by Amanda Adair
about this book
The game is my prison and I play to be freed.
Five girls, one murderer and many dark secrets.
After a summer spent in New York City with her best friend Sage, Aspen Varela is finally reunited with her whole crew, including Cris and Finna, and her boyfriend Remi at Horace Blake High School, Seneca. Not only did her cousin Sofia move to town, there is another new girl that caught her attention. Besides the girl’s pretty face and body Aspen can’t find out anything about Tansy Walsh. It seems like she didn’t exist before showing up in Aspen’s territory. Soon Tansy becomes part of their clique. When she suggests playing a game she knows from summer camp, they’re all in. None of them expects this game to change all of their lives, reveal their secrets, and start a deadly race against time, and against an opponent they cannot compete with …
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
content
about this book
content
Part I Blessing or Curse
chapter 1
chapter 2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
chapter 8
chapter 9
chapter 10
chapter 11
chapter 12
chapter 13
chapter 14
chapter 15
chapter 16
chapter 17
chapter 18
charlie’s blog
chapter 19
chapter 20
chapter 21
Part II Sinner or Saint
chapter 22
chapter 23
chapter 24
chapter 25
chapter 26
chapter 27
chapter 28
chapter 29
chapter 30
chapter 31
chapter 32
chapter 33
chapter 34
chapter 35
chapter 36
Part II Dead or Alive
chapter 37
chapter 38
chapter 39
chapter 40
chapter 41
chapter 42
chapter 43
chapter 44
chapter 45
chapter 46
epilog
about the author
copyright
13 Students Dead
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON
BY LAURA JONES | STAFF WRITER
Published: 5:57 PM EST 22 March | Updated: 3:35 PM EST 23 March
A series of mysterious deaths occurred in Spokane, Washington. Thirteen students that attended West Spokane High School died over a period of about three months. The students are. between sixteen and seventeen years old. Though the police say these deaths stand in no connection with each other most parents assume they are somehow connected.
One of the remaining seniors blames one of their teachers for her classmates’ deaths, as she told us in an interview:
“I know everyone thinks it is a coincidence that so many of my classmates are dead. It is because of our substitute teacher. He wanted to play a game. I continued playing and that probably saved my life.”
Sixteen-year-old Charlie D. thinks it is the game that caused the series of deaths.
The police refrained from commenting on this accusation and point out that Charlie is currently in psychological treatment. They also stopped investigating and closed the file.
Part I Blessing or Curse
chapter 1
ASPEN
I always wanted to have a twin sister. A sister because I wanted us to be identical twins and look alike. I wouldn’t know what to do with a twin brother. As a kid I used to envy two girls in my class. Mary and Shelly who were named after Frankenstein author Mary Shelley. The Rodgers twins. I also envied the Olsen Twins or Hallie and Annie (at least until I found out they were both played by one actress, Lindsay Lohan).
Now I have my own twin sister. Kind of.
It’s the start of the new school year. Senior year. And this year’s going to be even better than any year before. Legendary almost. My cousin Sofia has just moved here. Today Sofia’s going to meet my best friends. Today’s the day I am going to be reunited with my favorite crew. My three better halves. Sage Holland, Finna O’Connor and Cristina Graham. And they’re about to meet my cousin. She’s here because her parents are on some kind of ego trip and traveled to the Philippines with an aid organization that protects young women from modern slavery as housemaids in Abu Dhabi or Hong Kong. I know, it’s honorable, extremely honorable. I admire my aunt and uncle for their selfless commitment to the rescue of humanity. But they are leaving their daughter behind for a whole year. Originally they wanted to do this after college, but then aunt Katherine got a well-paid job in New York City, got pregnant, and finally said goodbye to her charitable but inaccessible dreams. After that they’ve worked for a variety of organizations, in the States and abroad, but they were never at the front but in dusty and boring back offices. Whenever they came visiting they used those words. Boring and Dusty. I think now that Sofia can take care of herself they wanted to reactivate their youth mission. My mom and dad said yes to hosting their niece while they’re in Asia.
I don’t have any siblings, neither does she. So, we’re excited to spend this year together. As cousins, roommates and some sort of sisters. And Sofia wants to be able to call one place home. When she was abroad she was adamant about North America being her home. But considering the little amount of time she’s lived here it’s nonsense. She was searching for a home and hopefully she’ll find it here with us. Her parents have always worked for international non-profit organizations. Human rights, child welfare, stuff like that. Sofia’s lived in six countries so far. The United States, Canada, Argentina, Columbia, Greece, and Spain. It took me some hours of facetiming with her to remember the details of her past life. I can name the countries now, but they’re still not in the right order. Now she’s supposed to stay in the U.S., so she can focus on her high school diploma.
This is our year. The Varelas are going to take over this school.
The Horace Blake High School is a small but prestigious private school in my beautiful hometown Seneca, Connecticut. Our chance of getting into Brown, Dartmouth or Yale, even Sorbonne or Cambridge, are quite good. Most of Blake’s graduates end up at top universities with top grades and top chances of landing a job at the Big Four or the United Nations. Basically wherever you want to land a job.
I have manifested my future plans (my top three are traveling to Paris, getting into Brown, and becoming a lawyer) on a dream board that you can find above my wooden desk in my Pinterest inspired room. At age fourteen, so two years ago, I redecorated my room. It was a costly and time-consuming makeover, but it was worth it. I have the feeling that these aesthetics completely resemble my teenage self. I’ve left the old me behind and made room for a new and refurbished version of myself. Despite my sense for detail and aesthetics I want to become a lawyer after graduating. My mom is a lawyer and my dad is an architect. Thanks to their genes I’m both creative and logical.
“Aspen,” I hear Sofia say. “What time is it?”
She’s using my bathroom simply because she’s using my make-up. We have the same skin color and style, and I felt like she should try out my new highlighter and lip-gloss. We look like sisters anyway. I’m blessed to have a cousin that I get along with so well. I know sisters who don’t have that much of a connection a
s we do. Considering that we’ve spent most of our lives separate it’s a mystery. I haven’t spent much time with her before she moved here but ever since it feels like we’ve never been apart. It’s mainly because we’re similar. We have similar hobbies, we look alike, we eat the same meals, but despite all that we do have our differences. She likes salad, I don’t. I love reading thrillers, she doesn’t as much. I’m a Stephen King fan, she adores romance novels. She loves playing and watching lacrosse, I never watch sports. Maybe I can convince her to join our lacrosse team. My lacrosse team. I’ve been the captain for years. I’m sad that this is supposed to be my last year but excited to play lacrosse at college level.
I look at my watch. “We have to go in ten minutes.”
She steps outside the bathroom, only wearing a pink bralette and grey sweatpants. Her hair’s in a bun, and she has a second scrunchie wrapped around her wrist.
“I’m not even dressed,” she says, then goes back into the bathroom.
I sit on my bed, all dressed up and ready. I’ve decided to go for a pastel green dress with cute white dots, white sneakers and golden jewelry. Earrings in the shape of roses, a simple bracelet and a ring. I look at my phone. I have three messages from Sage.
Are you ready?
Cristina and I are in the car
Pick you up in 5
Four years ago Sage was a whole different person. She wasn’t my friend back then. None of us liked her. To be honest, most people didn’t like her. And it wasn’t because she is dominant and notably pretty, which she definitely is these days, but because she was the opposite. The benefit of the start of a new school year is that you can reinvent yourself. Some of us end up looking hot after summer, and that is what happened to Sage. She used to be that unremarkable nerd that hung out with the weird guys from the video games club. Now she’s glown up. She’s pretty, with brown hair and a skinny hourglass figure. Deep inside she remains a nerd. Our pretty, intelligent girl. The nerd we love. She became friends with Cristina, Finna and me three years ago.
Finna moved here along with her mom five years ago. She’s a Florida girl. For the first three months of our friendship we all believed that she was originally from Finland, simply because her name suggested it. She admitted that most of her friends in kindergarten thought so, too. She keeps telling people that she’s not from Finland, has never been there, and has no connection to the country whatsoever. But she’d like to study in Finland for a semester or two, just because after all these years that people assumed she was Finnish she’s intrigued by the country.
My oldest friend is Cris. We met in kindergarten. Now I’d say my bestie is Sage. Well, actually I have three besties. They’re equal. Add one, now that Sofia is in town. She arrived two days ago and hasn’t met any of the others yet. Too bad, because this summer was memorable. Cristina spent two weeks in Japan, where her mother’s from. Finna spent several weeks with her father in Florida while Sage and I attended the summer program at Columbia University. That’s what I mean when I say Sage is my number one bestie now. Wherever I go she’s with me. Whatever I want to do she’s in. We’ll probably go to the same college and join the same sorority. Maybe even all of us.
“I thought you’re ready,” Sofia says in surprise. She’s standing right in front of me, wearing jeans and a blouse. I’d say Sofia’s style is more casual than mine. She says it’s because of the many countries she’s lived in so far. Apparently the traveling taught her to dress comfortably and timeless.
“I am,” I say, get up and grab my bag. “Let’s go. They’re waiting for us outside.”
It’s our tradition.
Since Sage got her car, a black Mini Countryman, she picks each of us up and we drive to school together. Every damn day. Only when she’s sick (and that was five days at most) we take our own cars. I have one, an Audi A1. Cristina doesn’t, but she can use one of her parents’ cars whenever she wants. I love white. I have a white car, most of my furniture is white, and both my summer dresses and winter coats are white or off-white. But I do love do add some colorful highlights and details.
“I almost chose the dress you’re wearing,” Sage greets me. “Love it.“ Her window’s rolled down. “Get in, girls. We’re late.”
We bought the dress together at a designer store in Manhattan. We both liked it, so we both bought it. It happens all the time. We both wanted to spend the summer at Columbia University, so we both applied and got in.
“Everyone, this is Sofia,” I say as we get in the back of the spacious car. “Sofia, this is Sage.”
“Hey,” Sofia says. “Aspen’s told me so much about you.”
“Like what?,” she asked. “That I`m her favorite friend?”
“That you’re smart,” Sofia says and winks at her.
“Cristina,” I continue the introduction, “and Finna.”
“Hi,” they both say.
“I told her you’re the badass of our group,” I say looking at Cris.
Cristina is the artsy one in our clique but she’s also the toughest one. She never ever cries. She isn’t someone who screeches when she’s shown a puppy video. Her go-to birthday present is a hand drawn portrait. Last year she gave me a four-foot tall drawing of me wearing my favorite white summer dress. She’s the best. I adore it, so I hung it above my four-poster bed.
Finna is our typical blonde one. Not exactly, because she’s a smart one, otherwise she wouldn’t attend Horace Blake. She’s the one I’d ask for celebrity gossip and gossip from school. She’s obsessed with the British royals. She always tells me I look like a merger of Meghan and Kate. I’m flattered. I am a huge fan of both women. Finna looks like a young Princess Madeleine of Sweden. We all agreed on that when she wanted to know who she resembles.
“You look tired,” Sage says, looking at me through the mirror.
“I am,” I admit. “We’ve been up all night watching Stephen King movies.” I look at Sofia who sits next to me. “Not all night, but until four maybe.”
“That’s on her,” Sofia says. “Aspen is the Stephen King addict.”
That’s on my dad. He’s into movies like The Silence of the Lambs or The Blair Witch Project. I take after him. He’s a fan of the old Stephen King. He finds the newer novels “too vulgar”.
“Don’t remind me,” Cristina says and rolls her eyes. “She forced me to watch The Shining and Doctor Sleep in a row. I have nightmares ever since.”
“I have nightmares from your fantasy drawings,” I counter her attack on my taste. She sometimes draws fantasy creatures like witches that are being burned at a stake or bloody werewolves that rip off someone’s arm. Drawing is her talent, but the motives can be disturbing at times. Other times she draws colorful paintings consisting of lines, triangles and rectangles.
Cristina ignores me and looks at Sofia. “She even forced us to read thrillers,” she says.
“Oh, our book club,” Sag says. “The one that lasted for about three weeks.”
“The club is still existent, we’re just currently not reading anything,” I say laughing.
I always wanted to have a book club where you read a book together and discuss it. But I guess my friends are not into it as much as I am.
“If they don’t want to read thrillers I’ll do it,” Sofia says and puts her arm around me.
“See,” I say, “this is why I’m glad Sofia’s here.”
“By the way,” Sage says, “Sofia, where are you from again?”
“I’ve lived in Greece before,” she says. “I’ve lived in many countries, actually, but Greece was the last station on my journey.”
“Impressive,” Cristina says. “Is life in Greece as pretty and laid-back as in Mamma Mia?”
Sofia laughs. “Kind of. It’s not as busy as in other countries.”
“And your parents are in China now?,” Sage asks.
“Philippines,” she says.
“It must be exciting to travel so much,” Sage says.
“Actually, it’s exhausting,”
Sofia admits. “I’m glad I’m here now. I’ve never had one single place to call home. This is cool, you’re so lucky your parents have a regular job and don’t force you to move every couple of years.”
“I wouldn’t want to move to Japan,” Cristina says. “Not because I don’t like it there, I love it. But I wouldn’t want to miss you guys.”
“So cute, Cris,” Finna says.
“Good old Seneca,” I say and look outside. We’re already on the school parking area. “There’s Remi.”
My boy Remi. As soon as the car stops I get out and wave at him. Instead of walking towards me he moves his arm. He points at the entrance as if he wants to tell me to meet him later. What does he mean? Later when? We haven’t actually seen each other in person for weeks. I stand next to the car, puzzled and left behind.
“What’s going on with him?,” Sage asks and appears next to me.
I don’t know. He spent all summer in San Diego with his family and I spent my summer vacation with Sage in New York City. We texted a lot, we skyped a lot, but this is the first time we see each other face to face. Why wouldn’t he want to walk into the building next to me, holding hands? We don’t do that every time, we’re not that cheesy, but today I’d expect it. Well, whatever, I think. See you later, Remi.
“He’s probably busy,” I make an excuse for him and start walking towards the entrance. “We can’t be together twenty-four-seven.”
Maybe he met another girl in California.
I push the thought away. It can’t be true. It went well between us. It goes well. We’re the embodiment of couple goals. We trust each other, we have picnics together, movie nights, we laugh at the same things, we workout together, we fool around, and we have the same fashion style. But we’re never too average, too cheesy and too perfect. We just know how to handle our problems.
“Did you know Trisha dyed her hair black?,” Sage says as we walk down the hallway of Horace Blake High.