Apprehension ➵ Allison Argent (6)

Nine

Phoebe's POV:

I peek through the next aisle, seeing as Gwen held a book in her hands as she flipped through the pages.

"Let me talk to her." I whisper to Hayden with a small smile. "If we both go in there, she'll most likely think it's a setup."

She gives a small nod. "Good luck."

I walk away from the aisle before I turn to the next one which causes Gwen to look up from the book in her hands.

Realizing that it's a yearbook, I tilt my head in confusion. "What are you looking for?"

"Anything." Gwen muttered, never taking her stares away from the yearbook. "Anything to prove that Skylar is real."

"Hey," I place my hand in the middle of the book to prevent her from continuing to flip through the pages which causes her to look up to meet my eyes. "I believe you."

She rolls her eyes in annoyance. "No, you don't." She mutters before pulling the book away and placed it back on the shelf.

She fiddles with a blue, purple, and white bracelet and I raise a brow in curiosity. "Was that Skylar's?" I ask. She freezes at the question and I knew that it was something that isn't my business. "What happened to her?"

"We just went to bed, like any other night. I got up to get some water and I thought I saw a man standing in our yard. When I looked again, there was no one in there. But this morning my sister was gone a-and her room was completely empty." My eyes slightly widen in recognition. "I can't reach my mom and I tried to call Skylar's phone but the line's been disconnected. And no one believes she exists. The cops, the school, they're all saying there's no record of her. And everyone is looking at me like I'm crazy." She sadly looks down at the bracelet in her hands before she holds it out for me to see. "I made this for Skylar for her birthday. Mom forgot to buy her anything because she travels so much. This is the only thing I have left."

I crossed my arms. "You said that you saw a man in your yard. What did he look like?"

"He had a black hat, long coat..." She listed off before her brows furrow. "Uh, I couldn't see his face."

I cautiously look around before I grab her shoulders and force her to walk backward so no one else could hear. "The man you saw, it's called a Ghost Rider. They take people and you don't even know because they erase your memories. If you see them, according to mythology...they're coming after you next." I worriedly explain.

Unexpectedly, she blankly stares at my explanation before she shook her head with disbelief. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

My eyes slightly widen. "No, no, no. I'm trying to help you so you don't--"

"Is this just all the big joke to you?" She slightly raised her voice. "I don't believe in ghosts and I don't like being made fun of."

She harshly bumps my shoulder as she storms out of the library, leaving me to sigh in frustration.

How the hell does Olivia do this stuff?

Allison's POV:

"Look, I know I almost messed up again." Olivia spoke up from behind me as I spun the dial to my locker. "But if Claudia wasn't there, I'm sure I could've convinced him!"

"That's not the point, Liv." I sigh as I pull the handle and open the locker. "It's the way you talked to her and almost tried to scare her."

"It's not like I wanted to. I'm still—"

"Trying to get control with your emotions, I know." I interrupt, placing my textbook inside. "But even that, who knows when it'll happen again. I didn't forget the time how you melted Mrs. Finch's lab tables."