Faith (P.O.V.):

"What do you want?" Evan asked. 

I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes.

For the past five minutes, I have been reading non-stop. 

I tried to start our project, but Evan sat there for five minutes. 

He sat there, sitting on his phone and not taking his eyes off of it. 

First, he was silent. 

No, he was more upset because his phone was taking a long time to charge since it had died completely. 

But, when it turned back on, he picked it up and hadn't set it down since then.

"Evan, you are supposed to contribute," I said. 

"I am." He said, not taking his eyes off his phone.

"How?"

"I'm present, Faith. My presence is more than enough."

"You said you were going to contribute."

"Faith, I don't care about this damn project. You told me to contribute, so I am. My presence here alone counts as a contribution to your project."

I snatched the phone from his hand.

"What the hell!?" Evan exclaimed.

"It's not my project!" I said. "It's our project, and I am not going to do this on my own! You were dying to be my partner, so now, you must do something!"

Evan rolled his eyes.

"First, give me my phone back," He said. "You can't just pull it out of my hand like that. That's disrespectful. You are disrespecting me by snatching it like that, and I will not tolerate my insult."

"Fine!" I said, standing up and getting my bag. "Here's your stupid phone!" 

Evan caught the phone before it fell on the floor.

"I'm leaving!" I said. "I will do this project on my own!"

Evan sighed heavily.

"I'm not the right person for all this." He said. "I don't do whatever it is that you're doing. When I said I would contribute, I meant being present while you did your project."

I rolled my eyes, angrily leaving the room.

"He is impossible!" I muttered to myself, looking down. "I was better off with Mary! But that freak Mason Wilhelm! I don't even know where he came from! Stealing my partner right in front of me! Why wouldn't he!? He's, of course, Evan's dog! Evan's damn faithful dog! Ev, this! Ev, that! Like, he seriously has no life!"

"Are you okay?" Somebody asked me.

I looked up.

It is the girl who was defending Evan that other day. 

His sister, I suppose.

She smiled at me.

I smiled back weakly,  feeling embarrassed. 

I should stop this habit of muttering things to myself. 

People will think that I am a freak.

"Uh...Yeah, I was...I was just..."

"Letting off steam?" She asked.

"I...Um...I don't know...I have this terrible habit of muttering things to myself sometimes. It's weird, I know. But that Evan Owens! He makes me so ang-"

I stopped when I saw the girl looking at me suspiciously.

I nervously bit my lips. 

"I...I'm sorry...I didn't..." I said. "I didn't mean to say those things about your brother...It's just th-"

"You don't have to explain yourself." She interrupted. "I understand what you mean."

"You do?" 

She sighed.

"Yes, I do." She said. "This disaster named Evan has been in my life forever, so I understand how you feel."

"Really?" I said. "I thought you were freaking out or something."

"No, you're good. What's your issue with Evan?"

I sighed heavily.

"Everything!" I said, feeling annoyed. "I was partners with a girl who sat behind me in English class. Then, out of nowhere, this kid named Mason Wilhem, a total freak with no life other than literary worshiping Evan, comes and steals my partner!"

"Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that! He told a sad story about failing the class and how he needed her help. My partner melted and ditched me for him!"

"Really?"

"Yes, and when I asked who would be my partner, he yelled 'Ev' at the top of his lungs!"

"Ev?"

"That's his nickname for Evan. It's ridiculously annoying."

"Oh..."

"When I heard him say that, I knew it was all his plan."

"Whose?"

"Evan's! Who else? Who else goes around making schemes against people?"

"Evan, did all that to be your partner?"

"Yes! I mean, can you believe it!? He crossed the limit!"

"Evan, my Evan, actually wants to do a school project!?"

"No, he doesn't!

Her smile turned upside down.

"Evan Owens is doing all this to ruin my life!" I said. "He is doing all this on purpose, and now that we started the project, he doesn't do anything! He only stays glued to his phone! I do all the work while he calls his presence a contribution to the project!"

The girl sighed sadly.

"Can I ask you something?" She said. 

"Yeah," I said.

"Are you Faith?"

I looked at her confusedly.

"Yeah, how do you k-"

"I just know." She said, extending her hand for me to shake. "I'm Lisa."

"Nice to meet you."

"I always wanted to meet you."

We both started to walk. 

"Why?" I said. 

"I don't know." She said. "Every time I see you with Evan, you look so different, alive, and gorgeous."

"Thank you, you're very gorgeous too! Are you sure you're Evan's sister?"

"Thank you, and unfortunately, I am Evan's sister. But, I'm human."

I chuckled lightly.

"You're the engaged one, right?"

"Yes!" She said, showing me her ring.

"It's beautiful. Are you excited?"

"Excited and nervous."

"Why?"

"I'm excited because I finally get to be with Johnathon, my fiancee. But, then, I'm nervous, too."

"Nervous of what when you're already with him?"

"My parents, especially my dad."

"They don't like him?"

"No," She said sadly. "Johnathon's parents are chefs. Famous Italian chefs. My Dad...He thinks that's not a job...He thinks they are wasting their time cooking when they could just be bagging deals...According to him, Johnathon and his family will one day bring me to the streets...I will never get happiness in their home...I decided to marry without consulting him, so he said he would never accept Johnathon as his son-in-law."

"That's rough. I'm sorry to hear that. Did you try to talk to them about how happy you are with your fiancee?"

"I did, but it's no use. Dave Owens and his follower wife are never satisfied with anything."

I had such a great conversation with Lisa that I didn't even realize we got to the door. 

"Well, I hope everything goes well for you, Lisa," I said. "Your situation seems rough, but you got Johnathon. That's better than nothing. You two are together and happy. That's what matters. It's your life, not theirs. What they think and what they don't think doesn't matter. You know what makes you happy, so just be you."

"Thank you!" She said happily. "It was nice talking to you. I just immediately connected with you."

"I feel the same way."

"And I wish you a good look at your project situation. Hopefully, Evan will come around to help you."

I sighed heavily. 

"I highly doubt that, but if he does, it would make things a lot easier," I said. 

"Don't worry. As far as I observed Evan, he seems like he cares." She said, looking at me with amazement. "I think you have already made a place in his life."

I looked at her confusedly.

"What do you mean?" I asked. 

"Nothing!" She said immediately. "Do you need a ride?"

"Thanks, but I have a ride. My friend Max will be picking me up. He should already be here."

"Alright then."

I waved at her, getting ready to leave. 

"Wait." She said.

I turned back around to face her.

"Can I see your phone?" She said. 

I pulled out my phone and handed it to her.

She punched in a number and handed it back.

"That's my number." She said. "Call me whenever you want to talk or just hang out."

"Thanks!" I said, saving it. "It was nice talking to you."

"You too! And please, come more often!"

I nodded my head, waving goodbye.

*~*

"Hey, thanks for picking me up," I said, sitting in the car.

Max smiled but then started to look at me strangely.

"What?" I said.

"Um...You...Why are you showing...Um, so much cleavage?" He said, adjusting his eyes. 

"What!?"

"No, Faith...I didn't mean it like that...I meant to say you were wearing a jacket, but now, you don't have it on..."

"It's not like I'm walking around with a bare belly, Max. I have on a tank top."

I sighed heavily.

"You have Mr. Wong?" I said. 

"Yeah, I have him first hour." He said. 

"Well, you know how he assigned partners for the project, right?"

"Yeah."

"Unfortunately, my partner is Evan."

"What!?"

"Yeah."

"I can't believe your partner is Evan, though. No wonder why you called me here. I was wondering why you called me at Evan's house. At first, I thought that he might have kidnapped you, and you finally managed to escape and called me."

I raised my eyebrows at Max.

Max shrugged his shoulders.

"You guys are enemies." He said. "I found it suspicious that you were at his house."

"Right," I said, smiling weakly.

"Ray was asking about you. He said you weren't talking to him."

"Let's not even talk about Ray."

"Why?"

"You know, before first hour, he told me to meet him at the academic building today...."

*** Flashback***

"Faith...I need to talk to you about something important." Ray said.

"Okay," I said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Um...Have you...Have you heard about...Um...The things people are saying about us?"

I sighed.

"I have heard a couple of people saying things, but I didn't understand what they were saying, so I decided not to pay attention," I said. 

"They...They are judging me." He said. I mean, us...I need them to stop spreading things about me."

"Who's spreading things?"

"Mason Wilhem started it. Now, everybody is laughing at me. They think I'm wack, and they're just saying really bad things...Faith, I need a favor."

I looked at him confusedly.

"Can you? Can you, um, please...Please be my fake girlfriend?" 

"What!?"

"Just in front of everybody. We'll act like a couple so that they stop talking. I want them to stop judging me. Please, be my fake girlfriend."

"Ray, I can't believe you just said that to me!"

****

"Ray said that to you?" Max asked as he drove to my house. 

"Yeah, can you believe it?" I said. 

"That's weird. It doesn't even sound like Ray."

"I know it is. The whole thing just freaked me out. I don't even know why he's paying attention to all that. It's not like he and I have anything going on."

"Oh...You guys don't?"

I looked at Max confusedly.

"Of course, there's not," I said. 

"Really?"He asked. 

"Yes, nothing is going on between Ray and me."

Max nodded his head. 

"Ray is a nice guy, but he's just not my type," I said. "Plus, we are only friends, and I would like it to remain that way."

"I understand," Max said, pulling into my driveway.

"Thank you for the ride."

"Anytime."

"I will see you tomorrow."

"Take care, and I'll see you tomorrow."

I waved at Max as he got out of the driveway.

*~*

"Grandma, I'm home!" I exclaimed, walking into the house.

"Good, it's  6:15," Grandma said. "You jus' in time fo' dinner."

I went to the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek.

I took a water bottle out of the fridge and went to sit at the table, but I stopped as soon as I saw the table occupied.

There were trophies and medals all over the table. 

They were all polished and clean. As if they just came home today.

"Grandma, what is this?" I asked.

"Trophies and medals!" Grandma exclaimed, picking up a trophy and wiping it.

"I can see that, but what are they doing here?"

"I was cleanin' up in the attic today, and I found these there. They have been stored in a box for two years—Jus' lyin' there, lookin' all dusty and dirty. So, I decided that it was time they decorated the house. Trophies and medals are meant to be in a box. They're meant to be shown off. I can't believe you won all these trophies and medals. All of them! It just shows what an amazin' dancer you truly are!"

"An amazing dancer that I was...Not an-"

"Girl, why you gotta talk like that?"

"Grandma, we don't need these to be out here. They were good in their boxes. There is no reason to remove them."

"Why not!? Of course, they should be out there. Everybody should see th-"

"So that it reminds everybody of the incident two years ago?" 

"Faith..."

"No, Grandma. They can't be out here. These trophies and medals will only remind me of what I lost. It will remind me that I lost my mama. Dad and Keisha will be affected the most by them. They will continue to hate and blame me as long as these medals and trophies remain before them."

"That was just an accident. Dancing is not the reason why Regina is gone t-"

"Yes, it is. Dancing is the reason why she's not here. My craziness for dancing has become the cause of my mama's death. And now, I can't stand it. I can't stand dance anymore. I hate it! I hate it!"

"Faith..."

I left before Grandma could say anything else.

*~*

I skipped out on dinner later on. 

There is no use in going out there. 

What's the use of sitting at a table where everybody's mood is off? 

Nobody is happy about the family dinner. 

We are all forced to sit down and have dinner without our consent. 

It's better not to have dinner at all if it will just be so cold and dead.

After I got out of the shower, I changed into a white T-shirt and black leggings.

"Come in," I said after I heard a light knock on my door.

"Why didn't you come down for dinner?" Grandma asked.

"Because it's useless. As usual, it would only be Dad, you, and I. All quiet and awkward."

Grandma sighed.

"I brought you milk." She said, setting the milk down. "If not food, then at least drink something."

"Thank you," I said.

"I know everything has been very rough for you lately. I understand, but you can't blame dance for everything that happened. Dance is your passion. It's what you love to do."

"Grandma, please. I know you are just concerned for me, but I don't want to discuss this. I'm just really tired of all of it."

Grandma nodded her head. 

"Alright, whatever you say," Grandma said. "And here you go."

"What is it?" I said, taking the paper. 

"It came in a couple minutes before you got home."

"Thank you and please don't forget I start working tomorrow. If I don't wake up, then wake me up."

"Alright, get some rest now."

"Good night."

I sighed heavily, putting my head on the bed's headboard.

I set the envelope down without looking at it and drank the milk Grandma had brought. 

She would get furious if I skipped out on drinking it.

I set my alarm and went to bed.

~*~

"Faith...Faith...Baby, get up."

I heard Grandma's voice but had a hard time getting up. 

I was feeling so tired that I couldn't move.

"What...What is it?" I said hoarsely. "It's Saturday. What do you want, Grandma?"

"It's 7:10!" Grandma said. 

My eyes widened.

"What!?" I exclaimed, jumping out of bed.

I got up immediately, picking up the alarm on my table.

"How is this possible?" I said. "I set my alarm for 6:30."

"You overslept," Grandma said. "I thought you were already up, but I got suspicious when I heard no noise from your room. I'll make you breakfast. Get ready quickly."

"Grandma, today is my first day at work. If I'm late, I will get fired before I start."

"Hurry up! You can still make it out of here before or at 7:40."

I hurriedly got out of bed and locked myself in the bathroom.

I did my usual morning ritual and got in the shower.

When I came out of the shower, it was 7:25.

I looked at my mirror dresser, and my curling wand was not there like usual.

"GRANDMA, DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY CURLING WAND IS?" I yelled, taking out a navy blue tank top.

"I haven't seen it." She said, walking into the room.

"What!? But you cleaned my room yesterday."

Grandma rubbed her chin for a while, thinking.

I raised my eyebrows.

"I probably misplaced it." She said after a while.

"Grandma, I need it," I said. "You know I like my hair more curly than straight."

"I will look for it while you're gone and put it on the dresser for you."

"I want it now, though!"

"It's okay. It's jus' one day. Your hair looks good, curly and straight. Either way, you still look beautiful. The time is running out! Get out of that towel and dry your hair fast!"

Grandma left the room after that. 

I looked at the clock. 

It is 7:28.

I groaned in frustration, changing into the navy blue tank top and wearing black jeans.

I got the dryer and started to dry my hair.

After I dried my hair, I turned on the straightener and straightened my hair.

"Are you ready!?" Grandma called from downstairs.

"Yes, I'm on my way out!" I yelled back, slipping on my navy crotchets.

I put my phone in my back pocket and wore my black cardigan over the tank top.

"Grandma, it's 7:40," I said when I got downstairs. "Did Dad leave the car today?"

"Yeah, he left the car." She said. "I dropped him off and came back home with the car."

"Did you tell him about my job?"

"Yes, I did. He said nothin' 'bout it, but I did tell him you got the job to help him."

At least Dad knows that I am trying to help him. 

"Thank you so much!" I said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Here's the key." She said, handing it to me.

"Thank you, Grandma."

"Eat something."

"No, I can't. I'm getting late. I start at 7:50, so I have less than eight minutes."

"Alright. Be careful, and good luck! You will do wonderful!"

I slung my purse over my shoulder and left the house.

*~*

When I got to the store, I was nervous. 

I could feel my heart beating fast.

The store is simple. 

It is just a small retail store that sells groceries.

"Hey!" Some girl said, walking up to me. "You must be the new girl."

"Yeah, I'm Faith," I said, extending my hand.

"Katherine, but you can call me Kathy with a K." She said, shaking my hand.

"Nice to meet you, Kathy, with a K."

"No, not Kathy with a K. Just Kathy. I'm only saying K because my Kathy starts with a K. You get it?"

I nodded my head, smiling weakly.

"Here, wear this apron, and help me organize the canned foods and everything else. Our manager told me actually to send you to him first. He is the one near the cash register. So, go and meet him first."

I nodded my head, walking to the counter near the cash register.

"Hello, sir," I said. "My name is Faith Davis."

"Faith Davis!" The manager said excitedly. "I was expecting you! You are right on time! So, I am going to have you work with Kathy starting today. I'm sure you already met her. Your job will be organizing canned food, dairy products, meats, etc on the shelves. Some people do cleaning, and others work at the cash registers. If I see you doing well at your job and excelling, you will slowly move up to the cash register. I will send your uniform home with you tonight. Starting tomorrow, you are expected to come to work with it. As a manager, I am supposed to report to my boss, who is also your boss, since he is superior to me. So, please don't disappoint me! Make me proud!"

"I will try my best."

He took out a paper and handed it to me. 

"Here's your schedule." He said. 

I took the paper from him.

"You will be working Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays." He said. 

"I have school on Mondays and Fridays. How does the schedule work those days?"

"On Mondays and Fridays, you will report to work at 3:30. You should be out of school by then. You will work eight hours and leave at exactly 10:00. I don't want to keep you until 11 unless it's a hectic day. And on Saturdays and Sundays, you will work from 8 am to 7 pm. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes, thank you..."

"Joey!"

"Got it!"

Joey returned to helping customers, and I put on the red apron Kathy gave me and started organizing the food on the shelves.

"You're fast!" Kathy exclaimed, organizing with me. "You learned everything so fast."

I smiled, continuing the organization.

"So, how did you know about this job?" She said. 

"I came to shop here with my grandma a couple of weeks ago, and it said hiring," I said.

"Nice!"

"How long have you been working here?" 

"Three months now."

"That's cool. You like it here?"

"It's pretty nice. I think it's easy. We usually get a lot of customers, but it's fine. It's not hard."

"That's nice."

"What's your schedule like?"

"Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Fridays."

"Nice, we're almost the same. I'm Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays."

The rest of the day, Kathy and I got to know each other more as we worked. 

Whenever I didn't know something, she would explain it to me. 

Joey showed me different positions in which people worked—explaining everything to me so that I could better understand the job.

Around 6, we started to clean up. 

The store closed so there weren't any customers.

"Did you come here on your own?" Kathy asked as we cleaned up.

"Yeah, I borrowed my dad's car," I said. 

"Nice." 

"What about you?"

"My boyfriend is my ride."

I smiled, nodding my head.

"You look young." She said, observing me. "And pretty, too."

"Thank you," I said. 

"Are you a high school student?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Which school do you go to?"

"Clairemont High School."

"Clairemont!? I went to that school."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I went there for my sophomore and junior years but dropped out by my senior year."

"Oh, you look pretty young yourself."

"Well, I am only 23. You must be thinking it's weird that I dropped out. And it is. Don't become like me."

"Why did you drop out?"

"I got pregnant my junior year. When I had my baby, I returned to school, but everything was hard. Fitting in again, catching up in class, all of it."

"Yeah, I feel you."

"I dropped out and decided to stay home with my baby boy."

"How old is he?"

"He turns three this year."

"Aw, that's nice."

"Thanks."

"So, do you live with your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, I live with him. Who do you live with?"

"My dad, grandma, and sister."

"That's c-"

"Girls, you guys can get cleaned up and leave." Joey interrupted. "I will be closing up soon. Faith, you impressed me right on your first day! Wear your uniform tomorrow!"

Joey handed me the uniform.

I nodded my head, taking the uniform.

"Peace, Joey," Kathy said.

"I'll see you two tomorrow!" Joey said, disappearing into the store's storage room.

"Well, my boyfriend is here. It was nice meeting you. I will see you tomorrow!"

"Bye!"

After Kathy left, I sighed heavily, heading home.

*~*

"How was work?" Grandma asked when I walked into the house.

I walked to the dining table. 

Dad is also there. 

He is eating his dinner.

Keisha is missing, like always.

"Good evening, Dad," I said.

Dad nodded his head.

"It was great," I said to Grandma.

"Are your co-workers and manager nice?" She asked. 

"Yes, I haven't had a problem with anybody."

"That's great baby. I'm glad to hear that. You go on and freshen up. I will heat your food."

I nodded my head, heading upstairs.

"You should be proud of her, Alan. She even started working."

I heard Grandma saying.

"Yes, mom. " Dad said silently.

I sighed heavily.

I put my purse and uniform inside the closet when I got to my room.

I took my phone out of my pocket and checked for missed calls or messages. 

They were only from Ray, so I just put my phone on the table.

I noticed that I got more mail. 

I sighed heavily, picking up the mail.

I sat on top of the bed, going through the mail.

I was about to toss them aside when I noticed an unusual envelope.

 The envelope was a different color. 

It was a blue envelope that had a gold seal in the middle. 

The envelope had no name on top to indicate where it was sent from. 

It just had my name on it. 

I slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the paper. 

It read:

'Ms. Faith Davis,

We are happy you are interested in being part of our school. It's always an honor to get new students to join. We know many people want to have the opportunity to join our school and program, but they can't do so due to financial problems. We can't change everything around, though. This is just how our system works. When a student is a high school freshman, we observe students and pick people suitable for our school. We pay for those kids not to attend the school but to be part of our special program for free.-'

I looked up confusedly a little, then continued.

'-The program goes on for all four years they are in high school. After four years, they have to be part of the school permanently. If you missed a chance your freshman, then it's alright. Because now, by paying to audition, you have moved a step closer to achieving your dreams. It must have taken time and effort to pay such a big amount. But we are proud that you considered us worthy of all that time and effort. We will be waiting for your audition on April 16, 2016. We can't wait to see your talent. After that audition, we will determine if you have finally made it into the Nolte Academy of Dance! Welcome aboard!'

My eyes widened at the end of the letter.

"Nolte Academy of Dance!" I said to myself. "How is this possible? What payment? What audition?"

I haven't even thought about this academy for two years. 

Out of nowhere, they sent me a letter to thank me for making a payment.

 They even scheduled a day for an audition.

"The Nolte Academy of Dance?" I said confusedly.

I looked for a number on the paper. 

At the bottom of the page, it had the number of the office people to contact.

I picked up my phone. 

It is 7:30. 

There is no way that the office is open now.

I ran my finger through my hair in frustration.

I picked up the letter and reread it.

"What payment?" I said after I finished reading. "I haven't even made any payment to Nolte. I don't even have the money. And why would I make a payment to Nolte?"

As I reread the letter, I felt more and more frustrated. 

My head even started hurting.

"Who would even make a payment to..." I stopped in realization, putting my hand over my mouth. "Oh my god...Evan!"

Besides my family, Evan is the only person who knows about Nolte. 

The audition money is so expensive that my Dad can never afford it. 

This means Evan is behind all this! 

How can Evan do this? Why doesn't he understand that it hurts me when he does things like this? 

He's throwing his money around for me, and I don't want his sympathy. If I need something, I will achieve it myself. I don't need somebody else's money.  

I can't believe he did this without talking to me. 

Whenever we get comfortable with each other, he ruins everything. 

Now, I have to do something. 

I don't want to go to Nolte.

Not after everything that happened. 

I have to do something about this.

~*~

Working during the weekend tired me out. 

My body felt sore since it wasn't used to so much work.

On Monday, I overslept a little. 

When I woke up, I had fifteen minutes to make it to school on time. 

I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and took a shower.

After I got out of the shower, I was thankful for my curling wand being in its place. 

For two days, I had my hair straight. 

I was missing my curly hair. 

I dried my hair fast and curled it, making it a little more wavy this time.

I changed into a peach v-neck shirt, black Hollister sweatpants, and white Crocs.

I glanced at myself in the mirror, adjusting my hair and fixing my pendant.

I was so lost without it that I was even stupid enough to commit suicide. 

Evan gave me every joy the day he returned my pendant. 

 At that moment, I was so thankful to have him in my life, even if he was the one who took the pendant in the first place. 

But what he has done with Nolte pissed me off. 

Now, I need to confront him. I need to ask him why he did that without asking me anything.

I picked up the Nolte envelope, looked at it one last time, and slipped inside my bag, leaving for school.

~*~

When I got to school, I didn't see Evan. 

I didn't see him anywhere before school, so I headed to class and planned to catch him during lunch.

The day seemed to drag on. 

Every class seemed very long for some reason. 

Lunch came along, and I went to the cafeteria.

Evan was with his friends at their usual table.  

He was on his phone like always. 

"Hey, Faith!" Max said, approaching me.

"Hey, Max," I said.

"How was work this weekend?"

"It was fun but tiring."

"Let's go sit."

"Not today, Max. I have something to do."

Max adjusted his glasses. 

"What do you mean?"He said. 

"I'll...talk to...you later,"  I said, walking to Evan's table.

"Whoa, look who decided to join us today!" Jake said, chuckling. "If you only came to us every single day with those sexy legs, then I swear my life would have been amazing!"

Evan's friends chuckled at Jake.

I sighed heavily.

"Why are you here anyway?" Jake asked. "Have you finally noticed my desire to be with a beautiful girl like yourself?"

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but I'm not here to see you," I said coldly.

"Ahhhh!" Jake said, holding his heart. "Why you gotta be such a heartbreaker?"

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

Evan chuckled, shaking his head.

"I need to talk to you," I said to Evan.

"Why Evan, and why not me?" Jake said.

I adjusted my hair, starting to get irritated.

"You should give me a chance to be your baby's dad-"

I grabbed Jake's hand before he smacked my a**. 

"Touch me, then watch what I'll do!" I said, pushing his hand. "Forget me; you will never become any girl's baby daddy, so keep your dirty hands to yourself!" 

Jake looked taken aback, still holding his hand.

"I will never forget this touch, though!" He exclaimed, making his friends laugh. "I won't even wash the hand that you touched! It's fierce and hot like you! I like t-"

"Alright, guys, enough," Evan said, sounding annoyed. 

His friends stopped laughing.

Jake cleared his voice, smirking at me.

Evan sighed heavily.

"What do you want?" Evan asked.

"I need to talk to you in private," I said. 

"Oooouu..." All of Evan's friends said, laughing.

"She wants to talk in private." One of his friends said. "Boy, what's goin' on?"

"DJ, stop," Evan said. "All of you guys need to stop."

They all calmed down.

"What do you want to talk about?" Evan asked.

"Can we talk som-"

"Say whatever you want here, or else forget it!"

Evan rolled his eyes, looking back down at his phone.

I took the envelope out of my bag and put it before him.

Evan looked from his phone to the envelope and then back at me.

"Uh...What you got there?" He asked.

"You tell me, Evan," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

Evan looked at me in annoyance.

"Evan, I can't believe you did this!" I said. 

Evan scratched his chin.

"What did I do to offend you this time?" He asked, getting irritated.

"Nolte!" I said.

Evan's eyes widened.

"Really?" I said. "Like, when will you ever learn to respect my feelings?"

Evan sighed heavily.

I rolled my eyes, walking away.

"Faith," Evan said, walking after me.

I walked out of the cafeteria, trying not to get people's attention like always. 

I was sick and tired of being the center of attention.

"Faith, listen to me.." Evan said, grabbing my hand when we got to the hallway.

"Leave my hand!" I exclaimed, pulling my hand away.

"Faith...Look, listen to me...I did everything for y-"

"Why would you do that?"

"What is that supposed to mean? I was only trying to do something nice for you."

"No, you are throwing your money around like always. You know I hate that! You know I hate it when you try to show me sympathy!"

"I'm not showing you any sympathy!"

Evan sighed in frustration. 

"Yes, you are! You know how I feel about Nolte! Every single detail!" I said as tears welled in my eyes. "I never hid anything from you! Not a single thing! I made you a part of my life! I told you everything that happened in my life! What makes me happy, and what upsets me! You know very well that I'm not going to dance ever again! Yet you still paid for an audition without asking me anything! Did you even ask me if I wanted to dance again?"

"Why do I need to ask you when it is already evident that you want to dance!?" Evan said. "You said you can't live without it. That's why I did everything. I know you have integrity and would never accept my money for free. That's why I didn't tell you anything."

"I don't want to dance! I am done dancing! I no longer want the reason for my mama's death to be in my life! And right now, there is no place for dance in my life! You paid, so now you find a way to fix this!"

Evan rolled his eyes.

I shook my head, getting ready to leave.

"Faith, come on!" Evan said. 

"No, you come on with the come on, Evan!" I growled.

"I was just trying to do something nice for you. Whenever I try to do something good for you and be nice, you push me away!"

"That's because the things you do make me feel like I am nothing compared to you! It makes me feel small in front of you! Yet, you still paid a lot for something I don't even want to do!"

"Faith, it was just one incident! One bad incident! How are you going to let one incident ruin everything for you? Your talent, your passion!"

"I have no talent! No passion! And I already told you, dance has no place in my life!"

"Okay, calm down and listen to me."

"I don't want to listen to you. Why will I when you never listen to me? When you never take the time to know me and understand me? Why should I always try to make things work? Why do you get to be the one who talks rudely and behaves coldly? One minute, you're nice and sweet. Almost as if I matter to you! Then the next minute, you're a dick! A real dick! Like how you behaved in front of your friends last night and earlier! Or calling the Nolte Academy of Dance without talking to me!"

Evan sighed heavily, putting his hand on his forehead.

I sniffled, looking away.

"Faith, please don't start crying now," Evan said. 

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest.

"What do you want me to do?" Evan said. "I'll do whatever you say. Just say it, and I'll do it."

"I want you to take back the money you paid for the audition," I said. 

Evan got silent for a while, thinking.

"Fine," He said. "I will return the money, but you must do something for me too."

"What?" I said. 

"I know that you don't want to dance. When I called the academy, too, I knew you were going to say no, but I still went ahead and did it because I thought you might change your mind when you received a letter from them. I understand why you don't want to dance. Even though I seem like I don't. Trust me, I do. I'm trying hard to understand you, to get to know you, and to work things out. That's why I want you to give everything a second thought."

"Evan, I don't want to dan-"

"I'm not telling you to dance. I want you to think about it. Please, Faith.."

I sighed heavily. 

Evam doesn't understand. 

Dance is not possible for me. 

How can I even dance after everything that happened?

I will need time to think this over. 

"Okay, I'll think about it," I said after a while. 

Evan sighed in relief. 

"And if you decide to dance again, we will do something," Evan said. "I won't use my dad's money, and we'll both find a way to get the money to pay for the audition."

I nodded my head.

"Are you okay?" Evan asked, putting his hand on my shoulder. "You still feel like crying a little bit more?"

I shrugged his hand away.

Evan chuckled, putting his arm around my shoulder.

"All the things I do for you, and you never appreciate me." He said. 

"Oh, like how you did me last night with the project?" I said. 

"That's not fair, okay. I told you that I would contribute by just being present."

"Evan, how often do I tell you that's no contribution? Contributing means doing some-"

"Faith...Evan..."

Evan and I turned around.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ray asked.

Evan rolled his eyes, removing his arm from my shoulder.

"The question is, what are you doing here, Ray?" Evan asked.

"I asked you first, and why was your arm around Faith?" Ray said. 

Evan sighed heavily.

"Why do you care?" Evan asked. 

"Faith is my friend while she's your enemy, and you're my best friend while you're her enemy, so why would I not care if I see something unusual happening?" Ray said. 

Evan looked at his phone.

"Yeah, I'm just going to leave now." He said. 

"No, you're not!" Ray exclaimed. "Not until you explain yourself, Evan. First of all, you hated Faith. You couldn't even stand her! All day, you made schemes on her! And suddenly, out of nowhere, you are showing interest! You are acting like you care! You're playing mind games with us!"

"What mind games are you talking about!? What the hell is wrong with you, Ray? Why are you always acting like this nowadays!?"

"Because none of you people are taking me seriously! Nobody is, and I'm getting sick of it! Faith is not taking me seriously! People at school are not taking me seriously! And you're not!"

I shook my head at him. 

"Ray," I said. "It's not li-"

"Then why haven't you been returning my calls!?" Ray yelled. "I called you and messaged you all day, and you didn't reply to them!"

Honestly, I didn't reply because Ray was acting strange. 

It's like he is losing it or something. 

He is always angry, and the way he was calling and sending messages this past weekend just freaked me out.

"Why are you quiet, Faith!?" Ray yelled, startling me. "I'm asking you something!"

"Ray, calm down," Evan said. "And don't talk to Faith like th-"

"I will talk to her however I want! She's ignoring my calls! My messages! My feelings! This is the second time a girl has broken my heart! I won't remain calm, though! I want answers! I want Faith to tell me the reason why she is backstabbing me! Why is she behaving shady with me!"

I nervously clutched my back.

"Ray, stop your bullshit!" Evan yelled. "Stop acting like a freak! Do you even know what you are saying? Do you have any idea what y-"

"Of course, I know!" Ray interrupted. "But, you stay out of it! I'm talking to Faith! I want her to tell me why she didn't reply to my messages! What was she doing!? Who was she texting that she didn't reply to me at all!?"

Ray angrily walked towards me, but Evan grabbed him by the collar, pushing him into the lockers.

"Just f***ing calm down!" Evan said. "And stop your bullshit! Stop behaving like a maniac!"

"I want to talk to Faith!" Ray yelled. "Let  me go!"

"Faith doesn't want to talk to you. I'm warning you, Ray, if you don't stop this madness, I will forget that we are best friends. Stay the hell away from Faith. If I see you anywhere near her, I will not leave you, Ray!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TELL ME TO STAY AWAY FROM HER! HUH! WHO ARE YOU!? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF!? I WILL NEVER LEAVE HER! I WILL NEVER LET HER BETRAY ME LIKE THAT! I WILL NOT LET HER BACKSTAB ME! SHE HAS TO STAY F***ING LOYAL TO ME! DO YOU HEAR ME!? I WILL NOT LET HER DISRESPECT ME LIKE THAT! EVERYTHING HAS TO BE ABOUT ME IN HER LIFE! ONLY ME!"

Who the hell is this? 

This person is not Ray. 

This is not the Ray that I  hit that night. 

He's not the Ray that saved my life. 

The one who extended a hand of friendship despite the differences between his best friend and me. 

And now he is suddenly acting like this psycho.

Evan angrily pushed Ray away, making him stumble.

Ray looked at me with lust and desire.

I looked away, feeling uncomfortable.

Ray scoffed at Evan and left angrily.

Evan clenched his fist in anger.

"Evan, maybe this is my fault..." I said. "Maybe I'm the one who gave Ray the wrong idea...Maybe I...I...lead him on or something."

Evan sighed heavily.

"I...I should have been careful..." I said. "But, I had no idea...I didn't know Ray...He was taking our friendship the wrong way...I didn't."

"Faith, you didn't do anything," Evan said, putting his hands on my shoulders. "Ray...Ray is probably taking something strong. I sensed it when he was yelling. He has done this before, too. You didn't do anything, so please don't worry. Everything will be okay."

"Evan, Ray looked so angry...If he is taking something, then it must be really strong. What if he does something wrong?"

"Do you trust me?"

I nodded my head.

"Then, don't worry," Evan said. "Ray's not going to do anything to hurt himself and you. I will never let him come close to you as long as he's spiraling. You know I'll never let anything happen to you, right?"

"Yeah, I know," I said. 

Evan's phone rang. 

He pulled it out of his pocket, stepping aside. 

I noticed something on the floor after Evan went aside to answer his phone.

I knelt to look at it. 

It is a necklace. 

It seemed like I had seen it before. 

I picked up the necklace off the floor.

I stood up, holding the necklace and looking at it.

The necklace was half of a split necklace made of gold. 

The necklace has the words, 'I give.'

But whose necklace is this? Could it be Ray's? Did he drop it?

The necklace looks so familiar, though almost like I have seen it somewhere.

"Who's necklace is that?" Evan asked, putting his phone in his pocket.

"I don't know, but it looks so familiar," I said. 

Evan took the necklace and observed it.

"Yeah, this necklace is Ray's." He said. "I still remember the day he bought it. I'll give it to him."

"Evan, can I keep this for a while?" I asked. 

"Why?"

"I don't know. There's just something about this necklace that I have to know."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just need it for a while."

"Okay, that's fine." 

Evan returned the necklace to me, putting his hands in his pockets.

I looked at the necklace suspiciously while Evan looked at me confusedly.

I saw this necklace somewhere. 

It's very familiar, and I will get to the bottom of it now.

~*~

"Alright, people, we will be working on the project today, too." Mr. Wong said after the bell rang.

"Mr. Wong, why are we working  on a project when we haven't even read the play together?" Mary asked.

"Because this time, I will not be teaching the class. You guys will be teaching the class with your fabulous presentations. I will only pick up from there."

"Where will you pick up from?" 

"I will just review each act with you guys every day."

"This seems hard!' Janice exclaimed, putting her head on the desk.

"Class seems quiet today." Mr. Wong said, picking up his roll sheet. "Alright, let me see,  Adams, Anderson, Armstrong, Attyude, Barker, Bell, Brown, Campbell, Carter, Cooper, Dalton, Davis, Fitzgerald, Graham, Griffin, Gibson, Kendall, Kirkpatrick, Langston, Martinez, Michael, Newmeyer, O'Neil, Owens..."

Mr. Wong stopped as soon as he got to Evan's name.

"Owens!" He called out without looking up. "Late like always..."

Mr. Wong shook his head, going back to calling roll.

"Pallet, Pugh, Roberts, Robinson, Richardson, Stephenson, Taylor, Thomas, Upton, Wagers, and last but not least Wilhem."

Mr. Wong looked up this time.

"Wilhem?" He asked. 

Everybody looked around and saw that Mason's chair was empty.

No wonder the class is awfully quiet today. 

It's so peaceful without him. 

Thank god for that.

"Well, that's a first!" Mr. Wong exclaimed, setting the paper down. "Moving on...I want you all to sit with your partners for the project and get started. The sooner you people finish this, the better it will be. Trust me when I say this project can make or break you. Let's move on!"

Everybody got up and went to where their partners sat. 

Mary and I looked at each other confusedly. 

Both our partners were missing.

"Ms.Stephenson, Ms. Davis, why are we just sitting there staring at each other?" Mr. Wong said, approaching us.

"We don't have any partners," Mary said.

"What do you mean? Ms. Davis is right in front of you."

"We're not partners."

"What do you mean?"

"My partner is Mason, and Faith is Evan." 

Mr. Wong looked at us in a disappointed way.

"I expected better from both of you." He said. "Being one of my brightest students, how can you two opt for two lazy fools instead of each other? I thought they were partners, and you two were together."

"They are...Partners now.." Evan said. 

Mary and I looked at each other confusedly when we saw Mason and Evan behind Mr. Wong.

"Owens, Wilhem...Welcome to a class that started ten minutes ago." Mr. Wong said, looking at his watch.

Evan ignored Mr. Wong and headed straight to his desk.

Mason Wilhem stood there like the freak he was and kept looking at us.

"What do you want, Wilhem?" Mr. Wong asked.

"I just wanted to say that...I no longer want to be Mary's partner." He said. 

Mary gasped.

"I want to change partners, Mr.Wong." He said. "Mary is bossy, a snob, and acts too smart. I'll take an F, but I won't be partners with her."

"You're the one who approached me!" Mary exclaimed.

"Well, now I fire you from being my partner!"

Mary's jaw dropped.

"Okay, you can change partners, but do you have a backup partner?" Mr. Wong asked.

"Yes, Ev and me!" He said.

Mason scoffed at Mary and walked away.

"Yeah, they will fail my class." Mr. Wong said, walking back to his desk.

Mary and I shook our heads, getting ready to work together.

I looked back at Mason and Evan.

Evan was on his phone, and Mason got his stuff heading to Evan's desk.

"Don't even think about it," Evan said coldly without looking up.

Mason frowned, going back and putting his head on his desk.

"What is the theme you got?" Mary asked.

"Revenge," I said. 

"Once again?"

"Yes, and it would have been our theme if you didn't leave me for Mason."

"I just felt sorry for him. I thought he needed help. I didn't know he was fooling around with me."

"I feel you, Mary."

"But, I'm glad we're partners again. Either way, Mason isn't worthy of my partnership, and Evan isn't of yours."

I sighed heavily.

It's all right if Mary feels Mason isn't worthy of her partnership. 

I don't feel that way about Evan, though. 

Even though he didn't contribute to the project, just being around him felt good. 

I can't believe I'm saying it, but it's true. 

No matter our differences, I know he always got me. 

And now, I'm starting to trust him with all my heart.

"You know, I wonder what changed Mason's mind," Mary said, writing our theme on a clean sheet of paper. "First, he was crazy about being my partner. Now, he says he wants to be Evan's partner. And look at them."

Mary and I looked back at both of them.

"Mason is sleeping, and Evan is on his phone," Mary said. "I don't get it. How are they partners when they're not doing anything?"

I agree with Mary. 

Mason's sudden behavior is strange. 

First, Evan forced Mason to become Mary's partner, and now Mason has backed out. 

And the fact that they came to class late together. 

Is Evan making Mason do all this? And if he is, is he doing it so I could get my A and pass the class since he couldn't contribute anyway?

Evan glanced up at us. 

He raised his eyebrows, looking at Mary strangely. 

Mary's eyes widened, and she quickly looked away.

I didn't look away, though. 

I smiled, biting my bottom lip. 

He returned it with a sigh, getting back to his phone.

"He's evil!" Mary whispered. "Even the way he looks at people is evil!"

I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Don't you sense it?" Mary asked.

I did before. 

I always did, but nowadays, I get butterflies and funny feelings whenever he looks at me, and I don't know why I feel that way around him.

~*~

"Joey, I just got out of school now," I said after school was out. I'll be there in thirty minutes."

"Okay, make sure you're not late." He said. 

I hung up the call, putting my phone in my pocket.

I sighed heavily, pulling the necklace out of my locker.

I stood there for a while studying the necklace.

It was worrying me inside and out. 

It just seems like this necklace is very significant.

I closed my locker, putting the necklace in my bag.

I was about to leave when I got cornered.

My eyes widened.

"You!" I exclaimed. "What are you do-"

"I want to talk to you!" Ray said desperately. "But you just don't seem to understand!"

"R-R-Ray...Ray...calm down." I said nervously. "We will sit down and t-"

"I DON'T WANT TO SIT DOWN AND TALK! I'M TIRED OF BEING OVERLOOKED. BY YOU, EVAN AND EVERYBODY! I AM TIRED OF BEING DISRESPECTED!"

"Ray...R-Ray..."

Ray angrily grabbed my arms.

I winced in pain, reflecting on the last time I was put through this kind of pain. 

It was when Evan couldn't even stand me. 

When he always wanted to inflict pain on me all the time.

"Ray, please let me go," I said. "You're hurting me."

"You're hurting me!" He yelled. "The hurt you are giving me is nothing compared to this! I want you to notice me, give me importance, and not break my heart like somebody else did! Do you know how I feel about you? Huh! Do you f***ing have any idea how strong my feelings have become!?"

Ray kept squeezing my hand until I groaned in pain. 

He angrily pushed me away, making me hit my head on the locker.

Ray's eyes were red with anger. 

It is as if he is this person that I don't even know.

I went backward, and my whole body cringed. 

I crouched down against my locker, shaking nervously.

"Faith," Ray said, bending down.

I cringed away from him, crying.

"Faith...You're...You're scared of me?...Me?...Ray...Your friend?"

Ray reached for my cheek, but I moved away.

"Why? Huh?" He said. "Why are you scared of me?... Isn't Evan the monster?... It's him that you fear, right?... So why are you scared of me?"

I cringed in fear, not replying to him.

"Faith..." Ray said, touching my arms softly. "Faith, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to hurt you...It's just that you...You pissed me off!... I want you to notice and understand me! I didn't mean to make you cry! Give me a chance...We... We will start over...Everything will be all right...You can go back to hating Evan...and I can...I can save you from him."

I shook my head, continuing to cry. 

"I can't see you in pain..." Ray said. "I want you to understand my pain when...When I see Evan disrespecting you and you...You always forgive him for everything he does...You still laugh around with him...Hang out with him...and today, he had his arms around you."

Ray reached for my arms.

"These...arms..." He said. "Your delicate arms...He...How dare he?"

I cried, wincing at the pain in my arms.

"I just want to ensure that my heart isn't broken this time," Ray said. "And I will...This time, I will make sure I don't get my heart broken...I will...I have to...Faith, you mean a lot to me...And I would have never done this if you had not angered me. If you acknowledged me and my feelings...Now, now...I will make sure that you also feel the same way...I won't leave you, Faith. Not until you also feel the same way about me...I know you do...I know...You just...You just lost your way. That's it...But, I know you will return the same respect and concern for me."

Ray looked at me desperately.

I looked away from him.

He clenched his fist, walking away.

I buried my head in my knees, crying after he left.

Ray has changed so much. 

He is such a different person now. He became a beast. 

A person that he is not. He is going crazy. He is acting like this obsessed psycho.

 I never gave him the wrong idea about our friendship. 

I never took him as anything other than a friend. 

I don't feel that way about him, and from how he behaved today, what if his condition worsens? 

He is out of control. Now, how do I get out of this mess?

I felt somebody's hand on my head and slowly looked up.

"Evan..." I said.

"Faith, why are you crying?" He said. "What are you doing here alone?"

I wrapped my arms around Evan, feeling relieved to see him.

"Faith, what's wrong?" Evan asked, putting his hand on my cheek.

"Evan...He's...He's going crazy..." I said in between sobs. "He is acting like a beast...He's going crazy..."

"Who?"

"Ray...He..."

"Ray? What did he do? What did Ray d-"

Evan stopped as soon as his eyes trailed off to my arms.

"Faith, who did this to you?" Evan asked.

I looked down, crying.

"Who did this to you?" Evan asked again.

"Evan..Ray..He..."

"Ray did this?"

I nodded my head.

Evan clenched his fist.

"I should have never taken him lightly!" Evan exclaimed. "I really shouldn't have! I knew he was on something, yet I still let him out of sight! How can I be so foolish!?"

"He's acting so strange..." I said. "He just...He came out of nowhere...I...I don't know what to do.."

"Faith, you don't have to do anything. Ray has to pay for what he has done! He has to! "

Evan slowly reached for my arms.

I winced, shrugging his hand away.

"All the times that I..." Evan said, not taking his eyes off my shoulders. "Whenever I...I did this to you... It...It must have been painful...I never...I never thought of it like that...Who am I to get mad at Ray when I did that, too?"

Evan looked down guiltily.

I wiped my tears.

"Evan, that's all in the past," I said. "It's different with us."

"Faith..I don't...I don't know." He said. 

"Please, don't bring up the past again...I thought we were going to work on fixing things...How can we do that if you bring up the past? Plus, I have nothing to worry about...As long...As long as you're here...I know you will be with me like always...I know you will never let anything happen to me."

Evan sighed heavily, standing up.

He extended his hand to me.

I took his hand, standing up.

"Faith, I will take care of everything," Evan said. "Don't worry."

"I know you will, Evan," I said. "I trust you."

Evan smiled lightly, nodding his head.

"Can I drop you home?" He asked. 

"By car?" I asked. " Or should we walk?"

Evan sighed heavily, rolling his eyes.

We started to walk, and our hands brushed against each other. 

We both looked down at our hands. 

They are only inches apart from each other. 

 We looked up at each other and immediately moved our hands away.

Evan nervously put his hand in his pocket while I used my hand to adjust my hair.

I avoided eye contact, trying to stop my heart from beating fast.

Evan still kept his hands in his pockets as we silently walked out of the hallway.

~*~

I had fifteen more minutes to get to work when I got home. 

I removed the necklace from my bag, looking at it closely for the day's hundredth time.

I sat down on my bed.

"This necklace...It...It looks so familiar." I said to myself. "Where...Where have I seen it?"

I sighed heavily, placing the necklace on the table and showering.

I got out of the shower and changed into my work uniform. 

It was a green polo shirt and beige pants.

It isn't my color. 

It's not something I can rock, but what choice do I have? 

I have to wear it if I want to keep my job.

I pulled my purse out of my closet, slipped on my black vans, and put my phone in my back pocket.

I was about to leave the room when I noticed the necklace.

I slowly walked to my table and picked it up. 

The color, the texture, the words. 

It bothered me that this necklace seemed similar. 

I really can't seem to understand where I have s-

I put my hand over my mouth in realization.

I rushed out of my room quickly.

When I got to Keisha's room, I knocked on it. 

There is no reply from her room.

It's probably because she hasn't been home in three days.

I turned the knob, but the door was locked. 

I pulled it, and it's not opening.

Breathing heavily, I reached for my phone from my back pocket and punched Max's number.

"Hello, Max!" I said immediately.

"Faith, what happened to you during lunch?" He said. "I was looking for you."

"Max, I'm sorry about that. I w-"

"Some people were saying you and Evan had another war. What did that jerk do this time?"

"Max, forget that. I'm getting late. I have to know how t-"

"Wait, are you at work?"

"No, I'm home. I just called you to ask you if you know how t-"

"Then get going, Faith! You will get late to w-"

"Max, shut up!"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm trying to say something, but you're not listening."

"I'm sorry...I just...I didn't know..."

"Max, how do you open a locked door?"

"A locked door?"

"Yes, a locked door."

"You can, um...use many things. You can use paper clips, bobby pins, and wire clippers."

I touched my hair to look for a bobby pin, but my hair isn't straight today. 

When it's curly, I don't use the bobby pin like that. 

I returned to my room and removed a bobby pin from my table. 

I came back to Keisha's room with the bobby pin.

"Is it working?' Max asked.

"I'm trying," I said, holding the phone in one ear and struggling to open the door.

I tried opening the door for a while, and it finally unlocked.

"I got it!" I exclaimed, standing straight.

"That's great," Max said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Max. I just needed to unlock the door. Thank you for the help!"

"You're welcome. Get to work on time. I will talk to you later."

I hung up the phone, looking at the clock.

It is 3:16. 

I have to hurry up before 3:30.

I walked into Keisha's room. 

The bed was clean and straight. 

It's almost as if it hasn't been slept in for days.

I rushed to the drawers and started to go through them. 

I searched in every one of them, looking for it. 

I searched and searched, but I couldn't find anything. 

I looked in every nook and corner. 

The necklace was nowhere to be found. 

I sighed heavily, sitting down on the bed.

"Where do I find this?" I mumbled to myself. "How do I know where it i-"

I stopped when I saw something hanging from one of Keisha's shirts in the closet. 

I went to the closet and pulled out the shirt. 

It was that one necklace I found in the kitchen. 

It is the exact necklace that Keisha snatched from me. 

The necklace had the words, 'to you my heart.' 

I pulled out the other necklace from my pocket, looking at both the necklaces. 

I slowly brought the necklaces together, and they connected. 

The words were now clear. 

Ray's 'I give' and Keisha's 'to you my heart' together made the words, 'I give to you my heart.'

My eyes widened.

*** Flashback ***

"Keisha! Thank god you picked up. I have been calling for many days, but you didn't answer. Did you block my number or something? Why weren't you answering?"

****

Now that I think back at it, that voice! It...It has got to be him.

*** Flashback ***

"I know you are ignoring me on purpose because when I called on another phone, you answered. I'm sure you would have ignored me if I called from my phone. Keisha, do you even know what happened that night? I got in an a-"

****

I gasped, putting my hand over my mouth.

It all makes sense now! All of it! 

Maybe that's why he came under my car that night. 

Something must have happened. Something that has to do with Keisha!

"Keisha and Ray!" I said to myself. "How is this possible!?"

*** End of Chapter ***

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