❝ I genuinely thought the worst of this nightmare was over ❞
Halle Brewster told a lie, and the secrets kept growing. After slaying one stalker, another reared its nasty head, and Halle was starting to wonder if she'd ever be free from the friendshi...
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Jenna Marshall sat cross-legged in the school courtyard. Her fingertips grazed over the braille on her worksheets, head faced ahead with shades covering her eyes. Perfectly working eyes, the group recently discovered.
"God," Hanna scoffed, "what a performance." The girls were stood across the courtyard, all burning holes in the side of Jenna's head. They spoke in hushed whispers, cautious of their conversation.
"Imagine faking it for so long," Emily retorted.
"When do you think it's okay to stop being nice to her?" Halle wondered aloud.
Emily shot her a strange look, arms crossed. "You were never nice to her."
"Yeah, but I was nicer than I would've been," Halle retorted.
Eyes zeroed in on Jenna, Aria asked, "What do you think she's planning?"
"Well, that's what you have to find out," Spencer said. "She trusts you. Or—" Spencer gave a half-shrug, "at least she wants you to think that she does."
"Great!" said Aria sarcastically. "That... That's awesome." Aria had been drafted by Jenna Marshall to accompany her flute-playing, and the group was quick to persuade Aria to go along to find out more information.
"Hey, I'll trade you Mona for Jenna," offered Hanna.
Aria's eyebrows tightened. "No thanks."
"I think I felt safer when Mona wasn't talking," Emily commented.
"Yeah, you're not the only one," Halle put in.
"Oh—" Spencer's head picked up as Jenna stood, cane at the ready, "there she goes."
Craning her neck to better see, Hanna let out a blunt suggestion. "We should push a table in front of her and see what happens."
Her friends turned to throw her incredulous looks, and Spencer replied, "God, Hanna, you have all the subtly of a hand grenade."
A bright smile broke out across the blonde's face. Chipper, Hanna said, "Thank you!"
Halle tapped her shoulder and said, "Not a compliment, babe."
"It is if I make it," Hanna proudly returned, meeting Halle with a sparkling smile.
Retreating as well, the girls started to head inside. They exited the courtyard and entered into the bustling school. The five began down the hallway, rounding the corner onto another before Emily switched the conversation to another startling problem in their lives.
"Has you mom said anything to you about taking Garrett's case?" Emily asked.
"Not yet," Spencer said, while they walked. "But Melissa's coming home tomorrow, so she'll probably tell both of us at the same time." Smartly, over her shoulder to the group, Spencer added, "Because that's how it works in my family... we keep the one-on-ones to a minimum."
