The first step to finding out who it is that is threatening me is to re read the message I have been sent again searching for any clues that might lead me to finding out who they are, the video is also a clue it has to be someone who was there that night at the party. This does not make me feel any better knowing its someone I probably know doing this to me but who?

I sit there waiting for the answer to become clear to e so this nightmare will end, but of course it doesn’t. I decide a walk will clear my head, Laurel always said it worked. I pull on a jacket and walk down our street, I see someone familiar walking towards me and see it is Michael, the new boy in our class. He is smiling at me so he must recognise me too “Hi, Ashley right?” he says with that infectious smile, even though its the last thing I want to do I smile back. I nod, “So, we live quite close to each other then, that girl who died recently lived near here too, I read about it in the newspaper.” I feel my insides turn to ice as he says the words. “Michael I’m sorry I have to go” I say and start walking fast away.

“Ashley wait!” he says and and sprints after me. He catches up to me and says in a softer tone “Im sorry I was so blunt, did you know her?” “She was my best friend” I choke out tears streaming down my face. “Oh my god” he says his face going pale “I didn’t, I couldn’t, Im sorry” I just cry even more “Please stop, why did I even bring it up I just moved here and you probably already want me to go again. I shake my head no, and stutter out “It was just an accident”

Michael pats my back consolingly and then hugs me “I’m so sorry Ashley I don’t know what it would feel like to lose her.” I hug him back. Over my shoulder I see two people walking along the road in our direction and I am reminded of another problem, Calum and Luke, they are laughing loudly as they walk, and I suppose they havent seen me yet. Then Luke looks up and sees me hugging this guy I hardly know, I know how I must seem to him, always changing my mind.

He looks furious, and right now I am worried for Michaels safety looking at the glare directed at him. Michael must see it too because he puts his hands up in the air in a peaceful gesture “Dude, don’t worry about it I wasn’t hitting on your girl” “She’s not my girl” spits out Luke through gritted teeth. He turns to me “Carry on then don’t let me stop you” Calum is just looking at me blankly, and thats even worse, Calum has never been this distant and cold with me, I guess Luke told him what happened that I’m a cold, heartless person.

Luke marches away from us pulling Calum with him and Michael turns to me looking completely confused, I shrug apologetically “It’s complicated” My phone buzzes in my pocket and I see its another anonymous text “You might have done what I said, but it won’t bring Laurel back, round 2 begins.” With a sinking feeling I say goodbye to Michael and run back to my house, expecting something terrible to await me, and it does.

Outside my house there is a police car, I can see some of our neighbours looking out of their windows, waiting for some drama to unfold. I don't want to go inside, but I know I have to, my legs feeling like logs I walk inside, a police officer sits at our table looking grave, he sees me come in and stands up. “Ashley Irwin, you are under arrest on suspicion of plotting to kill Laurel Madison."

Notes

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