❝ I genuinely thought the worst of this nightmare was over ❞
Halle Brewster told a lie, and the secrets kept growing. After slaying one stalker, another reared its nasty head, and Halle was starting to wonder if she'd ever be free from the friendshi...
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Slightly panicked, Emily shifted her stare around the courtyard. She hadn't seen Spencer among the bustling students either crowding the halls and taking up tables. The four friends were standing offside, under the enclosed walkway where they nestled up against on of the large, brick pillars. "I was hoping she'd be here, but she isn't," Emily said, fretting already. She didn't know how to break the news of Toby's fake funeral programme to her, just like she didn't know how to break it to her parents Red Coat had punched her driver's side-window through.
"Do you think Spencer just didn't get your SOS?" wondered Aria, gifting their missing friend the benefit of the doubt.
"Maybe, but she must have gotten one of the other twelve messages we sent," responded Emily, as she shut that suggestion down.
From her spot, her back to the courtyard, Halle simply quipped, "I ignored all your asses yesterday, and I got your messages."
"Yeah, but you replied to the SOS's," Aria rebutted.
"Okay, you guys," Hanna jumped in to save some of their wariness, "she has ditched school before, alright? It's not a big deal," she said, almost convincingly if not for her eyes dropping to the floor like she didn't quite believe what she was saying either.
Unwillingly, Aria sighed and conceded, "Yeah, you're right, I guess."
"Okay—" Emily took charge, speaking to them very carefully, "we just need to get through the day." Then, she suggested, her tone more calm, "If she doesn't call or show up, we'll go to her house after school."
"Cool," Halle said, not particularly in-satiated by their awfully drawn together plan. It hadn't sat well with her that Spencer didn't show up to either Hanna's or Emily's SOS-texts. After all, it was Spencer that implemented them again when Mona's A sprouted its wicked head.
The bell rang out, and students immediately started to clatter around them. The volume spiked, many wishing friendly goodbyes or 'catch-you-laters'. None of which Halle — nor her friends — had the privilege of saying often. It was always tainted by something bad. Something always happened to be around the corner. Today, it was their principal.
Principal Hackett managed to catch them just as they went enter the school, through the courtyard doors. "Girls." He met them welcomingly, but they knew it was bad when they saw the person next to him. "Good, you're all together. I think you know Spencer's sister, Melissa."
"Have you seen Spencer?" Melissa instantly blurted out at them, voice shaken with emotion. Her hair was much shorter now and the grey scarf around her neck made her appear older — more mature. It didn't help that she was instantly on them with concern, acting the way Veronica Hastings would. "Have you talked to her?"
