The morning sun cast a pale glow through my window, signaling the start of a new day. As I slowly stirred awake, the events of the previous night crashed back into my consciousness like a tidal wave. The air in my room felt heavy with the weight of unease, and I sat up, rubbing my eyes as if trying to dispel the lingering shadows.
I glanced over at Lydia, who was still asleep on the other side of the bed. Her usually vibrant features were softened in slumber, but the turmoil of the night before had left its mark on her. I wondered if she was plagued by the same restless dreams that had haunted me throughout the night.
As if on cue, there was a knock on my bedroom door, followed by the sound of my parents' hushed voices. They had likely been up since the early hours, consumed by worry and speculation. I groaned inwardly, bracing myself for the inevitable lecture that was about to come.
"Alaine, sweetheart, can we talk?" My mom's voice was tinged with concern as she entered the room. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and it was clear that she had spent a sleepless night as well.
"Sure," I replied, my voice still heavy with sleep.
She sat down on the edge of the bed, her gaze fixed on Lydia. "Is she okay?"
I nodded, keeping my tone gentle. "Yeah, she's asleep. We both needed rest."
My dad stood in the doorway, his expression a mix of worry and frustration. "We just heard about what happened last night. You girls are lucky to be alive."
I sighed, feeling the weight of their concern. "We know, Dad. It was terrifying."
"We're just glad you're safe," my mom said, her voice wavering. "But we need to know everything. What happened at that party?"
I got out of bed and met them outside of my room. I didn't want to wake Lydia, there was a possibility sound sleep would become foreign to us soon. I recounted the events as best as I could, leaving out the feeling of being watched, the lingering stares that had unnerved me. They listened intently, their faces growing graver with each detail. When I mentioned Jordie and her strange encounter with me, my mom's eyebrows furrowed.
"Jordan Richards? That's the girl who's currently the main suspect...?"
I nodded, unable to meet her gaze. "Yeah. She wanted to talk to me about something, but Lydia called me back to the bonfire before she could say anything."
My dad exchanged a worried look with my mom before speaking. "We'll be keeping a close eye on you from now on. If anything feels off, if anyone approaches you that you don't know, you let us know immediately. Understand?"
I nodded, the gravity of their words sinking in. The feeling of safety that had once enveloped our small town had been shattered, replaced by a creeping sense of suspicion and fear.
As my parents left the room, Lydia stirred awake. She looked disoriented for a moment before the events of the previous night seemed to flood back into her mind. We exchanged weary glances, both grappling with the reality of what had happened.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I shook my head, reaching out to place a reassuring hand on her arm. "You don't have to apologize. None of us could have predicted this."
Lydia nodded, her eyes haunted. "I just can't believe... she's gone. And everything... at my house like, how does this even happen to someone?"
I felt a lump form in my throat, the weight of the girl's tragic death settling heavily on my heart. "We'll get through this together, Lydia. We have to."
･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.
Later that morning, a knock on the front door indicated the arrival of an unwelcome presence. I exchanged a wary look with Lydia before making my way to the door. As I opened it, my heart sank at the sight of two police officers standing on the porch.
"Alaine, we need to speak with you again," one of the officers said, his expression grim.
Lydia stepped forward; her voice tinged with concern. "Is there any news about Jordan?"
The officers exchanged a glance, their faces solemn. "I'm afraid we haven't been able to locate her," the other officer replied. "She seems to have disappeared."
My heart raced at the implications of his words. The prime suspect in a murder investigation had vanished without a trace. The sense of unease that had settled over us intensified, and it was clear that our lives had been irreversibly changed by the events of that night.
･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.
The gang gathered at Saber's Diner, a familiar refuge in the midst of the chaos that had engulfed our town. The atmosphere was somber as we sat in our usual booth, our eyes reflecting a mixture of sadness and determination.
Maxine speared a French fry, her voice heavy with concern. "This is insane. Jordie's gone missing, and she's the prime suspect in all of this."
Danny nodded; his brow furrowed. "It's like she vanished into thin air. But why? And how does she connect to all of this?"
Lydia toyed with her milkshake with a distant expression. "We might not ever find out. The further away she is the better though. We need to focus on keeping each other safe."
Francine scoffed; her eyes filled with scepticism. "And how do we do that? We aren't the Scooby Doo gang – we are literal teenagers."
Lydia's gaze met mine, a hint of something more lingering in her eyes. "We stick together. We watch each other's backs." I felt a strange flush of warmth at Lydia's words.
We decided that this might need to take more consideration from all of and to consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, we could be getting targeted considering the prime suspect reached out to me before the murder happened, and that the crime scene was Lydia's house.
