Page 24 of Pretty Little Fears

Rollingmy eyes,Iignore his texts and switch over to my conversation withAspenand send her a message.

Me: Hey. Want to go pick out Halloween costumes tomorrow? I need something cute, but sexy. Definitely sexy.

Aspen: Yes! I have an idea of what I want to be. Meet me after classes today?

Me: Sounds good! See you then. ??

Idrop my phone into my bag while continuing to disregard the ball of scorching hot anger sitting a few rows back.

Therest of the class drags on.Ichew on my pencil while attempting to focus on the lecture andnotEmmettstaring at the back ofmy head or my phone once again vibrating inside of my bag.

ThemomentProfessorMonroestarts going over next week’s assignment and wrapping up class,I’mquickly packing up and heading out the doors.

AsI’mleaving the lecture hall,Idig through my bag searching for my phone soIcan messageAspenand let her know my classes have ended.Pullingit out,IseeIhave multiple new messages from my shadow.Onein particular stands out from the rest, though.

Emmett: Strike Two.

Whatthe hell is that supposed to mean?Ihave no energy to try and dissect what he’s talking about.Ithrow the phone back into my bag, hoping it makes its way to the bottom and stays there.

Walkingout of the building,IseeAspensitting on the bench at the bottom of the stairs.Shejumps up whenIget closer and grabs my wrist while squealing with excitement.

“Let'sgo!”Draggingme down to where her car is parked, we get inside and head off campus to downtownDevil’sLake.Wepark andIlook around at all the shops lining the strip.Aspenmust see the store we came for because she grabs my arm and yanks me in its direction.

Weenter the costume store,Booze.Makingour way down the aisles, we look at all the different creatures and outfits, laughing while we try on different masks and wigs.

Comingup to an angel costume,Ifreeze in my tracks.Emmett'swords ring in my head from when he called me an angel.Playingwith the white fabric of the skirt and corset,Irun the silky fabric through my fingers.Goingto pull the hanger off the shelf,Ipause when a dark inky costume catches my eye.Thesame silk skirt and corset paired with a halo is sitting behind the white costume but bathed entirely in black.Thetag reads, “FallenAngel.”

Iinstantly know this is my costume.Asmall smirk starts to sneak onto my lips as an idea forms in my mind.I'llbe sure to showEmmettwhat an angelIam.

Aspenleans in and whispers, “Thisis my favoriteHalloweenstore because they sell booze, hence the name.Iwanna pick something up before we leave.”Hereyes shift from me to the costume in my hand.

Shetakes the garment bag from my hand and holds it up, her voice returning to its normal volume. “Oooo, fallen angel.Definitelynot whatIhad pictured for you.Butyou will look so hot!”Shesqueals while beaming at me. “Iam going with a sexy classic,Catwoman!Meowwwwww.”Shemotions with her hands as cat claws.

Laughing, we grab our new costumes and grab a few bottles of wine before making our way to the register to pay for our stuff.

Theride home is filled with more laughter andIrealize how muchIenjoy being inAspen’spresence.Shehas taken me under her wing and shown me love and friendship likeI’venever known before.Thiswas exactly the afternoonIneeded to pull myself out of my head, away from my obsessed stalker and the missing students.

BREAKING: MISSING STUDENTS

To:BlackwoodUniversityStudentBody,BlackwoodFaculty

Subject:BREAKING:MISSINGSTUDENTS

GoodEveningStudentsandFaculty,

Forsome time now, many of you have noticed the number of disappearances on campus.Youhave voiced your concerns to many teachers and staff members regarding your classmates.Trustthat those concerns have reached me.Thereis currently an ongoing investigation pertaining to the disappearances of the missingBlackwoodstudents.Weare working diligently to bring these students home and once again, provide a sense of security for our scholars.

Twomore disappearances have occurred this week and have been brought to my attention.Wewant to encourage everyone to always travel the campus with a friend rather than alone and report any suspicious activity to the faculty members listed below.

CharleeneBeckett,DirectorofAdmissions: 701-391-5578 ext. 2

MarcelinaRamos,HeadofWelcomeCenter: 701-391-5578 ext. 4

SamanthaLee,DirectorofSchoolCounseling&StudentPersonnelServices: 701-391-5578 ext. 6

Iwant to thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate this incredibly difficult time in our community.Wehave amped up our security protocols and placed additional security guards on campus.Ourlecture halls, libraries, and student facility buildings will also be equipped with state-of-the-art security camera systems.

Myprayers go out to the families of those affected.Wewill bring them back home.

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