Deadly Secrets

Nine; three letters, two boys, and one night to remember.

Nine

I woke to a bitter breeze coming through an open window. I pealed open my eye lids and looked at the open window frowning. I didn't remember opened it last night. I stood up and closed the window, shivering as the last gust hit me in the chest.

   I rubbed my arms and stumbled back to bed. And then I saw it.

   I did a double take to see the box that haunted my dreams. It was sitting right there, taunting me. I walked over to the desk and picked it up. I threw the box against the wall in anger.

   I expected my floor to be strewn with lingerie... not this. I gasped at what I saw. When the box hit the wall I could hear a loud metallic jangling. Then the lid fell off the box and the letters that weren't there earlier were fluttering from inside the box.

   I ran over to the contents and looked at them. Something that had not been there before. That had not been around when the cops had questioned me yesterday.

   I picked up the metallic object gingerly. I squinted at it and when I saw the blood stains on it, I yelped. I picked up three letters, two I had already read and a new one. I was about to read the new one when I heard footsteps echoing down that hallway.

   I stuffed the letters into the box and looked for the badge. Too late, the person was at my door and I shuffled away from the evidence.

   I stood in the center of my room with, most likely, a guilty look on my face. My brother's head popped in and he looked at me, sleep still evident on him.

   "Sis, what are you doing?"

   "Nothing, leave me alone."

   "Well, then just keep quiet. Some people need their beauty sleep." I stuck my tongue out at him as he closed the door.

   I waited for his door to open and close again before I turned back to the box. It sat intimidating on my desk. I ignored the box and went back to bed. Maybe I was dreaming.

   Yeah, this was all just a dream. And then I fell right to sleep.

******************

   Four days before the dance. Four days before Saturday. Four days before I would be arriving with William, ready to have my first official dance. We were friends, but why did I always feel knots in the deepest part of my chest slowly twisting at the thought. I was so confused at what I felt. I mean, does this mean... no... but if i... I couldn't. Even if I wanted to like him, which I don't, like that, I couldn't.

   Maybe I should be going to the doctor. Maybe I was sick and over analyzing the situating because I was delirious, or something. Maybe this was just a coincidence that I felt this way when with him. I knew I sounded crazy and stupid but I just couldn't look too far into these feeling that have a tight grip on my chest. I couldn't lose William. That was the only thing I knew for certain. He was the only person that had put a smile on my face in years; since my sister. If I lost him...

   I don't want to think about that.

   I looked up at my teacher and sighed. The work in front of me was done. I had nothing to distract myself from the thought of will. Until Jack walked in to the class room.

   I actually gave a little start at his appearance. It has been, what? Three weeks since he had come to school. And Jack looked terrible. His bronzed skin was ashy in a sick way and deep bags drooped under his eyes. I was shocked at his appearance and, like everyone in the class, turned and gave him my full attention. Our teacher looked up from the article she was reading.