Blake's P.O.V

The news of the murder spread like wildfire. As I stepped out of dad's truck, with whom I am now not on a speaking basis, all I could hear was one thing.

'The murderer strikes again.'

Pulling the bag strap over my shoulder, I began walking through the corridor in a slow pace. I was carefully looking at my surroundings with distrust. The same surrounding, I felt safe at a few days ago.

Taking a deep breath, I put my books into my locker and sighed. Why do things like this always happen to me?

I now see everybody around me in a new light and in a very suspicious manner. And this does nothing to help my shitty life. 

As I was beginning to walk to class, I heard someone call me. I turned back to find Kate jogging towards me and once she reached me, she bent over with exhaustion. 

"Are...are you okay, Katie?" 

I asked in a worried tone.

"Yep! Definitely..." She stood up and ran her fingers through her smooth hair.

"Aaaand...I guess you know about the serial killer by now!"

She spoke with a huge, fake grin.

"Yeah...I figured it out by myself as you wouldn't disclose 'trivial' information with me." 

I was angry with her. Couldn't she at least give me a hint about this over the past few months we chatted? I turned back to walk to class.

"Oh..." She let out a slow sigh and began to match her pace with mine.

"It was just that I felt scared you would go away if you came. After you left, I felt really lonely and so I didn't want to go through that phase again...Can you pleeaaase forgive me?"

She looked at me with a silly pout and huge puppy eyes and I had to laugh at that. I could never stay angry with Kate and she knows it. 

"Okay, fine. I forgive you."

"Yeah!" She gave me a hug and quickly looked around us.

"I need to tell you something important. Did you know who the murdered girl was?" She spoke in a low whisper.

"Umm..." I looked around myself too before answering in a similar tone.

"A girl named Mia?"

"Mia Thorns used to be a friend of mine and a neighbour. Last year, she became a part of the Fab four, the popular group of students in our school."

"Why are you telling me this?" 

She looked around and quickly pulled me into an abandoned classroom.

"Listen...this is important stuff, okay?" 

I noticed the seriousness in her tone and gave her my complete attention.

"Mia went missing a few days ago. And now she turns up dead, okay?"

"But the thing was, last week I was going through my phone and noticed that I had received a text from someone."

"And that someone was Mia herself."

My eyes went wide.

"Did she mention who took her?"

"No...it was a short message. Really short. It said 'Save me. Woods.' That's it. Not a word more."

"Does it mean that she was trapped in the woods?"

"I think so...but the woods are huge. How would we know in which nook or corner would she be in? I tried to call the number later on but it was switched off."

I nodded my head at that before asking.

"And the police...did you inform them?"

She gave me a look of surprise.

"Of course I did! If I didn't I would feel very guilty over it my entire life. I send an anonymous letter to the station telling them to check the woods."

"But what use was it, she is dead after all." I said with an irritating tone.

Kate looked at her watch and exclaimed.

"Will you look at the time? We better hurry or we will be the ones who would be dead!"

Saying this, she dragged me with her out of the class.

~***~

I looked at the time for the tenth time that day. It was still twenty minutes for lunch and I was getting really distraught thinking about Katie's words from this morning.

If only Mia had given us the name of her kidnapper then I didn't have to worry so much. Gosh! I should not think about things. It would only spoil my peace of mind. I have to get out of this class quickly otherwise I would die of suspense about my distant future.

I looked up at Mr. Raquel who was going through the papers of the quiz that we had attempted yesterday. I walked over to him and asked him to give the washroom pass which he gave me readily. 

I exited the room to find the corridor completely deserted. This made the chills on my spine increase ten fold. I took long stances towards the washroom and entered to find it completely deserted too.

I locked myself in a stall and sat on the closed lid of the toilet. I just want to stay in peace.

My self-talk was disturbed when I heard noises in the bathroom.

"This is so irritating. Everyone comes asking about how I am feeling. Why do they care anyways?"

"I mean yeah, she was our friend and everything, but this is too much. Every time they ask me how I feel, I began to remember our good days and start to cry again. It is just so depressing."

I recognized the sound of Jo immediately but the second voice sounded foreign to me. I couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation. Who knows if it may come in handy?

"Well, cry over her all you want but I am glad that the bitch is dead."

"Don't be mean, Stacy. Respect the dead." Jo spoke out.

"Oh, I would if she wasn't a selfish slut. " Stacy replied, her tone sounding pissed.

"Please Stacy, she was our friend. She is dead now, so I guess that hating her anymore would just be absurd."

"Seriously, Tiffany? Let someone sleep with your boyfriend and then try to forgive them. You can't. Trust me." Stacy huffed.

Okay...this must be the rest of the Fab Four- Jo, Stacy and Tiffany.

"Oh please...Stacy. You only saw them kissing. Don't make a big deal out of it."

I heard Jo say in an irritating voice.

"Yes, Jo's right. Also we have more pressing matters at present. The police are trying to bring us into questioning and the media is not leaving us alone." Tiffany replied in a worried tone.

"This is starting to worry me, guys. Mia was last seen with us at the party before she went missing. People might assume that we might be involved in some way or the other." Jo replied.

"Um...there is something I need to tell you guys..."  

Stacy began hastily. After listening to her I finalized that she was a bold person but what was making her this nervous.

"No one is stopping you here..."   

Jo replied in her usual snarky way.

"Remember the time after the party, after I caught Mike and Mia making out?"

"Who wouldn't? You screams could be heard  across the entire neighborhood." Tiffany huffed.

"Yep, but listen, didn't I go away wanting some peace? Well, I was sulking away in Tiffany's room, away from the crowd and noise, okay. I sat in my usual seat on the window pane. And guess who I saw getting into a car with someone?"

"Don't tell me that it..." Jo started, fear filled in her voice.

"Mia Thorns."

I could hear Tiffany squeal in a distant but was rooted to my spot.

"Wasn't it after the party she went missing? Maybe...maybe the person with whom she went might tell us who the killer was..." She spoke out.

"Or worse, it could have been the killer himself." 

Stacy's reply send a shiver down my body.

"So...this brings out the fact that the killer is someone from our school. He came to our party. He could be our friend." Jo stated the obvious. 

The air around us became full of nervousness due to this unexpected piece of information.

"Wait, Stacy...did you see who was with Mia? Or atleast which vehicle was she in?"

"Nope, it was too dark to notice aything. It could have been a Bentley.

"But a lot of people own that in our school!"

Jo exclaimed.

"I am just guessing...I don't know for sure..."

"Do you think we should look into this matter a bit more. Maybe knowing who the killer is will stop us from becoming his next target? We would be safe then."

Jo spoke with an anxious tone.

"I don't know. We could do it, but we better not. What happens if we go knocking on the wrong door and the wrong person will know that we are behind their heels? This would only lead to our names being written in this guy's death list."

"I am sc..scared, guys." I could hear Tiffany sniffle.

"I am just too young to die."

"No one is going to die, Tiffs. We should be on our guard from now on.Maybe, we should stick together and not roam anywhere alone. Then he won't get a chance to get to us, right?"

Jo suggested.

"It's a good idea..."

Stacy's voice trailed away as they were covered by the noises coming from outside the restroom. I looked down at my watch to see that it was lunch.

"It's lunch guys, let us go before anyone comes in and rattle our brains again."

Stacy replied with a haughty tone.

"Yeah...and try to come over after school for a sleepover. We should discuss what we want the police to know."

Jo bellowed desperately.

"Okay..."

I heard their retreating footsteps when I heard Stacy's voice whisper.

"And guys, once we go out there, try to remember something..."

She gave a slight pause.

"Remember, trust no one."

I heard the door close and released the breath that I didn't realize that I was holding.

I opened the door to find out that I was once again alone in the restroom. I splashed my face with some water to recover from the news that I had uncovered. 

I couldn't believe it! Why didn't I think about this myself? What if I try to find out who the killer is before he gets to me? 

I look up at the mirror to find that my skin had gone pale with fear but my eyes had a certain determination in them. I was going to find out who was behind this.

 But first I needed important information. I had gotten my first clue a few moments ago and it had just given me an idea.If only I knew how the party went like, if only I knew the key events of the party, then probably I might get an idea about who Mia left the party with. Someone has  to have seen whom she left with.

And also, I had to be really careful and secretive about this thing that I going to take up. 

It was just as Stacy had said. If I went knocking on the wrong door, there are pretty good chances that he would know that I am after him. I don't even want to imagine how that would go like.

I take a deep breath and make my decision.

Whatever happens, I am going to defend myself and find out who this guy is and what he wants with me. But till then I need to be safe and careful.

And I have to remember one thing.

I am dealing with a serial killer here. So, I should do one thing that everyone are warning me about. So, I have one motto right now.

To trust no one.

~***~

Now that is chapter 7 for you guys. Hope you enjoy it!

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Ciao! Until the next update!