We got to her house as fast as we could.
Rowan started knocking hard.
After a few knocks Elisia opened the door and rolled her eyes seeing us.
"You guys need to leave me alone." She shouted as she walked away.
We walked in after her.
"We know who Monkeyman is." Hailey said breathlessly.
"What?" Elisia asked turning to us.
"We know who he might be." I corrected.
Hailey looked at me.
"Did you see what I saw Maddie?" She asked confused as to why I'm not saying he's Monkeyman too.
"I just-I don't know." I mumbled.
"It's Ash." Rowan spoke over Hailey and I.
"No it's not." Elisia said firmly.
"Someone sent this video to my dad." Rowan walked to Elisia and handed her her phone.
"They wanted the cops to see it." She added.
Elisia watched the video and right when I heard the gunshot, I saw Ash coming from a back room.
"Elisia?" He asked.
Rowan and Hailey jumped forward and pulled Elisia behind them to keep her safe.
"What is he doing here?" Hailey spat.
"What are you talking about?" Ash asked defensively.
"We saw the video. The video of you killing someone." Rowan said coldly.
"You're Monkeyman." Hailey spat.
"No!"
Elisia broke past them and stood by Ash.
"What are you doing? Did you see it?"
Hailey asked reaching for Elisia again.
Elisia jerked away.
"Guys! Wait a second." I shouted making everyone look at me.
I looked to Elisia and Ash and nodded telling them to explain.
Elisia nodded a thanks to me and then looked at them.
"It's not like that." Elisia said.
"I was there. That was-that was the night at the motel in Southview." Elisia started.
The night she nearly got raped.
Ash was there?
"The night she was attacked." Ash added.
"You shot the guy who attacked her?" I asked.
"In the leg." Elisia added.
"He didn't kill anybody." She said firmly.
"That's why he went to juvie." She asked handing Rowan her phone back.
"I'm sorry. We didn't know." I mumbled.
Ash and Elisia nodded.
"Monkeyman made this video. We was following you." Rowan mumbled.
Elisia crossed her arms.
"Which means he would have just let it happen." She mumbled.
"He's been watching the whole time." I mumbled.
He's been watching us for a while.
Since before I went to rehab.
Before Jensen was in a coma.
Maybe he even messaged Jensen before he had to change his target to me?
Elisia turned to Ash.
"If you hadn't been there-" she started and they met eyes.
"Monkeyman wants the cops to think Ash shot Raven." Hailey mumbled.
"This is so insane." I sighed.
I felt my phone go off.
They all looked at me with wide eyes.
With fear.
I checked my phone.
"It's my mom." I announced.
I read her message.
'Are you okay?'
I relied.
'Yes. Love you.'
Sent.
Suddenly all our phones went off.
This time when the fear hit, I knew it was him.
Not a false fear.
We all opened the private video sent by Monkeyman.
It was a video of Nikki getting her house ready for a party.
'SHOW UP OR ILL SHOOT HER'
My eyes widened and my grip on my phone tightened.
"That's Nikki's house." Hailey whispered.
I put my phone away as did the others.
"He better not hurt her." Hailey said panicking.
He means it.
We have to go.
We have to.
He'll kill her otherwise.
My god I feel so sick.
"We have to tell my dad." Rowan said panicked as well.
"Your right." Hailey agreed.
"Elisia?" Rowan asked looking to see if she agreed too.
"I agree we have too." Elisia nodded.
They all looked at me.
I nodded.
"Okay. Let's go." Rowan said as we all headed for the door.
As we walked out, Jake pulled in.
"Jake?" Rowan mumbled.
I saw how much she wanted to talk to him, but now isn't the time.
"I got this text at work." Jake said handing Elisia his phone.
"Unknown number." Elisia said looking at us.
"It's him." I mumbled.
"It's Monkeyman." Hailey nodded.
"If anyone talks to the cops, I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life behind bars. I know where you were Sunday night. Your alibi is a lie." Elisia read.
Rowan looked at Jake with panic in her eyes and he looked down trying not to look at her.
Elisia sighed.
Where was he Sunday night?
Elisia handed Jake his phone and his eyes went to Rowan.
Her eyes never left him until he looked at her.
She quickly looked away.
Oh, that's where.
"We have to go to that party." Rowan mumbled.
If we don't, his life is over and Nikki dies.
We all fell silent.
"How much time do we have left?" I asked breaking the silence.
Hailey checked her phone.
She looked around at us.
"Forty seven minutes."
Hailey answered.
Brandon.
He's friends with Sean and Nikki.
He's going to be there.
He could get hurt.
I pulled my phone out.
'Please don't go to Nikki's party tonight'
Sent.
🐵👨🏻
Jake drove us here.
I kept checking the timer.
When we parked outside her house it was at thirty five minutes.
Brandon text me back just as we parked.
'I'm already here. What's up?'
My stomach dropped.
There were already music blasting and people clearly having fun.
We all got out and started to walk inside.
Suddenly Elisia stopped and looked at her phone.
"Holy crap. Guys look." She said as we all circled around to see her screen.
It was a photo of kids.
A class photo.
"Brie sent my class photo from second grade." Elisia announced.
Elisia zoomed in on a boy on the far left upper section.
"This is him. I stole the teddy bear from this kid." She said firmly.
"His name?" I asked.
She scrolled down and zoomed in on his name.
"Dunbar Rakes."
That name.
"It sounds familiar." Rowan said.
It does.
I can almost remember.
"I don't know that name." Hailey mumbled.
"We have to find out what he looks like now." Rowan said.
Elisia started to check social media accounts.
"He's not on Facebook or Instagram." Elisia announced.
I closed my eyes and tired to remember.
It's on the tip of my tongue.
"I know how to find him." Hailey said making me open my eyes and zone back into what's going on.
She exhaled deeply and pulled her phone out.
"This page has all the guys that auditioned for Romeo." Hailey handed her phone to Elisia.
I leaned over to see.
"It was like a year and a half ago, but at least we can see what he looks like now." Hailey said.
It was a page of videos.
"You need to click on each video. They say their names in the beginning." Hailey added.
"I thought you said you didn't have a list?" Rowan asked.
Elisia clicked the first video.
The guy said his name and then spit something out.
The caption was mean.
It was a page to make fun of the rejects.
"Hailey what is this?" Rowan asked.
Hailey didn't meet her eyes.
"It's just a joke." She mumbled.
"You made a profile to make fun of all these guys?" I asked.
"Nikki and I thought it was funny." Hailey said defensively.
"Is it funny now?" I asked coldly.
"No. I mean, it's Romeo, you know. Those guys just aren't Romeo." She said looking down embarrassing.
I sighed.
Elisia shook her head.
"You wrote, this porker would eat Juliet for breakfast. Dude that's really mean." Elisia said firmly.
Elisia scrolled and read the next caption.
"This freak is a pizza face, ew no. All these nasty comments. Are you serious Hailey?" Elisia snapped.
"It was stupid." Hailey whispered.
"I think we'd all do things differently if we had the chance." Rowan mumbled.
I looked at Hailey and she looked down.
"You made a mistake. We all have. Especially with this guy. It's okay. That's not you anymore." I said giving her a small smile.
She nodded a thanks to me.
Rowan headed for the door.
Hailey and I behind her.
Everyone else behind us.
We walked in and the smell hit me right awake.
The alcohol.
I saw everyone drinking, having fun, kissing.
I remember when I was like them.
Drinking and kissing Jensen.
Not caring about anything around me.
About anyone, but him.
I hadn't realized I had stopped walking and was staring at some open bottles on a table.
Rowan grabbed my hand.
"Are you okay?" She asked softly.
She knew about my issues.
I nodded and forced a smile.
She nodded and we caught up to Hailey who had just spotted Sean.
Nikki saw Hailey and a huge smile broke over her face.
She walked over and Hailey hugged her tightly.
"You're okay." Hailey smiled.
"Oh I'm so happy to see you right now." Hailey added as they broke apart.
"I thought you were gonna come early?" Nikki asked.
"I got held up." Hailey mumbled.
"That's so lame." Nikki grumbled.
Nikki pulled Hailey into another hug.
"I seriously wanna kill everyone." Nikki mumbled.
Rowan and is stood off to the side a little awkwardly.
As much as I hate Nikki, Hailey really does seem to care about her.
Rowan nodded and Hailey and Nikki went to talk alone.
"What's the plan?" I asked Rowan.
She looked around.
"Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If you see anything text us."
She said as she took off like a soldier on a mission.
I sighed and nodded.
🐵👨🏻
I spotted Elisia and Ash in the corner.
She was on Hailey's phone.
She's scrolling for Dunbar.
That name rings a bell.
My phone started to ring and I pulled it out.
Brandon.
I answered it.
"Hey I got your-" he paused and I realized he could hear I was here.
"Are you at this party?" He asked concerned.
"No. I mean I am but-" he cut me off.
"Where are you?" He asked blankly.
I walked to the kitchen and stood in the corner.
"In the kitchen." I answered.
The call ended.
Great.
He thinks I'm here to relapse.
A moment later I saw him walk in and he saw me.
He looked so concerned.
He walked over to me and I saw him looking into my eyes to see if I was high or buzzed.
"I'm not here to party." I assured him.
"Why are you here Mads? Why did you tell me not to be here?" He asked leaning on the wall next to me.
"I'm okay. I was just here for Hailey." I lied.
He looked at me as if he knew I was lying.
"Are you coming to my house after this?" I asked.
He smiled at me and nodded.
"Of course." He answered.
"Are you really okay being here? Around all this?" He asked again.
I smiled and nodded.
I found myself standing in front of him and leaning up to him.
I wrapped my arms around his neck.
He leaned down and placed his hands on my waist.
Our lips met and I immediately tasted it.
He had been drinking and god did it taste good.
I found myself letting my tongue explore his mouth.
After some time of intense making up I had to pull back for air.
My brain caught up and I remember why I was here.
"Dunbar Rakes." I mumbled.
He looked at me.
"Do you remember that?" He asked.
I looked at him with wide eyes.
He knows.
"Remember what?"