𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 || 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

Five

"She may be gone, but it's Emily." Thea was speaking to the whole table, but her words felt personal. "She was everywhere. She still is. And if it's not her, it's going to be somebody else who runs the show."

Thea pushed her chair out and walked away.

It wasn't long until me and Avery were the only ones left at the table.
—
❥

I watched Emily Laughlin die.

Avery's words rang through my ears repeatedly. Well, they were Jameson's words spoken to Avery, which she told me about after the disastrous dinner last night.

"What are you doing?" Xander Hawthorne says, taking a bite of his red apple.

Maybe I shouldn't be skipping class, but this mystery is one I need to solve. Grayson has been MIA ever since Thea spoke about Emily during dinner, and I didn't have the time to go and look for him.

"Your middle names. They're locations." Xander stares at me blankly, and I point towards the piece of paper in front of me. "Look. Westbrook, Davenport, Winchester, and Blackwood. They all mean something."

He smirked, "Smart girl." Grabbing the piece of paper from me and examining it quickly, his face made all sorts of movements. "You are already thinking like a Hawthorne, i'm impressed."

"If you count googling your names for hours, I guess." I shrugged off what sounded like a compliment from Xander and focused my attention back on the task at hand. I would go to Avery about this, but she's been secretive lately. I know what she's up to, but she's yet to tell me herself.

Two can play that game.

"You asked for me?" A soft voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and Rebecca Laughlin takes a seat next to Xander.

She was Emily's sister.

"You're Rebecca, right?" She slowly nods and the tension in her shoulders loosens, but only a little
bit.

It was silent for a moment, and I stared at the words on the sheet repeatedly to avoid the awkward tension in the air.

"You look like her."

Xander looks up immediately, "She does not."

"It's her eyes. The hair is different but, the freckles.." Rebecca's voice trails off. "I'm not getting involved, but this doesn't seem accidental to me. It's like I knew—"

You. I knew you.
—
❥

"Tell me something I don't know." The red head flips her hair and the two boys smirk. She always did have a flair for the dramatics.

"Want me to write a list?" The other girl says, sassy and brunette.

"Oh don't be mean." I say, shoving the girls shoulder.

"Come on E, I was messing with her."

The red head turns to face us, "Okay, we need to establish who has the nickname E."

The blonde boy next to me smirks, "I think Eva should take it."

The red head shakes her head, "No fair! My names shorter, so I should have it."

The brunette girl rolls her eyes, "Don't be so dramatic, Emily."

Emily. Emily. Emily.

"Evelyn?"

"Alright, enough about a stupid letter. Who's up to play some chutes and ladders?"

"Are you alright?"

"I bet Gray and Jamie will beat each other up by the end of it." Laughs come from all around the room.

"Ms. Grambs?"

My head snaps around, and my eyes sting. Oren is standing by the front door with a package in his hand. "Um— yes?"

"This is for you." I walk over to him and he drops the package in my hand. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

"No, I don't—" My eyes widened when I looked at the address this was shipped from. No. (I don't even know how that works in real life?? sorry guys!!)

"Everything alright?" Oren must've picked up on my silence because when I looked at him he looked thoroughly concerned.

"I— yes. Just give me a minute, please?" Oren nodded and walked into the other room, still keeping a close distance.

I placed the box on the table and hesitantly began to open it up. Please don't be what I think it is.

Oh my gosh. I'm going to be sick.

They were pictures of me. Pictures of me before I came to Hawthorne House and pictures after. Then there were some with me and Avery, me and Libby, me and..

Grayson.

I felt a tear drop from my eye and onto the cardboard box. There was a note, and I shivered at the words on the paper.

How quickly we forget about our old life. Well, I thought I'd remind you. See you soon, E.

Holy shit.
—
❥

a/n:

🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️ me bc i'm writing in school and i want to go home and eat ramen noodles. also the vibe for this chapter is little dark age 🧎🏻‍♀️