If you could hear the thoughts of the people around you, you would know how ruined the world is.
Shit, does he know I cheated on him? A girl in the hallways of the school whose boyfriend doesn't react as enthusiastically as she would have wished.
Little do you know I don't love you. The boyfriend.
It's over. She's dead. A girl whose phone rings suddenly. Her expression relaxes after picking up.
She can't see them, can she? A boy who passes her, tugging on his sleeves.
If I fail this, I'm done.
God, I hate her.
Hypocrite.
Should I call after them? Nevermind. They won't wait.
I hope Hannah's alright after last night.
Hope Manning knew every secret in these hallways. She knew who hated whom, who dated whom. She would have known everyone's private life if she had cared for that. Every month, she stood still in the hallways of the school and looked for a victim. That was what Amethyst liked to call them, but really, they were just people who called it upon themselves. Sometimes there were more of them. Sometimes there were none.
And this Monday meant a new month, so it also meant a new person to harass. A new game with Amethyst. But that Monday, Hope's roommate didn't seem in the mood. She didn't seem in the mood to do anything when Hope first saw her in class. They had gone home for the weekend, so they hadn't had the chance to eat breakfast together.
Amethyst was late, as always, but this time she didn't walk cheerfully into the classroom. The knot on top of her head was messy, even for her, a few faded pink strands hanging around her face. She didn't even nod Hope good morning when she sat down on the other side of the room, next to the window. She immediately took out her notebook and started doodling. The teacher looked at her with disapproval in her eyes, but making Amethyst come on time was a lost cause.
What's wrong? Hope wrote on a page of her notebook and ripped it out. She crumpled it in her fist and when the teacher wasn't looking, she tossed it at Amy's neck. Her head snapped up, and immediately a glare appeared on her face. Hope raised her eyebrows and nodded at the note. Amethyst picked it up, read it, and shook her head. Hope waited impatiently until the teacher was turned to the board again. When she did, Amethyst mouthed: you'll see.
It had to have something to do with her weekly visits to the graveyard in her hometown. Had something happened? Maybe something was wrong with that boy of hers – but he was dead. What could possibly happen to a ghost?
Hope didn't have to wait for very long. After about fifteen minutes, someone knocked on the door and the principal entered the room. He smiled sadly to the teacher, who nodded.
"Hello, class," the principal said. A few muttered hello's and hi's sounded, scattered through the classroom. Hope remained silent. And so did Amethyst.
"You probably have noticed that someone is missing today," he continued. Was it? Hope looked over her shoulder. Oh, yeah. Lauri. But that was not very uncommon.
"I'm sorry to have to bring you this news, but Lauri Washington committed suicide this Saturday."
The class fell completely silent. Hope looked over at Amethyst, who was inspecting her fingernails. So that's what she meant. She had to have seen her.
"I'm sure she meant a lot to you all, and if someone wants to talk to anyone about these happenings, we have set up a memorial for Lauri in the auditorium. A therapist will be present."
With a kind nod, he left. The door closed, and muffled sobs sounded from the corner of the room. Hope didn't have to look to see who it came from. Amethyst stood up and walked over to Ashley. She had been Lauri's best friend, and Hope knew she, even before it had even happened, felt responsible.
"Let's go outside, honey," Amy said softly. Hope looked behind her just in time to see how Ashley nodded and hung on to Amethyst as if her life depended on it.
Don't you dare, Hope Manning.
Amy's thoughts sounded clear and furious. She didn't look in her roommate's direction, but if she would have, her eyes would have been flaming with rage.
Normally, Hope didn't care for that rage. But now it felt even for her inappropriate. Hope huffed when the door closed, causing a stray dark curl to flutter in the air.
Amethyst found Hope before she could even start looking.
"Go on, guys," she said to her friends. "I'm coming."
She turned to Hope, who raised her eyebrows and said: "I have to go to class, Amy."
"Stop it, okay? Take a break," Amethyst hissed in response.
Hope leaned against her locker.
"You spoke to her."
"I did, as a matter of fact."
"Why are you so angry with me?" She was genuinely curious. Amy couldn't possibly think Hope had caused Lauri's death, did she?
"Just... stop it, okay? It doesn't work. It doesn't make any sense. There is enough misery on this world. Listening to Lauri... it made me realize that we... that you... are so ungrateful."
Amy couldn't be threatening if she wished, but she was an expert in making people uncomfortable.
"People die every day. That shouldn't stop me from doing what I want."
"Are you hearing yourself?" Red spots started appearing in her neck. "Ugh. Just..." Amethyst started to turn away from her, but Hope caught her by her elbow.
"Give me one good reason. We had a treaty, and now you're trying to change it."
Amethyst narrowed her blue eyes.
"Because it's the human thing to do. And because everyone in this school has enough on their plates right now. A lot of people loved Lauri."
Just like a lot of people love you, but still, you are here complaining.
"Okay," Hope heard herself say. "One week."
Amethyst hesitated.
"Thanks," she said.
And Hope tried. She really tried, but during fourth period, she heard something she couldn't ignore. Amethyst wasn't it this class, so she couldn't be angry with her. She just never had to know.
Just two words, but they stood out by the fear that shone through. Okay, it was not if Hope hadn't chosen to listen. She just saw the discomfort on the face of the girl a few chairs to the left. Those face were the most interesting. It was funny to hear how they were panicking about homework they didn't do, about a bad grade, about a teacher who didn't like them. It was more fun than listening to depressed thoughts and girls who cheated on their boyfriends. She couldn't do anything with these little thoughts she was about to hear – or so she thought – but they were like reading a comic book in between heavy books of philosophy.
Oh, God.
The girl was staring at the teacher. Her thoughts continued.
Please don't look at me.
It was a normal thing to think when you don't want to be caught for something, but Hope knew that wasn't the cause when the teacher did look at her. He smirked, and she paled. What was happening? Hope focused on the thoughts of the teacher, and almost tumbled off her chair.
Ah, look at her. Pretty little thing. Did you enjoy last night just as much as I did, Katie?
He winked at her. It could have been interpreted at as a playful gesture from teacher to student, but Katie became even paler and seemed to want to flee the classroom.
"Hello, class," the teacher said, smiling. He looked away from the scared girl. "Please open your book on page 154."
Hope didn't react. She looked from Katie to the teacher and back. What had happened? She didn't know the girl at all. She had never bothered to read her before. Katie was the sort of girl you forgot was there, who wasn't popular but not hated either. She had a few friends, people like her. Something bad had happened.
"Hope Manning, wasn't I clear enough?"
Hope pulled her textbook from her backpack and placed it on her desk, glaring at the teacher.
When he turned his back on her, Hope plucked her phone up and started a message to Amethyst.
need to talk 2 u
She thought Amy wouldn't reply in class, but a few seconds later, the response came in.
what do u want???
Hope started replying, but she froze.
"Miss Manning." The teacher's voice was cold as ice. "Texting in class?"
Hope let her phone fall into her backpack and crossed her arms.
"I wouldn't dare."
"I shouldn't remind you that you can't afford to not pay attention." Hope bristled.
"I'll start paying attention when you start teaching interesting things."
The teacher's eyes lit up with his smile. It was not a kind smile.
"What's more important, then?"
"None of your business."
I don't think you want me to really say what's keeping me busy right know, sir, Hope thought.
"You can hand in your phone, young lady."
Hope heard snickering in the far corner of the room and flipped her middle finger at the girl sitting there. With her other hand, she retrieved the fallen phone and she stomped to the teacher's desk. She passed Katie on her way, and saw her rubbing her arm.
How long does it take bruises to heal?
A while, darling, Hope thought, but Katie couldn't hear her, not as Hope did. She dropped her phone on the wood, ignoring the man's satisfied grin, and returned to her chair. She spent the rest of the lesson glaring at the teacher – she couldn't be bothered to learn their names, who was somewhere in his middle thirties, and thinking about Katie. Hope was probably overreacting. No teacher could do such things, could they? She just wanted something sensational. A real victim. But without wanting it, she started to feel bad for the girl. What had really happened? This was not like a girl cheating – those bitches deserved their places on So Very – and Hope had never tried ruining a teacher before. The bell rang, and she was out in mere seconds. Amethyst was just as late out of class as she arrived, so Hope positioned herself by the cafeteria doors and waited for her. She watched the giggling, talking, hyperactive or half-dead teenagers pass by, and when Amy walked by, surrounded by her friends. Hope caught her arm, and Amethyst turned, scared.
"Oh, it's you," she said when she saw Hope. "What was the problem earlier?"
"I need to talk to you," Hope said flatly. "Now."
She didn't know why she was so bothered by the situation earlier.
Amethyst frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"Not here, dumbass."
Hope didn't even wait for Amy to signal to her friends that it was okay, she just dragged her to an empty classroom.
"Isn't this a bit extra?" Amethyst muttered, rubbing her arm. Hope glared at her and leaned against a desk.
"So you know my English teacher..."
"Mr. Johnson?"
"Whatever. So I read him today."
"You said you would take a break!" Hope's glare intensified.
"I tried to, okay? But there's this girl in my class and she was looking particularly scared at the man so I thought she hadn't done her homework or something..."
"And you wanted to have some fun. I get it," Amy huffed, but she was silenced by Hope's finger against her mouth.
"It wasn't homework. I think."
And then Hope told her in detail what she had heard, and when she saw Amethyst pale, she knew she was right. Something was definitely wrong.
"We should do something." Amy whispered when Hope was finished. "Call the cops."
"We don't have any proof."
"We can ask Katie! I know her a bit. She might listen."
Hope stayed silent. Amy paled further.
"Hope. No way. This is serious. This is not a game."
"He deserves it, doesn't he? We can ruin his life, look at how he reacts, turn him in to the police. Maybe his suspicious behaviour will help getting him in jail. Or at least get him fired."
Amethyst started pacing through the room.
'That's the worst idea I've ever heard. What if he finds out it's you? Then he can turn you in."
"The things I do aren't illegal," Hope pointed out, following Amethyst with her gaze. She frowned. "Are they?"
"Probably, Manning. I'll talk to Katie. Maybe she knows where to get proof."
"How the fuck do you get proof of this sort of things? You install a camera in her room?"
"Maybe."
Hope shook her head. When she spoke again, her voice sounded as done with Amy as she could master.
"My 'things' don't need proof. But they are always right. People won't doubt it. He will be fired, at least."
"No way, Hope!" Amethyst stood still in the middle of the classroom and crossed her arms. "I'm going to go eat. And then I'm going to talk to Katie."
She was gone before Hope could reply.