Daniel called a few times over the weekend, Jana too, but I wasn't answering anyone's calls. I texted Jana and said that I needed to be alone just so she wouldn't come snooping around the house to make sure I am still alive. Daniels, well, I left his to ring, each time forcing myself not to answer."I heard your Dad told you about Florida," my mother grabs my attention as I sit alone in the kitchen. She walks around to the other side of the counter island to face me. "Are you going back?""Yeah. I'm moving back during winter break."She raises an eyebrow. "That's hardly a month away."I nod. "I know. I'll be ready by then. I'm used to leaving quickly anyway." It feels like an extreme case of déjà vu. It feels like I am g

My heart races relentlessly in my chest as I pull up to Jana's house, my fingers tapping on the steering wheel and my bottom lip between my grinding teeth. I watch as she flees through the front door and hurries into the car, her tight, black dress catching me off guard. "We aren't actually going to the party," I tell her and pull back onto the road."I know, I just want to blend in," she says while pulling her seatbelt on and glancing over at me, "and I see you don't.""I'm more focused on getting the flash drive. God I hope he hasn't smashed it or thrown it away. Just thinking about it...It makes me all anxious. And the fact that we're going to his party isn't helping either. The last thing I need is flashbacks.""You'll be fine," she encourages me. "You've healed so much the past fe

I sit down at our table in the cafeteria, trying to figure myself out. It's been a long day. Daphne kept glancing back at me in Economics and Jana kept texting me about Watts' cousin James, saying that he asked her to be his girlfriend. She said yes and then continued to talk about it. I'm happy for her, but how can I smile over Love if the person I love hates me?I don't know what Love feels like, but if it doesn't feel like this, then it will be a disappointment.How can I not love Daniel? He's amazing in every way. He makes my heart race by simply thinking about him. He accepts me, every part of me, and I lost him. I let him slip through my fingers. I used to wonder if Daniel loves me, and now I'm wondering the opposite. Could he love me? I don't know. Maybe I just fall in Love easily.

Jana and I walk into school side by side, talking about what happened after Daniel and I left the party. "I can't believe you—you just dived right in, didn't you? Was it—I mean, how was it? Were you okay?"We stop at her locker, and I talk quietly as she gets her things. "It was a little difficult at first, but he was so gentle, so patient and caring. I just...I love him. He really cares about me, Jana. He makes me feel safe and alive and..." I smile, dreaming."Well, I'm happy for you. You deserve it," she says and gives me a side-hug as we continue down the hall. "You two make a beautiful couple, oh, like James and I."I shake my head. "Maybe we're both love-sick puppies"Walking into my first class, I slip past Daphne,

Harrison was not at school for the last week until winter break. Everyone wondered where he went and assumed his father took the family on an early vacation to some tropical island. They were jealous of him. In the locker room, the girls chatted about how lucky he is to be able to miss an entire week. His father can pull strings, they said.I stayed silent and tried to ignore them, not wanting to feed my ego over the fact that I know the truth.Harrison is in trouble.After my mother went to the station with the USB drive, she called later on to tell me that everything was going well, that there were no issues. We celebrated at Knocks, and in the night, Daniel dropped Jana off at home and came inside mine. My mother was too dedicated to leave work, so I didn't expect her to come back a