Cutting Up The Competition (Horror High #2)

by Carissa Ann Lynch

  The day moved slowly. It seemed like any other day too, except the occasional glimpse of police officers following me and cordoning the hallways. Detective Simms stopped me between classes, returning my cell phone.

  “Anything yet?” He shook his head, offering no more information.

  When I got to Child Development, I made a beeline for the first table. I didn’t want to sit next to Jordan. He’d been sweet and flirty, all while he was dating that girl, Lauren.

  And speaking of Lauren…if anyone could screw up my chances of making the team today, it’d be her. Maybe all the missed practice days would make her not do as well…but somehow, that seemed liked wishful thinking. Not only was she dating my super crush, but she was a super freak when it came to doing gymnastics. Coach Davis would be crazy not to let her on the team, as much as I hated to admit that…

  I focused on the stages of infant development in the womb, avoiding Jordan’s curious gaze from across the room. I nearly sprinted for the door at final bell. Halfway down the hall, I heard Jordan’s voice.

  “Amanda, please wait!”

  I whipped around, trying my best to keep my expression blank.

  Don’t let him know he hurt you. Don’t let him know he hurt you, I repeated over and over in my head.

  “What’s wrong?” Jordan asked, finally catching up with me.

  “Nothing. Why would there be?” I flipped my hair over my shoulder, playing with the loose strings of fabric on my backpack straps.

  “Because you’re ignoring me. I thought we were friends.”

  Hearing the word ‘friends’ set me off.

  “You have a friend, Jordan. Her name is Lauren. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get…to lunch,” I recovered, turning back around angrily and walking toward the lunchroom.

  “Wait!” he shouted out after me. “I tried to break up with her over the summer, when I thought I was leaving! But since we didn’t go, she assumed we were staying together. But the truth is, I really wanted to break up. Not just because we were moving, either…”

  I stopped walking, turning around to look at him. His eyes were soft, but troubled.

  “Then you should tell her the truth,” I said with conviction.

  I could literally hear Jordan swallow. “I’m going to. Right after cheer tryouts. I didn’t want to upset her and mess up her chances…”

  I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to feel. I really liked him and wanted him to break up with Lauren. But at the same time, I felt sort of bad for the girl. I’d hate to be that girl, the one who didn’t realize her boyfriend didn’t want her…

  “I want to be friends. And maybe after…maybe we can be more, Amanda,” Jordan said, his lips curling into a hopeful smile.

  I couldn’t help enjoying the fluttering feeling in my stomach. It wasn’t nervousness for once—it was excitement. Maybe…if he was going to break up with her anyway, then it would be okay for me to see him, right?

  “Okay,” I whispered shyly, trying not to blush. We talked all the way to the lunchroom.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I practically skipped inside the lunchroom, on cloud nine for the first time all year. Jordan headed off to eat with Lauren, smiling apologetically. Their relationship is just temporary though, I reminded myself, smiling. I grabbed a spot in line, too happy to eat but knowing I needed to. Selecting a chicken patty, mixed vegetables, a cup of soup, and a bottle of fruit juice, I made my way across the lunchroom.

  Dakota, Sydney, and Andy were sitting in their usual spot, but it was Winter who was waving me over from across the room, a big smile on her face.

  I hesitated, unsure which direction to go. Finally, I made my way toward Winter. After all, she was sitting alone and she was my soon-to-be-boyfriend’s sister.

  As soon as I sat down, she pointed. “Look who’s back at school!” I turned around just in time to see Brittani Barlow walking slowly with a brown paper sack in her hand. Heavy gauze and tape covered her neck area.

  “You can sit with us, Brittani!” Winter shouted, much to my dismay. “Is that okay?” Winter whispered, raising her eyebrows at my wide-eyed expression. I nodded, filling my mouth with chicken and bread.

  Brittani sat down slowly, feigning a smile at both of us. She moved like an owl, as though she couldn’t turn her neck side to side. I tried not to stare at the heavy bandage, but for some reason, I just couldn’t seem to look away.

  Brittani, who was normally chipper with a plastered smile on her face, now seemed to wear a new expression. What was it? Paranoia, maybe?

  Instead of eating, she watched—her eyes darting side to side nervously.

  I guess I couldn’t blame her after what happened.

  “Amanda, quit staring at her!” Winter scolded, eyes wide and warning. Brittani let out a strange giggle, which didn’t seem so out of character.

  “It’s okay, you can look,” she said, smiling at me sheepishly. “If it were me, I’d want to look too.”

  “I’m so sorry, Brittani. We both are,” Winter said, eyeballing me with another warning glance.

  I cleared my throat. “Yeah, I’m sorry too. I just can’t believe someone tried to…to do that to you.”

  Brittani opened her lunch sack, taking out a sandwich and pear for lunch.

  “I can,” she suddenly said, looking up at both of us. “And I know who did it.”

  My mouth fell open just as a loud scream ripped through the air. Winter jumped back, nearly knocking the entire bench over, backing up from me and the table.

  She was pointing at me. Well, not me…but my lunch.

  “Y-your s-soup,” she pointed, struggling to get the words out. Brittani’s expression was flat, but she too, was staring at my bowl of soup.

  I looked into the bowl. It was alphabet soup. At first I thought maybe there were freaky words spelled out with the letters. I remembered The Killer’s note…Give me an M! Give me a U…

  But that’s when I saw it. The tip of an object poking up through the yellow-ish, murky broth. Using my spoon, I lifted the strange object in the air. Horrified, I dropped it, soup sloshing over the sides and metal hitting linoleum with a loud clanking sound.

  It was Genevieve’s nose.

  Chapter Twenty

  More cop cars and sirens. This routine was getting old. Surely, they’ve found some sort of evidence by now to catch this person? I thought, exasperated, staring at a cluster of police officers hovered around the lunchroom table where I’d been sitting.

  Students were jammed in the hallway, teachers struggling to keep everyone calm. Finally, Principal Barlow came over the intercom, directing us all to go to the gym.

  Like I want to go back to that place, I thought glumly.

  “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, Amanda.” It was Dakota, and she slipped her hand in mine. I expected to feel traumatized all over again, but instead, I was getting pissed. Who the hell did this person think he was? If the police don’t find him soon, I will. And when I do…

  “Amanda, it’s time to go! We’re all being called to the gym,” Dakota whispered, pulling on my hand.

  I followed her reluctantly, Andy and Sydney in our wake. “Where’s Winter?” I asked, suddenly realizing she was gone.

  “Who knows? Who cares?” Dakota muttered, pulled on me harder.

  “I’m not in the mood for your jealous drama!” I yanked my hand away, leaving Dakota standing there with her mouth wide open. I fought against the traffic, pushing back through the crowds to look for Winter. She was so freaked out about the discovery in my soup bowl, I just wanted to make sure she was all right…

  “Winter!” I shouted, foolishly thinking she could hear through the buzz of hyped up students, all talking about the nose incident.

  “I think she did it. After all, her dad’s a murderer…” Before I could even tell who said it, I spun around, throwing wild punches.

  One of the punches connected with someone’s face.

  “Oh my god!” someone next to me screamed. A
girl lay on the ground, clutching her mouth and nose. My fist did more than connect…I’d really done some damage. Bright red blood oozed between her fingers as she clutched her injured nose.

  The girl stared up at me between fingers, horrified. I recognized her as Blakely, one of the freshman girls on my group team. Shit.

  “See, I told you she’s the killer! She’s violent! Somebody go get the police!” Blakely screamed from the floor.

  Chapter

  Twenty-One

  Needless to say, I didn’t make it to tryouts. Not today. And I wouldn’t be at school tomorrow either…

  I wouldn’t even be at school to hear the girls who made the squad, must less try out for it…

  My name would not be on that list.

  I was suspended for two days. And worse…Blakely’s parents were threatening to sue.

  I laid in bed all night, refusing to eat what my mom or grandma brought me, feeling defeated. I let my anger get the best of me and now it had cost me—big time. I wouldn’t be cheering for the Harrow Dragons this year, maybe never again…

  Finally, I drifted off to sleep at seven-thirty, only to wake back up in the middle of the night. My phone was ringing non-stop, someone calling me back to back…

  I looked at the bedside digital clock. It was nearly two in the morning. I’d been asleep for nearly eight hours…

  I rolled on my side, staring at the ringing phone.

  Can’t anyone take a hint? If I didn’t answer earlier, I’m not going to answer now…

  But it kept on, until finally Grandma Mimi knocked on the frame of my bedroom door. The tone of her knock was irritated.

  “Either answer the damn thing or turn it off, Amanda!”

  Sighing, I picked up the phone and pressed talk.

  “Hello?”

  My question was met with heavy breathing. I sat up in bed, anger rising.

  “Listen, asshole! I’m not afraid of you! You’re just some stupid copycat! Why don’t you get a life, and leave all of us the hell alone?” I screamed into the phone.

  Grandma was still at the door, her eyes wide and frightened.

  “Don’t, Amanda,” she mouthed.

  “Well, aren’t you going to say anything, prankster?” I pushed, clutching the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white.

  Expecting the robotic voice from before, my back stiffened when I heard the sounds of whimpering coming through the phone.

  “Please, someone help me. Please, she’s taken me and she’s going to kill me…”

  It took my brain a few seconds to register the owner of the voice.

  But once I did, there was no denying it—the voice belonged to Sydney.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Two

  I screamed loud enough to wake the neighbors.

  Hours later, I was still hoarse as I sat outside, Dakota huddled next to me while our moms stood out in the yard, speaking in hushed whispers.

  Detective Simms had come and gone. He was out there now, looking for my best friend Sydney…

  “Are you sure it was her?” Dakota asked. It was the seventh or eighth time I’d heard that question.

  Unusually calm, I wrapped my arms around her, rocking her as she cried.

  My eyes were dry, all cried out. Part of me felt almost…numb. Too numb to understand the seriousness of this situation…

  “I’m sure it was her,” I answered drily.

  Dakota looked up at me, studying my eyes as though searching for an answer to this mystery.

  “I feel like we should be doing something…” Dakota whined.

  “Me too, but you heard what Detective Simms said. He’s going to check it out, make sure she’s okay…”

  “But she’s not answering her phone!” Dakota cried, holding up her own phone and pointing at its lack of ringing as evidence that the killer actually kidnapped Sydney.

  It had to be nearly four in the morning, but every house on the block was lit up. News of a missing girl…

  “He’s going to find her. She’ll be all right,” I said.

  But my own words rang hollow; I didn’t believe them myself. Nothing about this felt right.

  We sat side by side, silently wondering what could have happened to Sydney.

  Headlights cast tiny bubbles of light on the slick, shiny asphalt of Blackbird Street. A car was coming. I knew before I could even see the car clearly that it was a police car.

  “He’s back!” Mom eagerly pointed at Detective Simms's cruiser as it slowly pulled up to the driveway.

  “Did you find her? Where is she?” I asked, jumping up to my feet and moving closer to his police car. He stepped out, approaching the group of us with an expression that didn’t ease my troubled mind.

  “She wasn’t home. And we can’t find her parents, either.”

  “They’re out of town,” I said, chewing the inside of my cheek until it felt raw and sore.

  “She could be anywhere! Just because she’s not there doesn’t mean this still isn’t all a big joke…” Dakota protested, her eyes begging Detective Simms to agree with her.

  “There were signs of struggle in the house, like Sydney tried to fight back against her kidnapper.”

  I gasped, reality sinking in. This wasn’t a joke, some stunt performed by a prankster to get our attention…

  The same person who killed Genevieve and tried to kill Brittani had now taken my best friend.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  I was still in bed when my phone rang well after noon. Despite all that had happened, my mind and body felt exhausted, probably due to the stress. I clenched my teeth, afraid of what I’d hear on the other end…I was relieved when I heard the sound of Dakota’s voice.

  “I’m calling from the girl’s bathroom between classes. Just wanted to tell you that because of Sydney’s disappearance, Genevieve’s murder, Brittani’s attempted murder, and your suspension…Coach Davis has called off cheerleading tryouts again. She said she can’t make a decision in lieu of recent events, and cheerleading has been called off…indefinitely.”

  I sat up in bed. “The last thing I care about is cheerleading, Dakota!” I hissed. “Our best friend was kidnapped. And she might dead!”

  Dakota sat quiet on the other end. “I don’t care either, honestly. I just wanted to talk to someone. I’m so scared and worried about Sydney…”

  I instantly regretted losing my temper. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. Do you want to come over after school? We need to talk about this and make a game plan. If those cops can’t solve this thing, we might need to do it our damn selves. I’m getting my friend back, one way or another.”

  “I hope so…” Dakota whimpered. I reminded her again to come over after school and then hung up.

  Climbing out of bed, I started making my way downstairs, expecting smells of breakfast where there were none. Where was my mom and Grandma Mimi? They’d been so lively these last few days that the house seemed quiet and strange.

  I immediately felt concerned. Grandma’s bedroom was on the bottom floor, and I stood at her door, listening.

  Soft moaning sounds were coming through the thick sliding doors to her room. I pounded my palms against the doors, shouting her name, panicked.

  “Come in,” Grandma Mimi moaned. She was lying on her side in bed, her face contorted in pain. I ran to her side, fear surging through every vein in my body.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, squatting down beside her bed.

  “I just don’t feel well, is all,” she said, barely opening her eyes to look at me. “I’m having growing pains,” she added, laughter turning into a whooping cough.

  “Should I take you to the doctor, Grandma?”

  She shook her head, rolling away from me to her other side.

  “No, sweet baby. Just let me sleep a little longer, please. Your mother is here. Have her make you breakfast…or lunch, at this hour…”

  I pressed my hand against her forehead, expecting her to feel feverish. Inste
ad, she felt cool and clammy.

  “Can I bring you anything?”

  “No, baby. Just let your grandmother rest…”

  I backed away, finally relenting and returning to the living room.

  “Where’s Mom?” I wondered out loud, roaming the shadowy hallways of Grandma Mimi’s house.

  I quickly found my answer. The door to the guest bedroom was closed, but it had been left unlocked. My mom was lying under the covers, her pale moon-shaped face pressed against a down-filled pillow. I edged closer, staring at her face. We sort of looked alike from this angle…

  “Mom, are you okay?” I whispered, wondering if maybe she and Mimi were coming down with the same flu bug.

  But when I tried to lift the covers, I saw the belt around her arm. Hurriedly, I pressed my finger to her neck, feeling for a pulse. She didn’t budge when I touched her or said her name, but her pulse was steady, practically normal.

  I pulled the covers all the way down, staring at the purplish bruise on her inner elbow. She had passed out while shooting up. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, and surely wouldn’t be the last.

  I wanted to scream and yell, but somehow…I didn’t have it in me. She’d hurt me so much, that my disappointment meter hit its threshold a few years ago. I sat on the edge of her bed, staring at this person who I loved so much but who always disappointed me.

  Finally, I pulled the covers back up to her chin and left, roaming the streets of Harrow Hill all alone. What did it matter if the killer got me? My life sucked anyway…

  Chapter

  Twenty-Four

  The Sociopath

  It’s amazing how many idiots walk home from school each day. If they only knew I was watching…imagining what it feels like to gut them in the middle of the street in broad daylight…

  The trees behind the track and field were gnarly and tall…great trees for hiding behind.