A white sheet caught my eyes after I took a step in, and I looked down to see a letter. A letter.
Bending, I picked it up and flipped it, noticing it was the exact type I saw on Vin’s couch. Was Theon playing pranks on me? When did he put it here? And why did he slip it through the space under the door?
Stepping inside, I turned and faced the clock, mouthing ‘what the fuck is this?’ before tearing it open, knowing he was watching.
It read:
We’re finishing what we started, whether you like it or not. I want what you owe me, and I’ll get it. Soon.
Aftersoonwas a creepy ghost smile.
My phone buzzed.
Theon:What is that?
I hurriedly typed back, confused.
Me:A letter, you didn’t send this?
Who else could have sent it? It was too early to start playing Halloween pranks on neighbours. Maybe not too early, it was eight days until Halloween. Maybe my Halloween-aesthetic-less house gave them every right to torment me—
I paused as I felt the feeling of being watched. And no, not by Theon. It was...
Glancing at the door and outside my house, my blood froze. Laura, Jade and Katy stood according to their heights, their hands clasped in front of them.
I slid a cup to Jade and sat down, four of us around the kitchen counter because they insisted we sit close and have a proper talk.
Two minutes after sitting, and no one had said anything, each of them waiting for who would lead the discussion. It felt awkward because I knew they were here to apologise even if it wasn’t their fault, and they’d tried to reach me over the last two weeks, but I just wasn’t prepared to hear them apologise for something they had no hands in.
I started. “Look, guys—”
“Blake is a jerk,” Laura voiced suddenly, cutting me off.
Jade backed her up. “Yes. He’s always been a jerk.”
“Very immature.”
I stared at them with my mouth agape as they fell quiet again, as if waiting for something else to click in or someone else to feed the next word into their mouths.
Jade’s pink hair was slicked into a tight bun, and Katy had her tattoos covered. Laura’s hair was in blue braids—and I was still not used to seeing her in anything but afro.
“This is so silly. We rehearsed for days just to come here and fuck it up,” Jade said, staring me sorry in the eyes.
“You guys rehearsed?” I asked, amused, as I scanned their faces.
They nodded in unison.
Katy touched my hand on the counter. “We are so sorry, baby girl. We had—”
“It’s not your fault. You guys shouldn’t apologise. I should be the one apologising because I was so selfish and...egoistic that I didn’t want my friends to know I was going through a hard time. I had a fear of being judged, and even if I decided to hide it from everyone in the world, I should have told you guys. I shouldn't have gone like that without a word and have you think I was dead. It was very wrong and it shows I don’t care about you guys as much as you—”
“Nooo...don’t say that. You care about us, Ainsley. We’re the selfish ones because we didn’t look hard enough for you. Friends should be there when you need them, and we failed.”
The other two nodded.
“Yeah, but it isn’t your fault. You didn’t know where I was. You guys should stop putting the blame on yourselves to make me feel better. That is where you’re failing,” I said.
Laura smiled, grabbing my arm. “Do you forgive us?”
