Flipped

1.1

"Hey! Wake up!" Shove.

I gave a start and looked to my right, where the whisper came from. Taylor, sitting next to me in History. Smirking. Enjoying the fact that I had dozed off. I mean, it was no surprise. It was Friday. In June.

Gah. Okay. Wake up, Chris. I made the sure to keep my head up for the next twenty minutes of Mr. Shenan going on and on about the Civil War. The bell finally rang and I bolted. I saw Mike, heading out the door. I locked eyes with him. I couldn't keep this secret anymore.

"Ookay. Who died?" he said, noticing my ghostly expression.

I said nothing. It was a restless four minutes as we fought our way through the halls, past the gym and canteen, and out the front doors, one, two, three.

We kept walking to get out of sight, stopping in front of the huge elm tree about a block from the school. Mike turned and looked at me, incredulous. He has blonde, short hair, and sort of the quiet-confident thing that can come off as just a tad arrogant if you don't know him.

"Just let me know what you think of this, okay?"

I showed him my phone. He glanced at the message I had open. "Maplewood Crescent Library, Saturday, 1 am."

"Well, let's just call in the Reaper, why don't we?"

"I've been getting these for weeks, Mike. One every few days."

He paused a bit at that. "What?"

"I don't know who's sending them or why but I think I want to check it out."

He sighed. "You know you asked the right person. I'm in." He checked his watch. "I'll see you for 1. Don't...die, okay?" I shot him a look, but he only laughed.

I walked the long way home, past the Starbucks on 13th street and through the park that would eventually turn into the Best Buy and then, a few streets later, into green and white house where my family lived.

My mom was still at work – she usually doesn't get back until six – but my sisters Sophie and Jordan were home, playing video games in the living room as usual. I murmured a hello, and started up the stairs.

"Hey! Not so fast." Jordan giggled. "You need to play Mario Kart." I instinctively was going to decline, but why not? I needed the distraction.

It was just after midnight when I crept out of my room. I pass my sisters' rooms on either side of the hallway. My room is at the end of the hall. I crouched to put my shoes on and eased the door open.

It was pitch black outside. I could barely see a white cat crossing our neighbor's yard to the left. I shivered. It wasn't cold.

It was a 20 minute walk to the library. Mike wasn't there yet, and I waited, hiding in some bushes about a block away. I motioned for Mike to get down as he came up beside me. "So glad I caught you. I'd hate for this midnight stroll to just be me and my deathly thoughts."

"It's getting old, Mike. Old."

We waited. It suddenly seemed dead quiet. No animals. I tried to breathe in short, shallow gasps. My legs started to hurt. But moving scratched my skin, which is no big deal - until the seventh, tenth scratch, and then --

Suddenly – movement! I sucked in, and almost fell on my butt. A few yards to my left. Sidling up behind a cluster of trees off to the left. Looking at us.

"Are you serious?" Mike whispered. I could see him, frazzled. He saw them too.

I squinted. "Is that – Ava?"

I waved them over. They hesitated, but soon crept towards us.

"Ava? Taylor?" I stifled a laugh. "Okay. This is ridiculous!"

Ava and Taylor were two girls from school. They were pretty good friends. Ava was athletic, blonde, and pretty serious. And cute, although I would never tell her that. Taylor is a brunette, and kind of the outdoorsy type. She's quieter, and very much a thinker.

"What are you two doing here?"

In response, I showed her my phone, and her eyes widened. She looked at me, not needing to say anything. Yup – same text.

It was a warm summer night. But suddenly, it felt very, very cold.