11

Audrey almost deleted the message about fifty times to get it off her phone and out of her mind forever. But she couldn’t bring herself to actually do it. Not until she learned who sent it.

But no matter what she tried, she couldn’t figure out where the text came from. This one wasn’t like the do-over message. That message didn’t seem to come from any number at all. This one came from a real number, but she couldn’t figure out who it belonged to. She’d gone online to search the number but nothing came up. She’d even checked the school bulletin boards that no one used except over-eager club leaders. The phone number was nowhere to be found.

She thought about texting back but didn’t want to encourage whoever this was. If she just ignored it, maybe the message—and whoever had sent it—would simply go away.

It never happened.

School was a nightmare. Audrey kept looking at classmates, trying to figure out which one had sent her the text. The idea that one of her own friends had sent it was not completely out of the question, which was a horrible thought. But the fact her three friends were all avoiding her, and one another, didn’t help. Rachel skipped lunch. Bryant and Melicia, she noticed, walked solo down the halls. It looked like everyone was afraid that either Kramer or someone else at the school would see the four of them together and figure things out.

As the day went on, Audrey knew she couldn’t keep living like this. So she texted Rachel, Mel, and Bryant.

Mel’s house after school? Have news and data issue.

They gathered there at 3:30. At least, most of them did.

“Is Rachel coming?” Audrey asked.

Melicia shrugged. “She didn’t say anything to me. In fact she’s ignored all of my texts lately.”

Bryant asked: “What’s this big news?”

Audrey handed over her phone.

Bryant read the text and frowned. He passed the phone on to Melicia. “Did you check the number already?”

“Yeah. There’s nothing,” Audrey replied

“Mind if I try?” Melicia unlocked her laptop and started typing. Audrey shook her head, but Melicia wasn’t looking at her anyway.

“Did either one of you get a text like this?” Audrey asked nervously.

“No,” Bryant said, and Melicia shook her head.

“So why me?” asked Audrey.

“I thought the text was pretty clear about that,” Melicia replied. “You wrote the post.”

“Well, yeah,” Audrey snapped, feeling unreasonably stung. “With help. It’s not like I randomly came up with this idea on my own.”

Melicia kept her eyes glued to the screen. “In any case, it’s a burner phone. Completely untraceable—some pre-paid disposable thing bought with cash. I can’t tell who it’s connected to.”

“Um, don’t . . .” Audrey started. “Don’t you have a burner phone?”

Melicia looked up, her eyes narrowed. “Yeah. I have two, actually. And?”

“I don’t know,” Audrey said “I just . . . Are you sure there’s no way to figure out who—”

“You think I sent this message?” Melicia asked.

Audrey shrank back. “No, I—No, that’s not what I meant. I mean—Did someone here send the message?”

“What the heck?” Bryant stared in shock. “Are you being serious?”

“Well, you guys were in my face yesterday two minutes before I got this text. And where’s Rachel? Why didn’t she show up?”

“There,” Mel said, shoving the phone back into Audrey’s hands. “Sent.”

Audrey’s felt her stomach drop. “Sent?” She looked down on her phone. Melicia had texted back.

COWARD! WHO IS THIS?

“Oh my God!” Audrey gasped. “What did you do?”

“I sent a reply to your mysterious friend.” Melicia opened up her desk drawer and pulled out a phone, then tossed it onto her bed. She pulled another from her backpack and then the smartphone from her front pocket, and she placed them beside the first. All three phones lay in a little pile, silent and dark. “Go ahead,” she said. “Check ’em.”

“Mel, I didn’t mean—” Audrey couldn’t move.

“No, please.” Melicia waved her hand over the phones. “Have at it. If I sent the original text, I’d get your response. Right?” There was a knock at the bedroom door. Melicia opened her door.

“Where have you been?” she growled at the newcomer.

“I was at work. Why? What’s going on?” Rachel asked, stepping into the room.

“Our friend thinks we’re sending her nasty messages,” Melicia explained.

“That’s not what I said,” Audrey protested.

Bryant cut her off. “Show Rachel,” he said.

Audrey handed over the phone. “I got this yesterday, but I never said that one of you sent it.” She glared at Melicia.

“So what?” Rachel handed the phone back. “It’s Kramer or Hope or anyone else. Seriously, who cares? No one knows it’s us, right? Or at least no one can prove it was.”

“Have you guys said anything to anyone?” Bryant asked.

“What do you mean?” Rachel glared at him. “Why? Have you?”

“What? No,” he responded, startled.

Audrey glared at the whole room. “I haven’t said anything.”

“You check the phones yet?” Melicia asked, turning her attention back to Audrey.

“I don’t need to, Mel.” At this point Audrey just wanted to get out of the room. A room of her closest friends who now felt like enemies. “I didn’t mean to imply it was you.”

Melicia stepped toward her. “Here, I’ll do it for you.” She opened up the first phone, turned it on, and shoved it at Audrey. “Nothing.” She did it two more times. “Satisfied?”

Audrey stared at Mel. She couldn’t decide if this version of events where Melicia was yelling at her was better or worse than the version where they weren’t speaking at all.

“Are those all the phones you have?” Bryant asked.

Mel’s eyes flashed at him, her mouth tightening. “Get out of my house.”

“Guys . . .” Audrey could barely get out the single word.

“Fine.” Bryant had grabbed his backpack. “Good luck, all.”

“Did you tell anyone, Goodluck boy?” Rachel asked him again.

“Who’s he gonna tell?” Melicia snarked.

“So true,” Rachel smiled meanly.

“I already said no,” Bryant said.

“What about your stupid little brother?” Rachel challenged. “This texting crap sounds exactly like something he might pull.”

“I haven’t told anyone,” he said. “Just like I promised my friends.”

Rachel clapped slowly.

“Have a nice life,” Bryant said and stepped out of the room.

Audrey started after him. “Bryant!” She turned. “Mel?”

“What?” Mel glared. “I have to stand here while all my friends accuse me?”

Rachel held up her hand. “I haven’t said anything to you, so maybe chill out a bit.”

Melicia eyed Rachel, deciding something. “I heard you were down in Kramer’s office again,” she said.

“So?” Rachel smirked. “We’ve all been down there.”

“No, this was today. Someone saw you and asked me if I knew anything about it. A third visit?”

Rachel held out her hands. “And? What are you saying?”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Melicia was on the hunt now.

“It had nothing to do with this. Not everything involves Audrey’s dumb article, you know.”

“You seem pretty on edge considering I was just asking you a question,” Melicia said.

Rachel shook her head as she looked between Melicia and Audrey. Her eyes were flat and dull. “We done here?”

“Definitely,” Melicia said.

Yes, Audrey thought to herself. That’s exactly the word for us.

Done.