June 31, 2017
Loud music blared throughout the whole house and into the backyard. For some reason, the DJ was playing 'you are my sunshine'. A strange choice for a teen party but I didn't mind, I hummed along happily. It was dark outside but the fairy lights hung around the house made the atmosphere feel cozy and warm- regardless of what was happening inside (or outside) of the house.
I sat on the patio steps in the backyard looking up at the night sky, trying to clear my mind. I may have had one too many drinks tonight but that doesn't matter. The stars were nowhere to be seen; hidden away behind ominous clouds and the soft glow of the moon.
"Hey who's down for another round of beer pong in the backyard?" An unfamiliar voice cried from inside the house.
I rolled my eyes, great, obnoxious boys. Looking down at my phone, I saw that it was already getting pretty late. Danielle was my ride home so I figured I would go look for her.
Sweaty bodies danced in the heat of the night as I awkwardly squeezed through, trying to find my friend.
Things got kind of awkward after her confession to me the other day. She told me that she had cheated on Lucas. I was close friends with both of them so I had no idea what to do. Danielle promised that it was a one time thing and wouldn't happen again. It felt like she was about to tell me something else but in the end chose to bite her tongue and stay silent.
The upstairs of this house was ominously quiet except for a hushed voice coming from one of the rooms. I shouldn't have been eavesdropping on someone's conversation but it became clear as I got closer to the room that the voice belonged to Danielle.
Instead of calling out her name and interrupting her call, something in me told me that was a bad idea. I stood outside, leaning my head close to the door to try and get a listen.
"Hey daddy" she greeted.
That was strange.
Lucas is downstairs, why should she need to be on the phone with him?
"Yeah everything's going just as planned. Turns out he's even more loaded than I thought he was. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity to get into his dad's office and find the bank account documents..."
She paused for a moment, projecting her voice towards the door. "Is anyone there?"
Immediately, I pinned myself to the wall beside the door, breathing silently and hoping that she didn't hear me. Whatever she was talking about, it seemed really suspicious.
"Anyways," She continued, "you're a horrible detective, dad. When we were doing research before moving out here, you said you were sure it was Farkle. Turns out you sent me to the wrong boy. Lucas is just his friend, it's Farkle who's dad is crazy rich."
Oh. She was talking to her father.
Danielle sighed heavily, "Whatever, I think that Farkle kid is a faggot anyways, maybe it's better that I use his straight best friend to get into his dad's bank account."
Heading that word made me so angry, I wanted to run into the room and snatch the phone she was talking to and break it into a million pieces. People can call me whatever they want but when it comes to Farkle, I'm more protective of him than anyone else in the world. My fists clenched angrily and my nails pierced into my palm.
I was starting to calm down when all of a sudden, my phone fell out of my pocket and onto the floor- causing a loud cluttering sound.
Shit.
"Who is that?" She ran out, tucking her phone away and seeing me. "Oh hey Riley!" She chuckled nervously with a fake smile plastered on her face.
I squinted my eyes at her, trying to see past her facade. "You're not who you really say you are, are you?"
Was our friendship fake this entire time? She moved her in the middle of the school year and never really told us why. Now it's all coming together.
She reached out to grab my shoulder, squeezing it gently just like she used to always do when I was anxious. "Listen Riley, I can explain. We're best friends you have to believe me."
I moved back a couple inches, shoving her hand off my shoulder roughly. "You're not my best friend. My best friends are Lucas and Mason and Farkle. Best friends don't lie and deceive each other the way you did." I growled, heading down the stairs.
"Wait!" She grabbed my wrist again, causing me to yank my arm back in anger.
"Stop touching me!" I yelled, though it was barely heard over the loud thumping of the music downstairs on the main floor.
"Riley please, you can't tell anybody." She pleaded, tears forming in her eyes.
This girl was a manipulator and I'm not going to fall for her tricks again. "I don't owe you anything."
With that, I huffed and started down the stairs to go find the boys and explain what just happened. From behind me, I hear a threat. "I'll expose you and Mason to the whole school. Tell them you're a disgusting lesbian and he's just covering up your tracks so he can date Farkle the faggot."
I winched slightly at her words. They were full of poison and anger, completely different from her gentle pleading from earlier. Everything she does is an act.
"I dare you." I said proudly. "I'm done hiding who I am, maybe you'll do me a favour by outing me." I smiled passive aggressively.
Danielle was clearly confused, she must've thought I would've been on my hands and knees promising her I'd keep my mouth shut if she didn't out me. I took advantage of those extra two seconds and sprinted down the stairs and into the backyard where the boys should be.
"NO!" She yelled, chasing after me once she realized what had happened.
The backyard was empty except for Mason who was sitting on the steps looking up at the stars. Looks like the game of beer pong had finished already and everybody except him headed back inside.
His brown eyes widened when he saw me. Mason was 6'2 and muscular but was the most gentle human I knew. The brown curls rested messily on his head but he somehow made them look perfect. "Riley, there you are! I've been meaning to talk to you about something." He said, flashing me a grin that showed off his white teeth.
Trying to catch my breath, I shook my head and dismissed him. "Not now Mason." He tilted his head in confusion. "Something bad just happened. We need to go!"
Before he could reply, Danielle stumbled into the backyard through the sliding door that was wide open. Her lips pressed together firmly when she realized I was telling Mason about what I had just overheard. She pulled a gun out from the inside of the bulky jacket she had been wearing all night.
"I'm sorry." She mouthed, bringing the gun up and point the barrel straight at me.
In that moment, three things happened simultaneously.
1. Danielle pulled the trigger without hesitation, the dark look in her eyes showed no sympathy for what she was about to do.
2. I raised both arms up to cover my face and turned away, wincing as I expected the pain that never came.
3. Mason saved me. Moving at lighting speed, he jumped in front of me and took the bullet. Protecting me from the blow.
I remember the way his body recoiled at the impact, his blood getting everywhere.
I remember the panic in Danielle's eyes as she realized what she had just done.
I remembered how full of life the body in front of me was, a mere minute ago.
I never found out what it was that Mason wanted to talk to me about. I guess I never will.
"Shit." Danielle mumbled, putting her gun away hastily and looking at me like she didn't know what to do with me. She reached into her jacket again and pulled out a cloth that seemed to be wet with some kind of liquid chemical.
"No. No. No." I responded, taking a step back with each no as she only got closer and closer to me. Mason was lying unconscious on the ground and it was all my fault. And I can't even spare him the dignity of tending to his wounds or checking if he survived.
"This will be quick." She whispered, looking around quickly before putting the cloth over my face, covering my mouth and nose.
The music turned off and kids were starting to stumble outside to hear what all the commotion was about. "I can't be seen here." She thought aloud.
My mind was spinning and the whole world got darker and darker, as I could feel myself fading in out out of consciousness while she tugged me out of the backyard and into her car. Not once did she lift the cloth up from my face, I felt like I was suffocating but I couldn't fight back. How could I? There was no point. She was going to kill me too, just not here. That would incriminate her for sure.
"They'll catch you for this you know." I choked out, my words coming out as muffled rather than clear speech.
She laughed mockingly. "No they won't. I'm not going to kill you Riley. Just frame you for the murder of your 'boyfriend', that's all."
Just like that, I couldn't remember my name anymore. Why I was here or who the girl in front of me was. All I knew was that I was so, so tired.
"Good, it's working." She noted and pressed the cloth into my face even harder. I flinched with pain at her toughness.
My eyes began to droop shut, and the last thing I heard before completely losing my consciousness was the sound of a car engine starting up and the girl talking to herself. "Now where should we drop you off..." She hummed.
Darkness.