by Amy Richie
The Death Of Me
Clearview Academy, Volume 1
Amy Richie
Published by Amy Richie, 2019.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
THE DEATH OF ME
First edition. November 10, 2019.
Copyright © 2019 Amy Richie.
Written by Amy Richie.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
**CONTINUED IN BOOK 2; THE DEATH OF A SUSPECT**
About the Author
For all the teens in my life, you have all given me valuable advice on what Avery and her friends would say.
This first book is for my daughter, Arabelle. Sixteen years old. Gorgeous girl full of sass. You always give me your very honest opinion - whether I ask for it or not.
Chapter One
My lungs filled up with air so suddenly that it made me gasp. Coughing and sputtering, I pressed my hand to my heaving chest. I was pretty sure my eyes were open but everything around me was dark so I couldn't be absolutely sure.
Where am I?
It was hard to remember much of anything, even my name felt just out of reach, so there was no way I could recall where I was. Or why I was lying down.
I groaned loudly and tried to pull my legs up. They wouldn't move. No need to panic, I told my heart when it tried to speed up.
“Wh...” I felt around me, my fingers sliding over rough pavement. Am I outside?
I turned my head to one side, hoping to figure out which street I was laying in. Please don't be somewhere public. How embarrassing would it be if I passed out in front of everyone at Jimmy Vale's end of summer party.
Oh yeah.
Tyler had taken me to Jimmy's party. I bought a new dress just for the occasion. Everyone who was anyone went to that party – of course I went. But there was drinking. I must have had too much.
“Ugh.” My head hurt. You can't just lay here all night.
Groaning some more, I pushed my hands out in front of me. I seemed to be wrapped in some sort of blanket. Clearly some drunk idiot thought it would be funny to wrap a drunk girl up like a taco. If Tyler had anything to do with this, I thought savagely, he will pay.
Fighting my way out of the blanket, I used the wall next to me to pull myself slowly to my feet. I wasn't entirely sure my legs would hold me up. Only after I was up did I realize that it wasn't night after all – it was day time.
Although I wasn't sure how it was possible, I was in some sort of alley. From the looks of things, it appeared I had slept behind a dumpster. My teeth clenched together. I was seriously going to kill Tyler.
I glanced down at the ground. “What the hell?” My dress was torn around the bottom and one strap was hanging on my shoulder. This dress cost a fortune. Dad was going to kill me. “Shit.”
My shoes were gone too. Had someone seriously stolen my shoes? They were my favorite pair. Maybe I had left them at the party.
I shook my head quickly from side to side. This didn't make any sense. Even if I did leave the party, why on earth would I come to sleep in this disgusting place? Even if I was drunk – really drunk.
I would have gone home.
All along my arms were long scratch marks of blood, frayed skin, and dirt. They didn't hurt though – thank goodness. I pressed one finger to a spot, testing it, and there was no pain.
What's the last thing you remember?
Tyler and I had gotten in a huge fight in front of everyone, I recalled.
Why?
He was kissing that slut – Cassie Andrews.
“Oh crap,” I pressed a hand to my throbbing forehead. I had said a lot of things; most of them to Cassie. Still, that didn't explain how I had ended up in the alley.
I hobbled out from behind the dumpster that was hiding me. At the far end of the short alley I could see the street. I didn't recognize it but there would be people there. I can't let anyone see me like this.
The torn dress didn't have pockets so I had left my cell in Tyler's car when we got to the party. It looked like whoever had left me didn't even bother making sure I had a phone.
My scowl deepened.
A spider scuttled to the top of the wall I was leaning on. Whimpering loudly, I yanked my hand back to the safety of my own body.
The ground under me was littered with empty bottles and plastic bags filled with things I didn't want to think about. “Gross.” Scrunching my nose, I stepped over a pile of trash, only to land my bare feet in something wet.
I couldn't just curl back up and go to sleep though; I needed to make my way out of the alley and find a way to get back home. I had no choice. I took another step, then another.
Once I was out of the shadows that had taken over the alley, the sun blared down on me. It seemed out of place – to be so sunny and cheerful when I looked like I had just been in a car accident.
Sniffing back my indignation, I scanned the sidewalk for someone who looked approachable. There weren't that many people and most of them had their jackets wrapped tightly to their bodies, as if they had just robbed a bank and were hiding the evidence. Which, by the looks of this place, might not be far off.
A woman stopped nearby and brought her phone to her ear. “Hello?” she barked into the small device. “I can't.”
“Excuse me,” I squeaked. I was just desperate enough to ask a complete stranger to let me use their phone. The woman didn't even glance my way before hurrying off.
Me, Avery Lewis, getting ignored by some homeless lady in the slums. I pressed my lips tighter together. Had I fallen into the twilight zone or something?
Searching for another person with a phone, my eyes fell on a single blue door in an otherwise plain brick wall. It was strangely out of place, why was there a door there?
Public Bath, the small sign above the door read. Hopefully they just couldn't afford the rest of the letters because I couldn't imagine anyone taking a bath in public.
I was probably filthy, I decided. That's why the woman didn't let me use her phone. Maybe she thought I was asking for money. Horrified, I hurried inside what I hoped was a bathroom.
The only mirror above the long row of sinks was dirty – it matched the rest of the bathroom perfectly – but it was clean enough for me to see my reflection. My mouth fell open in horror at the sight.
“Oh my word.” I forced my jaw to close. Who knew what I was breathing in?
I had seen my hair every day for the past seventeen years; it had never, ever been so dirty. I couldn't even see the honey colored curls with blonde highlights that mom paid for every month, it was just one blob of brown filth.
Using the one paper towel that was still on the roll, I scrubbed off some of the dirt streaks on my face. I wouldn't be able to get clean in here though, I needed to get home and take a real shower. Maybe three showers. Even my fingernails were thick with dirt. What the hell happened to me?
“Damn brats,” a harsh voice crackled from the doorway. A woman with wild looking hair bustled inside, her lips pulled down into a pointed frown. “What the hell are you looking at?” she barked at me.
“Nothing,” I squeaked, then hurried back outside. Even if that woman had a phone, no way would she let me use it. No way would I want to; I'd probably get lice. A shudder ran up my spine.
The street had gotten busier in the short time
I was in that disgusting bathroom. People rushed past me, not even glancing up as they went by. If it wasn't strictly against my own personal rules, I would have given in to the tears that were beginning to sting the corners of my eyes.
I just need to call home; Mom will come pick me up.
But how could I do that if no one stopped to let me use their phone?
“Hey,” I called out to a guy that couldn't be much older than me. All the boys in school wanted to date me so there was no reason this one wouldn't stop and try to help. Damsel in distress and all that bullshit.
He hesitated on the corner of the street, looking all around him. “Hey,” I screamed louder. “I need your help.” He pulled his jacket closer to his body and hurried on, not looking behind him where I was standing.
“It's not even cold,” I wailed after him. “All I have on is this torn dress. Are you even human?”
It wasn't just the guy that ignored me though, no one on the crowded street looked my way. Even if they didn't want to help; a young, beautiful girl was standing alone in a tattered dress. Why weren't they staring?
Angry, cold, embarrassed, and getting scared – I spotted a young woman hurrying up the street and decided to take action. “I need your phone,” I blurted out, stepping in front of her. “I just need to call my mom, I promise I'll give it right back. I can even pay you.” I didn't have any money on me, but I was sure I had more money in my piggy bank than she made in a month.
She walked right through me; all I saw was black.
VERY SUDDENLY, I WAS laying down again. But not in the alley this time.
I sat up slowly, confused. Somehow – even though it was impossible – I was in my own back yard. The grass was cold on my legs, tiny drops of dew made my dress damp.
Dad usually kept the lawn trimmed and perfect but he was working on some big case and had been neglecting it. I had listened to many arguments over the breakfast table about hiring someone to do it; dad refused. Apparently, this grass was the only thing that gave him purpose.
How did I get here though? Was that alley and the street just a dream? That woman had just walked right through me, as if...
But no, it had to have been a dream.
I held my hands out in front of me, they shook like crazy. And they were caked in dirt. Scratches of dirt and blood streaked all the way up my arms, my dress was torn and splattered with blood, my shoes were gone. It wasn't all a dream.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing my eyes in the process. “Don't lose control, Avery,” I whispered in a shaking breath. Was all of me shaking?
What did I have to be afraid of now? I swallowed hard past the bile of nerves that had risen in the back of my throat. No matter how it had happened, at least I was home again. I was safe here.
I couldn't let mom and dad see me like this though, they would never let me leave the house again. I had begged to be allowed to go to that party – I needed a shower.
Mom had always insisted that the side door that led to the garage be left unlocked during the day “in case one of us came home early and forgot their key”. For once, I was grateful for what I usually considered a lack of good sense.
Opening the door just enough to squeeze myself inside, I leaned back against the inside of the door. I had never realized before how clean our garage was. Only my own small blue car was in it this morning. Mom and dad would be at work, who knew where Lindsey was. I didn't really care either, it was better that she was gone. I would never hear the end of it if she saw me like this.
The fear of getting caught spurred me forward again.
I quickly punched in the code to unlock the kitchen door and slipped inside. I didn't really expect anyone to be there but I couldn't deny my relief to find it empty. On the white board that was stuck to the fridge was a message from my sister, Lindsey. “Went for lunch with Lucy. XO Linds.” Mom insisted on notes whenever we left the house, she liked to know where we were.
My breath, that I didn't realize I had been holding, whooshed out of my lungs. “Thank god,” I told the immaculate kitchen counter, “at least I don't have to worry about that beast seeing me.”
Still, I didn't want to stay in the kitchen too long. Being around so much white made me feel even dirtier – if that was possible. I tip toed quickly up the wide staircase and into the second bedroom on the right.
My room.
Oh, so much better.
I wanted nothing more than to fall face first onto my bed and sleep for at least a week. But that wasn't possible. First, a shower.
There was no point in being careful now that the dress was ruined. I pulled at the remaining intact strap and yanked hard enough for it to rip. The fabric slid down my body into a tattered heap at my feet. I would have to get rid of it later; mom didn't come in my bathroom often enough for me to worry much about it now though.
Flipping on the water in the bathtub, I inhaled deeply. Steam billowed out all around my face until I could almost feel the dirt falling off of my face. Now that there was more light, I turned back to the mirror.
“Oh my word.” I didn't even look like myself. There were dirt rings around my neck and wrists, even my toes were dirty. That wasn't surprising since I didn't have shoes on. Who knew how long I had been running around in my bare feet?
As soon as the water hit my body, a trail of dirt started on the bottom of the pristine white tub. It took two rounds of shampoo for my hair to feel clean enough; the water ran cold before I got out of the shower.
Wrapping a large towel around my body, I made my way back out into my room. I didn't really care what I wore, as long as it was clean and all in one piece. A pair of light grey sweats that flared out by my feet and a pink tee shirt that clung to my chest were the first things I grabbed.
It wasn't my best but still cute, I decided with a small huff.
The scratches on my arms were still visible but looked much better. In fact, upon closer inspection, they may have been caused by tree branches. Jimmy Vale had woods all around his place. It was possible...
With a small sigh I sank on to my vanity chair. Mom had insisted on getting me the ornate vanity set when I was just eight years old. You're never too young to look your best, she had trilled.
And I really did look so much better without the mud caked to my face and my hair. Light blue eyes stared at me from the oval mirror, they were unsure about what had happened last night but grateful that no one had seen me in that state.
Stuck in the corner of the oval mirror was a picture of the Triple Threat - me, Nina and Billie. The three of us had found each other in the third grade and decided to take over the school together. Nina was exotic with her brown hair and brown eyes. Billie was our red-haired beauty; she knew exactly how to get the boys on our side.
And then there was me.
Just where were my friends last night? We had promised to stay together and keep ourselves out of trouble. Then I woke up in an alley rolled up in an old sleeping bag. So much for that promise.
“Oh well,” I shook my head lightly. I was home now. I would talk to the girls later and find out what had happened, but for now I would just brush my hair.
“One,” I pulled my brush through my wet hair.
“Two. “I took a deep breath and glanced again at my reflection. There were still scratches on my neck. Even after the shower I could still see the dirt under my fingernails. Mom would have a fit if she saw me now. She hated dirt. Trying not to think too much about the dirt I continued brushing my hair.
“Seventy-six.” Downstairs, the door opened with a jingle. Dad insisted on the bell. He said it made him feel safer. It wasn't like a robber would be deterred by a bell though.
Now - the sound was a welcome one. It meant my parents were home; finally something normal. After the morning I had had, normal sounded just fine. I paused with the brush halfway to my head, my ear toward the door. I wasn't disappointed.
“Avery.”
I heard my name echo against my do
or. “I'm up here,” I called back.
“Avery, where are you?” Rolling my eyes, I set the brush back on the vanity. Why did Mom have to be so dramatic?
“I'm up here,” I screamed louder. “I'm trying to brush my hair.” Wasn't she the one that taught me the importance of brushing my hair?
“Lindsey?”
With a loud sigh, I bounced off my seat and hurried out the door. “Mom, you'll never guess where I was this morning.”
I caught sight of mom just as she was going into the kitchen. She didn't look up at me, maybe she didn't hear me.
“Mom!”
“Here's a note from Lindsey,” dad told her.
“It looks like she went out to lunch, but why didn't Avery leave a note?”
“I have no idea,” dad grumbled in his deep, tired voice. “You know Avery, she was probably just too busy.”
“What are you talking about?” I grumbled back, irritated that they were talking about me when I was standing right there.
Mom's lips were pursed. “Where did the girls go last night?” She sniffed.
Dad pulled open the fridge and grabbed out the milk. “Some party,” he waved his hand vaguely in the air. “All I know is that Avery had to have a new dress just for it.”
“And she never came back home?” Mom's voice was starting to raise.
Oh my word, why were they being so weird? “It's not like I was out all night,” I lied. Neither of them turned to look at me. “Hello? Did you hear me?”
“I think I better call Billie or Nina,” mom said. “She probably just stayed the night at one of their houses.”
“Hey,” I shouted. “Mom I'm right here.” Starting to panic, I waved my hands frantically in her face. “What's wrong with you Mom? I'm right here.”
“I'm sure she'll come home later,” dad suggested calmly, flipping open a paper. As usual, he refused to get worked up.
“I'm still calling.”
“Oh my word,” I whispered. “They can't see me.” No one in the street could see me either. What was happening to me? Why was I suddenly invisible? How was this even possible? My throat felt closed, I couldn't get a breath in. Just when I wanted to scream- everything went black.