Game of lies

ma

ew feet away, on m

ately gives me the appropriate reaction the person behind the number deserve

textbooks, and I reach for it with a shaky hand. But be

not, her

bursts open, and my best friend, Selena, saunters in, her fluffy pink robe flowin

nds on me, wide-eyed. "Samantha Osborn,

steady myself and shru

toward the open door

eed to make sure my p

friend, but both of them toget

. He looks at me sideways and rais

dollar mansions we grew up in, but it's big enough to accommodate a large family. Thankfully, my parents have given me a sizable allowance since I was a t

o one died, bitter boy." She lean

head. "No o

t, I ho

at me. "Why the hell are you sittin

r at least I'm sure I don't look my best. I haven't even

ork scattered around me,

"I still have time. We don't have to

hang the toilet paper roll underneath. "The makeup a

wn. "

hired a crew for us? There'll

a and because I can't, and don't want to

about feels like torture. It's almost impossible to feel anything but fear, especially after

r you'll finish school and you'll finall

whatever he's saying. "Well, you only turn twenty-one once, and

than we'll ever know what

brows. "That goes

conversation because my brain is

turn twent

et to tha

sister. She was only a few da

we were twins, even though she was three years older. I never saw it. Her hair was golden brown, whi

aken months before everything went to hell. We had our differences, espe

change wha

man

ook at Jake,

His voice is s

to swallow, but I manage after several at

o look at them to know they don't believe a word I say, jus

en rule between us ov

hat's going on, I couldn't. Not wit

my comforter, gathering all my work and putting it in a neat pile on my desk. Then he disappears into my c

. "You'll look

ge to smile bac

ve time for him, but they do have high expectations. Someti

have twenty minutes to showe

private bathroom like

chime in my pocket as Selena closes the door. But not

er I receive messages from him. My stalker, my tormentor, the man who, single-handedly, has br

ll him Diablo, but I saved his number as Freddy. L

ed

oy your party tonight. Y

messages existed until I received the first one from Freddy, and it disappeared within minutes. My stomach churns at the memory, and I

ugh this day