[2018 Wattys Short-Listed]
When Charlotte 'Charlie' Avery and her friends discover Robert Mifflin's diary, they didn't think much of it. That is, until they realize that he had hidden one million dollars for someone to claim. Now as they embark on t...
"Yes. Now, pick up the slack. I can't be doing this on our own. The more we mess with their minds, the quicker they'll be to admitting it. It's like we're doing them a favor," she grinned, deviously.
"It's Mari, though! The most I've done are one-liners. Not something that we usually do."
"I believe in your flirting skills, Burley," Charlie winked. The bell had ended their conversations and the friends separated into their second classes.
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Ria tapped the end of her pen against the table of the SGA conference room. She read the words over and over again but nothing had clicked. Her mind raced against so many possibilities but in the end, she was left to no avail. She watched Ava finish the last bite of her salad. The room temperature was always much icier than outside causing Ria to jolt in a quick shiver.
"So, anything?" Ava asked, rubbing her hands together over her plate and dabbing a napkin at the corners of her mouth.
"No," Ria murmured, rereading the words. "You have the copy of the diary, right? Anything there?"
"I've just been skimming but I'll probably read the last few entries. Something tells me that this could be the last clue."
"Has... Sam figured it out?"
Ava squinted her eyes in annoyance. "No."
Ria failed to hide her demeaning smile. She knew that there was some relationship between those two regardless of whether Ava would admit it or not. She enjoyed the way Ava writhed uncomfortably in her seat, trying to hold the last ounce of superiority in her. Ria leaned back in her seat and grinned, schemingly.
"So, about Sam. Are you two, a thing?" Ria asked, confidently.
"He's just an accomplice in this, okay?" Ava said, clenching her teeth. The room grew silent and Ava couldn't stop itching her knee in agitation. A single pin could drop on the ground to cut through the shards of silence in that very moment.
"I know what I'm going to do with my share, what are you going to do with yours?" Ria asked, condescendingly.
Ava walked back to her seat from throwing her empty salad box away. She rolled her eyes, irritated, and wheeled her chair to the front, placing her feet onto the long conference table.
"God, I don't know," she lied, knowing very well the money would help pay her father's debts. "You're really up my ass today."
Ria pressed her lips together, clearly offended. "Then why is Sam also getting his share? I hardly see him helping us. Why do you care so much about him, huh?"
"Why Sam is my friend is none of your business," Ava snarled. "In fact, you don't even need to help us, do you? I think I'll be perfectly fine figuring this out on my own."
"Wow," Ria said, humorlessly, "you're going to do the exact thing that Charlie and Mari did. I deserve this money more than anything."
