The sun glared in RoseWood as I pushed open my car door and got out, slamming it behind me. This place looked like it would give me nothing but surprises, it was such a cute little town.
I leaned against my car popping the gum in my mouth while I looked around and that was when I spotted her; Alison DiLaurentus, my biological sister.
Three months previous:
"Have a nice day at school honey!" My mom called out to me, but I only waved as a response. There was no way I was even half awake to be talking to anyone at this hour of the morning and I didn't want to either, so waving would just have to do for now.
The walk to school wasn't a long one at all, just maybe 10 minutes if I was walking slowly. My phone vibrated and I took it out of my skinny jeans as I walked down the street.
Secrets are threatening, threatening to break you apart, don't believe the alibi's,look straight through the lies. -A
I stopped walking once I read the message and frowned while I read it over an over, for a good few weeks now I had been receiving odd messages from someone who called themselves -A. I thought it might just be a prank, someone was playing or some sick joke.
Well I hoped so anyways, but they seemed to be getting weirder and weirder, almost as if they were trying to tell me something. I huffed in annoyance, it was far too early for this shit and I couldn't be doing riddles, so I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and started to walk back to school.
No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get the message out of my head, what was the alibi? What was the lie..
"Don't be stupid Riley.." I mumbled under my breath and tried to focus back on my teacher at the front of the classroom, but it was hard to say the least. For a few reasons, I didn't care about this class and I just couldn't get the damn text out of my mind.
"Riley?" The teacher asked and I looked up raising my eyebrow slightly.
"Did you hear me?"
"No."
"When was George Washington first elected as president?"
I shrugged my shoulders and sat back in my chair while I looked at her, couldn't she just see that people had other things going on to worry about dates in history.
My response earned a sigh from her and she smiled once more turning to someone else in the class.
For the rest of the lesson I just tried to focus on It if I could in any way, but no matter what, my mind went back to the text. Once the bell rang, I was first out of the class and down the hall towards my locker.
"So you'll never guess what." Madison squealed right beside me while I put my books in my locker. "Hmm?" I asked her while I tried to remember what classes I had next.
She was such an excited person all the time, she almost always had some gossip to tell me, which I would listen to of course. The only thing that I was weary about my friend was why exactly she was friends with me, I think it was just so people would vision her as being 'cool' or some messed up crap like that.
"So Dallas Johnson is hooding a party at his place tonight and I swear to the Lipgloss Gods if you don't go, everyone will know." Her lips curled into a smile afterwards and I almost missed her little insult in there.
I looked over at her and smiled a fake smile before nodding "Alright, but I need something to wear so we will have to go after school."
That earned another squeal of approval from her.
I covered my ears and laughed at her while I slammed my locker door and picked up my bag walking to class while she followed and gave me all the details along the way.
It wasn't that something was wrong with me, I just was confused. Months of random weird messages had freaked me out, they were nearly always in some sort of a riddle and I had barely figured them out before, but I still had the sense like the person was helping me in a way.
The only one that I figured out was my ex boyfriend Liam, I had gotten a message to say something stupid like 'Forests are like mazes, they can hide animals and people. The lake is nearly always the best place for cheaters to hide.'
That one had been given right to me and I drove to the edge of the forest, getting to the lake only to find him doing it with her, right in the middle of it. He was disgusting, I ended it with him right then and there and tried to move on with my life, somehow.
"Dallas said that he can't wait to see you there you know, it's been at least a month since yourself and Liam, so I think it's perfect time for you to get with Dallas. You know he likes you." She said to be inbetween scoops of ice cream while we sat outside an ice cream parlour after school.
"You've never been in a relationship, have you?" I asked her before I took a sip of my coffee. Her expression looked like it was almost hurt, like she had said the wrong thing, because she had.
"No.."
"Yeah I thought so. You don't just get over a relationship that quickly you know." I snapped at her and sighed immediately afterwards, it seemed I was just destined to be in a horrible mood all day.
Madison dropped her spoon in her ice cream and started to stand up to leave, that was just who Madison was, trying to be centre of attention and then get hurt when it suited her.
I reached my hand out to take hers so she would sit down "No Madi, wait please." I said and my voice was softer this time. Madison looked back at me before she sat back down and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Riley I get it, you were in a serious relationship and then he cheated on you, but your always in a sour mood nowadays and your just not acting like my friend anymore. You roll your eyes at me more than you get excited with me and you always throw insults at me here and there, I'm not a puppet you know." She said and her lip started to quiver, I think she was going to cry because her eyes were as glossy as her lipgloss.
She had such an obsession with that.
I let go of her hand and sighed while I ran my hand through my blonde hair, I couldn't tell my best friend what I wanted to tell her, that I was getting weird messages from someone I didn't know, because it sounded insane and what was worse was how I believed this person was secretly telling me things.
"I'm sorry okay, Liam really messed with my feelings, he left me for some hoe naked on a blanket."
I knew how to play the pity card easily and knew how to draw Madison back in so she would be on my side, I needed her, as sad as that sounded.
Madison pushed Over her ice cream and smiled gently at me "Here, take some." She said and I gave her a weak smile before I took a spoonful of ice cream.
I wasn't lying, Liam had messed me up, but he wasn't on my mind right now.
"Some retail therapy will help you, I'm sure of that and if that doesn't then the sight of Dallas Johnson sure will!" She grinned and stood up so quick that I didn't even have time to blink.
I laughed softly and stood up after her, making my way into one of our favourite shops.
Madison knew how to work a crowd and particularly sales assistants, she could talk to them for hours, so I just resulted in texting my mam real quick telling her I was going to say in Madison's for the night. Once that was sorted and I had a dress picked out for tonight, we were both ready.
Dallas Johnson was a player on the schools football team, he was tall, strong, well built and most girls fantasy.
The second we walked through the door and the music blared all around the house, he strolled over to us with two red cups full of alcohol I had no doubt. I smiled at him and took the cup in my hand as I raised it to my lips and looked around at all the familiar faces that I knew from school.
"Glad that you two pretty ladies could make it tonight." He said and grinned while Madi giggled and I only smiled at him again.
Madi cleared her throat and then said in a high pitched voice "Oo, I see some guys from school. I'll catch you two later." She said and winked at me before she started to walk away waving hello to some people.
Dallas looked me up and down in my little black dress and I raised an eyebrow at him laughing slightly "Eyes up here Dallas." I said and he chuckled slightly before he took my spare hand in his guiding me to dance.
"I-I don't really like dancing." But before I had any input whatsoever, he had his hands on my hips and had me pulled really close to his chest. I blushed slightly and resulted in taking another drink from my cup.
"Oh well pretty girl, you have no choice right now." He smirked and I had to endure dancing with him, or more like him almost grinding my body against him for a good few minutes before I pushed him away and mumbled something about needing the bathroom.
His house was nice, nice enough. Large and full of paintings on the walls, although somehow I couldn't picture his parents approving of the party and I imagined they were out of town without any knowledge of it. Once I found the bathroom I locked the door immediately and placed my head in my hands while I looked down at the sink.
What was I doing here, this just wasn't what I wanted in a long time. I used to be the life of the party, different guy every night, roping him around my finger and then dangling myself infront of him before I would cruelly let them down and move onto the next. Like I said though, Liam changed me.
Once I was in a relationship with him,
I just never went to parties much after that, it was more like we would have nice nights with with a takeaway and some Netflix. Life wasn't always about parties at that stage.
But it was hard to be here and try and pretend that I could go on with the charade of it all. That was when my phone vibrated and I took it out of my purse.
The woman you call mother, never had another, but you have a brother and a sister too. Ask her about Rosewood, she knows more than you know, adoption was an option. -Kisses, A.
"What does that even mean!" I yelled and groaned in frustration. It was clearly implying that My mother knows something that I didn't and I wondered if the last message was linked to that one aswell.
"How can I have a brother and a sister if my mother never had anymore.." I mumbled and slowly sat down on the ground leaning my head against the wall.
"Riley. I know your in there, open up so I can see your face again." Dallas's words had slurred together and I wondered how much he could have consumed within like 10 minutes of me leaving. There was no way at all that I would be opening this door to a drunk outside, God knows how much he had consumed entirely.
"Fuck off Dallas, your drunk." I said and looked back at the text before I wrapped my arms around my legs. Nothing made seemed to make sense recently.
Suddenly the door started to be pushed and pushed, like something heavy was trying to break it down. I jumped and gasped slightly before I pulled my dress down lower so it wouldn't be as revealing as the final blow hit the door and I was faced with Dallas and four other drunk guys grinning at me.
The reality of the situation sunk in and tears brimmed in my eyes, all I wanted was a few moments to myself.
"Why you hiding in here pretty girl?" His words slurred even more as he stumbled inside, I stood up slowly and took a few steps back, my back hitting the wall behind me.
"Your drunk Dallas, I think you need a glass of water and to sleep it off." I said in my calmest voice that I could, which only earned a laugh from him while he walked closer, pulling me against him.
I gasped and flinched at the sudden movement, he was strong and I wouldn't be able to get away from his hold. "A rest? A rest!" He laughed and the guys behind him started to laugh while I tried to move away, but his grip only tightened.
"Dallas your hurting me!" I yelled while a few tears fell from my eyes, that would leave a bruise later, I just knew it.
"Am I now, princess." He almost spat the words in my face while his grip tightened even further, eliminating any hope I had of escaping, which earned another cry of pain to leave me.
"What happened to you Riley, you used to be such fun at a party, until you met that stupid Liam idiot, gosh he fucked you up so bad. He ruined everything!" He yelled and I closed my eyes tight hoping this could all just be a dream.
"Dallas.. Please let go.." I said quietly and looked back up at him, I knew this was the effect of the alcohol, but it was also his choice.
"Whatever you want princess." He hissed the words again and let go of me roughly, shoving me into the wall which caused me to fall on the ground and darkness to fill my vision.
I couldn't remember much after that, only little pieces, I remember them advancing on me, then something happened, I saw a man, I think, in a hoodie. I didn't know how he did it, but somehow the guys were gone in a second. I remember being carried and when I had woken up for a moment, all I saw was the black hoodie.
That was when I blacked out fully and I remembered nothing more from that day. Who was the guy in the black hoodie?