| l a n a |

The door opens up and Tate stands in the light of the cabin while Harry pulls my hand, making sure I am able to keep up with his running. The light is a safe haven it clears away the unknown which the darkness basked in. Tate promptly closes the door after Harry and I track inside all the water that dripped over our bodies.

"How was it out there, you guys were gone for like 30 minutes," Adam scanning the both of us as I ring out my ponytail that was soaked along with the rest of me. I look over at Harry but he seems expressionless making sure to not give anything away.

"I had to jump start the generator," Harry lies through his teeth while my mind reels to Harry pressed up against me. Heavy breathing and panting echo through the empty hallways of my mind as I look at him.

"Did you guys see Serena and Naomi?" Tate jumps in uninterested in all the details of our journey through the storm. I didn't mind that he was changing the subject I was like Harry in the fact that I didn't want our entire group to know what we did out there. Some things were personal and I only wanted those moments to be remembered by the two of us. That was the first time for me and never in a million years would I think it would happen like that.

"Are they not back yet?" I asked nervously looking around to spot Luke coming down from the stairs. He kept his eyes down which revealed a discolored purple and black eye, I suck in a breath and furrow my brow.

"No, they haven't-" Tate began but my attention shifted to Luke who looked like shit. He looked weathered and beat. Dried blood accumulated around his eye standing out from his pale skin that was left with a sickly sheen.

"Luke, what happened to you? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I asked coming up to him even though he just walked past me without a word.

"Luke!" Harry said to him raising his voice a little but that didn't effect Luke in the slightest.

"Hey, Luke where are you going?" I ask when he reaches for the front door knob, I touch his back delicately and wait for a response.

"I need some time alone," He says in a low voice that haunts me with pain.

"I don't think that's a good idea come on stay, tell me what happened. Who hurt you?" I asked him hoping that he would open up to me about what had gone on while Harry and I were away. Little bruises tracked up his arms as I got a better look at him, he looked broken and not just in the outer appearance sense.

"Why don't you ask Adam about it?" He says darkly opening the door taking a pack out of his pockets before slamming the door shut on my face. I sigh and close my eyes turning around to see Tate and Adam.

"What the hell happened?" I asked folding my arms across my chest furrowing my brow in confusion at what had just happened. I didn't know why Luke was etched over in bruises and refused to talk about it.

"The little prick was out of line and I just kindly put him in his place," Adam spoke up while Tate rolled his eyes walking away.

"Kindly? Don't you think that's using the word a little lightly Adam?" I asked as Harry followed Tate to go grab warm clothes and towels to help me dry off.

"He started accusing me of killing Janessa! Which you know I would never do, if anything the one who points the finger first is the one that did the deed," Adam tells me getting heated as he pushes back his jet black hair unintentionally flexing his biceps while doing so.

"So he comes out accuses you and you beat his ass? That doesn't sound like Luke to just come out and say shit like that without any backing," I say knowing that after hearing Adam's story he was stretching the truth, it didn't add up all the way.

"You know how he gets when he gets high, he was sad and upset because of Janessa and needed someone to blame as always." Adam rolls his eyes and walks away from me huffing out a breath.

"Despite whatever really happened that was really out of line," I say shaking my head and glancing at the door where Luke had just walked through. I had a soft spot for Luke even though sometimes he was difficult to deal with at times. Still soft spot or not Adam shouldn't have beat him up.

"Are you really siding with him right now Lana? He isn't even really one of us!" Adam storms confronting me by getting into my face, trying to intimidate me with his height. I step back and swallow hard feeling a lump in my throat and a burning in my chest.

"One of us? What are you even talking about Adam?"

"He was never one of us, he came from a broke ass family who couldn't hold it together most of the time. I'm tired of doing charity work," Adam argues as my eyes light up with a dark flame. My breathing increasing from all the anger building in my bones.

"I didn't realize how shallow you really were because I was so blind to it being friends with you but, I'm glad to see your true colors now," I grit balling up my fists and pushing him away from me after his attempts to again tower over me. I wasn't going to cower in the corner, I had to stand my ground. "You can't intimidate me like you do everyone else," I say walking away from him leaving him alone to himself.

| t a t e |

"Naomi and Serena still aren't back yet, maybe we should go out and look for them," I say feeling increased anxiety cloud my mind. My palms sweat while I continually pace back and forth keeping my eyes trained on the blinding rain outside.

"Do you think they got lost out there?" Lana asks in her sweet voice that I had missed. It was weird not hearing from Lana in a year it was almost as if she had turned into a ghost.

"I don't know but I don't like them being out there alone," I tell Lana as she comes over and peers out the window to see the never-ending rain pelting the ground. Lightning strikes and lights up the falling sky.

"Serena is a tough girl she can handle herself but it is weird they aren't back by now. the neighbors shouldn't be that far away," Lana tells me looking over her should her and turning to look at me. I can see the fear behind those big brown eyes even though she was trying to stay positive about everything.

"She would hate that I am worrying about her right now," I huff out smirking a little at her voice in my head.

"Sounds like her, so I mean... how did you guys end up getting together. Before I left I thought you and Naomi were going to get married. I didn't know you were ever interested in S," Lana says to me biting her bottom lip. I couldn't blame her for being curious, Serena and I were never supposed to be a thing.

"I am not proud of any of it, I didn't mean for everything to get so messy. God knows I get enough of that at home," I say rolling my eyes at the kaleidoscope of drama that surrounds me.

"Serena had been taking you leaving really hard. She would do things that scared all of us and one of those nights she went to Jacob Lane's party. Jacob had called me and told me to come and get her because she was out of control and when I got there she was a mess. I hadn't ever seen Serena like that. I had never seen rock bottom like that. I held her hair while she threw up and was drunk babbling about how she didn't understand why her parents hated her," The memories came in flashes like it was yesterday. Her hair had been strung out and her mascara staining her eyes while she cried into my chest.

"She was so lost and I stayed in the bathroom with her until morning and something happened that night. I had never felt the need to protect someone as much as I had that night... I had lied and told Naomi I was with Adam but eventually Naomi caught us. I don't know if I will ever forgive myself after the way she looked at me. It was like I couldn't mend something without breaking another," I told Lana shaking the old feelings off. It was a bitter sweet feeling but I had bathed in my guilt over lying to Naomi and betraying her trust. If I were her I would hate me too but that was the thing, I don't think she could hate me.

"You know... it's guys like you that give me hope that there still are a few decent guys out there. I am friends with both of them but life is short, you followed your heart and that's something you shouldn't feel guilty about," Lana sneaks a little smile on her lips pulling me into a hug. The familiar smell of coconut and vanilla bring a smile to myself. I really had missed Lana, she was different then any of the girls in our group.

"What's with the love fest over here?" Adam asks as Lana pull away and turns away from him.

"I think we better go and look for the both of them, they should have easily been back by now," Harry then steps in as we all talk about who is going where.

"Lana no, you aren't going out there," Harry instructs Lana who shakes her head in frustration.

"Harry just stop, I can take care of myself! I'm not a china doll that needs protecting!" Lana furrows her brows folding her arms as she scoffs.

"I just don't want anything happening to you, I can't post anyone else," Harry stresses,

"I say three of us go out there and one of us stays here just in case they happen to make it back," Adam suggests to the group. After much deliberations among the group we had decided Lana, Harry, and I were going to wage to storm while Adam stayed back.

"Everyone please be careful!" Adam calls as Lana opens the door to leave.

Blood curdling screams.

Tears dripping from eyes that see something they can never unsee.

"Holy fuck!" Harry curses as he catches Lana in his arms from her falling back. She's paralyzed as her eyes never strayed from the strung up body hanging on the front porch. The window blew the limp body left and right in a swaying motion as we all noticed the mop of blonde curly hair and skinny frame.

"I'm so sorry Luke..." Lana whispers over and over again as we all watch his body hang from the noose wrapped tightly around his neck.

| s e r e n a |

"Is that what you wanted to hear from me?" Naomi screams at me with tears streaming down her face as she looks back at me with defeat colored over her body.

It's hard to take in and for the first time in a long time I don't know what to say. I want to make her feel better but what can I even say? There isn't a word in the American language I could say to make her feel better.

"Naomi I had no idea... if I would have known-"

"The day I found the both of you in the boys locker room... I was coming to tell Tate," Naomi's eyes are like a caldron full of diamond tears.

"I know this isn't going to make up for anything we've done but I just want to say I'm really sorry. Sometimes it's hard to do the right thing, I knew what Tate and I were doing behind your back wasn't okay and I did it anyway. I can be so careless and reckless and end up hurting the people I love. I know my sorry won't make up any of what you went through but I hope you can see that I am truly sorry for everything," I tell her pulling her into a tight hug as the rain pours down all around us. The sound of thunder caging is in the emotion we were both feeling.

"Thank you," Naomi whispers as I told her feeling her body tremble from the cold caressing our skin under our wet clothing.

We come up onto a brightly lit shed, it catches our eyes that craved shelter. We run the short distance to the door and begin pounding on it hoping for an answer from anyone. I pant with each breath and scream for someone to rescue us.

The door is pushed open and Naomi piles into the quaint shelter. I shit the door from behind me and look around at the cluttered little shed in the middle of the woods.

"What the fuck is this place?" Naomi asks turning her head to see the walls littered with photos and locations. My anxiety rises as I notice all the pictures are of us.

"Oh my god... it's us," I say out loud looking over at Naomi who swallowed slowly I could visibly see her shaking with anxiety as we looked at the photos of each other.

"I'm going to be sick... they've been watching us," Naomi points out getting overwhelmed by everything that was hidden away in this cabin.

"Naomi..." I say as I open up the drawer full of evidence on our killer was.

"What?" She asks turning to face me, she grabs the photo out of my hand and immediately slides to the floor frozen as we both stare at the old photo.

"This can't be right... I know that they would never do this..."

"It looks like we don't know them as well as we thought," I say to Naomi as the both of us sit in the thick air that produces mass amounts of anxiety.

N. Hey kids! I hope you are all thriving and enjoyed this full course meal I just served you;) thoughts for the chef? Lol