more, especially since he made a joke about my parents. You know, I never told anyone that story, I thought I could trust him. So much for what I know.
After school, I went over to Kiara’s house to ask her what I should do. I knew she was probably tired of listening to my problems with Nick, but she is the only person besides Derek who knows. I want some comfort too, which marks Derek out. He’s a nice guy, but he just doesn’t take things seriously.
When I got to her house, I told her what happened at lunch, which I shouldn’t have done. After I told her, she asked me about my parents.
“What do you mean your parents are dead?! I just saw them today!”
I sighed. “No, you saw my foster parents.”
“WHAT?! How could you not tell me that your real parents are dead? ME?! I thought we were best friends?”
“We are, but I just...”
“You just what? You just couldn’t tell me?! I’m you best friend! We don’t keep secrets from each other! I wouldn’t have cared whether they were your real parents or not! You know what? If you can’t trust me with a secret, than I can’t trust you at all! Get out of my house.”
“Listen, Kiara...”
“I said GET OUT!”
I ran out of there crying from anger and sorrow. She was overreacting majorly. I didn’t have to tell her if I didn’t want to. I can’t believe this! I’m losing all my friends over one guy. This is way too much! I am so sick of this constant drama! I just wish it could all be over. I wish I was over! UGH!


CHAPTER 10
I Didn’t Do It
(Nick)

There are two days ‘til the dance, and nobody is excited. I guess people are still nervous about what happened with Grace. Sylania won’t even look at me, Kiara burns a whole in my face, and Derek just says “hi” to me every now and then. I don’t even think any of them talk to each other! Except for Derek and Kiara who everyone says are a couple now.
The principle was very upset with what happened, so scared and upset that he put security guards at every entrance to the school. He even gave us I.D. cards that we need to even get into the school! I don’t think it will work, unless they have security for ghosts.
I haven’t seen Amy since Monday. I have tried talking to her, but she ignores me. I know she is with me though, because sometimes at my house, I feel a presence watching me.
Without Grace, the school was pretty quite. Nobody talks, even the teachers just write on the board what we had to do in class.
They got some councilors in the library incase anybody needed them.

I went to the library to check out a book one day, and I saw Sylania talking to one. When I got a better look, I realized she was crying.
“Ms. Lastron,” I heard the councilor say. “Are you saying that you know who the killer is?”
I had not been paying attention to Sylania’s eyes, and when I did, I saw she was looking right at me!
“No ma’am. I am saying that I wish I did. If I did know, I would want to ask them why they did it. Was it to prove to your friends that you could? Was it just for kicks, or what?” She was looking at me the whole time.
“Alright, I will see you tomorrow. Good-bye Sylania.”
“See-ya Mrs.Wolet.” Sylania got up, and walked over to me. “I hope you got that.” She started walking away, but I stopped her.
“Sylania, wait. Look I’m sorry that it was me. I am sorry that I put my secret burden on you, okay? I really and truly am sorry.”
She hesitated, then smiled and walked away.
Yes! I made her smile! It may not be a whole forgiveness thing, but it was something!


CHAPTER 11
The Wrong Time
(Sylania)

It was going so well! I was talking to the councilor, and I was about to tell her that Nick was the one who killed Grace. Then, everything went down hill, because Nick showed up. I couldn’t tall the lady, when he was right there! So I told her what I would say to Nick.
When we were done, I went to talk to him. I said, “I hope you got that.”
He apologized, and sounded really sorry. I smiled and walked away.
So at lunch, he came and sat next to me.
“Hey, Sylania. What is up?”
I just stared at him like, “hello, what are you doing?”
“Listen, I know what I did was wrong, but I really was possessed.”
“Listen Nick, I think you are lying, but no matter what I will always be here for you. I just don’t know if I should be near you for a while.”
“Why?”
“Well because of you-know-what.”
“I thought you forgave me!” His voice was raising, and he started to look pretty angry.
“I did, I just want to keep my distance.” I started to get up, but he stopped me.
“Will you go to the dance with me?”
I could not believe it. I just stopped. So did the whole cafeteria. Everyone was just staring at us. Then, the noise picked up again.
“Excuse me?! How dare you! You know I am still mad at you, and you just think you can ask me out and I’ll say yes?! I’m not stupid!”
“I never said you were stupid, I just wanted to make everything up to you. I’m sorry!”
I can’t believe this! He thinks that if he takes me out, everything will be better!
“Nick, you know how I feel about you right now!”
“No Sylania, I don’t know how you feel about me! Why don’t you tell me? I want to know!”
The bell rang and I got up and left really fast. I thought about what he said. How do I feel about him? Well I have the rest of the day to figure it out.
I went to his locker and put a note in it saying I will talk to him and tell him later. Both of us will find out how I feel about him.


CHAPTER 12
Her Answer
(Nick)

I cannot believe I just did that. It sort of just slipped out. I asked Sylania to the dance, and I guess she didn’t like the idea. She started yelling at me, again.
Ever since Grace died, I can’t do anything right around her. It’s like, everything I say is wrong, so she yells at me.
She told me I know how she feels about me, and then I just snapped out at her.
“No Sylania, I don’t know how you feel about me! Why don’t you tell me? I want to know!”
She left because the bell rang. I was so close to getting her to tell me how she feels. Great, I sound like one of those stupid old-time movies.
I went to my locker, and when I opened it, a note fell out. It said:

Dear Nick,
Meet me after school in front of the woods. We need to talk about lunch. I will give you my answer there.
Sylania

Okay, this is good. She still wants to talk to me. All through the day, I keep thinking about what she will say to me.
During P.E., I told Derek what happened at lunch (we were doing laps around the track.) He looked kind of distant, like he wasn’t listening to me. When I was finished with the story, he sped ahead of me and said he would see me tomorrow.
That was weird. He was acting like he wasn’t my friend, like I was annoying him and not asking for his help on what I should do.
After school, I went to the front of the woods and waited for about twenty minutes. Then Sylania finally showed up, running.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said panting. “My teacher kept me after to talk about some last minute details about the dance. I’m on the planning committee.”
“That’s okay. You should sit down for a minute. Would you like to head on down to my place?”
She looked up at me. “First, it’s not your place. Second of all, sure, thanks.”
We walked to the church, and went behind it to the stream. She sat down on a rock near the water, looking out over the valley beyond it. The sun shined down through the trees onto her.
Wow, she looks beautiful with the light hitting her that way, almost angelic.
“So, do you want to give me the answer, or talk about the argument,” I started.
She looked up at me, her usually dark green eyes, are silvery in the light, almost as clear as the water.
“Well, either way, we are going to end up talking about it...so I’ll give you the answer.” She took a breath, and then looked down.
Why am I doing this to her? All I’m doing is embarrassing her.
“You don’t have to tell me. How you feel is a secret. Knowing that you would tell me is what really matters.”
She looked at me and said, “But not telling you would mean we would have to go through our lives wondering what I would of said.”
“Okay, but really, you don’t have to tell me.”
“Oh...yeah, I know...that. It’s...just...you see...”
Before she could finish I reached forward and kissed her. We held hands, and for a minute, the whole world seemed to stop. We pulled away, and she smiled.
“Wow....good. That is how I feel about you.”
We laughed, and kissed again.


CHAPTER 13
The Perfect Meeting
(Sylania)

I can’t believe it, he kissed me! Nick, the guy who I used to think was a crazed killer, actually kissed me. Surprisingly, I’m happy about it. It answered his question. I like him, a lot.
After the “meeting” was over, I went to Kiara’s house. Even though we had a fight, we made up yesterday and are friends again.
“Hey, Kiara! I have the best news! Oops! Sorry! I’ll...I’ll wait outside.”
I had gone into her room without knocking, and I walked in on Kiara and Derek making out on her bed. I backed out slowly, closing the door behind me.
“Sylania! What are you doing here,” she called from the other side of the door.
“Well, as I said, I have some good news! I guess I should have knocked. Anyway, hi Derek.”
“Hey, Sylania. So, Kiara, I think I will just head out. See-ya.” Derek walked out of the room and walked quickly past me.
“Ugh,” Kiara said falling back down on her bed. “Damn it, Sylania! This better be some hell of a bit of news you have!”
“Okay, chill! Look, I’m sorry, I should have knocked, but I was kind of in a rush.”
Her face kind softened. “Okay, I accept your apology. So, what is this really good news? Give me all the details.”
I started telling her about the councilors meeting, what happened at lunch, and the beginning of the scene by the stream. “So, when I was about to tell Nick the answer...he kissed me!”
Her jaw just dropped. “WHAT?!” She sounded a little more angry then happy.
“Yeah can you believe it? He is a really good kisser too.”
“Sylania, are you happy about this? I mean, he is the guy who killed Grace, and his own sister.”
What is she doing? I came over here to tell her a guy who I like kissed me, and she is being so negative.
It was like she was reading my thoughts because then she said, “Look, I just don’t want him to hurt you... or kill you.”
Oh, so that is what she was doing. She was trying to protect me.
I gave her a hug and said, “Thanks for caring about me so much, but don’t worry. I will be extra careful.”
***
The next day was the day of the dance. After school, my mom took Kiara and me to the mall to buy dresses.
Kiara bought a cute spaghetti-strap, lime-green dress with sparkles all over the front and back. The color goes perfect with her tan complexion. I got a light blue strapless dress that is like those cone shaped dresses. It comes down to a slant, like that.
We went back to my house and put on make-up and I did her hair.
“Sylania, why don’t you do something with your hair?”
“No, I don’t want to. I like my hair the way it is.”
When we were done, the door bell rang. Kiara and I went down to answer it. We opened the door and Nick and Derek were standing there.
“Hi, guys,” I said as I smiled at Nick. He was wearing a black suit with a tie. I looked over at Derek. Wow! He was wearing a tux!
“Derek,” Kiara said. “You look really classy.”
We laughed and Nick said, “Are you ready to go to the dance?”


CHAPTER 14
The Dance
(Nick)

Sylania and Kiara both look amazing. Derek and I drove to Sylania’s house to pick the girls up. When they came out we all got into Derek’s dark-blue convertible Mercedes and started driving to the dance.
The whole time we were in the car the girls kept talking about who was going to the dance with who, or what their favorite song is. We got to the school, and the music was so loud you could here it from outside!
“Hey! Let’s go party at the dance, yo!” We all looked over at Derek.
“Derek, that was just really... annoying. Don’t do that again, okay?” I said that before either of the girls spoke because I knew they would have said something really mean.
We all went into the gym where the dance was, and someone took a picture of all of us.
“For the yearbook,” the person said.
“Hey Derek, want to go get some punch,” Kiara asked.
“Uh, yeah sure. See you later Nick. Adios chica,” he said looking at Sylania.
“See you soon guys,” Sylania said waving.
“So, would you like to dance, or do you want something to eat,” I asked.
She looked around than said, “Let’s dance for a while.”
I led her out to the dance floor and we started dancing. There was a fast song on, and Sylania and I were in the center of the dance floor. Sylania, surprisingly, is an amazing dancer. Everyone was staring at her.
“Yeah, you go girl,” or “Way to go Sylania,” were all people were shouting. All the lights fell on her, as everyone gathered around watching her.
The song ended, and a slow song came on. Everyone turned, or walked away and we started dancing together.
I said, “Sylania, where did you learn to dance like that?”
She smiled and answered, “My foster parents own the dance studio down the street. When I was three they started teaching me.”
“Well, you are an outstanding dancer.”
“Thanks, you don’t look so bad yourself.”
I laughed because she was making fun of me. We were turning in circles just talking.
All the sudden, I felt a cold chill. The same chill as the one I felt in the hallway a few days ago.
“Sylania, I will be right back.”
“Oh, okay, see you in a minute.”
I walked out into the hall, where I knew I would be safe to talk to her.
“Okay, come out, come out wherever you are, Amy!”
Amy showed up, and she did not look happy. “What are you doing here? I thought killing Grace would have driven you back home!”
“I am not going home, ever! So just forget about it!”
She looked hurt at first, and then she put a sly grin on her face. “Oh, you will go home, when someone else dies.”
She left, and I knew she was about to do something terrible.
I went back to the dance, and Kiara walked up to me. “Hi, Nick! Listen can I talk to you...alone?”
“Sure. Come on out to the hallway.”
We went into the hallway, and when I turned around she held a steak knife up and plunged it at me!
I smacked it out of her hands, but when I did it left a scar in her! “Kiara! What did you do that for? You just tried to kill me!”
“Oh, yes it seems I did. My bad.”
She ran back into the dance, and up to the DJ. “Hey everybody,” she shouted into the microphone. “Nick just tried to kill me! He almost did to, look at the scar he left on me!”
Everyone just turned to me.
Sylania came up, and she looked angry. “Nick, why did you try to kill her? You told me you wouldn’t do that anymore! That’s the whole reason I changed my mind so you could go out with me! Well guess what? I have news of my own. We are through!” She ran away, and didn’t look back.
“Kiara, we need to talk. NOW!”
We went into the hallway, and I went to my locker. I opened it, and pulled out my knife. “Kiara, you made me really mad. Now, why?”
“You don’t want me to tell you. You want to kill me. Do it! Kill me! Sylania just broke up with you because of me! You almost died because of me!”
“No, killing you is not the right thing to do,” I said.
“You don’t want to do the right thing otherwise you wouldn’t have taken out the knife.”
“I can’t do it. You are her best friend. I don’t want to hurt her.”
“You just did by trying to kill me,” she said in a more babyish teasing voice.
“I DIDN’T TRY TO KILL YOU!”
“It doesn’t matter! Everyone believes me! Not you, because you are a MURDER.”
I couldn’t control my anger. She lied, and now Sylania and everybody else hates me!
I raised the knife, and plunged it through Kiara’s heart. She let out a little cry, and fell on the floor, a pool of blood forming. When she fell though, Amy came out of her.
“Well, well, well. Look’s like you killed poor Kiara. Too bad. Oh, what will everyone think? What will Sylania think? Poor, poor Kiara.” She laughed and vanished.
I can’t believe it. I did kill Kiara!


CHAPTER15
The End
(Sylania)

Nick is such a back stabber! He goes behind my back, and tries to kill Kiara! We were having such a good time, too!
We just got to the dance, and we started dancing. It was a little weird; the way I dance is different. I just think of the beat, and then it’s like I’m in a whole other world. When the song ended, I came back and realized everyone was staring at me.
Nick and I started dancing as a slow song came on. He asked me how I learned to dance like that, and I told him about my parent’s dance studio. Then he left to go attempt to murder Kiara! I knew I shouldn’t have given him a second chance! He didn’t deserve it! I went to go talk to Kiara about what happened.
“Kiara! Kiara! Where is sh-” I screamed for what felt like forever.

I had walked out into the hallway, and Kiara was lying there on the floor...dead! The scene was so gruesome; I had to try very hard to not throw up. There was a pool of blood around her, and a big whole where her heart should be. And her eyes. Her dark-blue eyes were wide open in terror. Her mouth was in a smile though, as if she was satisfied.
I started to go get a teacher, when I saw Nick sitting on the floor leaning against the lockers. I got so angry. I figured it out.
“Nick, why did you do that?! You are such a horrible person! You killed Kiara just because you didn’t like the fact that she ratted you out!” I walked up, and realized he was crying.
“Go away, Sylania,” he sobbed.
“You know what? You need help!” I yelled back.
“I told you, go away!” His eyes, though red from crying, were glistening with anger.
“No Nick! Why did you kill her? It is not right! You need to tell me!”
“Sylania, Amy was Kiara! Amy possessed Kiara and made me kill her! Just stop yelling at me!”
I have never heard him yell like that. He sounded angry...and scared.
“Nick, why are you making this stuff up? Tell me the reason, and I can help you!”
“I don’t need help! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!”
“No, I’m trying to help you!”
He stood up and walked closer to me. Something gleaming caught my eye. I looked down to his hand, and saw a knife covered in blood!
“I told you to go away, Sylania.”
“Nick, what are you doing?”

“You are so smart and stupid! You could have walked away, but now only one of us will walk away.”
He kept walking closer to me.
“Nick, you don’t have to do this!”
He smiled crazily at me. “Yes I do! You think I’m crazy, but soon you won’t be thinking anything!”
I started crying. “Please,” I pleaded. “Stop this!”
“Too late. This is your last dance, Sylania!”
He raised his knife and pulled it down. I put down my head and... I put it up.
“All right class, this is Nick’s first day, so be nice to him,” Mr. Digiro said to us.
I looked around, and screamed.

Impressum

Texte: Image is from google.com/images
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 31.05.2011

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Deditcated to anyone who has ever dated someone who they never really knew...