Since Bryce has been a good enough friend, in fact my only friend so far, I decided to sit beside him at lunch, "Didn't think you'd come."

"I wasn't going to sit alone," not again, not anymore. Fresh start remember? "Plus you're not terrible," I grinned to myself.

Before he could respond two guys joined us, the short blonde gave me a light wink, "I'm Vince," he smiled tilting his head slightly as he studied me, "You're Blair?"

"Correct."

"This is my friend Jonathan," he said cocking his head towards his friend beside him, his dark curly hair brushed in waves, his dark skin drinking in the morning sun.

"Hey," Jonathan smiled nervously, he seemed sweet a bit shy unlike his friend Vince.

"Where's Sharon, Amber and Bridget?" Vince asked Bryce as he devoured his pizza, his friend doing the same.

"They're always late, even to lunch," Bryce said as be poked around his salad, he seemed a bit irritated. "Blair here is going to her first Nevada party tonight."

"About that, I don't even know if my aunt will let me," I said.

He frowned, "I brought it up to her last night, she thought it would be fun for you," he shrugged forcing a carrot down his throat.

There wasn't going to be a way out of this, "I'll just meet you there then," I said trying not to look too disappointed. If Valarie were here she would slap me into my senses, parties are fun we loved parties, dancing, meeting guys. But now it just all seemed useless, unnecessary.

"What's your number?"

"Excuse me?"

Bryce tolled his eyes, "SoI can send you the address?"

I took a deep breath, "Oh right of course," I said taking his phone and punching in my number.

"Great," how could one guys smile enlighten an entire room? His eyes shined brighter, even when he didn't have that charming smile plastered on his face. He was beautiful, can you call guys that? There's no other way I could describe him, he was effortlessly the most beautiful guy I've ever seen. I could see why Valarie was swooning over Bryce, he was most definitely swoon worthy. When he spoke to me, his dark eyes never left mine, it was frankly easy to talk to him, easy to get lost in those soft eyes.

Bryces friends were more or less complete morons, I was actually relived to see Sharon, until she started weeping like a lost child. "What happened Sharon?" Bryce asked as she buried her head in her arms.

Sharon lifted her head slightly, tears streaming down her Carmel skin. "That backstabbing bitch Bridget is running for homecoming Queen! I woke up in the most astonishing mood, to find her name on the damn ballot! I mean it's not like she'd win or anything but how could she! Does loyalty mean absolutely nothing in this day and age!" She sobbed even harder, her small body shaking with every hiccup. It was obvious she was one for theatrics.

I gave Bryce a a weird face, he only shook his head, pressing his lips together so he wouldn't laugh. "That's absolutely terrible," Bryce told her.

The boys made themselves scarce roaming over to the tables next to us, I would've done the same but Sharon grabbed my arm. "I'm so glad you are here Blair," she said laying her head on my shoulder. "If it weren't for you and Amber I'd be gone for, I don't need Bridget never did." Oh great we're officially friends, and I have no choice in it now. Valarie would be proud.

"Are you sure you aren't overreacting?" Bryce asked as he pushed away his barely eaten salad.

Sharons head jilted up, her eyes narrowing on Bryce as if he was a moron. "Oh I'm sure, she even had the nerve to tell me no one even liked me! Can you believe that?"

"I can not, that bitch," Bryce said rubbing his mouth as his eyes shifted, amused with this entire ordeal.

I shot Bryce a judgmental glare as I rubbed her back awkwardly, "Sounds to me that you have no reason to be upset, think of this as faith. Bridgets true colors were shown, better now then never right?"

She sniffled, her eyes now puffy and cloudy in the blinding cafeteria light. "I guess I didn't look at it like that." This girl was definitely a piece of work, she dried her tears and bared a wicked smile. "I will outshine her, I am going to find the most biggest, beautiful ball gown there is. Oh yes, and a carriage with white horses!!"

Seemed very extreme but Bryce only shrugged like it was normal for Sharon, "Maybe you could go to the mall tomorrow with amber and Sharon and get a dress."

"I'm not going remember?" I bit back.

"Yes about that, it's out of the question you simply must go, the festival as well! You'll absolutely love it, it's held on my fathers farm. He rents a Farris wheel every year, a haunted house maze, so many games, please say you'll go?" I was trying to grasp on how rich her family must be.

I want the best with saying no, I wanted to say no absolutely not but instead I said, "Sure yeah of course!" Because how do you say no to the most beautiful, saddest girl sitting before you. She smiled, she talked a lot, she wore her heart on her sleeve. But I could clearly tell there was something sad in Sharon, a sadness that was similar to mine.

I'm already too excited!" She chirped, any sign of tears had vanished instantly. "Bryce you'll save me a dance right?"

"Of course," he winked, standing up to stretch. His hem of his blue shirt unleashed a tan patch of skin, his perfectly carved muscles flexing as he yawned. He definitely worked out, not too much though there was balance in his body, the guy was obnoxiously just as beautiful as Sharon. The two would oddly enough look beautiful together, but it was clear Bryce had no romantic feelings for the poor girl. "I need to get to class I'll see you at Pot Lucks? If I don't I'll hunt you down fair maiden," he grinned. "See ya Shar."

Sharon rolled her eyes waving a hand to dismiss him, not taking his flirting with me very well. "He's so devishly handsome," she frowned at herself, "I've had a crush on that boy since grade school you know. He's always seen me as a sister though," she sighed dramatically. "How could he ever see me when he has Elizabeth Banner."

"Who?"

"His one and only epic love, but they just broke up at the beginning of summer. She left him to "find herself" and started dating his best friend can you believe that? Anyways they didn't last long, and now she's running to plan b."

"Bryce."

"Bingo," she sighed again, "He didn't realize it but she sucked the life out of him. The entire two years was nothing but agony for him, all she did was belittle him."

"She sounds awful," and Bryce would be an idiot to subject himself to someone unworthy, but then again who was I to say who was worthy of Bryce. I hardly knew him, or her.

"Alright we should head to class, hey we should get ready together you can come to my place?"

"I actually have stuff I have to do-" her face immediately tanked, shit. "But, I can pick you and Amber up on my way?"

"Sounds perfect!" I wasn't ready for it, but she hugged me again, "We are going to be great friends I can feel it Blair."

With that I watched her glide off into the crowded cafeteria. My worries of walking into this school blind was far gone, Sharon seemed to know everything. In fact it seemed that she liked to share everything she knows more then knowing it, a true little gossip queen. She reminded me of Valarie, how bubbly and friendly they both were, odd.

.....................................................
Heavenly at no surprise ended up getting a ride home from a new friend, so I ended up driving home alone. I was in a bit of a daze, regretting even agreeing to going to this beach in the woods. Nothing good happens in the woods, have they seen Friday the 13th? Not to mention this town just gives me the spooks.

As I approached the old mansion, I decided it was time I took a look, it really did look abandoned after all. What's the harm in curiosity?

I scaled the annoyingly high gate, making sure there was no one in sight. There wasn't a light on in the mansion, the closer I got the more I was able to see the terrible state it was in. All the windows were cracked and coated in dust, there was nothing but rubble and trash on the ground.

Shivers erupt throughout my entire body, the cold feeling I often received when I was with Valarie. You know when you can just tell when something holds a weight? Something happened here, something bad. I walked to the back of the mansion, where I found a garden, not a very well maintenance one but I could still see its beauty from the past. If this was my mansion I'd fill these gardens with roses of all colors, shrub mazes and evening a gazebo.

"Sad isn't it?" My lord, what is up with people sneaking up on you? "The names Jordan Mackay." Also, what was up with all the rustic clothing?

"Blair," I said shaking the young mans hand, his face radiated a sense of maleness,"Mackay as in the owner Of Mackay Mansion?"

"Not anymore," he said as he folded his hands behind his back, his sapphire eyes lost in mine. "Mackay Mansion belongs to the state; was going to be a museum of death, till a man was found dead. Now it just sits and rots."

"What happened?"

"With the man?"

"No what happened for the state to take it over?"

"Death," he said coldly, his ashy blond hair moving with the light breeze. "You don't know of the tales?"

My patience was running thin, why be so cryptic? "No I just moved here."

"Fifty years ago there was a massacre, thirty years ago a murder suicide, then that man found murdered in the foyer. People say this house has had too much blood spilled to ever be saved. To ever be a home, so it was abandoned, my great grandparents sold it to the state. It shall never be torn down or forgotten, but it will never be alive," and I happened to live right down the road. "They say ghosts still haunt the mansion, ghosts that died in such tragic ways, drove anyone who lived in it mad."

"That's impossible, people have control of their actions. And ghosts aren't real," I lied. I looked at the pale young man, his chapped lips and bony hands. "What happened exactly?" I asked sitting on an old stone bench, maybe it wasn't the brightest idea chatting with a stranger, but I was intrigued.

"I don't think you'll be interested, a little too dark, sick even."

"Enlighten me," I challenged. I didn't know if there were actually any other ghosts, but it wouldn't be the craziest realization. I died, I came back, Valarie didn't but she's still here, there had to be more like her. Maybe I was here for a reason.

"The massacre was the beginning of everything for my family, there was a courting party thrown for the first founding father, a Mackay. He was convinced the town needed to be rid of well, everyone. He was an insane awful man, deranged since birth. He burned everyone alive, burnt the entire mansion to the ground. Because the mansion was a historical home for the Mackays it was rebuilt, my family rebuilt their lives." As he spoke his eyes sometime closed shut, as if picturing...

"Then there was the tragic love crime, two friends pinned against one another for the affections of one woman. Cullen Mackey was killed by someone he called his brother, the woman he loved then slit his throat, soon slitting her own." He paused soaking in my reaction.

"You're serious?" He nodded, "That is sick," I murmured as I looked back at the Mansion. Could one bad soul really make a mark on earth forever? Was that truly possible? "So where do you live then?" I asked.

"Why would I tell you that?" He smirked, "After all you could be dangerous."

I scuffed, "Is the Mackay family still running strong?"

"No," he said lightly, "I am the last, my parents died in a car crash a couple years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said putting my hand over his, only to retract it instantly. His hand was freezing cold, almost painfully cold.

"It's fine, no one lives forever right?"

"Right," I gulped as he watched me, he was frowning slightly, maybe he was thinking. But of what? "It was nice meeting you Jordan, do you go to the high school?"

He shook his head, "Been homeschool my entire life, graduated last year."

"Maybe you would know Charlotte then? A pretty blonde, beautiful eyes-"

"She's bad news," Jordan said as his jaw twitched, "it was nice meeting you as we'll, I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon?"

He stood up abruptly, fixing his white collared shirt, his black suit fit his pale buff body perfectly. "How?"

"I expect the same way we've meet today," he didn't smile fully, he didn't smile at all, it was his eyes. Why on earth would I come back here after the slaughter story he's just told me, before I could ask, he was gone.

Not wanting to be in this graveyard any longer, I ran as fast as I could to my car. Once Jordan had left the chills had returned, the aching I had felt before he showed up. I ran from it till it disappeared completely, till I could finally breath without gasping.