“I just—” My voice breaks. “I j-just can’t be alone. Can I come over?” I ask.
There’s a pause. I can hear her thinking.
“I’ve been … sick, so my room’s a mess, but Waffle Palace should still be open? I’ll meet you there?” she says. I feel some relief.
“See you soon,” I say, before hanging up and stepping out of the glass box. I look around once again, heart thrumming in my chest.
The girl’s scream echoes in my head as my mind flashes between last year, when I was sure I saw her lying on the ground as we drove away, bleeding out, eyes wide, not moving at all … Then tonight, when I ripped that mask away, I saw the dead girl staring up at me.
Alive, grinning, and with a thirst for vengeance in her blue eyes.
* * *
Half an hour later I’m in Waffle Palace, sitting back, watching the sky through the window as it shifts from dark blue to pitch-black, devoid of stars and light altogether. Trying to take my mind off tonight.
It’s only just dawning on me that I left Devon alone back at school. I hope he’s okay. I wish I could text him to check how he is. I look down at the dark brown of my hot chocolate, flecks of cream still visible on the surface. The cream is the only part I had an appetite for.
Belle sighs as she sits down, placing her wallet on the table. “Ordered us a huge ice-cream sundae to share. Thought all that sugar would cheer you up,” she says with a smile, sounding stuffy. She’s sick, but she still came out to see me. I try not to feel too bad about that.
“I don’t need cheering up—I told you, I’m fine. Just wanted to hang out,” I say, lying through my teeth.
“Could’ve fooled me.” She takes my hand and squeezes. “You look like you haven’t slept … or eaten in ages.” There’s concern riddling her face. Her expression, however, quickly changes as the waiter places the huge glass bowl in front of us.
Belle claps her hands together, eyes lighting up. She’s so happy that I smile a little too as I survey the dessert. Seven big scoops of ice cream, chocolate flakes in each corner, with sprinkles and deep-red strawberry syrup. My stomach twists and a wave of nausea hits.
Out of nowhere, images of deep-red blood flash in my brain, and I feel dizzy as I look up at Belle, who’s asking if I’m okay. Her face morphs into the girl’s.
The girl Jamie and I left at the side of the road.
The girl who isn’t dead.
Tears sting my eyes and I try to breathe deeply, but I can’t get enough oxygen. Belle is beside me suddenly, her arms wrapping around me.
“Is she okay?” I hear someone ask.
I don’t know, I answer in my head, closing my eyes.
By the time I’m calm again, our ice cream has melted and been taken away and Belle is looking at me like I have a third head or something.
My chest aches as the images continue to flicker, blurring with reality. My nightmare is coming true, like I always suspected it would.
“I know it’s been hard for you at school,” Belle starts, “but I want you to know … you can trust me.”
I look at her, and I feel like I can tell her anything. I’m so exhausted, these secrets weighing on my conscience. I can trust her. I squeeze my eyes shut.
“Aces was right about me. I’m a bad person, and before you say I’m not, I am. I’ve done a lot of bad things, and it’s all coming out now and I can’t stop it.”
Belle is silent for a few moments. I don’t look at her at first, too scared that she’ll look at me like I’m some monster. But when I open my eyes, she’s weirdly calm.
“I’m scared,” I say quietly, sniffing. “Of what’s happening to me and what’s going to happen.”
“You’re going to be fine,” Belle says, taking my hands again. “We all have skeletons.”
I feel hot, hoping my sweaty palms don’t gross her out. Belle looks at me like I’m not the person I think I am. I wonder how many skeletons she has?
Every face in here flickers, morphing into the girl’s. Is it a trick of the light? Or is it my brain playing games once again? I feel like I’m surrounded.
I look at Belle and see her hair matted with blood as her face shifts. I feel like I’m losing it. The walls of what was left of my sanity are cracking and breaking away.
“Chi…,” she says softly. “No matter what, you’ll always have me, okay?”
There’s a snap in my head, like someone clicking their fingers, and all the faces return to normal, including hers.
It’s not much, but being here with Belle makes me feel better. And hearing her say those words makes me feel a little bit safer.
* * *
Monday
I’m surprised I slept at all last night. Rather than the usual dream sequence—that starts with me at the side of the road next to her dead body and ends with me in a dark room surrounded by blond dolls—my brain finally lets the dark consume me instead.
Coming back to Niveus feels like I’ve returned to the scene of a crime. Like those guilt-ridden criminals in investigator shows, I feel as if I’m walking into an open trap. One step in the wrong direction and it’s over. Somehow a girl I never met before the accident is behind Aces and wants to ruin my life. But who is she? Why is she doing this? And how? Is this revenge for what happened that night last year? Has the girl found out who I am and wants me to suffer like she did?
On first thought, it might seem like a smart move for me to stay at home, but with Mom and Dad gone all day, and knowing that girl could be coming for me—waiting until I’m alone to strike—I had no choice but to return to the safety of a crowded school of my peers, who hate me.
I drag myself through the hallway, trying to keep my head up as I spot Ruby, Ava, and Cecelia Wright by Ruby’s locker. I haven’t spoken to them in a while. There hasn’t been anything I’ve wanted to speak to them about.
I feel like there’s a target on my back. I failed last night, failed to stop Aces like I’d planned, and today anything could happen.
Belle is at home with a cold, and I have no idea where my phone is, so I can’t even text her between breaks. I’m forced to go up to my “friends,” to avoid looking like the loser I feel like.
Despite how tired I am, I force a smile as I approach them.
“Hi, girls,” I say, eyes locking on Cecelia. CeCe’s never liked me much; she made that clear when she told me once in sophomore year, Someday someone’s going to knock you off your high horse. I laughed and told her to keep wishing for the impossible.
CeCe gives me a once-over, eyes pausing at my feet. Today I’m wearing my dark-green crocodile leather Jimmy Choo pumps.
“Nice shoes,” CeCe says, face as expressionless as her voice.
I smile. “Thanks, CeCe, they are nice.” I don’t bother to lie by complimenting her too.
Ava’s looking down at her shoes and Ruby’s looking at me.
“Haven’t seen you in a few days. Wanted to check on you, but I figured you’d be preoccupied,” Ruby says, red brows furrowing together.
“It’s been a pretty difficult few weeks, but it’s just a blip. This whole thing will blow over, and everything will go back to normal by next week,” I say with a shrug.
This makes Ruby grin; I can see the fire behind her eyes, smoke wafting into my nose as it burns behind the green. “It’s nice that you can remain positive after everything. I like that about you.” Her gaze flickers to my shoes as well. “Are those Jimmy Choo?”
I nod slowly, trying to look for the double meaning.
“Hi Ruby, CeCe, and Ava,” a voice chirps from behind, and I swivel slightly, met now by that sophomore … Miranda, I think she said her name was. “I dropped by Starbucks and got you three chai lattes, just how you like them. I know you’re on a diet, CeCe, so I told them to put your order in a small cup and got grandes for Ava and Ruby.”
“Thanks, Molly,” Ruby says as they all take their drinks.
I feel a little crack inside, my heart racing as I try not to look bothered. The sophomore leave
s and Ruby turns away from us, pushing her handbag into her locker. I feel stupid, standing here like I’m waiting on her or something.
Just as I’m about to tell them I’ll see them around, make them think I have somewhere better to be, I hear someone call my name.
“Chiamaka, hey,” Devon says, out of breath, looking a little shaken up. I’m glad to see him still alive. This morning I kept hoping nothing had happened. I couldn’t check on him either; I had no way to. I wouldn’t blame him if he was pissed at me.
“Hello, Richards,” I reply as neutrally as I can, hoping he doesn’t decide to strike up a conversation right now, here of all places. I already look stupid in front of the girls; he’s only going to make it worse.
“You haven’t been answering my texts. I need to talk to you in private. Now.” He says the last part in a whisper. Devon looks so unbothered by the other three standing next to me.
CeCe sips her latte with her usual blank expression, but Ruby has now turned back around, her eyebrows raised, interest piqued.
Usually people stumble over their words when they speak to us, glancing up at us like they are in awe of the fact that we are breathing the same air. They don’t wear the unimpressed expression Richards does. I know Ruby for sure won’t like that, and I find it funny, loving that about him. Anyone who can make Ruby stop thinking she’s better than the rest of us—particularly me—is someone I applaud.
I clear my throat, looking between him and the girls.
“What about?”
“Don’t bullshit, Chiamaka. You know what about.”
We stare at each other. For once, he looks determined. As determined as I am to end this. He’s right: I do know what he wants to talk about—why I ran and left him alone. But I can’t get my head around how I would even go about telling him what I saw. I have to tell him, though, I know that—we’re running out of time. Something tells me that the girl is dangerous, which means she could hurt us like I hurt her. Last night might have been our only shot at stopping whatever plot she has, and I blew it.
I have to tell him, even if he thinks I’ve completely lost my mind.
Before I have a chance to respond, Devon steps closer. “I need to talk to you now.”
Okay, who is he speaking to like that? I feel myself getting annoyed.
“Have you not heard of personal space?”
Ruby snorts, covering her mouth, and Devon looks like he wants to snap my neck. Something about the way he’s looking at me makes me pause. Devon is never this forceful … I look down at his hands. He’s shaking.
What happened last night?
“I’ll meet you in five minutes, lab 201,” I say quietly.
He looks a little taken aback, but he nods, then gives me one last lingering look, before turning and walking away.
“Wow, he’s angry. I thought he was going to kill us or something,” Ava says, watching as he walks through the double doors.
“Why? He’s not violent,” I reply matter-of-factly. Even though he looked like he wanted to snap my neck, I knew he wouldn’t. Devon’s not that kind of person.
“Didn’t he make that sex tape with Scotty?” Ruby asks, and I shrug, not wanting to talk about him with them. “It was so bad, so obviously shot by a webcam. When I shoot mine, I’ll get a real camera,” she adds.
“Need to get going, but it was so nice catching up!” I interject, not waiting for a response before turning away and walking down the hall.
A girl literally runs out of my way, probably scared I’ll kill her in broad daylight with the sharp point of one of my heels.
I open my locker, pushing my handbag in slowly, letting my hair fall and hide my face as I blink, sniffing quietly.
I feel a tap on my shoulder and I jump, quickly wiping my face, ready to shout at whoever it is, stopping short when I see Jamie.
I haven’t seen him since he went all Thanos on me on Friday.
“Yes?” I ask, stepping back a little. I don’t feel safe around him anymore, even in this hallway filled with people. Jamie looks pissed off, ready to beat me down like everyone else. What now? What has been said now? I’m so tired.
“Really, Chi?”
“What now?”
Silence.
“You and Belle? And you can’t deny it. I’ve seen the pictures.”
What pictures?
“And Aces don’t really lie, do they?” he spits.
I narrow my eyes at him, a thought hammering through my mind. I wonder if he knows the girl is really alive. I wonder if he knew all along …
“Want me to apologize for kissing a girl you aren’t even with? Want me to say I’m sorry for breaking the best-friend code? Oh wait, we aren’t best friends. We aren’t even friends. Want me to beg for your forgiveness for liking someone without your fucking permission?”
His eyes widen, but before he speaks, I continue, because that’s what happens when you hold so much back without release.
“You didn’t like Scotty or Tanner. Didn’t like Georgie or Paul. You hate it when I’m with someone else, because you think you can control me, control my body. Well, you can’t, Jamie.”
How, after everything, can Jamie think he still has a say over anything I do?
He looks down at my feet, then back up at me. “You have toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your shoe.”
I feel my neck burn, but I don’t say anything. Instead, I slam my locker shut, making him jump back. Then I turn, walking away, not caring where.
People move away, the sea parting, fear written all over their pale faces.
* * *
When I enter lab 201, Devon is seated at the back, waiting for me. I knew this lab would be empty, so we could speak alone. He looks so out of it, as though his own worst nightmare also rose from the dead and showed up last night.
I’m guessing he’s angry I ran off and ruined everything. I’d be really pissed off if I were in his shoes. Which is why he deserves an explanation. I’m just going to come out and say it. No matter what his reaction is.
I sit opposite him, taking a deep breath before spilling my deepest, darkest secret.
“I need to tell you something,” Devon starts.
I nod. “Me first. I’m sorry for leaving you alone last night, messing up the stakeout. But I have a good reason,” I say, glancing at him.
Devon doesn’t seem like he cares all that much about what I have to say. I ignore his face and continue.
“What Aces said about me being a murderer wasn’t a complete stretch…” His eyebrows are raised. I knew he’d care about that. “About a year ago, Jamie and I were driving home from his parents’ beach house when we hit someone. It was bad; there was blood everywhere; I thought she was dead. Jamie made us drive away, not tell anyone, and I’ve lived with that guilt ever since. But then last night, when I tackled that girl to the ground and removed her mask, it was her. The girl I thought we’d killed.”
Devon’s mouth literally falls open. “Are you sure it was her?” he asks.
I nod. “Positive. I could never forget her face,” I tell him.
“Fuck,” he says.
“Yeah,” I say. I sit up straight, leaning in a little.
“What do you think this means?” he asks.
I’ve been asking myself the same question.
“I have no idea,” I say, feeling sick. “I don’t know how she fits into all this, into Aces. But what did you want to tell me?”
He takes his phone out and unlocks it. “I tried messaging you all night,” he starts. “When the girl ran out, she left the page she was logged in to open. So I went through the files.”
Now it’s my turn to be shocked. “What did you find?”
He pauses, scrolling through his phone, and then he slides it over.
“I found a lot … There was a lot of scary shit. I don’t know how the girl is connected, though; she doesn’t go to Niveus and I don’t know what she would have been doing on the computer,” he says as I scan the screen of his p
hone.
The picture I’m looking at is grainy, but I can still make out most of it. I spend the first few seconds trying to make sense of it all, but then I see an acrostic made up of the first letters from the school values. It feels like I’ve been punched in my stomach. I swipe and there’s another picture. I see a list of names next to … tasks? Watch CA during chemistry and Place USB flash drive in CA’s locker—with information on which class I’d be in on the specific date the task was due. It’s creepy as hell. I scan the list a few times, searching for names I know. Names of people I didn’t necessarily trust, but who I never thought could do something like this. I search for the names of my “friends,” and, as expected, I see both Ruby’s and Ava’s and their tasks in bold. Both tasked with Collecting information on CA. I blink. I knew Ruby wouldn’t pass up the chance to hurt me. Ava too.
When I don’t see Belle’s name, I feel … relieved. I swipe. The final picture is a file labeled Dianna Walker 1965.
I look up at Devon again. “Was that all of it?” I ask, shivering.
He shakes his head. “There were so many files, I only saw some of them before the computer switched off, and I could only take those three pictures. It must have been on a timer or something. I don’t know.” He rubs his eyes. “Everything on that computer … It made it seem like everyone’s in on it, that this extends past a couple of people targeting us because they want revenge or don’t like us. It’s … bigger.”
I nod in agreement, feeling numb. Everything makes sense but at the same time, doesn’t. I look back down at the phone. “Who was Dianna Walker 1965?”
“Uh, there was a list of past students—students who I think Aces had targeted … Dianna must have been here in 1965? I didn’t get to look at much of her file, but Aces seemed to have started with her,” he says. “There was a photo … one that was like those … posters of you.”
Wow.
“Have you looked Dianna Walker up? Where she is now?”
He shakes his head, then takes his phone and types her name into the search engine. I watch him scroll for a while, clicking through to different sites, pictures, social media pages, companies, message boards. But there’s nothing. No one who is even a close match to the scant details we have to go on.
Ace of Spades Page 22
