Jake Gardner “Please tell me. Is he really out of danger?” My wife asked on the other end of the line. “Yes, he is,” I replied. “The bullet hit his shoulder. He’s going to be fine.” I heard her sighing on the other end of the line. "Thank God. I'm going to call Amber to let her know; she's so wo
“I really wish I didn't care, just like you don't care,” I said. “Are my grades at school terrible? Fuck them; I don't care. Who cares about social life or social issues? I want everyone to explode. I'm going to continue here in my room playing my shooting and death games until I feel accomplished.
Annie When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the feeling of lying in my bed. I was back home, safe, and just knowing that made me want to cry with happiness. I hugged my pillow and inhaled that smell of my comfort that felt so good to me; I just couldn't believe that I had actually decided t
Annie This time I was the one who went to my parents' bedroom door and knocked lightly. My dad was downstairs with the whole family while they were preparing something to eat, but he had told me that Mom was in their room, so I had decided to use that time to go talk to her. When I got there and we
Laura Anne and I spent some time together there in the room, hugging each other, while I felt my world slowly getting back on track. Even though my daughter was safely home and the suffocation was over, I was still scared that something like this could happen again. But Anne and I talked a lot, and
Laura “What will happen now?” I asked my husband when he and I were about to go to sleep that night. The day with the family had been incredible after Annie's return; we had been talking, playing board games, we saw a movie in the cinema right there at home, we went to dinner, and now everyone was
Annie “Your mom and I think you need to take a few days off,” my dad said. “Your teachers are aware of what is happening; they even advised you to take time for yourself. For me, we could go on a family trip; how about that? They say Venice is very beautiful at this time of year.” He was smiling a
Annie Mom and Dad left my room after our conversation; they had daily chores to do. I also needed to go to school. Mom offered me a ride and said that before I finished getting ready, I should go and meet her downstairs as she was waiting for me to take me to school. When I was alone, I unboxed m
Annie POV Peter Morton’s face was just inches from mine, staring at me. The electric blue of his eyes was so close I could see his irises dilating and contracting. “You okay, Lady Ann?” he asked. I sighed with a small smile, half in delight. “It’s been a while since anyone called me that.” Actual
Annie POV The masked boy—who I didn’t want to admit was Peter—took me to an upscale, comfortable hotel where I could spend the night safely, away from everything, and try to regain my composure and figure out what to do next. “You can stay here,” he said calmly, though his voice still carried a hi
Annie POV The masked boy led me through the dark campus, his hand firm in mine as we ran away from the ballroom. My legs trembled, the blue dress swishing with each step, and tears still streamed down my face, hot and relentless. The sound of the shouts, the judgments, still echoed in my head, bu
“No choice?” He cut me off, his tone incredulous. “Are you serious? You chose to help Madison make that video. You chose to plug it into the projector. And now Annie’s out there, broken, while you try to run from the responsibility. This doesn’t fix anything, Abby. It wasn’t supposed to end like thi
Abby POV I was there, tucked away in the shadows of the ballroom’s corner, my heart still racing as I watched the chaos I’d helped create unfold. The giant screen kept playing that horrible video, distorted and manipulated clips of Annie echoing through the room like a final verdict. People poin
Annie POV I was still on the dance floor, the warmth of the masked boy’s body against mine, my head resting on his chest as the slow music guided us. The sound of his heartbeat against my ear was almost hypnotic, and I let myself get lost in that feeling I couldn’t quite explain. He’d just said s
I swallowed hard, Caleb’s words coming back to haunt me. “Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we’ve gone too far?” He’d said that at the mall, and I’d hung up on him, but now they echoed in my head. Annie had hurt me, yes. The fight in the dorm, the way she called me fake, like I was trash she
Abby POV I was leaning against the wall of the ballroom, the cup of punch in my hand already warm and forgotten, as I watched Annie dance with that masked boy. The soft lights of the ball cast shadows over them, and even from so far away, you could feel something in the air—a chemistry almost tangi
Anne POV I was there, trying to at least pretend I was enjoying the party with Summer, letting the loud music and spinning lights distract me from the weight pressing on my chest. Summer danced beside me, throwing her arms up with that endless energy of hers, and I tried to keep up, forcing a smile