Hide and Secret (Wattys2015)

(21) Taylor's POV

When Jill handed me an invitation to her seventeenth birthday party coming up, my jaw just about dropped onto the floor, for two reasons: One, that she could actually think about a party at a time like this. And two, that she actually invited me.

"You're kidding. A party... now?" I blurted out, my mouth taking control before my brain got the chance to. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. The stalker had transformed my life in more ways than one. That, and the fact that a bit of Serena's boldness and Jill's assertiveness was rubbing off on me.

Jill squinted her eyes at me. "Yes, a party now," she replied, mocking my tone.

My face heated up. That was one habit I still couldn't break: The blushing. "Sorry, Jill. But just... The timing of the whole thing. Maybe you should host it another time, you know, when there's not a psychopath on the loose?"

Jill huffed and folded her arms. "The annual Jill Hemmings party is a family tradition. It's always on the same day. And though the timing is not ideal," she stressed that word vehemently. "It's got to be this way."

"Can't you just tell your mother something came up?" I pleaded.

Jill arched an eyebrow. "And what? Have her ask a billion questions that she doesn't really care about the answer to? No way. The party's happening, and all the information is on here." She tapped her perfectly manicured fingernail on the invitation that was now clutched in my hands.

Jill then turned around, starting to walk away, but then she looked back. "Oh," she tossed over her shoulder. "And wear something pretty."

I watched, shaking my head in amazement as she hailed some cheerleader, handing her an invitation.

"Hey!" A whisper came behind me.

I whirled around, surprised to see Emory standing there. "Hi... Do you need something?"

I hadn't spoken to Emory since I ran into her and Zach and she tipped me off about the real sender. And to be honest, I hadn't expected to talk to her again. Yet here she was, and she looked like she had something important to tell me.

Emory took a deep breath, before yanking my wrist and pulling me outside the school. It was sunny out, full of kids who were leaving on their buses to go home. Emory cast a furtive glance to them before dragging me to a more deserted area of school, on the side of the building rather than the front. "What are you doing?" I asked her, a little annoyed.

"I found something," she said in a whisper so quiet that I wasn't sure if I had heard it or if I was just imagining the thing.

"Found what, Emory?" I questioned. God, it was like pulling teeth.

"Yes, Emory. What did you find?" A familiar voice came from the shadows. Emory and I turned frantically to face the direction of the voice.

And then we saw Serena, along with Jill trailing behind her. Serena folded her arms. "Well? We're waiting."

Emory gave the two of them a scared look. "I can't tell you two," she said to Serena and Jill. "This is between Taylor and me."

That was when Jill exploded with anger. "Emory, not too long ago you were yelling at me for being secretive and distant! And now you're doing the exact same thing!"

Emory was wide-eyed and panicked now. "That's a totally different thing," she said quietly, sounding a little uncertain.

Jill looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel. Serena put her arms around Jill's shoulders, trying to calm her. Jill shrugged Serena off, before stepping closer to Emory. "Start talking."