A/n: First chapters always suck and are the hardest to write (and read) so please bare with me and give it a chance! It will get better, I promise!
Darien's POV
The rain pattered against the window and slid down the glass. I watched as the drops rolled down the sill, silently cheering on the one in the lead, hoping it would reach the bottom first. I had always loved the rain, the way it looked as it poured down and the rushing sound it makes fascinated me. I smiled when the rain drop made it to the bottom, beating the other one. I was such a child when it came to things like that, but it amused me.
"Darien, did you hear me?" The soft voice of my best friend, Nicole, rang in my ears, pulling me away from my thoughts.
"Sorry, what?" I turned around on my bed to looked at her. Her face held annoyance as she rolled her eyes and huffed out a sigh.
"I asked you if I could paint my nails," she repeated her question.
"Why would you ask me that?" I let out a laugh and adjusted my sitting position, settling with crossing my legs.
"Because I'd be using your polish..." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Yes, you can paint your nails, Nicole," I rolled my eyes and let out a giggle. I watched as she walked over to my shelve across the room and looked at all the colours I had aligned. After a few minutes, she settled on a light pink colour.
"You should paint yours, too," she cringed and looked down at my toe nails jokingly. I rolled my eyes once again before standing up and choosing a colour, completely agreeing with her suggestion.
I picked up a navy blue colour and sat back down on the bed with my knees up in front of me. I dipped the brush in the bottle and then swiped it along one of my nails, scrunching my nose up at the strong smell of it.
"So did you watch the news yesterday?" Nicole broke the silence after a few minutes.
"Yeah. Pretty stupid, huh?" I looked up at her and she shrugged.
"Yeah, I can't believe that someone would do that." She shook her head in disgust and made a gagging noise. I laughed and nodded.
"It's been going on for almost a year, it's not like it's shocking that it happened again." I shrugged and moved onto my next foot.
I heard her let out a sigh before speaking, "But it's still awful. It's been going on for far too long and so many young lives have been lost." She shook her head and closed the nail polish bottle, wiggling her toes around to help them dry faster.
"Don't you ever wonder who is doing it?" I asked and closed my own nail polish.
"All the time. I love that colour on you by the way," she pointed to my toes and smiled.
"Thank you.." I laughed. "And like, we never know who is going to be next, it could be us," I said and walked over to put the bottles away.
"Don't even say that!" Nicole raised her voice with a panicked look on her face.
"Calm down, what are the odds that it will be?"
"Still, please don't jinx it," she begged and lied down.
"Besides, you don't even have the look that he seems to be going for," I looked at her and her face scrunched up.
"What would that be?"
"The news said brown hair and brown eyes." I said.
"You have brown hair and brown eyes," she said quietly as her eyes widened. I just shrugged, but on the inside I was actually panicking.
"Alex will be here soon, I should probably start cooking." I sighed and stood up, walking out of my room. Nicole followed close behind as we entered the kitchen.
"Can't your brother cook his own dinner?" Nicole raised her eyebrows and sat on a counter stool.
"Is that even a question?" I rolled my eyes and walked to the fridge.
"Well I just figured since he is twenty two and all," she dragged out with a laugh.
"Yeah, but it's Alex," I sighed and boiled a pot of water.
"What are you making?" She leaned over the counter to see.
"Noodles, that's all he is getting," I laughed and poured a box of noodles in the pot.
"We should do something later," she suggested and I sighed, leaning on the counter.
"How? We have to be inside by eight because of the stupid curfew," I whined. I understand that the curfew is to help keep us all safe and it will only be temporary, but it's still a pain in the ass. I hope they catch this guy soon because it will be better for all of us once he is gone.
"Oh yeah. This whole thing is ruining my life." She threw her hands up beside her head and then leaned her head into her palms.
"That's what all the dead girls are saying," I looked at her and she rolled her eyes.
"It's not something to make jokes about, Darien. This is serious," she scolded me.
"Sorry, I just thought that I should lighten the mood. While I can," I whispered the last part and she shrieked, I laughed and held my stomach.
"I'm serious, Darien! Stop being so casual about this!" She raised her voice.
"Okay okay, I'll stop. But really, stop freaking out over it. You don't even know who is doing it so living in fear isn't going to help." I shook my head and stirred the noddles.
"Exactly, we don't know who is doing it! Anyone we pass could be the killer, anyone. The mail man could be the killer for all we know!" She threw her arms up and I raised an eyebrow.
"We don't even have a mail man, we pick our mail up at the post office..." I reminded her and she slouched in her seat.
"How do you think the mail gets there? A mail man drops it off," she told me.
"Yeah, but we don't see him and he doesn't see us. Technically he isn't our mail man," I explained and she sighed loudly.
"But you get the point," she pointed her finger at me.
"Whatever."
We continued talking about everything under the moon until the food was ready. I took it off the stove and poured it into three bowls, just in time for the front door to open.
"I'm home!" Alex called from down the hall. I heard his footsteps patting against the floor and eventually he came strolling around the corner.
"Hey," I smiled and handed him a bowl, he took it and said a quick thank you.
"Noodles? That's all I get?" He asked with fake disbelief.
"Sorry, not sorry," I shrugged. Nicole laughed as she started to eat.
"How are you, Nicole?" Alex smiled at her as we all sat at the table.
"I'm alright. You?" She responded.
"Good." He shrugged.
Silence took over and I began to feel upset. Alex hardly ever kept a conversation anymore. Ever since the police started making new rules and broadcasting about the crimes, he had been more serious and quiet. He's worried for me, I know he is.
"Wow, I can actually feel the awkward." Nicole spoke up and moved her hand through the air as if she was feeling it. I rolled my eyes and laughed on the inside but kept a straight face on the outside.
"Shut up," Alex said playfully and squinted his eyes. Nicole should be used to his sarcastic attitude by now, as it has been like ten years.
"How about we all just shut up and eat?" I suggested.
"Fine." Nicole huffed and continued eating. Alex let out a short laugh and continued also.
Two hours latter, it was already seven thirty and me and Nicole were walking downtown. After cleaning the kitchen and arguing with Alex for like an hour, we finally managed to sneak out to get some air. I hardly ever leave my house anymore because Alex gets too paranoid and it's hard to convince Nicole to go anywhere with her amount of fear. It's like I deal with a bunch of chickens. The odds of anything even happening to either of us is slim, considering the fact that we are together and the murderer only strikes one at a time. And Alex, well he's just over protective and annoying as hell. I realize that my look may match all of his previous victims, but it has to be a coincidence. I highly doubt that this guy would search the town for young girls with the right look, he'd run out of victims fast if he did.
"Maybe we should get back now, it's only half an hour 'till curfew." Nicole suggested.
"Exactly, there is still half an hour." I pointed out and continued walking along the sidewalk, getting further from home.
"Come on, it's staring to get dark and by the time I get back to my place it will already be curfew. If we stay out any longer I could get caught on the way home for being out too late." She pulled on my arm and tried to get me to turn around.
"Just a little more, please? I hardly ever get to go out anymore as it is." I pleaded and she sighed.
"Fine. But we are turning around in a few minutes." She told me sternly and I nodded, knowing that I will not listen to her but letting her think that I will.
"This is the creepy area." She whispered.
"It is not. It just happens to be where that girl was killed." I taunted playfully, giggling as I continued to pull her along.
"Exactly. That makes it creepy." She whined.
I stopped outside the side ally beside the pharmacy. This was where Maggie Greene was killed the other night. I knew Maggie, she was a nice girl, had her whole life planned out perfectly and was on her way to full success, it's a shame she never got to live it out. I didn't know her that well, only talked and socialized a few times. I'm three years older than her, or was three years older than her. I was in my last year of high school when she started as a freshman, she was a smart girl and was liked by many, one of the only grade nines I could handle. I had cried for a minute or two when I heard of her passing on the news and I found myself angry with the serial killer. She was an innocent girl about to graduate senior year, and she had everything ripped away from her so suddenly.
My thoughts shifted and I couldn't help but think about the fact that she had brown hair and eyes; just like me. I shook my head as I felt Nicole start to tug on my hand.
"Come on, don't just stand there. Let's go!" Nicole said harshly and pulled me away.
"You go ahead, I just want to walk a little longer," I told her and smiled.
"No way! Are you crazy?" She raised her voice as her eyes widened.
"No. Your house is further than mine, you'll be home on time for curfew if you leave now. I can walk for a few more minutes." I said and looked at her with a neutral expression.
"Are you sure you want to walk alone? Cause I don't," she asked and folded her arms across her chest in a nervous way, looking around in the dark for anything unnatural.
"I'm sure, and you'll be fine! You have time to get home, it's not eight yet," I assured her and she nodded.
"Okay... I'll see you tomorrow. And call me when you get home, if I don't answer call the police," she instructed me seriously and shook my shoulders.
"Okay, I'll call you when I get home and if you don't answer I'll call the damn police. But nothing is going to happen to you so just calm down," I rolled my eyes.
"Okay! And if you don't call by eight thirty I'm phoning your brother to see if you're home," she said.
"Alright, alright!" I laughed and she smiled before turning around and walking back the other way.
No one was out now, the streets were mainly empty other than the odd empty car. I waited until Nicole was around the corner before turning back to the ally. For some reason, knowing that Maggie was killed here makes me wonder. I took a deep breath before slowly walking toward it, entering the darkness between the buildings. I turned on the flashlight on my phone as I walked, looking around at all the garbage and stuff lying around. I made it all the way to the other end of the ally and to the back of the building before I saw it; the blood stains.
There behind the pharmacy was a big pool of blood dried onto the concrete. Police tape was still up around the area but that didn't stop me from seeing it. Tears formed in my eyes just looking at the mark, knowing that the blood once belonged to a young girl I used to know that didn't deserve to die at all. I wiped my eyes before turning around to start walking back. I exited the ally and looked at the time on my phone, seeing that it was already 7:58. I sighed, knowing that I'd never make it to my house in two minutes. I started to quicken my pace, walking fast down the side of the street. The streetlights started to flicker and right as I walked under one, it turned off. I jumped, not expecting it, before walking even faster. I heard a noise from behind me, sounding like footsteps. I turned around but saw nothing so I turned back around, thinking I'm just getting paranoid.
Suddenly, all the streetlights turned off and I gasped, starting to run. The only reason they turned off is because they shut them off at eight, to make sure people follow curfew. Although, if people over the age of twenty five were walking past eight, they would be walking in complete darkness as the sun starts to go down at seven.
I sighed in relief as I made it to my front door, throwing it open and slamming it shut when I got in, locking it behind me. My breathing was still heavy from running as I looked up to find an angry looking Alex with his arms crossed standing in front of me.
"Where were you?" He asked angrily.
"I told you before I left that me and Nicole were going for a walk." I reminded him and walked into the living room.
"I know that, but it's after curfew now." He informed me with anger and annoyance written across his face. I looked down at my phone and saw big numbers reading 8:05. I rolled my eyes before looking back up.
"By five minutes, come on!" I let out and rolled my eyes.
"Five minutes is five minutes. You could have gotten into trouble if anyone important saw you." He shook his head and made a 'tsk' noise to show his disappointment.
"Whatever, no one saw me so it doesn't matter." I shrugged and sat on the couch.
"But it's still dangerous out there after dark so it does matter." He sighed and sat down on the other end.
"I'm sorry, Alex. It won't happen again." I apologized sincerely. He looked at me and smiled.
"Movie?"
"Movie." I agreed.
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A/n: okay so like I said, first chapters are always the worst so bare with me! It will get better, I promise! Please leave a comment, your opinions and thoughts about this are important to me and they will help me out a lot! And also, please vote, it only takes two seconds to tap the little button!
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~Bailey xx