The Secrets of The Dark

ield High School, and within seconds, t

g. Lockers slammed shut one after another, sneakers squeaked against the polished floors, and teachers stood by

the end of the schoo

it meant something

cience proje

y, her science pa

her backpack while Ashley stood beside her, checking

you know you're supposed to me

l si

kn

ey gr

ound ex

'm

d extremel

not ex

re smi

iately stop

am n

ey la

I'm not sayi

olled h

ith Daryl. You should

Daryl, Ashley's e

herself, then quickl

look

stared

ked me that

An

ou look

Fi

Go

Go

ret

ey sm

t's b

hook he

n acting ner

not ne

ou

ng sure everyth

l la

st a date

kn

en r

ook a dee

I'm re

ised an

mmediatel

e I'm a litt

t's n

eal

eal

ey sm

han

hing else, someone called Ashley's

oth loo

ar the main ent

when he s

y smil

nudg

Go

Ok

adjusted

ee you t

ve f

wi

walking away, th

d Ri

Ye

aniel annoy y

l la

ll t

final wave before h

ed her frie

hley looked g

l sm

e turned

standing a f

er one shoulder, his usual re

eady?"

l si

ortun

el sm

s the s

are we

fé not too fa

l no

Ok

walked out of the

t Kimberly was watching them

s expressi

tood bes

ally going some

y folded

pare

is supposed t

y looked

Daniel doesn't

y fro

e you goi

l and Riel disappear th

n't kn

learly was

e C

small but comfortable place a few

asn't

g in the background. Students often came there after school because it was cl

opened t

ter

walked

Wo

Wh

t you to know a

looked o

Wh

ind of person who would only

el la

ave l

pare

ble near the win

came over

something to drink

iced tea,"

ooked at

Sa

s nodded and

ed her bag

ere do w

l lean

nce pr

now t

n why

ou said you

I

d a notebook

eaned f

Ok

discussing

verything we

several good ideas, a

lly thought

el sh

rter than

l la

's deb

hand over his c

at h

ll sur

ight

laughe

ntinued

erials they needed, who would do whic

me, Riel began to

noying when he wasn't surr

still

ll c

very co

tually hold a no

gly easy to talk t

el sm

prisi

it get to

o la

hook he

café doo

f boys wal

ng Greenland Fie

nized them

the middle

widened

el no

ile dis

ticed Da

y, the atmos

ys stared a

her s

r players slowly

d near the

remained

eyes

normal disagreement

something d

thing

her of them wan

d from Dani

lence c

e se

T

fte

her m

xpression

's was

Jace loo

did th

rs continued towa

until they

looked a

Ok

looked

Wh

y going on bet

el si

oth

oth

oth

ani

Wh

to destroy each other every t

lanced to

t not a go

at's

tty m

rossed

not an ex

looked

rstand even if I tr

ry

No

Wh

it's com

l fr

with you is

smiled s

xac

asn't s

d over at

teammates, laughing as th

ned back

lly don't

ven a l

Wh

shook

st forget

l si

Fi

attention to the

nutes, they con

lly, Rie

know

Wh

could actuall

raised a

rie

Ye

sm

Su

smiled

Ok

remembered

ince we're fr

diately look

do yo

l la

ed you

kind of

ing a

stared

ing a

Ye

rom

Ye

el la

got to be

seri

out

l no

shook

g me for advic

him better

laughe

ow h

Ye

thing about th

l sm

rea

necessarily a

you he

l lean

ly do you wa

ught for

attracted t

nearly

to tell you wh

Ye

Wh

se I li

stared

riou

Ye

Ho

l fr

hat suppos

ou actually

ause

terribl

s your

curate

hook he

u just h

el si

Fi

l sm

eal

Ye

ank

re's one

ile dis

condi

el sm

ur dating coach, you're

you wit

meth

Wh

sonal as

stared

ur w

sonal as

eady have

el pa

's dif

l la

No

Ye

ming your pers

hy

our friend, not

el sh

et the dati

stared

woul

wo

rrowed

lly are a

ank

l gr

Fi

el sm

cell

doing anythi

cou

rsonal assista

hought fo

g my bags

stared

riou

meti

at e

lping with

r hom

asion

e unbel

el sm

An

l si

Fi

De

De

held out

uctantly

ll me ab

leaned

le: don't

list

s bored easily. If you constantly

at shou

his frien

l no

Ok

omething normal. Don't immediately star

not ob

Go

l cont

yourself to

l no

't act de

ot desp

m just givin

Ok

care, but don't act like y

l sm

tually ma

urse it

lau

ly are goo

told

oked tow

t does h

hought fo

nfid

l no

thing

't let him control

Ok

ne inte

be inter

el sm

an

ave him

't te

laug

l sm

hing that made Danie

you're a pl

el bl

Wh

that differen

stared

cuse

hear

h better

l la

ctly what he

shook

e. I'm defini

both ar

conf

th r

m ho

love at

's dif

Ho

el pa

use I'

rst out

sn't even

l laug

about Jace, Kimberly, the p

riends laughing over a

nwhi

ley and Daryl sat

started with a l

didn't l

and were now talking like they had

"what do you usual

ey sm

epe

n w

my best frien

l lau

Ri

Ye

e reall

asically

yl n

t's n

about

ly practi

cou

'of co

ou're alway

yl s

ir p

ntinued

hat they had sever

ed simila

th enjoy

oth lik

icularly good at pretending t

ughed so loudly that she

orr

yl s

n't

looked

Wh

e your

smi

han

ntinued

comfortable

was no

reten

o impress

ng to genuinely

t Riel'

ont doo

stepped

ked exh

in the living room

're b

ed his keys

Ye

oked at him

was

't answer i

y's smi

mit

nally loo

ot fi

ey sto

Wh

ot fi

t hap

rubbed

't even m

y walke

do yo

r messed so

oice crack

pany blam

looked

fire you over som

on't

h sat

ed expl

An

didn'

sat bes

m so

ared at t

d there f

ed a hand on

figure t

shook h

ow what I'm going

y about tomo

th s

eed to cle

rey n

some

th s

going

Ok

walked

downstairs, star

eeing his s

Smith w

trong peopl

rey s

figure t

at t

hecked

Wo

l look

Wh

getting

lanced at

're r

thered h

are we

r to

Go

cked up hi

your first

ooked c

Wh

sed his bag

caug

tared

t is

first

ani

laug

o my locker

n't be s

I

oked at

n at

m your assistant, n

me t

mouth fe

cuse

el gr

m jo

you're

e a li

sig

Fi

Go

the bag over

dy the worst jo

get use

dating advice

wil

hook he

etter b

el sm

ust

out of the

ng air was

on, illuminating the sidewalks

ooked a

u kn

Wh

today wasn

el sm

Se

't get to

wo

till an

kn

're still

viou

l la

oint where they had

kpack-then remembered it

oked a

have m

l si

kn

't lo

wo

Go

bye, D

e, R

rted wal

steps, she

He

l look

Wh

for the

sm

re wel

before cont

a moment before turning

e little friendship was going to become far

nwhi

ryl had finish

outside the

ening w

ey sm

ually h

did

ooked

eal

eal

ey sm

m gl

yl n

r a moment, neither

Ashley adju

ld proba

Ye

you to

fini

ey sm

night,

ight, A

warm hug before

alked awa

moment before heading i

een a sim

ng dra

g compl

e enjoying each

hley, that

a long while, she wasn'

hinking about

ing about Kimberl

ing about how much fu

as carrying Daniel's bag and wondering

had ended

he quiet moments they were en