Tonight Will Change Our Lives

It was hard, the next day, for Rachel to act normal. It might have been the hardest thing for her to do in her entire life. When Megan and Jake had greeted her that morning she couldn’t even muster up a simple hello. She simply nodded and headed for the gym. She couldn’t figure out how everyone could be so normal. If they only knew what I knew, they’d be just on edge as I am… Rachel thought to herself.

During gym, Rachel followed Megan and Jake around the track in silence. Her eyes were glued on the Winter brothers. Likewise, both Caden and Aiden followed Rachel around the track with their eyes. Look at them… acting like cool kids, leaning against that wall with their arms crossed, Rachel dropped her gaze and returned to Megan and Jake’s conversation.

“Are you ok?” Megan asked Rachel at lunch.

Rachel removed her eyes from the Winter table and looked at Megan and nodded. Megan blinked.

“Well, you sure don’t seem ok, what with you not speaking and all,” Megan continued.

“Yeah, we’re just a little concerned,” Jake added.

Rachel made a face and shrugged. Her eyes trailed back to the Winter table. Megan followed her gaze and sighed in disbelief.

“Rach, this is not healthy. You’re vocal cords will shrink… or something. Please send us a sign that you’re still in there,” Megan begged.

Rachel smiled at her friend and stood up as the bell rung. Jake and Megan shared a look of disbelief.

In art, Rachel sat at her easel staring at the blank canvas. Everything seemed so trivial after finding out the truth. Maybe this was her way of coping with it. Rachel’s eyes darted to the door as Aiden’s figure entered the classroom. He took his seat beside her and started to ready his things. Several moments later he spoke.

“So, I hear you and Caden had a little chat,” Aiden said quietly while he continued to paint.

“Yes,” Rachel said blankly.

“I told you to stay away from him,” Aiden said.

Rachel gripped the side of her chair, “and you failed to tell me why. Caden was brave enough to tell me. He trusted me enough. I know what you are.”

Aiden gave a grunt of dissatisfaction, “Oh, really? Do you now?”

“Yeah,” Rachel continued. She turned her head to look at Aiden who was working disinterestedly on his painting. “You’re a monster,” she said.

“I’ve got news for you too. Caden. Is. As. Well.”

Rachel breathed through her nose to keep her composure, “Why are you so against Caden and I? Yet you’re ok with me and you, even though you’re both the same.”

“Actually,” Aiden started as he dropped his brush and turned to face Rachel. “Caden and I are nothing alike. You of all people should know that.”

The bell rang.

“I’ll see you at the house,” Aiden said as he picked up his things and left Rachel in the art room alone.

“We need to intervene,” Megan said to Jake as they walked down the hallway.

“Why?” Jake asked.

“Because she needs an intervention!” Megan shouted at him.

“It’s not like she’s addicted to coke, or something,” Jake replied, idly.

“No, but the Winter brothers are just as bad. Before you know it, she’ll start ditching us and doing crazy stuff like getting thrown in jail because she won’t rat out the boy she loves. And then they’ll just let her rot in jail because they know she’ll let them do that to her,” Megan ranted.

“Um…” Jake said unsure of how to respond. “Quite an imagination you have there, Meg.”

“I saw it play out in a Lifetime movie. I know what I’m talking about,”

“Meg, Rachel isn’t a Lifetime movie,” Jake replied.

“Yet.”

“What?”

“Rachel isn’t a Lifetime movie… yet,” Megan corrected.

“You’re crazy, you know that?”

“Oh, look, she’s still at her locker,” Megan said picking up her pace. She immediately halted when she saw Caden by Rachel’s side. Megan watched as Rachel closed her locker and took Caden’s arm. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Megan asked Jake as the couple walked out of the school building.

“I see a boy and a girl who are probably happily dating and do NOT need an intervention from a best friend who watches too many Lifetime movies,” Jake replied.

“What?” Megan said quickly. “No. I see Caden dragging Rachel out of school against her will. We should follow them.”

“Ok, my turn. What?!”

Megan and Jake followed a good distance behind Caden and Rachel for several minutes until they took a turn into the forest on a small beaten path.

“Ok, this is where I draw the line,” Jake said holding Megan back from walking into the forest.

“She’s some lifeless person that I don’t know anymore, Jake,” Megan said ignoring Jake’s comment. “I don’t know who she is anymore.”

“Alright, Miss Lifetime movie, let’s get to your home before it gets dark and you start telling me that Cadence Winter is a serial killer.”

“But what if he is?”