Kylie's p.o.v
I wake up suddenly to the retched sound of my 7:30am alarm ringing. I stretch my arm out of my blanket and hit snooze before gracefully slipping out of bed to get dressed for school.

I look at my reflection in my vanity while I do my makeup and a random thought of Noah crosses my mind. I hate when we fight. Heck, I hate when we don't too.

I put on my third coat of lipgloss for the morning and I notice Kelsie staring at me through the reflection in the mirror. "Are you done staring at me?" I tease.

"I'm not staring at you. I'm staring at your ass. The squats really are working, huh", Kelsie praised

I playfully twirl my body to face her and then smile. "You think?"

She smiles sardonically and gives me a slight nod.

We both walk downstairs to the kitchen and see mom seated, as usual on the end of the marble kitchen table, sipping her drink, wearing her power suit and being consumed by her stupid laptop.

I won't pretend it's easy acting like I don't know all that she's lied about. But every time I feel like I'm about to lose my mind and tell my mom I know that I have a twin sister, I look at Kelsie and I remember how much pain it would cause her to know that both her parents have lied to her and kept secrets. And on top of that, it'll crush her to know that I'm not even her full sister. If me protecting my sister means that I can't live my truth, I'm okay with that.

"Morning mom! You look nice today", I sat enthusiastically. My mom ignores me and I almost close her stupid computer.

"Oh, I look nice too? Gee, thanks", I mock, getting ignored yet again, "Good Talk Mom", I laugh

"Oh shit!" My mom yelled, "My battery's about to die. Where's my damn charger?"

"Now she speaks", I smile

"Oh, I borrowed it last night.It's upstairs", Kelsie calmly expresses, "I left mine at Trip's house"

"I don't care where you left the damn thing Kelsie. Just bring it", my mom yelled.

Kelsie puts down her glass of milk and hurries upstairs, leaving mom and I alone in the kitchen. "Mason's having a party tonight. I won't be home to watch Kels"

"I have a date Kylie. Can't you just skip the party?"

"You always have a fucking date mom! Life isn't all about you"

"Hey! Watch your language", she snaps

I roll my eyes and leave the kitchen. If I spend one more minute with this woman, I swear I'll kill her.

"Yo!", I enter the room and see Kelsie act nervous

"Yeah?", She responds

"I'm gonna flake on Miss Nadia today", I whisper, "So, I kinda need you to back me up"

"Why do you wanna flake?"

"C'mon, you know how bad I hate going. I mean, all we ever do is talk about the past and how it made me feel", I explained to her as we walked downstairs

"That's sort of the point of therapy Kylie"

"Exactly why I hate it. I don't get why anyone would wanna sit down and talk about things that already happened. The way I see it, if yesterday happened, you leave it as yesterday. No matter how bad you might want it to be, yesterday will never ever be today. It'll always just be yesterday", I say

The car ride to school was how it always was when driving with my mom, unbearable. I despise sitting in the warm car for almost 20 minutes, watching as my mom sings along to her Back street boys CD and I have to record the entire thing on my snapchat, pretending to giggle to the point of tears. I do this for Kelsie and only Kelsie. I know how much she loves these car rides.

We drive into the school hallway and before I could get out of the car to walk in with Kelsie, who was already halfway through the parking lot, my mom stops me. "Go for the party. I'll figure something out"

"Thanks mom"

"Anytime honey", she smiles as she drives off and I soon after see Sophia walking up to me.

"Hey number 3", she smiles

"Hey Soph"

"So, are we on for tonight?", she asks as we walk into first period Chemistry

"Yeah. Thank God! We can get ready at your house. I'll come over right after school"

"Sure, we just need to stop at the mall first and get some new outfits. I'm buying", she flaunts

"You mean, daddy's buying", I correct her playfully

"Do you want a free new outfit or not?", she jokes and I laugh along with her while we take our seats.

***

Afternoon comes buy quickly and at this time, Sophia and I have already gone through pretty much ever store in the mall.

We end up stopping through the bathroom before heading to her house and I get an email that shocks the living day lights out of me. A shaky breath leaves my lips unexpectedly while I read through the email once more. "Prove your loyalty to me and turn in the video. It's either you or her."

"Ky? Are you good?", Sophia ask me when she finishes washing her hands.

"Yeah. I'm fine uh, I just need to make a call, I'll meet you outside, okay?", I respond. Still frazzled by what I've just seen.

I quickly enter one of the bathroom stalls, locking myself in and sitting on top of the closed toilet with my legs crossed. I plug in my earphones and play the video that came along with the email that Mr. M had just sent me. Almost immediately, I recognize the person in the video. It was my mom. Why would Mr. M have a video of my mom?

After watching the video further, with each minute that passed by, I get more and more nauseous. My mother committed arson. A million questions fly through my mind at once. The main one being, Why would Mr. M have this video? Could my mom have worked for him?

I decide to call Maya. Only because she's the only one who I can talk to about this and she know much more about Mr. M than I do. If there's anyone who can shed some light on this, it would be her.

"Hello?", she answers the phone and I exchange the greeting. "I don't know what to do Maya. I think my mom used to work for Mr. M when she was younger and I just...I don't even know what to think"

"Kylie, this is about you and Mr. M", she whispered, "your mom has nothing to do with it"

"I never meant for any of this to happen you know. I just made a mistake, one that I can't take back", I whispered roughly on the phone.

"Look, we're all in this mess", she responded, "Everything will be fine as long as we do as we're told"

"I've been told to do something that I can't do. I can't even think of it"

She paused for a while. "Hello?", I asked

"I'm still here"

"I'm scared okay. I don't know what to do"

"Do what you're told. Or else you're gonna get killed", Maya replied, "You know that...and I love you but, I'm not gonna die with you"

Seconds later the call is cut and I'm left with a heavy feeling in my chest. Maya's words ring in my ear, echoing loudly and I'm left feeling numb. There is no way I'm going to be responsible for putting my own mother in prison for the rest of her life. Regardless of how much pain she's caused me with all of her lies. So if that means I'll have to die for her. I will.

I walk out of the bathroom with the fakest grin I could conjure up, plastered on my face.

"You good", Sophia asks me

"Just peachy", I lie, "let's go get ready"

***

This was it, ever since I got that email, the only thing that's been on my mind is the fact that I might be killed for not being able to do what I'm asked. There is no way I'm turning that video in to the authorities. Not a chance and there's also no way I'm dying tonight.

Here's the game plan, go home, lock myself in, call my mom and tell her everything that's happened. If my theory is right then she found a way to escape Mr. M's hold and that's the one thing I need most at this moment.

"Hey, what time is it?", I ask Mason nervously while I'm seated comfortably on his lap and he kisses the back of my arm softly

"Almost 11", He responds, "why? Do you suddenly have a curfew?"

"I just feel kind of sick.", I lie. It's not like me to leave a party early

"Want me to take you home?", Mason offers. I can tell that he's worried and I absolutely love him for it

"Honestly, I couldn't ask for anything more", I whisper truthfully and lay my head back onto his shoulder, "Will you stay with me? I don't wanna sleep alone tonight and Kelsie's over at Trip's"

"You know that all I ever want is to lie naked with you beneath a warm duvet and listen to the beating of your sweet heart."

I feel a smile spread across my face before I reply playfully, "oh, how I love it when you go all poetry Mason on me"

"I'm gonna go say bye to Sophia. I'll be back in a sec"

I walk towards Sophia who was sitting with the other soccer players with their feet dangling in the pool and go say bye

"You don't look too good Kylie. Are you sure everything is fine? You've been off since this afternoon", she tells me

"It's all good.", I lie with a smile, "you could escort me to the car if you're so worried"

"I think I will", she stands up and we lock arms, walking over to Mason

"Ready to go babe?", I ask as me and Sophia approaches Mason

"You told me this summer would be different. You promised me that this summer you wouldn't even speak to him", Mason snaps, his eyes resting on my face.

I stayed rooted to the spot, the breeze moving my hair softly away from my cheekbones. "Wha...what are you talking about?", I stutter, knowing very well what he was referring too.

"I'm talking about how you're a lying piece of trash", he says to me, "but this is what you do isn't it? This was a what we do. We love each other and hurt each other before the other one of us gets a chance to"

"Hey, calm down", Sophia tries, placing her palm on Mason's arm

"Just take the party inside", He tells Sophia and she does just that

"Do you even love me?!", He yells

"Goodness Mason....I really wish I knew", I whimper honestly, "because then this wouldn't be so damn hard but it is! I'm sorry, okay? I messed up and I'm sorry"

"If you say that one more time I swear on my life that I will Kill you Kylie Burklin!", He screams and suddenly, something in me just snaps

"Fine Mason! You know what? Fine. I am sick and tired of feeling like a bad person for being confused! I'm allowed to not know what I want Mason! I'm a damn human being!"

"That isn't an excuse to cheat on me!", He defend, rightfully so, "there is no excuse in this world for being disloyal to anybody! You're a disgusting person Kylie!"

"Oh, we're talking about disgusting people? Why don't we talk about what's running in your veins right this bloody second Mason?!", I yell and regret instantly

He glares at me then spits out, "shut up!"

I sneer and laugh out of anger.

"You think this is funny?" He shouts

"You're no better than me Mason fucking Kendall! If anything, you're far worse off! I mean have you stopped to think that maybe it's you and your entire pathetic existence that just drives people away?! When's the last time you saw your parents?! When's the last time they said they loved you?! Hell, if your own parents don't love you, what makes you think I possibly could?!"

Our heated quarrel continues. It was definitely a war of words and who can hurt the other one worse. Both of us at each other. The arguing came right through the walls as loud as any TV show. We got all the details we never wanted to know, who, what and where.

"Get out of my house", He finally yells, stepping closer to me, enough to where he was very well right In my face.

I wince before turning away from him and starting to walk home. I walk a few feet down the street and I see Noah's pickup parked by the side of the road. What would he be doing here?

"Noah?", I smile as I walk over to him, "what're you doing here?"

He pulls me into a warm hug and I feel safe in his arms. "I'm here to say goodbye Kylie. And I'm sorry"

"What?", I ask, clearly confused

"Mr. M asked me to kill you", he says nonchalantly. No expression on his face whatsoever

"What do you mean?", I laugh nervously

Suddenly, he grabs a hold of my hand and pulls out a sledgehammer, a feeling of terror covers my entire body and I start to shiver. Noah is trying to kill me, he covers my mouth with a cloth before I'm able to yell for help and then brings me to the side of the truck.

I push and fight and squirm until finally I escape from his hold and I kick him in his most sensitive area, resulting in his dropping the sledgehammer. I pick it up and try to swing it on his head but instead, he ducks quickly and I end up making a dent in his truck. I drop the sledgehammer and begin to run back to Mason's house until all of a sudden, I start to feel drowsy and I fall to the ground

"What have you done to me?", I cry beneath my breath, feeling each of my organs stop to functioning one at a time.

"It was a chemical you inhaled in the cloth. sorry princess. It's just business", he says to me. "It's a shame too. I really dud like you"

His words are a painful stab in tge wound as the last thing I see is a bright, white light. In an instant, The despair and suffering of the world that took everyone I loved away from me, I found myself joining them soon. The bliss in it is that I would be able to leave all the pain behind. I closed my eyes and felt my fragile, human heart beat one last time.

***
Death is inevitable my friends, choose to live your life wisely.
***

The End...