I INVESTED MOST OF MY TIME INTO OPENING THAT STUPID BOX BUT NO MATTER WHAT I ATTEMPTED, IT JUST WOULDN'T BUDGE.

I knew some secrets were best kept locked away where no one would find them but I wasn't one for keeping secrets to the grave. Eventually, everything comes rushing to the surface.

Nothing can stay buried forever.

It was almost three o'clock when I gave up and succumbed to the fatigue that was pulling down on my eyes so it was no wonder that when the bright sunlight of the morning peaked through my curtains, a tired groan escaped from my lips and my eyes refused to open. After promptly pressing snooze six times on my phone, I managed to roll myself out of bed and get ready for the day.

Despite the bright sunlight that spilled into my room, the skies were still relatively dark. It wasn't the sky-blue abyss that I was used to but rather, it was dark and grey as if it was about to rain any minute. A scowl pulled on my lips at the thought of the rain ruining any chance of my day being great and further dampening my mood.

I pulled on a grey hoodie and black jeans, plaiting my hair back into a damp French braid. Instead of pulling my shoes on, as usual, I skipped that step and headed out of my room towards the kitchen for breakfast. The house was eerily silent as I made my way down the stairs, the bright screen of my phone the only light that was peaking through the halls.

My hands found the light switch and turned it up, allowing bright lights to spill through the hallway and down the staircase as I descended into the living room. It was barely seven o'clock and yet, I was the only one currently in the house. My dad left early for work as usual but Evan wanted to get to school early to work out before classes started.

Something about wanting to train and get jacked before his first game.

In all honesty, I barely paid attention to what he was saying last night. I was so tired after our escapade to the police department that I just tuned everything out. I turned the kitchen lights on and put my phone on the counter as I headed over to the fridge to make myself a toasted bagel and coffee for the day.

I grabbed the bagels and popped them into the toaster oven before walking over to the Keurig and grabbing a French vanilla coffee pod, popping it into the machine. The silent hum of the Keurig running and the smell of toasted bagels wafting around the kitchen calmed me down, a sense of familiarity settling in the new atmosphere.

Five minutes later, I was smearing my bagel with strawberry cream cheese and pouring coffee into my Starbucks coffee cup. As I screwed on the top and inserted the metal straw, my phone began to ring, cutting through the silent atmosphere that I was accustomed to. Slightly annoyed, I answered the phone and pressed it against my ear, talking in between bites of my bagel.

"Hello?" I said in a confused voice, my voice muffled from the bagel in my mouth.

A light laugh responded to me from the other side before a voice spoke. "Are you at school?" Phoenix's voice spoke to me from the other end.

"It's barely seven, Phoenix. I'm at home. Eating" I responded, polishing off one side of the bagel. I began to tear into the other one, breaking it into little digestible pieces.

"Perfect. I'll be there in ten."

"Sure but I am not making you any breakfast" I replied. He sighed, mumbling something inaudible under his breath. "Deal."

Before I could question him any further, he hung up, leaving a dead signal on the other side. I sighed and abandoned my phone, choosing to indulge in my breakfast for a while longer before my morning was ruined.

As promised, ten minutes later, the doorbell was singing its usual tune and I was racing down the stairs to answer it. I stumbled upon my own feet in an attempt to lace up my boots, stopping briefly to tie up my shoes before answering the door. I looked through the peephole to make sure it was Phoenix before answering the door.

"Good morning" he greeted, a small smile on his face. I rolled my eyes, stepping aside to let him in.

"Where is Jolie?" I asked, looking outside into the grim morning.

"Oversleeping" he replied, setting his bag on the floor. "I'm giving her five minutes until she realizes she'll be late."

"You are terrible," I lectured him, closing the door behind me. He snorted, making himself comfortable on the couch. "And you're nosy but what else is new?" he shot back at me, his cold eyes turning around to my own.

I sneered at him, rolling my eyes as I went back to the kitchen. I picked up my Starbucks coffee cup and made my way back to the living room, plopping down on the couch across from him.

"So what brings you here to ruin my morning?" I asked. He furrowed his brows together, the hint of a small smile pulling on his face.

"I thought I was a breath of fresh air" he whispered to himself, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Sure you are," I said, nodding. "But seriously, what brings you here? What's wrong?"

The heavy sigh that escaped his lips was enough for me to know that whatever it was had been weighing his mind all night. He crossed his hands over his chest, his gaze concentrated on the coffee table in front of him.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night. Not after what we found" he said after a minute, his voice low.

"Especially the autopsies. The image of Caleb's body on that table, stitched from being dissected and the descriptions of how he died were just...overwhelming" he shared, raking his fingers through his hair. "I'll be damned if I even got five hours of sleep last night."

At the mention of his lack of sleep, my eyes traveled to his figure on the couch, suddenly paying attention to how he looked. I took in his disheveled appearance from his curly black hair that hung over his eyes to the oversized black sweater that seemed old and was covered with lint. His jeans were stressed and torn with paint splattered across, the laces of his boots hanging at the sides.

Phoenix caught my stare, his fingers running through his thick hair. "I didn't have much time to get ready this morning. I woke up late" he defended, self-consciously pulling on the sleeves of his black sweater.

I shook my head, shrugging. "I'm not complaining" I simply said, taking a sip from my coffee cup.

"And I am sorry to hear that you didn't sleep well last night. If it makes you feel better, I barely got any sleep. I think I went to bed around three" I said, causing him to nod.

He smiled faintly, looking me up and down and taking in my plain and comfortable look. "You could have fooled me," he muttered.

Though his tone dripped with sarcasm, the soft look on his face told me otherwise. "Thanks," I said, rolling my eyes.

I looked up at the clock on the wall, the time was still a bit too early to leave. Phoenix caught my gaze, his eyes straying to the clock as well.

"We should get going. Maybe we can catch up with Lycon and Jolie" he suggested, stooping down to grab his bag.

I nodded, rising from the chair and heading towards the staircase. I could feel his presence near me as I made my way up the stairs, trying my hardest not to pay attention to him. The door to my room creaked open as I slipped through, cold air blasting through my hair.

My bag rested near my bedside as I grabbed it and tossed it over my shoulder. Phoenix lounged by the door, his eyes straying around my room and taking in the decor. "I know. My room is still a bit bland. I'll get some decor up later" I said, my cheeks burning bright red.

He shook his head, simply tucking his hands into his pants. "I like it. Nothing too complicated" he commented, shaking his head. He jerked his chin towards the hallway, a smile on his face. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded and together, we walked down the stairs and out the door.

Since Evan took the car, I was forced to ride in the car with Phoenix. The plush leather seats welcomed me as I buckled myself into the seat, my grip on the cup hardening as I sipped on the coffee inside. The morning sky was bleak and grey in comparison to the previous days, a sign of precipitation wavering in the darkening clouds.

The soft croons from the radio sang softly in the car, easing the tension between Phoenix and me. We momentarily stopped at a red light, the car lurching slightly forward as we came to a sudden halt. Reaching over, I turned up the song in the car, lightly singing along to the somber tune as I tried to distract myself from the long day ahead.

Phoenix hummed along, his fingers drumming along the steering wheel. He turned over to me briefly, nudging my shoulder as my eyes closed for one second. At his touch, I groaned and turned around, shooting him a glare.

"Let a girl sleep" I mumbled as the car began to move again. I adjusted myself in the seat, resting my head on the window. "I have a long day ahead of me and I barely got any sleep. Just let me rest."

He groaned but said nothing else. A thick silence settled in the car once again, only breaking when he uttered, "Fine. Get some sleep. I'll tell you when we've arrived."

A smile pulled on my face and I slipped into oblivion through the rest of the ride. It was only when the car lurched against me and Phoenix gently tapped me on my shoulder did I wake up to see that we had arrived in the school's parking lot. Yawning, I climbed out of the car and grabbed my bag. I threw it over my shoulder and walked around to the other side where Phoenix locked the car and joined me.

Together, we walked through the semi-crowded parking lot. Students were catching up with each other but it wasn't nearly as full as when Evan and I would usually arrive. I quietly sipped on my coffee as Phoenix texted away on his phone, both of us heading up the stairs.

"Ivy! Phoenix!" At the sound of our names, we both turned around to see Eleanor and her boyfriend, Zachary, heading towards us. Behind them was Greyson, his black hair slicked back and his varsity jacket on. Besides me, I could hear Phoenix curse under his breath but I couldn't pick up on the exact words as they neared us.

"Hey guys" I greeted in a sleepy tone, running my fingers through my hair. "

"Hey. We didn't know you two were that acquainted" Eleanor said, passing Phoenix a smile. "He never lets anyone ride in that glorious car of his."

"Because no one has proven themselves to be worthy enough" Phoenix defended himself, causing me to laugh. He passed me a knowing gaze, shaking his head. "Besides, Ivy needed a ride today. Her brother took the car and she was practically begging for a ride. Got on her knees and everything."

I scoffed, smacking his shoulder hard. A chuckle left his lips as he held his shoulder in pain, his blue eyes meeting mine. A haunting smile pulled on his lips, his gaze holding mine intently.

"Don't believe a word he says. He's delusional" I responded, finally breaking away from his gaze. I knew my cheeks were most likely red from the heat I felt on my face but I prayed that the damp weather would hide it.

"I find that hard to believe," Zachary said. Phoenix huffed and rolled his eyes, pushing his hair back. "Anyway, what can we help you guys with? I'm guessing you didn't just stop us to chat and catch up" he pressed, his playful expression slipping from his face.

Eleanor shyly smiled, turning her gaze over to Zachary.

"We require your set of skills. Zachary's car broke down and it would be too expensive to take it to a mechanic and get it fixed. We know you are good with cars. Can you help us?" Eleanor asked.

Phoenix furrowed his brows, turning his attention to Zachary.

"Your car is brand new. How is that possible?" he asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine. So can you help?" he asked. Phoenix nodded, turning his gaze back up to the school building and back down at his watch.

"Yeah, but I am going to need a little more information. Walk and talk with me" he invited, turning his back towards the school building. The couple smiled and began to follow him as he walked up the stairs, engaging in small conversation.

I turned around to join them as well when I felt a hand on my wrist. It pulled me back until I hit a solid chest.

"Sorry," Greyson whispered so only I could hear. I turned around to meet his eyes, feeling my cheeks heat up again. "Caught me by surprise? What can I help you with?" I asked. He smiled, gesturing towards the back of the school where there was another entrance.

I turned around to the front entrance of the school but Phoenix, Eleanor, and Zachary were already gone, leaving just the two of us. Sighing, I nodded, turning back to Greyson.

"Lead the way," I said. He smiled, still holding on to my hand as he led me to the back entrance.

"You and Phoenix seem to be getting close" he commented, passing me a hesitant look.

I shrugged, sipping on my coffee. "He's a good guy and a friend. Believe it or not, he's not the villain as all of you seemed to believe. Sure, he can be unapproachable and cold at first, but he has a good heart."

"I don't think he is a bad guy but he most certainly strikes an odd chord inside of me. Even when we were friends, he was always an outsider and preferred to keep to himself" he commented.

I shrugged, turning to him.

"What is wrong with that? Some people are that way. Besides, you should talk to him now. He's cynical and entertaining to talk to. Dare I say, approachable" I replied.

Greyson frowned, opening the back entrance for me. I slipped into temporary darkness until Greyson navigated me through and we emerged in the south hall of the first floor.

To my knowledge, it was the oldest part of the school and barely used. The lights in that area were faulty, slightly flickering on and off and swinging back and forth. We rushed our way down the hall, until we broke through the main hall of the school, snickering to ourselves.

"You're insane" I commented, turning around to meet his eyes.

Greyson smiled, holding on to my hand. "Hopefully not too insane for you to go out with me next Friday" he said, turning me around to face him. "Stephanie pushed her get-together to Thursday and Friday is the start of the Autumn festival."

My whole heart stopped beating for what felt like forever, my face frozen. He stood there in front of me, his confident expression falling to a nervous one.

"Sorry, that was way smoother in my head" he uttered, squeezing my hand. "If that doesn't work for you, that's okay. We can work around another time" he offered.

Despite my loss for words, I managed to put myself together and swallow. I mustered a smile, squeezing his hand back. "Just text me the time so I know when to roll out of bed and get ready" I responded.

Greyson smiled, momentarily pulling me close to him for a hug. A huff escaped my lips as I breathed in his cologne, laying my head on his chest and I hugged him back. We pulled away, our hands separating as the warning bell rang.

We walked together towards the staircase, momentarily stopping as we went our separate ways.

"Have fun. I'll talk to you later" he said, squeezing my hand tightly before walking away.

Despite the heavy feeling in my stomach, I couldn't help but smile as I watched him disappear into the crowd, not knowing whether to be excited or utterly nervous about the impending date..

A PEP RALLY WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE AROUND NOON, CUTTING INTO MY AP ENGLISH CLASS.

I wasn't complaining. Anything to escape Mr. Seth's agonizing lectures. However, it was unwarranted and last minute. I sat at my desk, absently writing down notes as Mr. Seth continued his ramble, trailing off track once again.

I kept my eyes on my notebook, finding myself getting off track as I began to draw in the corner of my notebook. Outside, it was lightly raining, the grey skies from the morning turning black as the downpour became heavier.

As I continued to draw senseless cartoon characters, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Directing my attention to my pocket, I reached into my pocket and pulled it out, making sure to turn off the brightness before checking my messages.

It was a message from Phoenix.

Phoenix: Lycon, Jolie, and I are going to be sitting on the south bleachers. You are more than welcome to join us if you want. Unless you'd prefer sitting with Greyson and his crew of idiots.

The message had an edgy tone to it and I could hear the sarcasm in his voice towards the end. I quickly texted him back, confirming his invitation before tucking my phone away. A minute later, he texted me back a short message.

Phoenix: You chose wisely. We'll be waiting at the doors. We can't be hard to miss.

I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face as I liked his message and tucked my phone away, flickering my eyes up to the clock on the wall. Only ten more minutes to go. Panning my eyes down to the notebook, I continued my drawing while vaguely paying attention to the lecture, my mind running with ideas.

I couldn't help but think of the autopsy Lycon found, my mind flashing to his pale body on the bed. A slit throat, a gunshot to the chest, and lacerations around his chest and abdomen? What type of psychopath killed him? He could have died from using any of these tactics alone but to use all three?

Either the killer was having too much fun or Caleb was able to hold out on the first two attacks and died on the third try.

Just as I began to write down my suspicions, the loudspeaker above the ceiling chimed to life. "Students, at this time, you may begin to make your way down to the gym for our annual pep rally" the principal announced, her voice booming over the speaker.

The rest of the class came to life, students shuffling around in their seats as they grabbed their belongings and started shoving their books into their bags.

I closed my book and put it in my bag before grabbing it and throwing it over my shoulder. Despite Mr. Seth's warning to sit down and wait for him, I managed to slip through the doors and out the hallway. The halls were crowded with students who were talking in loud, exclamatory voices, and the hallways were littered with laughs and smiles as I made my way down the staircase.

Pushing myself through the crowd, I peeked my head from above to see the silhouette of Phoenix standing by the door. He looked unbothered in the shadows, shielding his eyes from the massive crowd, his gaze scanning over the crowd as they poured through the opened gym doors.

Smiling to myself, I managed to push my way through and stumble in front of him, a gasp escaping my lips as I ran my fingers over the stray baby hairs that fell out of my bun. His steely blue eyes flickered over to me, a slightly shocked expression written on his face

Slowly, he smiled, cocking his head at me. "What are you? A magician?" he whispered, causing me to roll my eyes.

"I'll be here all week. Let's go" I said, nudging him towards the door. He nodded, guiding me through the door into the huge gymnasium. Thousands of students clambered up the bleachers, their conversations blending into one incomprehensible noise.

Phoenix led me up the south bleachers, excusing ourselves around students who were gathered and talking amongst themselves. Most of them paid us no attention while some of them passed us dirty looks as we stumbled upon their bodies. We continued to walk up until the silhouettes of Jolie and Lycon appeared in front of us.

Carefully crossing our way over to them, we pounded up the stairs and greeted them. They were seated near the middle of the bleachers, their eyes trained on the court before them.

"Finally, you guys made it!" Jolie said, patting her brother on the back.

"I was only gone for a couple of minutes. You are so dramatic" he responded, causing her to roll her eyes.

He groaned and sat next to her, moving closer to her to make space for me. I smiled and sat down, my eyes panning over to the court in front of me.

The cheerleaders were in the middle, dressed in their uniforms and performing acrobatic, complicated moves. Fake smiles were plastered on their faces as they faced the crowd, shaking their pom-poms in the air.

In the middle of it all, I spotted Stephanie with her blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail. A bow sat in the middle and a wide smile stretched across her face as she performed several impressive round-offs before landing on her feet.

The crowd went insane when she popped up again, smiling and waving her pompoms in the air before jumping into another set of cartwheels and back handsprings, this time finishing it off with her body launching into the air and briefly spinning before her cheer mates caught her in a powerful grip when she landed in their arms.

A deafening sound of applause drowned out everything as students began to clap and chant her name, enjoying the little show she put on. Stephanie simply smiled and tossed her blonde hair aside, her head thrown back in laughter as she joined her cheermates. Under the gymnasium lights, she was truly stunning.

"Holy crap, that girl is good!" Lycon exclaimed, clapping loudly. Jolie passed him an icy look, rolling her eyes before paying her attention back to the court.

"Yeah, she's flexible. Just ask all her past hookups" she murmured.

I blinked several times at her comment, my body perking up. Phoenix stifled a laugh and shook his head, biting his lip to suppress the smile that threatened to break on his lips.

"Not cool" he simply said even though his facial expression said otherwise. Jolie passed her brother a knowing glance, shaking her head.

"I'm just pointing out the obvious," she said, clasping her hands together. Lycon laughed, shaking his head as he pushed his blonde strands aside.

His startling grey eyes slid across to meet her gaze, a smirk on his face. "Are you jealous because you're not as flexible as her?" he teased, his voice dropping to a low whisper.

Jolie scoffed, rolling her eyes despite the red flames of embarrassment that crawled up her cheeks and engulfed her face in a deep shade of scarlet. "Jealous, my ass. You're only saying that because you haven't been graced with the opportunity to experience my flexibility, Lycon" she commented, turning her eyes over to him.

This time, she lightly smiled, raising her brows. "I think you'll find that my skills surpass hers greatly."

This time Lycon blushed deeply, pressing his lips into a thin line before turning away from her. However, his red cheeks gave away his true feelings.

Phoenix groaned, digging his fingers into his black curls. "Jesus Christ. Someone please rip my ears off so that I do not have to listen to this monstrosity of a conversation" he begged, following his statement with a string of curses that would have made any sailor blush. I scoffed, nudging his knees.

"Quiet. The principal is about to speak" I said as Principal Earlwington approached the microphone. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled into a half-up updo and her dress pants were pressed neatly.

"Welcome, ShadowHill Ravens, to our first annual pep rally!" The gym exploded into applause, feet stomping on the bleachers.

The cheerleaders shook their pom-poms, matching the excitement of the students. "I know all of you are excited about the homecoming game coming up soon! I cannot wait to see our esteemed ShadowHill Raven football team crush our opponents, the Riverside Hornets!"

More excited applause and cheers rang through the gymnasium, deafening any speaking voice near me.

Phoenix groaned loudly, burying his fingers through his dark locks as he shook his head once more. "This is torture. Can we leave?" he asked, turning his gaze over to me.

I scoffed and smirked, poking him in the arm. "Stop complaining. You'll be fine" I said, watching as the football team came through the doors, running out into the middle of the court.

They high-fived each other and swarmed the principal, their loud voices joining the chats. In the large crowd, I was able to spot Greyson who was smiling with Tyson, the two boys cheering with their teammates and patting each other's back.

A smile pulled on my lips, watching as Greyson ran his fingers through his hair, his handsome face wearing a happy expression.

Principal Earlwington nodded her head and smiled, waving her hands to calm down the crowd. "Alright, students. Settle down please" she commanded into the microphone, shaking her head.

The noise silently died down until it was silent, allowing her to continue speaking. "As you all know, we have suffered a great loss in this community. Caleb Hollow, an honor roll student and an athlete, was tragically murdered a few weeks ago. While the investigation is still going on, the school has made a point to dedicate the first home game of the season to him as well as hold a separate ceremony where we will unveil our dedication to him that is being organized by two very talented students."

At the sound of her last words, I perked up and passed a look over to Phoenix. His blue eyes glided over to me, a scowl on his face even though he wore a surprised expression on his face.

"We have to finish that this weekend" he whispered to me, playing with the rings on his fingers. "I completely forgot about that."

"Me too. With everything going on, that flower wall has been sitting in the woodshop for weeks. You're lucky I used fake flowers" I retorted back, raising a brow at him. He scoffed, a slight smile stretching on his lips.

"That would be on you, little miss sunshine" he whispered back, shaking his head.

"Stop calling me that" I hissed back, causing him to smile wider. He pulled away, shaking his head once more and turning his attention back to the court.

"Make me" he challenged, raising his brows in a teasing manner. I rolled my eyes, pressing my lips together as I listened to the principal Earlwington speak in a remorseful tone.

"I know this community is still suffering from the aftershock of his death but we will pull through and honor everything we do to Caleb. He will be missed dearly. Now, please join me for a minute of silence for his death."

The gymnasium fell silent. The cheers died down and all the students closed their eyes as a haunting, dead void of nothing took over the noises and fell short. I closed my eyes as well, tucking my hands in my lap and lowering my head to the floor. Besides me, I could hear Phoenix, Jolie, and Lycon do the same, shuffling around in the bleachers as they closed their eyes as well.

Everything was silent and peaceful. For one moment, tranquility settled in the usually bustling heart of the school.

That is until the loudspeaker above crackled to life, a hoarse voice shouting through the device and disturbing the peace.

"Caleb Hollow deserved to die! He was a liar and a manipulator! He ruined my life, broke the love of my life's heart, and destroyed everything in my life! He is a piece of shit and I have no regrets killing him!"

The voice was filled with anger and repulsiveness as it shouted through the loudspeaker. A gasp went around the gymnasium, eyes flickering open and directing their gaze to the loudspeaker. The football team wore angry expressions on their faces as they casted suspicious gazes around the gym and the principal's face was flushed red with anger, embarrassment, and confusion.

"Holy shit! The killer is a student?!" Someone's shrill voice shouted through the gymnasium, alerting everyone as screams of agony, anger, and fear rampaged through the room. Amid the chaos, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and the blood underneath my skin simmering.

The noise around me was going in one ear and out the other, and my breathing became shallow. Beside me, a hand wrapped around my wrist in a tight grip, pulling me back to reality. I turned around to meet Phoenix's wide blue eyes, his scowl replaced with a concerned scowl. Besides him, Jolie and Lycon shared a frightful look, their skin flushed pale.

"We need to solve this fast" I hissed, licking my dry lips as I drew in a shallow breath.

Phoenix nodded urgently, running his fingers through his hair as he squeezed my wrist, his cold skin biting into mine.

"And silently" he added on, pressing his lips together. "Before we become the next target."

Step on the glass, staple your tongue

Bury a friend, try to wake up

Cannibal class, killing the son

Bury a friend, I wanna end me

~ Bury a Friend by Billie Eilish