Young Writers Society

Prologue

Eight months ago, a middle-aged married couple were walking along the beach in Florida on a hot summer afternoon. They were talking about how much they missed their daughters who were staying at their grandmother’s house for two weeks while they were away. The woman, named Abigail, was trying to decide if they should leave early to see their girls, but then quickly realized that they needed time together away from them.

Before leaving the beach they jumped in the water. Before they knew it, they had swam out too far and the water pulled them out farther into the ocean. They tried to call for a lifeguard, but their voices were faint and no one heard their cries for help.

Early the next day, the grandmother received a phone call at 3:24AM, stating that her daughter and her son-in law were missing. Frantically trying to gather her grandchildren into the car, she heard the phone ring again. The woman on the other end explained that Abigail and Paul were found...at the bottom of the ocean. In an instant, she was left with her two granddaughters to raise and care for, all on her own.

Chapter 1

Replaced

Eight Months Later...

“140 Jackson Drive Apartment A.” Audrey said into the phone.

“Your total is $10.53 and we’ll be there in 15 minutes.” The man on the other end of the line said.

“Thank you!” She answered, hanging up the phone.

“Pizza’s coming!” Audrey yelled, her voice echoing through the apartment.

“Audrey! Audrey!” Amelia Lee shouted, skipping up to her sister with a big, bright grin.

“Where are we going to go tonight?” dancing around Audrey’s room.

It was old and she didn’t have many things. No collections of lip gloss or shoes lining her closet floor, in fact, she didn’t even have a closet. Her bedwas an old twin bed mattress and her nightstand was a plastic, white porch chair that they found outside the bus station. The dirty curtains hanging from the two windows, smelled of ashtrays and depression. Audrey and Amelia Lee always imagined that a very lonely smoker lived there before them.

“I was thinking we could go to the park because it’s right down the street.” Audrey whispered, kneeling down next to her little sister.

“Super Cool!” Amelia Lee squealed as she continued her dance.

“Gram won’t be home from the office until 6:00, so that will give us plenty of time to hide in the bushes, and then we can eat.” Audrey explained, wearing a sparkly smile.

“Shouldn’t we get going?” Amelia Lee asked eagerly, looking at the clock. Six minutes had passed and they needed to go soon.

“Grab your shoes and meet me at the door.” Audrey said, reaching for her only pair of winter boots. They were about to fall apart and two sizes too small. If it wasn’t for the fact that she needed something to wear they would go directly to her sister, who had to wear boots that were too big.

“Hurry! Hurry!” Amelia Lee yelled, grabbing Audrey’s hand, pulling her out the door. The cold air wasn’t good for their chapped lips.

“Yikes! It sure is cold.” Audrey whispered, rubbing her arms.

“I wish we had real snow stuff like the kids in my class, that way we could at least go outside and not turn blue.” Amelia Lee complained with her head down.

Audrey knew her sister wanted to be like the other kids and she wanted that too, but she knew things would never change.

“Oh look! He’s coming!” Amelia Lee yelled, hiding behind the closest bush. Just then, a white truck with Pizza Kingdom written on the side in bright orange bubble letters,pulled up in front of their apartment. A teenage boy with red hair and freckles got out of the car holding two large boxes.

“Yummy!” Amelia Lee said under her breath as the boy walked past the bush. The smell of greasy cheese and sweet sauce trailed behind him. He then knocked on the door and waited holding the pizza.

Audrey quietly cleared her voice. “Can you please leave it there and bill us, I just got out of the shower?” Amelia Lee’s face turned red from holding in her laugher at Audrey’s attempt to mock their Gram’s voice.

The boy cautiously placed the boxes on the steps and headed back to the truck, looking confused. The girls waited until the Pizza Kingdom truck was completely down the road before they ran out and grabbed their stolen pizza.

“We’re so bad!” Amelia Lee said, grabbing one of the boxes of cheesy goodness.

“It’s not like we got stuffed crust!” Audrey added with a giggle in her voice. “Then we’d be real criminals.” They laughed as they began walking to the park.

“Did you remember the sodas?” Amelia Lee wondered nervously.

“Yeah. My friend Hannah gave me four.” Audrey answered. “Her sister just had her sweet sixteen so they have like a million containers of Pepsi and Sprite!”

The girls arrived at the park at sunset and picked a perfect spot under an oak tree. Every shade of blush, rose, coral, and gold, blended together into a braid that decorated the cool March night sky. It looked like a descendant of Van Gogh painted the sunset for their Indiana neighborhood.

“I love these nights.” Amelia Lee said through a mouthful of pizza and Pepsi. “I wish we could have these more often.”

“You know that I am trying my best but if I do this everyday, they are going to notice that we don’t...” Audrey lowered her voice. “That we don’t pay them.” Her voice was almost silent when she spoke the last words of her sentence. No sounds came from Amelia Lee when she overheard a conversation from a group of girls behind Audrey stuffing their faces with mint chocolate chip and cookie dough at the ice cream shop.

“And can you believe how selfish Audrey has been acting these last few months. I’m like at the point where I can’t be around her anymore.” A girl said shoving ice cream in her mouth. That girl happened to be Audrey’s best friend, Hannah Jacob.

“It really sucks that she’s in like all my classes especially since all she does is complain about being said and having such a hard life. I mean she’s making my life hard.” Sarah, Audrey’s other good friend added.

“Yeah I mean it bothers me too but I kinda understand that she’s going through a hard time.” Allison, Sarah’s best friend said.

“Whatever. Bad time or not, she can’t just be a jerk to everyone.” Hannah explained.

“My friends? How could they say those things?” Audrey mumbled to herself while staring at the ice cream shop. Amelia Lee understood and started to close the boxes and finish her Pepsi.

“Huh? What are you doing?” Audrey said looking down at the half eaten pie. Amelia Lee took Audrey’s hand and started to head home. Audrey couldn’t move, she needed to confront her friends for being so inconsiderate. Amelia Lee tried pushing her sister away from the oak tree, but she wouldn’t budge.

“Come on! It’s getting late, and we need to get back before Gram gets home from work. Let’s go!” Amelia Lee begged hoping her sister would come to her senses and leave.

“No.”

Shocked at her sister’s answer, Amelia Lee finally gave up and swung her backpack over her shoulder. They quickly walked over to Hansel and Gretel’s Homemade Gelato Shop where her friends sat.

As soon as Audrey ran through the front door, tears rushed out of her eyes. Screams and cries filled the apartment, echoing through the halls. Suddenly, the door opened, and a person walked in.

“At least I don’t have to steal pizza for dinner or go to the bathroom in the shrubs outside.” The cheerleader said with a giggle in her voice.

“Where do you take a shower, in the fountain in the mall?” She questioned getting in Audrey’s face.

“Oh no!” Sarah said. “That would be a privilege for her. She bathes in the locker room after school. It’s the only reason she signed up for field hockey.” Sarah explained with a smirk.

“I mean it’s not like she’s athletic!” This caused the whole group to laugh and point a Audrey who was hiding behind the couch.

“No wonder why she wants to be one of us!” The cheerleader sneered showing off her bow and sweatshirt.

The door opened only moments after, it was Gram. She looked tired and hungry like she usually was after a hard day at the office. The “office” was just another word for working at the gas station selling lottery tickets to the citizens of Carmel, Indiana. She would always come home with extra scratch tickets that they didn’t sell that day but they never won anything good.

“Hiya pip squeaks!” Gram’s Indiana accent chimed.

“I hope you aren’t too hungry.”

“No we’re okay, we were outside all night.” Amelia Lee lied with a smile glued on her face.

“Where’s Audrey, sweetie?” Gram asked looking around their somewhat usable kitchen. The fridge was empty and the red paint was chipping off. The stove was fried and the microwave was unusable. Amelia Lee looked to stall for time, but Gram was staring her right in the eyes. Gram never enjoyed jokes when they were about someone missing, especially after what happened to Audrey and Amelia Lee’s parents.

“Where is she?” Gram repeated, this time a little louder. By that time, Audrey was gone.

“Um, she’s, uh...she went for a run...yeah.” Amelia Lee said with uncertainty.

“What? Audrey never runs! Why?” Gram asked entering the kitchen. Amelia Lee wasn’t completely sure if Audrey wanted Gram to know about her friends, so she quickly made up a lie in her head.

“Well, I guess she just wants to get in shape for summer.” Amelia Lee lied while forcing a smile. The truth was that Audrey went to her secret ‘thinking spot’, which was a big mountain of rocks outside the library. She liked it because it was hidden and no one from school would be at there. She didn’t want anyone to see her cry. Audrey hadn’t been there since her parents were found dead.

The sky was a bold black and the wind was still, but it had a brisk feel that kissed the side of Audrey’s pink cheeks. Tears ran down the edge of her face and heartbreak settled in her soul. She held an old velvet notebook tied up with strings that belonged to her mother.

On the first page was an entry that read:

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

-Martin Luther King Junior

This sparked something inside of Audrey that was powerful. It was the part of her that she got from her mom. Although she felt strong and she knew that her friends were wrong, this still made her cry.

Audrey stared at the stars. One was off in the distance, barely showing above the horizon, while there were other groups of stars decorating the sky; without the other star.

Audrey arrived home at midnight and tried her hardest to hurry into bed so that no one would wake up.

“Audrey?” Gram whispered from her bedroom doorway, Audrey froze.

“What are you doing awake at this hour honey?” Gram asked like she didn’t know.

“Oh, I’m not awake I’m...” Searching for an answer, Audrey twiddled her thumbs for a few moments before speaking again.

“I’m sleeping walking.” She said nodding her head. Gram rolled her eyes sarcastically and walked back into her room. As Gram laid on her mattresses , she heard the nearby sobs of oldest granddaughter.

Gram brought herself to her feet again and slowly opened the squeaky door revealing Audrey decorating her mother’s notebook with her tears. A small oil lamp was lit in the corner of her room, the flame brightening the beige colored walls.

“Sweety? Are you okay?” Gram whispered from the doorway, her Indiana accent bleeding through.

“Go away.” Audrey replied flatly. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Gram entered her room completely before shutting the door behind her.

“I may be old, but I happened to know a few things about friendships believe it or not.” Gram said, sitting down on Audrey’s bed.

“Wait, how do you know I’m upset about my friends?” Audrey asked, looking away at her notebook laying in her lap.

Before Gram got a chance to respond, Audrey found her answer... Amelia Lee.

Stomping past Gram, Audrey barged into Amelia Lee’s room, slamming the door behind her.

“You little dwerp!” Audrey screamed turning on the lights. Amelia Lee might have been only half awake but she was 100% innocent.

“What are you talking about?” Amelia Lee asked rubbing her eyes and sitting up straight.

“You just can’t keep a damn thing secret can you?” Audrey yelled, her tears coming back.

“I didn’t tell Gram anything!” Amelia Lee began. “So, maybe you should figure out the truth before you start pointing fingers, you jerk!”

“Wait, if you didn’t tell her...” Audrey whispered slowly turning towards Gram. “Then how do you know?”

“Your friend stopped by.” Gram replied with a smile.

Audrey’s heart fell to the ground.

“Who did what?” She asked barely getting the words out. It was as if the conversation was a drunk driver, it was turn after turn.

“Allison stopped by...?” Gram whispered, turning the statement into a question. Audrey flopped onto her sister’s bed sobbing.

Only moments after the weeping began, Audrey’s emotions flipped like a light switch and her sad drunk driver, swiveled of the road into a very angry tree.

Chapter 2

A New Day

The next day was a Monday, and like every week, it was a rush to make the bus.

“Audrey! Amelia Lee! Wake up girls, or you’re going to be late!” Grams voice traveled through their dirty apartment hallway. Amelia Lee skipped through her door wearing her favorite shirt. It was green with three, different sized, pink roses bunched up in the left shoulder. It used to be Audrey’s favorite shirt too, but that was before she grew out of it.

Although Amelia Lee’s clothes came from Audrey, and seemed colorful and fun, Audrey’s fashion choices were more dark and on the edgy side. She usually wore a grey hoodie with a baggy T-shirt and black jeggings that came “pre-ripped.” Her whole look was topped off with her favorite, and only, pair of knock-off combat boots. Many kids at school thought she was goth, but that wasn’t the truth. Audrey just liked being bolder, and she loved the way the black and grey, complimented her slate colored curls.

“Audrey you better come out of that bed!” Gram yelled with a little giggle.

Amelia Lee danced into the kitchen holding her science project. The assignment was to create a 3D model of something that’s special to them, but what Amelia Lee loved the most about hers, was that it was a hand drawn picture of her parents. The 3-D part of it came from the box. Amelia Lee taped the picture that was drawn in crayons, on a box that she made out of pink and blue construction paper. The box was crooked and the picture was messy, but the only thing that mattered was that it was good enough for Amelia Lee.

“Are you ready for your presentation?” Gram asked walking into the kitchen dressed in her old, yellow and orange, apron.

“I’m so ready! I even made a bet with my friends that my project was going to be the best!” Amelia Lee squealed.

The idea of a “bet” brought worry to Gram’s face.

“Honey, I understand that you love your project but I want you to remember that not everyone likes the same thing as you.” Gram explained trying to sound sympathetic.

“I know, I am just super excited!” Amelia Lee continued her dance around the fridge as Audrey’s door slightly opened.

“Don’t talk to me, and don’t look at me.” Audrey announced flatly walking down the hall.

“Who are you talking to?” Amelia Lee asked quietly.

Audrey approached Amelia Lee’s face and cornered her into the wall.

“What part of ‘don’t talk to me’ don’t you understand?” Audrey yelled spitting all over Amelia Lee’s head.

Amelia Lee’s spirit was crushed as she grabbed her backpack from the rusty coat hanger.

Chapter 3

Betrayed

As Audrey and Amelia Lee began their stroll to the bus stop, the leaves danced in the wind. It was a cool day with a golden sunrise that shined a spotlight on Audrey’s depression. It seemed like the perfect day would have the power to mock her sadness.

As Amelia Lee excitedly scurried up the hill to the bus stop, Audrey reluctantly trudged behind her, not wanting to face the day that lied ahead. With the portrait of her parents cradled in her hands, Amelia Lee bounced around the bent stop sign, impatiently waiting for the bus.

“Your pathetic enthusiasm makes me want to throw up.” Audrey commented reaching the edge of the hill.

“I’m sorry if the Queen Of Sarcasm woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but, gosh it’s not my fault!” Amelia Lee stated, defending herself.

“Whatever!” Audrey said rolling her eyes.

Just then the bus flew passed the stop sign, but before she they could run after it, it came to a halt. They already knew that the bus driver, they call Buster, was a pest. He hated kids but girls especially. Buster was a smelly man that had hair coming out of his ears. He wreaked of smoke and he talked to himself. They called him Buster because he would always miss the stop.

When Audrey and Amelia Lee arrived at school, they went their separate ways, Audrey parted to the eighth grade wing and Amelia Lee skipped to the sixth grade wing to meet her friend Hailey in the cafeteria.

As Audrey walked to her locker, the halls grew quiet due to her presence. She thought that it had something to do with Hannah spreading rumors or something but she was too miserable to come up with her own theories.

When she arrived at her locker, Hannah, Sarah, and Allison crowded around her.

“We need to talk to you.” Hannah said uncomfortably. “It’s about the lunch table.”

“Oh okay what about the lunch table?” Audrey asked, acting dumb like she didn’t know they were going to do.

“Well…” Sarah trailed off look over to Hannah for help.

Hannah sighed, “You can’t sit there anymore because we don’t want you to.” Her head hung down and her brown hair covered her smile.

“Well then. This is really unexpected considering the fact that everything seemed fine between us.” Audrey explained.

“Maybe it seemed that way but you been acting a little selfish lately and we can’t stand it anymore.” Sarah said clearing her throat.

Just then, the bell rang and sarah said, “Oops girls we gotta get to class. Bye Audrey.” She grabbed her stuff from her locker and hurried down the hall.

As soon as Audrey saw her friends disappear into a classroom she burst into tears.

Running down the halls, dashing through the crowds of people staring at her, Audrey ran into the girl's bathroom and into the third stall.

As she stood against the door, she overheard her fellow classmates laughing about her

“Did you see that?” One girl asked another.

“The girl that was crying?” The other girl responded. “Talk about being emotionally unstable.” They laughed.

Audrey couldn’t take it anymore, she couldn’t take life anymore. After her parents died it was hard enough but now her best friends were giving up on her and she felt like life slipped away from her. She had lost the power to fix things and that was what hurt her the most.

But before Audrey had the chance to exited the stall, she heard footsteps enter the bathroom.

“OMG! Did you see her face?” Hannah’s voice exclaimed.

“Yeah she was so heartbroken!” Sarah said with a laugh.

“What about you Allison? Didn’t you find it satisfying to get back at her for being a selfish brat?” Hannah asked.

“Oh, of course I did! Why wouldn’t I? I love being mean to the less fortunate! Yay! Her face was hurt and because I have no heart, I found it so funny that I didn’t laugh!” Allison babbled pacing around the bathroom.

Hannah was too busy to realize what Allison was trying to tell them because she was caught up with reapplying her blush for the fifth time today.

“Oh well, come on girls or we are going to be late for first period.” Hannah proclaimed leading her “pack” out of the bathroom.

Audrey, yet confused and angry, finally exited the stall.

Her eyes we puffy and red and her hair was messy because she didn’t brush it. Her cheeks were wet and her nose was running.

“I’m a mess.” Audrey repeated to herself several times.

I bet my princess of a sister is having the best day today! She thought to herself beginning to cry again.

Chapter 4

Suspended

Although it seemed like no one could be cursed with a day worse than Audrey’s, Amelia lee had a bad day too.

As Amelia Lee and her best friend Hailey, entered her sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Moore’s classroom, they couldn’t stop smiling.

“Good Morning Students!” Mrs. Moore greeted them.

“Good morning!” Hailey and Amelia lee replied as if they were in sync.

They hurried to their desks and immediately sat down to get ready for their presentations.

“Okay class! As you all know, today you will be presenting your 3D models.” Mrs. Moore began.

Almost all the students let out a sigh...all but one. Amelia Lee squealed of joy and held her picture tightly.

I’m doing this for you Mom and Dad. Amelia Lee thought to herself with tears rushing to the corner of her eyes. The tears weren’t because she was hurt but because she missed her parents so much that she couldn’t help shedding a tear or two.

“Who would like to go first?” Mrs. Moore asked looking around the room. Many kids slouched down in their chairs but Amelia Lee’s hand shot up.

With a sparkly grin, she made herself to the front of the classroom.

“Good morning everyone. I made my 3D model out of tape, crayons, scissors, and construction paper.” Amelia Lee started, holding up her box to show the students.

“And this is special to me because...” Just then the classroom door opened and the principal walked in, motioning in Mrs. Moore’s direction.

As Mrs. More quickly walked across the classroom and out the door. Amelia Lee stopped presenting.

“So before I continue, are there any questions so far?” Amelia Lee asked, stalling for time.

A kid in the back, named Henry raised his hand. Amelia Lee called on him with caution, due to his pathetic, frequently asked questions.

“Why didn’t you just take a picture of them this morning and print it out, cause that looks terrible?” Henry said laughing. The tears came back but she tried to keep them in.

After many moments of silence, Henry asked again.

“Aren’t you gonna give me an answer.” He asked slurring his words.

Amelia Lee’s eyes shifted to the ground not wanting to answer.

“I just can’t.” She answered quickly.

“That’s because she’s so poor that she can’t afford a camera, better yet a printer.” A girl name Stephanie called out from across the room.

Other kids from around the room yelled things like,

“Yeah.”

“Totally.” and the worst one,

“She’s only poor because no one cares about her!”

It was at that moment that Amelia Lee realized how different her life was and will be than any other kid. She can’t just print out a picture of her parents because they’re gone and she lives with her poor grandma and can’t afford a printer.

Overwhelmed by all the mean comments, Amelia Lee decided to shout back.

“My parents died!” She threw her box in the wastebasket, and ran out of the room.

As Amelia Lee dashed down the hallway, her vision became blurry with tears.

Right before entering the girls bathroom a voice stopped her from behind.

“Amelia Lee Anderson! Get back here this instant! You are in so much trouble!” Yelled Mrs. Moore.

Amelia Lee cautiously turned around with her head down and slowly walked over to Mrs. Moore.

“Never walk out of a teacher's class ever again! You hear me? Young lady, just wait until your parents hear about this...” Mrs. Moore started with her veins practically falling out of her forehead.

Just then Amelia Lee’s anger got the best of her and took over. She stomped up to Mrs. Moore and began screaming and crying.

“My parents died eight months ago!” Amelia Lee yelled hysterically.

Mrs. Moore’s heart melted.

“Amelia Lee, I don’t know what else to say, I am so sorry.” Mrs. Moore said looking embarrassed. Amelia Lee fell to the ground sobbing, as the teacher knelt down beside her.

“Leave me alone.” Amelia Lee said quietly, swatting her arms away. But just as she went to move Mrs. Moore’s hand, she accidentally hit her in the face.

“That’s it!” Mrs. Moore yelled rising to her feet. “Take yourself down to the principal's office this instant.”

Amelia Lee followed orders and marched down the hall to Principal Smith’s office.

As she knocked on the door with a shaking fist she began crying again.

knock knock knock.

“Just a minute.” Principal Smith said, sounding busy. The lock shuffled and the door opened. The opened door revealed Amelia lee, the quiet kid, who was poor and lonely.

“Well hello, Ms. Anderson. How can I help you?” Amelia Lee couldn’t handle it. She began crying as he lead her into his office.

She sat down on a green arm chair with a recliner and cup holder.

No wonder why bad kids like to get in trouble, that get to sit on cool furniture. She thought to herself.

“What seems to be bothering you Ms. Anderson?” Mr. Smith asked, his mustache swaying back and forth.

“No one understands me.” Amelia Lee’s voice was faint and her eyes were red.

“Well, what do you mean?” He asked wanting more information.

“What part of ‘no one understands me’ don’t you understand?” Amelia Lee yelled, using her sister's words.

“How dare you talk to me like that Ms. Anderson?” Mr. Smith asked getting angry.

“My parents died eight months ago and you punish me for being disrespectful? That’s terrible!” Amelia Lee shouted jumping up from the chair.

“That’s it! Here at Streamfield Middle School, for grades k-8 we do not appreciate back talk, dishonest, and disrespectful behaviors.” His face was red as he pounded his fist on his desk.

“You are suspended!” He announced flopping onto his chair.

The anger in the air lingered, as Amelia Lee stood there, frozen. Her heart stopped as the words, you are suspended repeated in her brain, she was so disappointed in herself.

Chapter 5

The Deal

When the lunch bell rang, it was usually Amelia Lee’s favorite part of her day, but not today. She had to stay in from recess as part of her punishment.

As Mrs. Moore’s entire class hurried for the the playground, Amelia Lee sat in her chair, frozen. Mr. Smith and Mrs. Moore stood in front of her looking confused.

“I just don’t get Amelia.” Mrs. Moore started. Her words shot down Amelia Lee’s back making her stomach knot like a friendship bracelet.

“Help us to understand, Ms. Anderson. I know that you enjoy school, so I do not believe that you were really yourself today.” Mr. Smith said in a tiny quiet voice.

What was he talking about? Amelia Lee thought to herself wanting to roll her eyes. If anything I was completely myself today. It’s not like I wanted to get mad but that stupid jerk Henry had to ruin everything. She wondered putting her head down.

Mr Smith knelt down beside her so he could see her face.

“Ms. Anderson, how about we make a deal?” He asked smiling.

The open window in the corner of the room carried the squeals and laughter of Amelia Lee’s fellow classmates at recess, without her.

“Amelia Lee, what do you say about coming to school tomorrow, instead of staying home?” Mrs. Moore asked budding in the middle of Amelia Lee’s thoughts.

“But I’m suspended.” She mumbled, lifting her head up.

“True but I have deal if you want to come to school.” Mr Smith’s mustache blew in the wind from the window.

After moments of silence, Mr. Smith sighed and brought himself to his feet.

“Yes.” Amelia Lee’s voice was faint as she nodded and stood up.

“Yes I want to come to school.” She didn’t quite smile but she felt better.

“Okay if you agree to this then you can continue coming to school.” Mr. Smith started, sounding cautious. “If you go to the guidance counselor everyday for a week, the same amount of time you would’ve been suspended, then you can come to school again.”

Mrs. Moore smiled, hoping it was a good idea.

Seriously? They think that I would want to go to some stupid counselor, just because I want to go to school so badly? Amelia Lee thought to herself feeling pathetic.

“Do you really think that a counselor would help?” Amelia Lee asked looking down again.

Mrs. Moore and Mr. Smith exchanged looks.

“We'll of course it would.” Mrs. Moore’s voice was shaking.

“It won’t.”Amelia Lee flopped back down on her chair. Mr. Smith looked insulted.

“You cannot mend a broken heart, with scotch tape.” Amelia Lee replied running out of the classroom.

Chapter 6

Tardy

Audrey stood looking at the bathroom mirror.

Why God, why did you have to take my parents from me? Mom would’ve known what to do. Audrey thought to herself as she washed her face with water.

Her algebra class was next door and she could hear her teacher Mr. Sullivan, from the bathroom. “Okay class today we will be...” His voice echoed through the wall.

Suddenly, Audrey herd footsteps enter the bathroom and she hurried into the stall again.

The footsteps grew louder as she accidentally slammed the stall door close.

“Who’s there?” The voice said seeming familiar.

Audrey held her breath, trying her hardest not to make a sound.

The feet walked across the bathroom looking under each stall. The footsteps came across the third stall and stopped.

“Audrey?” The voice asked. Audrey sighed.

Who is this person? They probably are only here to pick on me about my unstable emotions.

“Yes?” Audrey asked turning towards the stall door.

“I’m sorry.” The voice echoed knocking on the stall.

Confused, Audrey opened the door. The footsteps belonged to her best friend, Allison.

“Audrey Anderson. Is Audrey here?” Mr. Sullivan asked, his voice booming down the hall.

Audrey sighed, “Great, now I’m late for class!”

Allison stood in front of her with a small smile.

“Go away!” Audrey demanded flatley. She turned out of the stall and stood in front of the mirror. Allison followed her and laid her hand on Audrey’s shoulder.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Allison confessed staring into their reflection.

“That doesn’t matter.” Audrey shook her shoulder. “You didn’t say anything, and that makes you just as bad as them.” Audrey whispered counting the tiles on the floor.

“Oh okay, I get it, you didn’t hear.” Allison started laughing.

“What are you talking about?” Audrey asked turning towards Allison.

“Hannah is mortified. I confronted them in the courtyard during gym and everyone was laughing at her.” She said with a smile.

Audrey froze. “Wait, really?” She laughed wanting to keep her friendship with Allison.

“No, not really.” Just then Hannah sauntered into the bathroom giggling.

Audrey filled up with anger and once again her controls went on autopilot, and marched up to Hannah. Her feelings were taking over.

Not again. Audrey thought not wanting another fight, but before she knew it, her knock off combat boats were kicking the ankles of Hannah’s designer jeans.

Just then Sarah came out of the stall with her phone, pressing send.

I am so dead.

Chapter 7

The Bus Ride

Amelia Lee and Audrey boarded the bus in silence. Amelia Lee was too scared to tell her sister that she was suspended, and Audrey was too afraid to tell Amelia Lee that her role model, got expelled.

“So, how was your day sis?” Audrey asked breaking the silence.

“Fine.” Amelia Lee was looking out the window hiding her tears.

The rest of the ride was quiet. Amelie Lee sat staring out the window looking at the wilted but beautiful crimson leaves decorating the grass; as Audrey twiddled her thumbs replaying the meeting she had with Principal Smith in her mind.

Earlier that day Audrey, Sarah, Hannah and Allison sat in Mr. Smith’s office glaring back and forth at each other.

“Audrey, I noticed you missed some classes this morning. Is that true?” Mr. Smith asked.

Audrey’s face turned a scarlet color from embarrassment and slowly nodded her head, admitting to missing class.

“But in my defense I wasn’t really in the best emotion state to sit and learn about geometry."Audrey said frantically trying to stick up for herself.

“Bad mood or not, you still have to attend all your classes.Ms. Anderson, I have already had to deal with your sister today, and I don’t want to suspend you too. So, just make this easy on both of us and simply just say you were wrong." Mr. Smith's mustache swayed in the air of his breath.

“I guess bratty behavior runs in the family!" Hannah whispered under her breath.

After moments of silence in the principal's office, Sarah stood up and walked towards Mr. Smith cradling her phone in her hands.

“If only Mr. Smith, you knew the truth of the matter, and if only you were aware of Audrey's... other actions." Her voice sounded innocent.

“What other actions?” Mr. Smith asked suspiciously.

“Oh, well today Audrey was sitting in the bathroom missing third period, after she told someone to go drag us out of class to see her in the bathroom. Well, when we went in there, Audrey was hiding in the stall. So, to find her, Allison and I went in to look through the stalls to get Audrey out of them. Then I had to go to the bathroom so I went into the stall next to her. After that, Hannah came into the bathroom and out of nowhere, Audrey went up to her and kicked her!" Sarah said sounding appalled. “It’s just a good thing that I caught it on camera.”

Audrey stood up to speak, but Mr. Smith interrupted her.

“First skipping class and now this, I am appalled. The name Anderson now brings a tear to my eye.” Mr. Smith grunted. “You have not only interrupted the learning environment for this ladies but now physically abused them.” The spit filled words lingered in the air between Audrey and her rivals. Audrey was dead inside and bursting with anger.

“That’s not really what happened!” Audrey pleaded trying her hardest to convince Mr. Smith that he was far from the true happenings.

“Oh, really? Well this video will say otherwise.” Sarah smirked approaching Audrey while scrolling through her phone. “Oh, look at that! It’s right here.” Her voice was tinted with evil and her peppermint breath drenched Audrey in jealousy. She has to ruin my life, doesn’t she?

On Sarah’s phone screen was the playback of the scene in the bathroom. Unfortunately it only captured the part when Audrey forced her foot into Hannah’s shin.

Mr. Smith sighed and shook his head. “Audrey Anderson. You are expelled. Clean out or locker and I will call your parents. Thank you girls for bringing this to my attention and I hope this bullying didn’t cause you much trouble.” Mr. Smith stated with a smile and a glare in Audrey’s direction.

As Audrey strolled down the hallway her heart beated and she had a face of anger. “I did nothing wrong.” She repeated to herself. “I did nothing wrong.”

“I’m glad you think that.” A voice came from behind her. Audrey turned around and obviously it was Hannah with Sarah and Allison behind her.

“Oh and by the way, Sarah already posted the video from the bathroom on Zip Zap with the caption “Audrey Anderson? Expelled.” Audrey flooded with defeat as her heart sank. At least if I can’t come to school, then I never have to see those monsters again.

“Have fun redoing eighth grade.” Hannah said with a smirk and a flip of her hair. Before Audrey could ask what she was talking about, Hannah was out the door.

Why would I have to stay back if I have already completed half the year? Wait, does she mean summer school?” Audrey wanted to throw up at the idea of summer school.

I am so dead.

Chapter 8

Tell

When Audrey and Amelia Lee entered their terrible apartment, they both burst into tears.

“What’s wrong?” Amelia Lee asked between a sniffle and a sob.

“Nothing...everything! I got expelled today!” Audrey screamed, falling face first into a smoke scented couch cushion.

“What?!” Amelia Lee exclaimed staring her sister in the eyes.

“Today I got suspended.” Amelia Lee whispered joining Audrey on the couch.

Silence echoed in the air surrounding them for two hours until Gram arrived home.

“Girls? What’s wrong?” Gram announced dropping her purse on the floor and rushing to her grandchildren’s side.

“Oh uh. Well, today Audrey and I, well. we, just...” Amelia Lee began letting her head drop.

“You, what?” Gram asked softly.

“We just missed Mom and Dad so much that, we, just, both broke down at school and well... We’re just upset.” Audrey lied with a sigh. Amelia Lee looked up at her sister with relief in her eyes.

“Oh, well, I guess we have to do something to cheer you two up, don’t we then.” Gram suggested with a smile.

“How about we go to Uncle Ernie’s Sweet Shoppe to clear your minds. Would that be okay? I earned some more money today and well, we deserve it anyway.” Gram’s Indiana accent spoke reaching her feet.

Amelia Lee grinned as she wiped away the tears clinging to her rosey cheeks. Audrey smirked making her red kissed face turn pale.

Isn’t this being dishonest? Audrey thought to herself.

“I guess that will help.” Amelia Lee sighed with a pretend frown.

Gram hugged her grandchildren as she handed them both paper towels to use as tissues.

After grabbing their ripped thin sweaters, Audrey and Amelia Lee piled out onto the cracking sidewalks into the cool March night. Gram lead her lingering grandchildren across the street and towards Uncle Ernie’s Sweet Shoppe.

“Let’s go you slow pokes!” Gram laughed looking back at her grandchildren. They forced smiles knowing that lying to their Grandma was wrong and that their parents would be very disappointed.

“Coming!” Amelia Lee chimed sarcastically, quickly taking Gram’s hand.

As they turned the block, Audrey spotted Hannah’s parents’ burger joint; Cindy’s Sliders. She quickly looked away and continued trudging towards the ice cream shop up ahead.

“Girls, I understand that you two are quite sad, but you always get excited about going to see Uncle Ernie! What’s really wrong?” Gram asked quietly stopping directly in front of Cindy’s Sliders to stare her grandchildren in the eyes.

“Nothing Gram!” Audrey snapped through clenched teeth.

Although insulted, Gram slowly nodded and turned back towards Uncle Ernie’s Sweet shoppe. Audrey felt bad about being rude to her Grandmother but hated standing in front of Cindy’s Sliders even more.

As they squeezed into the tiny ice cream shop, a sweet smelling draft filled their noses. Mmmm Audrey and Amelia Lee thought to themselves, looking at the many choices of sherbert and variations of hard and soft serve flavors. Between Rocky Road to Mint Chip, Amelia Lee went with her favorite flavor: chocolate soft serve with gummy worms and blue sprinkles on top in a wafer cone. Audrey settled with a scoop of Cookies & Cream with extra bits of oreo dusted on top in a cup.

Audrey and Amelia Lee would always come to see Uncle Ernie every Friday night after spending the night at Cindy’s Sliders.

Amelia Lee would get an order of the kids sliders with onion rings and french fries that she’d always dip in sweet & sour sauce.

Audrey would get a double cheeseburger with a vanilla milkshake filled with whipped cream. She didn’t like to add any sauces or toppings unlike her sister because the burger was just enough to satisfy her.

Their parents would split the Everything Burger. The Everything Burger had everything from mac & cheese to french fries and hot dogs on it. Abigail and Paul would barely get through three bites each on it before they were stuffed, but what made that night so special, was when the would enjoy ice cream from Uncle Ernie’s Sweet Shoppe in the park on the green and purple quilt Gram made them for Christmas one year.

They would lie down and look at the stars for hours until Audrey and Amelia Lee were fast asleep. Abigail and Paul would carry the girls home and tuck them into bed before the two of them would cuddle up beside the fireplace listening to smooth jazz music, that would leave them in a deep slumber before dawn would soon wake them in the morning.

Flashbacks of the wonderful Friday nights with her parents, stole Amelia Lee’s appetite, actually missing her parents like the lie Audrey told Gram. With chocolate dripping down her cone and onto the picnic bench they were sitting on, Amelia Lee lowered her ice cream from her mouth and closed her eyes. Images of her Mom looking up into the sky with Dad squeezing her tight flashed into her mind. A tear peeked out from her shut eyelids making her throat throb.

Audrey stared down at her melting Cookies & Cream as it turned into an ocean of milk making the oreos the boats floating on top. The thought of an ocean made her think about they way she lost her parents. She imagined a monster wave sweeping her Mom and Dad farther and farther into the water until they were nothing left but at the bottom of the sea.

Audrey placed the cup of what was now oreos and milk, and glared towards Cindy’s Sliders. Hannah, Sarah, Allison, and the other cheerleader were pouring out of the burger joint laughing and smiling. Hannah held the cheerleader’s hand as she pointed in the direction of a boy. She whispered something in Sarah’s ear and they both seemed to sigh with dreaming looks in their eyes. Audrey was too exhausted to feel angry, jealous, or even sorry for herself and decided that it would be best to just look away; but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break her stare.

Finally after a long while, Uncle Ernie approached their table wearing his beat-up red baseball cap that read:

Uncle Ernie’s Sweet Shoppe

Sweet is my Speciality.

“Hey I haven’t seen you ladies in a long while, how you’ve been?” Ernie’s deep voice boomed, practically shaking the picnic table. Audrey and Amelia Lee didn’t respond and continued with their thoughts, but before Gram could say anything, an employee from inside the shop called “Ernie!” and he was gone.

“Okay well if you two refused to eat the ice cream I just paid my day’s work on, I think that we better head home.” Gram suggested angrily.

Without any words, Audrey and Amelia Lee had thrown out their ice creams and were on their feet ready to go. The three of them walked together in silence.

Chapter 9

This Is For You

The next morning, Gram cautiously woke her miserable grandchildren. Amelia Lee begged and begged that she wasn't feeling well and that she needed to stay home. Gram agreed but scolded her because she knew that her grandchild wasn't really sick but decided that it was too early in the day to begin arguing. Audrey decided to tell Gram that she was going to go to school and left the apartment with a back pack... But it wasn't her school bag. Instead of waiting at the bus stop for Buster and the smelly old school bus, she sprinted past the stop sign and down the street. Sweat and tears shot out of her eyes as the March breeze kept her dirty hair flying behind her.

"Mom! Dad! I miss you so much!" Audrey screamed breaking down in the middle of the street.

"I hate my life!" Audrey yelled back as if her Mom was talking to her.

After realizing what she said, Audrey immediately covered her mouth.

My life was so perfect and now my world is ruined. She thought to herself slowly whipping the tears from the corner of her eyes with her sleeve.

After arriving at the library Audrey found herself on the edge of her rock unloading her back pack. Inside was her mom's velvet notebook she had covered with tears a few nights before. After taking a moment to calm her heartbeat to a steady tap, Audrey knelt down on the rough rock beside the library. She pulled out a leather portfolio from her backpack that also belonged to her mother. Dust covered the case and rust decorated the ends with a copper tint.

Inside of the briefcase was a collection of paints and pastels in every shade in the rainbow. Underneath the containers of dye, was a wooden pencil case that held four different brushes, each that came with a particular type of bristles. Audrey reached for the one with tiny tip and was a shiny maple color.

The briefcase wreaked of her mom’s favorite perfume called, An Artist’s Adventure that mom would wear everyday. The familiar smell tingled Audrey’s nose and touched her heart. She squinted up at a bright cloud while she held the notebook close, “I know that you are here.” She whispered with a loud sigh. Audrey picked out a beautiful shade of lavender and flipped open to a specific page in her mom’s velvet journal. On the dated page was a water stained drawing of Audrey, Amelia Lee, Abigail, and Paul looking up at the sky while cuddling together on the green and purple quilt.

After popping the lid off the tub of violet, Audrey began painting on the rock she was sitting on. As her brush created the outline of the guilt with each stroke, a cool morning breeze flipped the pages of Mom’s journal. Audrey adjusted the book to stay on the page with the drawing, by laying a stone on the middle of the book to use as a paperweight.

As the day went on, Audrey got closer and closer to creating the memorial of her beloved family. She was already finished painting her parents and sister but had to keep working on the sky and the rest of the grass. The vibrant colors from the quilt glowed in the reflection of the sun.

By 4:00, Audrey was finished and the mural was complete. The sky in the painting was a bold black with tiny stars spread out throughout.

Looking at her creation, Audrey’s heart warmed up faster than a microwave.

Maybe I will be okay after all Audrey thought to herself.

Chapter 10

Change

The next morning, Audrey left the house at 6:00 a.m.

“Honey, where are you going? You don’t have school today.” Gram asked, wiping her eyes which were red from exhaustion. “It’s Ash Wednesday.”

“Oh, well I just, uh, well.” Audrey stammered. “I am going for a, uh, walk, yeah.”

Gram shot Audrey a suspicious look.

“Well, have fun.” Gram answered, turning back around to head back into her room. She stated to turn into Amelia Lee’s room, but paused at the doorway instead. Gram let go of the door handle and looked down at her hand. Her palm was covered in dirt and dust. Gram sighed and glanced towards the doorway where Audrey was shoving a sweatshirt into her backpack.

Audrey began her trip to the library as the sun poked its head above the horizon. The clouds were a deep orange and the sun was a vibrant gold as she strolled along the crumpling road.

When Audrey approached the top of the hill, her stomach churned with guilt. It’s only the second day after I got expelled, and I’m already feeling guilty.

Meanwhile, back at the broken down apartment, Gram was standing at Amelia Lee’s doorway waiting for her alarm clock to go off. The time on the digital clock read 6:14 a.m. and was going to go off in one minute.

Moments later, the alarm went off and a loud honking sound filled the small room waking Amelia Lee from her slumber.

“I’m up! I’m up!” Amelia Lee shouted jumping up from her bed.

“Uh, I mean, ouch! My throat, it hurts so bad.” Amelia Lee complained, touching her neck.

The quick correction made Gram stop. “Well it's, a good thing you don’t have school today, now isn’t it?” Gram asked sarcastically.

Surprised by Gram’s unusual sarcasm, Amelia Lee slouched back in her bed.

“Well, I uh.” Amelia Lee mumbled fidgeting in her bed.

“What’s really going on?” Gram asked finally walking into Amelia Lee’s bedroom to join her on the bed.

“I uh, got in well, trouble at school the other day.” Amelia Lee said under her breath dropping her head.

“You what?” Gram asked quietly turning toward her grand daughter.

“I got in trouble at school the other day.” Audrey said a little louder shoving her face into her pillow.

“Oh okay. So are you afraid to go back because you are embarrassed?” Gram’s voice was faint but Amelia Lee could hear her perfectly.

“No, I got suspended.” Amelia Lee confessed, barely lifting her head from her ashtray scented cushion high enough to be heard.

“You what?” Gram yelled jumping up to her feet. “How do you expect me to feel bad for you about losing your parents, when you have no problem getting in trouble and discarding the rules like that? You have no awareness about how your actions come with consequences and how this looks to other people.” Gram screamed, making her face turn bright red.

Before Amelia Lee could respond, Gram finished her statement, “With a philosophy like that, you deserved to lose you parents!”

Amelia Lee’s heart shattered with she heard these words. She was too hurt to even shed a tear.

Gram stormed off into her room and slammed the door behind her.

Amelia Lee grabbed an empty, ripped bag, and stuffed it with a small pillow and Audrey’s old sweater. Before running out of her room, Amelia Lee threw in an old necklace that once belonged to her mother and pushed it to the bottom of the bag. After taking one last look around the apartment, she rushed out of her room and out the front door.

Chapter 11

Trust

When Audrey arrived at the rock near the library, she noticed someone sitting upon the mural she painted the day before.

“Who are you?” She asked, finally reaching the rock.

“Oh, uh, Audrey! What are you doing here?” The person stammered, turning towards Audrey.

“Allison? What are you doing sitting on my painting?” Audrey yelled filling up with anger.

“Wait, this is yours?” Allison clear her throat. “It’s amazing!”

“Get off of there you backstabbing jerk!” Audrey shouted marching up to Allison.

“Wait, no! I’m not here to fight!” Allison screamed blocking her face with her hands. “I’m here to apologise!”

“Oh, really? You actually believe that I’m going to accept your apology after what you did to me at school?” Audrey had doubt in her voice but hope in her heart that Allison was actually tell the truth about wanting to apologise.

“No, but yesterday I came to the library after school and saw you sitting up there alone and well, I thought that since today we don’t have school, I would come to talk to you.” Allison’s voice was soft but sounded reassuring.

“Oh, uh.” Audrey started. “Well, how about we start over?” Audrey asked sitting down beside Allison.

“That’d be great!” Allison agreed with a sigh of relief.

Allison and Audrey talked for an hour about their own lives and about how Audrey felt about losing her parents.

“Yeah, I bet it’s hard to adjust after losing them.” Allison said with sympathy in her voice.

“Yeah, and well, between you and I, um, never mind.” Audrey’s eyes watered but she caught the oncoming tears in time and whipped them away with the bottom of her sweatshirt.

“Oh, come on! You can trust me right?” Allison asked grabbing Audrey’s hand.

Audrey frowned, “I’m not sure, I mean, not to be rude but I don’t know if I can trust you yet.” Audrey sighed.

“Well, to prove to you that I want to be your friend and start over, I’m having my 15th birthday party Tonight at 6:00 if you want to come?” Allison suggested, flashing a big grin.

“Aren’t Hannah and Sarah going to be there, because they’re the last people I want to see!” Audrey asked rolling her eyes.

“I will make you a deal, if you agree to come tonight, I will tell them to back off.” Allison’s voice was scratchy.

“Okay” Audrey felt like she’d just swallowed a bouncy ball, due to her large lump she felt in her throat.

Chapter 12

Lost

Amelia Lee sprinted down the street with anger brewing in her heart.

“You deserved to lose your parents?” Amelia Lee whispered, “Who says that to someone?” A tear ran down her cheek as she lost her breath and slowed to a gentle walk. She fidgeted with her backpack as she reached the top of the hill and passed the old and rusty red telephone booth.

After walking for hours in the woods. Amelia Lee began wandering on what seemed like a path. She started to hum to try and forget about the fight with Gram, but no matter how hard she tried to think about something else, her mind kept bringing her back to what Gram had said.

“You deserved to lose your parents!” echoed in Amelia Lee’s mind as she approached a large tree stump. She plopped down on top of the stub and took off her bag. Amelia Lee grabbed her sweater from inside her bag and put it over her shoulders.

Night was approaching and a cool breeze flooded underneath the canopy of trees above Amelia Lee. A nearby woodpecker tapped on a tree and a squirrel scurried into a bush.

Amelia Lee began walking again after the sky turned a bright swirl of yellow and pink. She saw a tiny building like structure in the distance. The cabin was located in a small clearing up ahead. It looked it was built out of stones and rocks for the walls and a straw roof. The hut was far from large and looked as if it was only one room in the middle of the woods.

As Amelia Lee reached the small shack, she took not one hesitation to walk into the petite cottage, but she failed to notice an old woman sitting in a rocking chair in the corner.

As she opened the door, her bag caught on the thorn bush next to her, and little did she know, that would cause her a lot of trouble.

The miniature ranch seemed dirtier than Amelia Lee and Audrey’s broken down apartment. It had a small mattress in the corner and the ground was grassy and had bits of gravel sprinkled around. The only window had no glass as like the doorway without a door. The woman in the corner was knitting a blanket out of muddy purple yarn and was using broken sticks as crochet hooks.

“Hello child.” The old woman said in a raspy voice starring Amelia Lee in the eyes.

Chapter 13

Party Time

Audrey was very excited to go to Allison’s party, but was anxious to be face to face with Hannah and Sarah again. Her stomach was crawling with butterflies and her mouth was dry, as she rang the doorbell to Allison’s house.

Laughter came from the other side of the front door and Audrey heard Hannah yell out, “It’s open!” In a snotty tone.

When Audrey opened the door, her heart skipped a beat, because inside the house was the sweet smelling scent of a fresh baked cake that just recently came out of the oven. The family room was covered in blue and pink streamers and a huge poster that read: Happy birthday Allison!! The poster was covered in poorly drawn cakes and candles, and the bubble letters were dripping with purple wet paint.

“Look who’s here?” Allison exclaimed.

“I’m so glad to see you!” Sarah squealed, squeezing Audrey’s arm tight.

“You don’t even know how happy we are to see that you actually showed up!” Hannah’s voice was filled with sarcasm and the minty gum she was chewing made Audrey feel envy.

“Just like how she didn’t show up to school yesterday?” A voice from behind the crowd of girls asked.

The person sauntered up in front of the cluster of teenagers. It was the cheerleader.

“Oh, wait! You aren’t allowed to come to school if you’re expelled and Little Miss I-Only-Shower-In-The Girls-Locker-Room was!” The cheerleader explained, straightening her bright purple bow.

“Oh, I wondered what that smell was!” Sarah chimed in flapping her hand up and down in front of her nose.

“Ladies, remember was I told you about being nice?” Allison asked stopping the back and forth insults.

“Yes.” Hannah, Sarah, and the cheerleader responded with dull voices.

Everyone followed Allison into the kitchen where a dozen unfrosted chocolate cupcakes sat on the counter. Containers of pink and purple frosting surrounded the perfectly clean plates.

“Yay!” Allison shouted, pulling another tray of vanilla cookies out of the oven.

“Okay so we have a tube of frosted for everyone. Hannah you get pink, Sarah gets purple, Emily gets pink too, and Bridget you get purple.” Allison said, to the cheerleader while passing out the jars of icing to each girl.

“What about me?” Audrey asked in a small voice.

“Oh, yeah! About that…” Allison started. “You have to share with Hannah.”

Hannah glared in Audrey’s direction as she used her knife to scoop a clump of hot pink frosting onto her cupcake.

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave some in the tube.” Hannah said sarcastically.

“Great thanks.” Audrey rolled her eyes.

After about 10 minutes of frosting cookies and cupcakes and pointless banter about boys and shopping, Hannah had already cleaned out the entire tube of icing leaving Audrey with three plain cupcakes.

Before Audrey got the chance to frost her own cupcake with the scraps left in the other containers, the girls already moved onto another activity.

“Follow me girlies!” Allison squealed. “I have a great idea!”

“Truth or dare!” Hannah and Sarah yelled.

Everyone joined Allison in the basement where a poster that read: truth or dare! hung.

“Who wants to go first?” Hannah asked once everyone was gathered in the basement on the sofa.

“I do! I do!” Sarah’s hand flung high in the air. “I… pick… Audrey! Audrey, truth or dare?”

Audrey sunk down in her seat and cleared her throat.

“Truth.” Audrey answered gulping loudly.

“Okay, well. Why are you so weird?” Sarah asked laughing so hard cupcake bits shot out of her mouth.

“It’s not weird if I’m being myself, and if I must remind you, we were friends before.” Audrey explained, sticking up for herself.

“Whatever.” Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

“Okay, Audrey your turn!” Allison announced, typing on her phone.

“Well then, Hannah truth or dare?” Audrey’s eyes narrowed.

“Dare.” Hannah’s voice was dull.

“I dare you to draw a unibrow on your face.” Audrey said.

“Fine.” Hannah didn’t bother to turn down the dare and grabbed a nearby Sharpie laying on the party table cluttered with snacks and drinks.

After snapping off the cap, Hannah drew a thick line between her eyebrows.

“Done.” Hannah said crossing her arms across her chest.

“Your turn. Truth or dare?” Hannah asked Audrey getting in her face.

Audrey risks getting embarrassed, but chooses dare away. “Dare.”

“I dare you to go and stand out on the porch for five minutes.” Hannah smirked pointing her finger towards the back door.

“Fine.” Audrey agreed as she brought herself to her feet.

Audrey walked out to the porch while Sarah followed her outside locking the door behind her.

“Wait! What are you doing?” Audrey’s voice filled with panic.

Sarah reached for a large bowl sitting on a table on the porch.

“What is that? Stop! No!” Audrey babbled as Sarah poured steaming hot water down Audrey’s back, soaking her head.

“Ow!” Audrey yelled, spotting the nearby hose laying by her feet.

“Take that!” She shouted spraying the hose in Sarah’s attention, but before she could get Sarah with the water, the back door opened and Allison’s mom came out onto the porch.

Instead of drenching Sarah in water head to toe, Allison’s mom took her place in a split-second and Audrey had sprayed Allison’s mom straight in the head.

After realizing who was in front of her, Audrey slowly turned off the hose as her face flashed red.

The group's jaws dropped open as Hannah's mom's arm shot up. Her finger pointed towards the staircase.

Chapter 14

The Storm That Brought Us Here

Audrey wandered down the street as the pouring rain ran down her cheeks. Tears stuck in the corner of her eyes as she made her way to a bus stop. The sky was a dusty grey drawing the storm closer. Thunder cracked and lighting flashed leaving the world in a darkness of fear. With each rumble, Audrey’s body shook and shivered as a blurry figure approached her on the bus stop bench.

“It seemed like you needed a friend.” The figure offered, taking a seat next to Audrey. His hair had a wavy feel and was clearly damp from the torrential down pour.

"Yeah, I guess." Audrey let out a faint laugh, pushing her hair out if her face.

"I may be a stranger, but I'm a good person to rant to." Which each word the air between them turned to fog.

"Well then, if you are in the mood for a full out melt down, I wouldn’t go anywhere, but if not, the bus is coming in five minutes."

They each shared a smile as he settled in on the bench.

"Okay, fine. I will just fill you in on the last eight months; my parents drowned, My friends back stabbed me, I have to live with my poor grandma, My sister got suspended from school, and I am expelled." Audrey frowned hoping that he'd say something. After moments of silence, nothing.

"I'm sorry, you know for all of that." He pushes his caramel colored bangs away from his eyes again.

“Hayden." He puts his hand out for Audrey to shake it.

“Audrey. Also known as, hot mess. " Hayden flashes a smile letting his teeth shine in the reflection of the moon.

The two of them continue for a while until the storm slows to a light drizzle.

“I was just about to head to my house if you’d like to walk with me?” Hayden asks as he pushes himself off of the bench.

“Sure, I mean I’m not wanted anywhere else.” Audrey stands, forcing her hands into the pockets of her hoodie.

As they begin walking, Audrey notices the library up ahead of them, and the telephone box by the sidewalk.

“Hey, um… Can I have a quarter?” Audrey’s voice is strained from crying and her head hurts.

“Sure, if I can find one.” Hayden says, digging through his pockets. “Lucky for you, there’s one right here.” He pulls out a quarter dated 1987, and hands it to Audrey.

“Thanks.” Audrey grabs his hand and pulls him in the direction of the phone box.

“Wait, where are we going?” Hayden’s voice is trembling as he reluctantly follows her.

When they arrive outside of the phone box, the rain picks up again, forcing them to both squeeze inside of the tiny red box.

Audrey shoves the quarter into the slot and immediately dials in a number on the keypad. As she impatiently waits for the phone to connect, tears run down her cheek.

“Hi it’s Abigail! Sorry I couldn’t pick up, I must be with my kids. Leave a message after the tone, and have a great day!” Plays through the phone on speaker phone.

A mix between endless cries and the interminable storm dry on Audrey’s cheek, but Hayden quickly wipes them away. Audrey was far from her anxious and depressed self, but rather felt a calming feeling that she hadn’t felt in a while.

Hayden seemed to lean in, in sort of a romantic type of way, but quickly had a change in plans, while, in one terrifying instant, the thunder cracked and lighting struck the weathervane on top on the library, only about 100 feet away. Audrey squealed and stuffed her face into Hayden’s grasp. As the wind whistled in their ears, a hug triggered an unfamiliar facial expression. A smile on the ‘real’ Audrey; not the Audrey that had been crying everyday for the last eight months, but the Audrey that is nothing short of happy.

Maybe it was the way Hayden’s wet bangs fell in his face, or the fact that she had just had a deep wound open up by her middle school besties, but Audrey wanted Hayden to be everything he seemed.

As the storm settled once again, the two soaked teenagers, slipped out of the rusty, sodden telephone box, and hurried up the sidewalk.

The nearby woods, seemed to have a thick canopy of leaves that created a dry clearing to provide a temporary shelter.

They slowed their jog to a steady stroll, and spotted an unusual object up ahead.

It wasn’t until Audrey and Hayden approached the house-like structure, that they knew they were not alone. Apparently, many people visit cottages in the middle of the forest, while undergoing a frightening storm.

Chapter 15

Lost and Found

“Hello. I’m uh, like, um…” Amelia Lee’s speech flustered as sweat began to form on her forehead.

“Are you lost?” he raspy voice chimed again. The rocking chair started to rock back and forth, until a cracking sound echoed from the corner. Instead of speaking, Amelia Lee nodded slowly, but with an eager rush.

As the old woman started to reach her feet, Amelia Lee flinched and stepped back. As her back was up against the wall made out of rotting wood, the lady stopped walking. Her back was bent over, and her skin seemed wrinkly and scaly.

“Nothing to fear child.” The woman moved her hands into a fist by her side and muttered something under her breath.

“Ingrid.” She stared Amelia Lee in the eyes. “My name is Ingrid.” She offered her hand, but knew by the terror on Amelia Lee’s face, that a handshake was unlikely.

“Do you have a name?” Ingrid asked, leaning on the nearby wall for balance.

“Of course. Amelia Lee.” She faked a smile and quickly remembered something. My bag had broke on the way in here. The necklace, where is my mother’s necklace.

“Something the matter dear?” Ingrid leaned towards Amelia Lee with a look of concern on her face.

“Nothing, just, um.” Amelia Lee started, debating weather or not, trusting the woman who lived in a cottage deep in the woods, would be a good idea.

“Would you believe me if I told you that, for the last eight months, my life keeps falling apart.” Amelia Lee suddenly felt as if an enormous weight was lifted from her shoulders.

“I can believe that but if nothing ever fell apart then there would be no new beginnings.” Ingrid explain.

“My parents were away, on a vacation to Florida, and well, they began swimming, out in the ocean, and…” It didn’t seem that her sentence needed to be finished, because Ingrid stared to the ground and shook her head.

“I’m so sorry dear, but I too, understand what it feels like to be alone. I mean look at me, a dirty poor mess living in the middle of nowhere… with nobody, and nothing.” Her voice trailed off as she looked off into space.

“I lost my husband, daughter, and soon-to-be granddaughter, on the same day; but unlike your situation, they didn’t die, they were killed. For they were on a plane headed home from a visit to Mexico, and while they were flying in the sky, a man took control over the plane by knocking out the pilot, and drove them into the ground.” Ingrid’s eyes began watering up.

“My family was taken from me, and it’s my fault.” She sighed and inhaled sharply.

“Don’t say that! It wasn’t like you knew that a man like that would be planning to attack that aircraft, and you certainly didn’t want them dead.” Amelia Lee explained, rushing to kneel down at Ingrid’s side.

“You are right about that, but it was my fault that they had come home early. I hadn’t joined them on their trip to Mexico because I had to attend my mother’s wake, who I had lost to a tragic battle of cancer, and while I arrived home that night, I got out of the car and fell on the doorstep. Not only did I shatter my hip, but I was the cause of them rushing home two days earlier than expected. Their plan was to stay from a Monday to Friday, but I had fallen Wednesday evening and they flew out in the middle of the night.”

She paused to clear her throat and began speaking again. “If I had watched where I was going and didn’t fall, then they would still be alive, and I wouldn’t be stuck living in a lonely cottage in the center of the woods.”

“You can come up with a million ‘what ifs’ but what has happened is done, and you have no way to rewrite the past.” Amelia Lee brought herself to her feet and brushed off the dust on her pant leg.

“So we never got to why you are here, I mean what business would a little girl have roaming the woods alone in the middle of a storm?” Ingrid seemed quite eager to change the topic.

“Oh, just you know. Running away from home.” Amelia Lee muttered with her head down.

Ingrid’s face lit up with confusion and worry. “Why would you purposely run from a family that loves you?”

“My Grandma and I got into a fight after she found out that I got suspended and lied to her, and she told me that I deserved to lose my parents.” Her eyes look guilty while Amelia Lee knew that she was wrong as well.

“So you are running away because you got suspended, and you lied about it, but you want me to understand because your Grandmother said something to you?” Ingrid made a disappointed expression and hoped that her criticism would be helpful and not perceived as an insult.

Although Amelia Lee understood what ingrid was trying to say, it hurt to hear from another person that she was wrong about the way she handled and started the entire situation.

“I am in so much trouble.”

Suddenly, Amelia Lee remember once again that her mother’s necklace was lying somewhere in the middle of the woods, lost; but before she had a chance to go out and find it, the rusty doorknob shook and they had company.

Chapter 16

Going Home

Audrey and Hayden approached the crumbling cottage and observed their surroundings.

“Look at this!” Hayden squealed picking up a small pile of dirt. “It’s some sort of necklace.” He examined the piece of jewelry as Audrey made her way from the other side of the house.

“Oh, my god.” She whispered barely getting the words out. “This is my mom’s necklace! The one that my sister got.” She scrambled to comprehend the situation as the rain hit the side of her face. It was hardly raining enough to be noticed in the air, but Audrey could certainly feel the drops hitting her face.

Once she found the door hidden behind a thorn bush, she shook the doorknob, to discover that it was locked.

“Okay, so my mother’s necklace is lying outside of a mysterious hut in the middle of the woods, and it’s locked. Fantastic!” She said sarcastically.

She began pacing back and forth, locket in hand. “Okay, well, there, uh, um, must be like....some sort of… way that.” She babbled.

Just then, the doorknob turned back and forth furiously until the door open and revealed a shocking surprise.

Meaning while back in the house Amelia Lee and Ingrid were shocked at the noises coming from the door.

“Looks like someone traced you!” Ingrid laughed, walking towards the door.

“Wait, please! I don’t want to go home yet.” Amelia Lee wailed, with worry in her eyes.

“See I thought the same thing, but hon, it’s time you’d be going home.” Ingrid nodded.

“Please, if you want to help me, don’t open that door.” Amelia Lee’s voice trembled.

But it was too late, the door was open, and Audrey and Hayden were standing in the doorway.

The thought of being taken back to the apartment where Gram lived, made Amelia Lee want to run away, again.

“Amelia Lee?” Audrey said in a gentle voice. “What are you doing here?”

“I uh, ran away.” Amelia Lee answered. “Gram said that I deserved to lose my parents.”

“What? Why?” Audrey had a look of panic. “Did you tell her that you got suspended… and I got expelled?” Now Audrey was a nervous reck.

“Yeah, but not about you, only the fact that after I lied about having the flu, and then lied about getting suspended. I know that I did something wrong, but I’m not ready to go home yet.” Amelia Lee begged, with tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

“Sometimes, fear comes from doing the right thing, but now it’s time to go home, because you never know how much time you have left, until it’s too late. Don’t be like me, late.” Ingrid budded in.

Amelia Lee sunk down to the ground. “I don’t wanna, I can’t.”

Meanwhile, Gram was driving in circles around the town, anxiously awaiting the discovery of her wandering grandchild. After her sixth lap past the gelato shop, Gram pulled her car over and the squeaking that came from the engine, came to a halt.

“I’ve lost her.” She whispered holding her head in her hands. A headache washed over her as she got out the car.

Walking towards a nearby tree in front of Cindy’s Sliders, she leaned against it with red eyes. Gram shoved her hands in her pockets and ripped out her phone, dialed Abigail’s phone number, and shoved it up to her ear.

It rang three times before her voice played through the phone. “Hi it’s Abigail! Sorry I couldn’t pick up, I must be with my kids. Leave a message after the tone, and have a great day!” The dial tone echoed in her head as a single teardrop rolled down her wrinkled cheek like a snowball.

Gram had realized that her cry for help was going to be an endless journey. It was only until Cindy, Hannah’s mom, spotted Gram.

“Oh my god Ashlynn! Are you okay?” Cindy yelled running to Gram’s side. “Darling what happened?” Ashlynn was Gram’s real name

Cindy had grease stains on her white apron and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun.

“Amelia,” Gram started crying hysterically. “She...I and uh...Then we, and I” She stuttered.

Cindy pulled Gram’s head against her side and rubbed her hair. “Calm down and tell me what happened.”

Gram stood up straight and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’m being a child. Amelia ran away and here I am sobbing in front of someone like you. Out of all the people in this world, I am look to you to help me.” Gram’s voice was normal again but she kept sniffling.

“Oh sweetheart don’t worry we’ll find her no matter what. Come on, let’s go.” Cindy took her phone out of her pocket and took a seat behind the wheel of Gram’s 2001 used honda completely dismissing the comments made about her. Then Gram passed the keys to her and they took off down the road.

Chapter 17

Reuniting

“Of course you can come home. Nothing can drive you away from me, especially Gram.” Audrey explained wrapping her arms around Amelia Lee.

“You don’t understand, I feel so alone.” Amelia Lee said in between sniffles.

Audrey scoffed, “I don’t understand? I feel just as alone as you. I know this must be really hard for you because I’m living it too but we have to be strong because it’s what mom and dad would’ve wanted. They are always with us no matter what. I have dad’s special pin and you still have mom’s necklace and that way we know they’re with us.”

This made Amelia Lee completely fall apart. “The necklace! I lost it!” She fell to the ground and pounded her head against the sides of the cottage.

Just then Audrey remembered picking up her mother’s necklace earlier and at that moment, Hayden budded in and pulled out the necklace he found on the way there out of his pocket. “Is this your necklace?” He asked in a soft tone.

Amelia Lee’s face lit up like a Christmas tree and brought herself to her feet. “You found it?” Reaching over to get it from his grasp.

“I guess so.” Hayden shrugged dropping the chain in her hands.

“Thank you so much for finding it! This means the world to me!” Amelia Lee exclaimed hugging Hayden and catching him by surprise.

Audrey smiled when in one quick instant the doorknob jiggled again and busted open. Police officers came flooding in and told them to put their hands up.

“Ma'am put your hands behind your back.” They said to Ingrid putting her in handcuffs.

Suddenly, Gram entered the cottage with a disappointed look followed by Cindy.

Before anyone got a chance to explain Gram said in a low voice, “Get in the car, now.” Audrey and Amelia Lee walked to the honda as they watched Ingrid be put in the back of the police car. Flashing lights filled the car through the windows and the mud from their old shoes coated the bottom of the seats.

After a few long silent moments, Gram arrived and started the car. Expecting a painful lecture, Audrey and Amelia Lee were left with an unsettling feeling in the pit of their stomachs when they didn’t receive one.

Driving carefully through the woods, the rain still drenched the trees above them. Drops raced down the windows, collecting little drops on the way down. Audrey spotted Hayden walking slowly behind them with his hood up and head down and Ingrid riding in the back seat of the police car as it turned onto the road.

“Gram can we please explain?” Audrey pleaded wanting this whole entire mess to disappear. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen because Gram dismissed Audrey’s question and kept driving until the got back to their apartment.

Without speaking, all three of them brushed their teeth with their old disgusting toothbrushes and climbed onto their mattresses.

The next morning was worse than the night before because Gram refused to even look at her grandchildren. Maybe this was because she didn’t know what to say or just really disappointed, but it must’ve been something important.

Amelia Lee had finally had enough and as they poured stale Cheerios into chipped bowls, she spoke up.

“Gram?” She started, her voice trembling. “Why won’t you talk to us?”

Gram placed her bowl on the counter, not making eye contact, and stared off into space. “I uh,” She cleared her voice. “I’m just really sad.” She said nodding.

“Yeah it’s been quite the year.” Gram continued with tears peeking out from the corners of her eyes.

“It feels as if I’ve lost control.” Audrey added, swallowing hard. “I got expelled from school.”

“I know” Gram replied.

“Wait, how did you find out?” But just as Audrey said this she realized how. “Did Hannah’s mom tell you?”

Gram nodded staring Audrey in the eyes. “Yeah, but she didn’t tell me why because she thought that was your responsibility.”

“It wasn’t my fault, I swear.” Audrey confessed and then continued to explain what had happened. She told Gram about what they said at Hansel and Gretel’s Gelato Shoppe and the bathroom and the video. And then how she was completely set up at the party.

“Oh honey, I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me?” Gram asked with heartbroken eyes.

“I just couldn’t because I have to be the strong one. I can’t fall apart because if we’re all broken, then who can fix us?” Audrey asked, her face turning a scarlet shape.

“I can believe that but if nothing ever fell apart then there would be no new beginnings.” Amelia Lee added, quoting what Ingrid told her only hours before.

This made Gram and Audrey turn to look at Amelia Lee who was now standing behind them looking up with an innocent heart.

Just then, there was a knock at the door and a letter fell through the mail slip. Gram went over to pick it up and on the front was Pizza Kingdom writing in small professional looking letters

Gram ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. She read the top line. “This letter is sent to inform you about a large bill collected from your unpaid orders.”

And with that, Audrey and Amelia Lee knew that they were in so much trouble.

Epilogue

Dear Abigail and Paul,

Losing you has been the hardest thing I have had to go through in my long life but you have left your incredible children with me and for that I am eternally blessed. It has been a rough year but we’ve made it through stronger than ever. To start from the beginning, the girls got into a little trouble at school but it wasn’t really their faults. Amelia Lee got suspended by accidentally smacking her teacher when she was being harassed by the kids in her class and Audrey was framed by her friends and got expelled. Although these may seem like excuses, I talked to Hannah’s mom, Cindy, and she said that after talking to Hannah she admitted that what she did was wrong and completely out of line and got her to tell the principal the truth. Mr. Smith ended up accepting Audrey back at school. And for Amelia Lee, she went back to school after her suspension ended and had to see the school therapist. The good thing about this is that the woman she met in the woods (long story) Ingrid was a school psychologist was she was younger and Amelia Lee was allowed to talk to her instead which helped Ingrid too. Oh, and Ingrid was the person that Amelia Lee ran into when she ran away. Unfortunately, because of the way the situation unfolded the police thought that Ingrid was kidnapping Audrey and Amelia Lee and arrested her but we got the to drop the charges because it was a complete misunderstanding. Oh and Audrey met this boy named Hayden and let’s just say, that’s a new experience. Although it’s been a hard and messy situation since you’ve been gone, your girls are turning out alright even though without you, it seems like life with be a burning candle in the dark.

Yours truly,

Ashlynn Worster