The Secrets of The Dark

of school had

h School had not bee

alling each other's names. Cars pulled up one after another, dropping students off before driving away.

as offici

g the school grounds, nobody see

Gi

ed from across

see Ashley running toward her with

shl

rls immedia

you!" Ashle

me three w

three weeks

ed. "You're

ramatic. I a

re dra

atev

d apart, st

m, the scho

on their phones, complaining about how quickly the holiday had ende

e're back," Riel sa

ighed dra

ca

ou

the universe ha

laughe

lowered

pson is probably alrea

t say

mewo

St

mewo

shl

burst int

carrying two books under one arm a

hey are,"

l tu

ust

adi

them an exa

rolled h

always beha

am natural

ally annoying,

me t

began walking towar

looked

hat did

ng," Ri

oth

ng impo

ediately sh

have plenty of t

looked i

Oh

ey sm

ate

No

ate

No

ate

hook he

haven't

ave you," J

main building with

lls wer

looked, there wer

ad new shoes, new bags, or new clothes. Others look

echoed with c

u see my

, I to

you spend yo

inish the a

ou're in

ht you tr

issed

ieve we're se

re was almost

de classrooms trying

Wa

p run

your cl

ll is abou

dy li

he

III

ll of the sch

gradually d

hed toward th

rabbed Ri

ome

m co

follow

oisy hallway became al

oors c

the first day of sc

-

the middle of

where that wasn't too close to the fro

sat be

a few seats

r walked in carryin

e class be

d mor

morning

come

a few tire

her looke

yone enjoyed

student

nfortunately, the

e groan fill

eacher

ll sur

lass l

he less

everyone wa

out ten

tarted looking

eaned tow

lready

hispere

here for tw

xac

e unbel

d her head ag

eed l

d to pay

an do

not doing

rheard them from beh

suddenly tu

ust

mediately

s, m

share the joke wit

, ma

Go

lass l

lowered

ied not

sson co

ass bec

ecame

en

veryone was beginni

y back was al

nted to esta

s wanted

nted to expl

to know who had

o know what had happen

ally rang, the entire school se

III

tely began leavin

ley

Fo

l la

aiting for this

viou

n join

anyone more excited

t judg

way through the

-

ria was alr

lled almost

chairs moving, and trays being

ound an empty tabl

follow

sat

opening his drink, "

ey sm

e do I

ywhe

diately star

them about

ends, spending hours watching movies, and getting into l

, laughing eve

terrupted

did

esn't mak

're l

not l

e exagg

pointe

e just

f w

xcitin

looked

always li

ortun

rai

l la

, everything felt

ends catching u

afeteria do

tire atmosp

l walk

ying to attra

dn't n

tered, conversati

one, hea

stopped

whis

simply

through the cafeteria,

his face carried the same effortless

who knew exactly how muc

ctions around the room, e

rly stopped

My.

looked

Wh

stared a

at's

Wh

ani

who Dan

don't un

leaned

better than befo

ised an

im before t

kn

hand dramatical

nk I lo

rly choked

hink yo

love

even spoken t

doesn't

olutely

y igno

osh. Look

nced towa

understand t

was att

e clearly n

l, that was

way Daniel behav

ent to the poi

eputation f

s a pl

ad encountered him, he ha

t a guy,"

stared

st a

Ye

Ri

Wh

n you sa

ause

in la

, someone

pointe

't get an

Wh

ou have ter

looked o

te is ex

one person

in pa

s class

l la

ned back to

care. He's

hook he

ren't eve

ey si

imes th

answer, another gir

mbe

cross the cafeteria, as t

uniform made it o

directly in f

ch, she leaned for

ria erupted

's eyes

Oh

atched

ly, this

new Kimberly and Da

everyone tho

eem particularly

er, clearly enjo

d her arm t

ed toward a t

m, students

k so good

itely the most

tarted dating ov

o w

ly is so

o enjoy every seco

simply

t was ente

it was about

, they were the

nces could b

misl

-

was stil

't beli

looked

Wh

ually kis

ound je

ybe

in la

re hop

y igno

eteria doors

oup of soccer pl

center w

iately stop

es foll

ey no

lowly

Oh

looked

Wh

re sta

am n

bsolute

ooked bet

Wa

sm

is inte

l fr

s inter

Yo

Me

ing at

ey la

to hide her

hut

leaned

ou lik

hesi

she

ayb

ayb

ne.

stared

like

Ye

than

fini

ked genuine

Ho

shru

has eve

in la

re w

cont

's s

raised a

confi

odded sar

cou

good at

ortant," J

's just.

stared

es that e

on't

n lean

is hila

looked

Wh

obsessed with guys you p

y looked at him

up, J

in la

just s

toward Dan

ably pay attention to

ooked c

Wh

ded toward

had noti

d notice

anding severa

r said

re between them c

r eye

ol

rien

eemed to grow qu

xpression

smile di

seconds, ne

omething was wro

knew exa

ween their fathe

d been enemies for mor

ad become almost legen

assumed their sons ha

emed to be so

ither boy eve

ally walked

ulders alm

er apo

r looke

turned s

did th

ent, they stared a

e continu

shook

Se

looked

e wh

ate each

viou

"I mean they reall

ched Jace

Wh

in sh

e thing. No

looked t

ecause their father

ayb

in pa

think that's t

looked

kes you s

lowered

en them around ea

An

act like no

do yo

anced towa

know something

l fr

ind of s

on't

in sh

t makes it i

-

le, Kimberly was

topped talking si

tacy ap

mber

erly

tac

rls immedia

issed

sed you

led apart

t beside

ll me ev

erly

have s

Sa

comparing their

about visiting a

about staying a

ntioned a pr

med she had visited an

eemed will

de them, occasionally sm

e unbelievab

erly

love

el sh

Su

eria, Riel notice

like attenti

in no

lives for

ey si

stand how Danie

looked

d stan

ey sm

solu

in gr

both im

-

he students ret

rnoon pas

changes in schedules, announcements about

am held its first

cas stayed beh

s best friend since the

and rarely allowed himself to b

d Jace today

looked

otice

folded

most started

oing to star

d like you

smiled s

be I

as s

ani

Wh

how this al

ression becam

kn

studi

ay away f

didn't

looked toward

felt as though some

tu

thi

llway w

ani

ed back

m fi

hough he clearly

-

Ashley were walking t

elieve you like J

l sm

an't believe yo

l is am

l is tr

is trou

ayb

ey sm

re both

enly appeare

orr

girls

ust

laug

o are to

hook he

lly need

have

Wh

oying

ey la

nued down t

ing seem

ts were

e moving betw

ncements played o

lights f

nc

wi

one lo

s returned

sue?" some

another stu

hought mu

t Miss

nding inside

s flickered, she stop

ression

looked towar

thing about the sch

dange

exa

.. fam

walked towa

continued moving ar

ing look

e knew

had f

had entered

he hadn't fe

dget quietly ent

s Wil

Wilson

Ye

ou all

looked toward t

Ye

pau

quietl

hope

get f

t hap

son didn'

ed down at the doc

r file caught

no name o

strang

he hadn't s

tightened aro

," she sa

s, m

my of

looked

Wh

st d

get n

ed toward

mained standing

s slowly

ent, they were no lon

returned

-

l of the day e

oured into

talking about

lained abo

scussed

dy planning where

in walked toward the sc

ed," Ashle

y," Jus

l la

tepped

sun was begin

ere leaving

ed at the s

ooked complet

hed the gate, she

Wa

ey tu

Wh

back at the s

ht I saw

looked

her

the

ward one of the

thi

ey fr

s nobody

kn

ntinued

ght she saw a figure st

al

ionl

tch

he

ure disa

l bl

ably n

looked

u su

Ye

ntinued

the shadow standing on

e long after the

ing th

the empty

ing th

slowly turned t

smile a

ng, behind a locked office door,

heard s

whi

ly au

nmista

yes wi

ice had spoken

ad hoped she would

re comin

Miss Wilson was afraid of what t