Stella's Secrets

by Menaka Ravikumar

  My dad stayed outside, while Julia led the way in. When I was seated, Mr Miller came in. But instead of asking questions, Mr Miller sat down opposite to me, and handed me a piece of paper. It was sealed in an evidence bag.

  “We found this in Savannah’s jacket. It seemed she was being stalked. Do you recognize the handwriting?” I looked at the paper, my eyes widening when I read what was written:

  ‘If you don’t stop your research, someone’s gonna get hurt.’

  When I shook my head Mr Miller exchanged a glance with Julia. Then they asked me a few more questions, and I gave my statement. The drive home was silent, with dad driving and me looking out the window. I thought about the man I had seen twice-and in the dream I had. Had he been stalking Savannah too?

  A few weeks ago I would’ve agreed with someone if they said my life was perfect. But now everything seemed to be going downhill. Then, at that moment, staring out of the window and watching the trees go by, I decided: I wasn’t only gonna solve Savannah’s murder, I was gonna solve Mr L’s too.

  Because I realized that the helpless feeling I was getting was the same feeling I got when Mr L died.

  I was gonna do everything I could, and I wasn’t gonna stop until I got justice.

  Chapter Three

  Stalkers and secrets

  One week later I attended Savannah’s funeral. Almost the whole tenth grade was there. It was so hard to watch her coffin being buried, and her mom stood crying softly as the coffin was lifted down into the ground. I had Max and my parents with me the whole time, and after it was over my friends and I went to Savannah’s favourite cafè, where we used to hang out after school. Usually, after my gymnastics class on Saturdays, Savannah and I would meet with the cheerleaders to go shopping, or just to catch up.

  None of us spoke too much. We sat in sorrowful mourning, sipping lattes and remembering someone that would never come back. Someone who no longer existed to the world. I sighed, taking a sip of my vanilla latte. When it was time to go home we parted our own ways, and I offered Max a lift home. I was worried about Max. He hadn’t said anything the whole ride home.

  When I undid my seatbelt and turned to kiss him goodbye I saw something in his eyes that surprised me. He was crying, tears began falling like a beautiful waterfall down his cheeks. ”Max.” I whispered, as another tear fell he turned to look at me. I hadn’t seen him cry like that since his dad passed away. I put my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. I reached up and carefully wiped away his tears with my thumb.

  I rested my forehead on his. “Why don’t we meet later? Maybe it’ll take your mind off of things. We haven’t had any us time in a while.” Max’s face lit up, a cute dimpled smile filling his features. ”Yeah. That would be good. Six today?” I nodded in agreement and kissed him goodbye.

  X-X-X-X-X

  After waving bye to Max I went to my room and had a shower. I came out in my bathrobe, towelling my hair dry. Humming to myself, I pulled out a few dresses from my closet and put them on my bed. It was four in the evening, on a Saturday, so I had nothing to do except choose a dress for my date. Usually I always called Savannah over to help with my make up, but you know, she kinda died, so I was by myself this time.

  I went over to my desk, shuffling through unfinished history essays, and half sketched designs, looking for my favourite tube of lip gloss. I stopped when I saw something stuck to the snow globe I used as a paper weight. It was a post-it. I frowned when I read it:

  ‘Stella: Secrets and more secrets.

  It’s time to snoop around. I’m

  back Stella. And you better

  refresh your memory,

  because I’m going to be here a long time.

  - Anonymous’

  I stared at the note for a long time. Now I knew I was being stalked. A thousand thoughts were going through my mind when a sudden gush of cold breeze entered my room, hitting me on the back. I shivered and immediately rushed to close it. Then I went back to my desk, taking the note and crushing it, before throwing it into the bin. With a sigh, I inspected the snow globe. It had been a birthday present from Max, for my seventh birthday. There were words underneath.

  I smiled when I read it: To my crazy best friend. Love, Max. I held the globe tightly. Running my finger over the bottom, I gently seperated the globe and the stand. Huh. Weird. I frowned slightly, then inspected the stand. The top seemed to have a lid, and I opened it to find a rusty looking key inside. Underneath it there was a folded up piece of paper. It was old, and when I unfolded it I realized that it was a letter, dated December 12th-Two days before Mr Leary died. My hands shook when I read it:

  ’Dear Stella,

  If you have found this I’m already dead. This letter is my way of telling you something that I can’t tell you to your face. Your mother and I loved each other very much in college. And when she got pregnant, we planned to get married. But then she something happened, and everything fell apart. We had planned a lot of things for when the baby came.

  Your mother was heartbroken about everything that happened. She blamed me for it all, but after a point we overcame our differences and decided to be just friends. I have done many dangerous things, Stella.

  People, very ruthless people, are after me. I know I should probably just not tell you anything, but I feel like it is my duty to tell you the truth. People close to you are going to leave you, and betray you soon, Stella. Don’t give up on them. Believe that you can do this, and you will succeed. You will find the ANGELS.

  -Andie Leary

  When I turned the paper around, I realized there was writing on the back as well. It seemed to be a riddle:

  The key is in the attic,

  In a chest buried deep.

  All the secrets that you seek.

  I sat down on my desk chair, one hand clamped over my mouth, the other holding the letter. She was my sister? Luisa was my half- sister? I felt numb. Tears filled my eyes and I choked back a sob. What did that mean? Was I Mr L’s daughter? Was I related to Max? I felt like I was in an episode of Pretty Little Liars. I had never liked that show much.

  And what did he mean by ‘You will find the ANGELS.’? I quickly folded the paper in a neat square and put the globe back together. I took a deep breath. I was gonna sort this out. Somehow.

  X-X-X-X-X

  “Thanks for dinner, Max.” I told my boyfriend with a smile as we walked hand in hand towards his car. It was way past nine in the night, and Max and I had finished dinner at our favourite restaurant, ‘Pancheros.’ Max grinned at me and kissed my forehead.

  “Always a pleasure kiddo.” I gave him a playful nudge and feigned annoyance. “I’m not a little kid, stupid.”

  Max chuckled lightly. “Yeah, ok. Whatever you say.” He knew very well that I hated being called ‘Kiddo’ because my older cousin Kieran, who’s twenty one, calls me, since I’m really small, in height and age, compared to him, Kieran, I mean. I shoved Max again and he just continued laughing like I was the most amusing thing ever. We finally reached the car and Max pressed on his car keys and automatically unlocked the car, then we got in.

  But when both our doors were shut Max didn’t start the car. Instead he leaned over and kissed me. For a moment time seemed to stand still. It was just Max and me. My hands automatically reached up and wrapped themselves around Max’s neck, playing with the hair on the back of his neck.

  “I love you.” Max said against my lips. I always said it back, but for some reason, that day I just couldn’t. Max pulled back when I didn’t reply. We pulled back for a moment, and I rested my forehead on his.

  “Are you ok?” I gently kissed our linked fingers and shook my head, avoiding his eyes. I wished I could tell him the truth, but then, where would that get me?

  I wondered whether Mr L was my dad. If he was, I couldn’t be Max’s girlfriend anymore. I would be his half-sister. The thought of le
tting him go made me feel heartbroken. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, running a hand through his hair and taking in his scent. I could feel his warm breath on my neck. He made me feel safe, like a precious gem that couldn’t be lost. I let him gently slide his hands under my sweater, his thumbs drawing calming circles just above the waistline of my jeans.

  When my phone beeped, telling me I had a message, I grabbed my purse immediately, reading the unknown senders text that completely spoilt the moment:

  ‘Not gonna tell him that you might be related?

  Maybe I will if you won’t. I’m back to finish

  what I left, after all.

  -Anonymous.’

  My grip tightened on my phone. By that time Max had pulled away and was gazing at me intently, but I barely noticed. I’m back to finish what I left. I re-read the message, eyes wide, hands shaking.

  Was he really back?

  Chapter Four

  The chest

  “Winter break! Finally!” Alex exclaimed as we walked out of school. I smiled, linking arms with Evan and Stephanie, who were on either side of me. It was finally the last day of school before winter break. My friends and I were all walking towards the car park, chatting about our holiday plans.

  Winter break would be over after New Year and it was almost Christmas, so everyone was going away to visit family, and get the vacation they deserved. I, on the other hand, was definitely not going anywhere for Christmas. I would’ve loved to visit my cousin, Lindsay in Seville, Spain, the place that I was born in, and where my grandparents lived, but my parents were busy with new fashion projects, and they wouldn’t send me alone.

  Plus, I wanted to be anywhere but in California, with all the crazy stuff that had happened. I had deleted the creepy message on my phone and had even blocked the number, but I was becoming paranoid. I was planning on going to Savannah’s house just to see how her mom was doing.

  It wasn’t like I was gonna sneak up to her room and look for clues… Ok, maybe I was, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to find out if my stalker had been stalking Savannah before she died. Had she been researching Mr L’s murder? Savannah had always been a curious person. Maybe she had found out something important. Besides, I couldn’t back out because I had kind of promised Mrs Mason that I would help her move Savannah’s stuff into boxes, since she was now gone.

  “Stel? Hey, earth to Stella?” Stephanie waved her hand in front of my face.

  “Huh?” Steph sighed. “I asked if you want to go to the mall later.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t. I have gymnastics class. “It was a lie, but I couldn’t possibly tell my friends the truth.

  “Maybe tomorrow?” I added, and Steph smiled. By that time we had entered the car park, and it was time to say bye.

  My friends all parted their own ways, promising to call and e-mail over the holidays.

  “Call me, ok?” Max told me, and I nodded and went up on my toes to kiss him. Just when I pulled back he gently pushed my head forward, making me kiss him again. When we finally pulled back Max grinned, showing his dimples.

  “See you later, Johnson.” He whispered, and then he left me in the middle of the car park, feeling senseless.

  I touched a finger to my lips and smiled, a little high from the sudden rush of the kiss that I would never get used to. Then I made my way to my car, pulling my phone out as I walked. I hadn’t gotten any weird messages since that night, but as I got into my car I made a mental note to keep alert. In Glenville, California, where I live, we’re allowed to get a driver’s license and permit as long as we’re 15+.

  Technically I am not supposed to drive without an adult since I only have a learner’s license but in Glenville no one really follows that rule and all us teenagers are very cautious, so there aren’t that many car accidents. The drive to Savannah’s took ten minutes, and when I finally pulled up at her house, I was having second thoughts. But I had to find out why she was killed. I owed Savannah that much.

  So I took a deep breath and walked up to the front door. I rang the doorbell. Mrs Mason answered immediately, looking shocked to see me. “Hi, Mrs Mason, can I come in?” She smiled. “Of course, Stella.” She stepped aside to let me pass and then asked “Ready to start packing?”

  I sighed and nodded. “I was wondering if I could see Savannah’s room one last time? Before we pack everything up, that is.”

  Mrs Mason smiled sadly. “Yes, of course dear.” She looked so heart – broken.

  I had been to Savannah’s house a million times before, but as I stepped inside it suddenly felt as if I was on foreign soil. I had always found Mrs Mason really nice, and since I never met Savannah’s dad because he left Savannah and her mom when she was four. I felt really bad for the snooping that I was going to do right under Mrs Mason’s nose, but I didn’t really have a choice. Savannah would want me to find out the truth. All of it.

  “How about I make us some tea?” Mrs Mason suggested, and I nodded in agreement, before climbing up the stairs to Savannah’s room.

  The room was exactly the same as the last time I had been in it. When she was alive, Savannah had a fascination for anything astrological. She had a chart with the various sun signs and details about them on the wall, right above her bed, and next to it were two small photo frames, one of Star High School’s cheerleading team after we won the season’s soccer finals last year, and the other of the dance team, for which Savannah was the team co-captain along with Ashley. The walls were a beautiful blended mixture of purple and orange, swirls of both colours somehow darkening and brightening the room at the same time.

  Story books were scattered all over her desk, clothes thrown over her desk chair and on the floor. Her computer lay on her bed. I chewed my lip, wondering where to look first. Then I saw something peeking out from under a pile of clothes on the floor.

  I stood in the middle of the room, then hesitantly moving towards it. Then I reached under the clothes and pulled out the thing I saw peeping out. It looked like a journal. “Stella! Tea’s ready!” Mrs Mason shouted, but I barely heard her. I was too busy looking at the journal that I remembered extremely well.

  Summer before his death -The Leary Residence.

  I walked into the living room of Max’s house, looking for him. Mr Leary was sitting on one of the sofas, writing something in a dark blue journal. I watched him curiously. He looked up and smiled warmly at me. He patted the seat next to him.

  “Sit.” I did as I was told, then pointed to his journal.” What’s that?”

  ”My journal. See? It’s for recording important stuff.” He held the book out. I tilted my head to one side, gazing at the open book, the words in it embedding themselves in my mind.

  All I saw were names. Lots of them, one after the other.

  It looked exactly the same. It was a dark shade of blue, with a single symbol in front, in five point star with a letter at each point. A-N-G-E-L. There it is again. What the hell does that mean? Maybe there was something valuable in it. I heard Mrs Mason calling me again, so I stuffed the journal in the shoulder bag I was carrying and went downstairs.

  “Sorry.” I sighed, and sat down on the plush white sofa. Then I looked at Mrs Mason. “Sorry for your loss, Mrs Mason.” She put the tray with tea down on the coffee table in front of me.

  “I’m sorry too. She loved you like a sister, Savannah.” Mrs Mason smiled at me.

  I drank the tea, spoke a little more to Mrs Mason, and then I helped her put some of Savannah’s things in boxes, as promised, before getting in my car and driving home.

  X-X-X-X-X

  The first thing I usually did when I got home from school was check the mail, so after collecting three envelopes from the letter box I unlocked the house. My parents were both still at work, both of them being owners of the fashion boutique ‘The cute boutique.’ Technically they each owned different branches, but currently t
hey were working together for a big charity event they were hosting, so they would probably only be back late tonight. I flopped onto the sofa and took out the journal.

  Taking a deep breath, I opened it and folded my legs beneath me. On the first page I recognized my mom’s neat handwriting: ’To Andie Leary-All my love.’ I flipped a few pages, then stopped when I reached the last page.

  ‘December 14th

  Find him. Find them.”

  I blinked, staring wide-eyed.

  Then, as if on cue my phone beeped. I jumped in surprise, reaching into my bag to check for texts. I smiled in relief when I realized it was only Max, asking if I wanted to meet for a date the next night. After replying I went up to my room, journal in hand. After I hid the journal under my mattress I reached into my pocket and pulled out the rusty key.

  Ever since the day I had read the letter I was curious to find out what was in the chest in the attic. Today’s the perfect day to do this. My mind told me. I took a deep breath, holding the key in my closed hand. Then I went out of my room, found a ladder, and climbed up to the attic.

  My hands trembled as I held onto the top of the ladder. Pushing myself up, I stood up in the dusty room. The chest was exactly where I found it. I looked at the key nestled in my palm and chewed my lip, thinking. What if he was wrong? What if this mystery wasn’t meant for me to solve? There were so many possibilities.

  Most of which I didn’t want to think about. I stood in front of the chest, my heart pounding. You know that feeling you get when you’re about to do something really bad? And you do it anyway, out of curiosity? Yeah, I was getting that feeling. I pushed my honey blonde hair behind my ears, my fringe falling in front of my eyes.

  I pushed the key into the key hole, and finally turned it. The chest swung open, revealing the contents of the chest: Pictures, letters, all folded up, filled till the top. There were also two journals, But the only thing that caught my attention was a picture, right on the top.