Stella's Secrets

by Menaka Ravikumar

  The date was normal, with Ev and Max making us laugh at their playful banter. We had been using Ash’s car, so when our double date ended Max and I slid out of the car and he walked me to my door. “You know, we should do this again.” Max commented as we climbed up the porch steps.

  “Are you just saying that because you want to beat Ev at arm wrestling, or is that the truth?” I asked in a teasing voice.

  Max smiled sheepishly, a light blush blossoming on his cheeks. “Hey, I would’ve won if he hadn’t cheated!” I couldn’t stop a small smile from forming on my face. Both of us gazed at each other for a few seconds before we cracked up laughing.

  Then suddenly Max’s chuckles stopped and he bit his lower lip, his eyes on my lips. The mood suddenly changed from playful to serious. I gazed back at him, and within seconds he was moving closer, cupping my face in his hands, his lips gently pressed on mine. Our kiss lasted for about twenty seconds before we pulled away. “Good night Stella.” Max whispered.

  “Sweet dreams, Leary.” I replied, and he smiled before turning and leaving me on my porch. As soon as I stepped into my house I leaned against the closed front door and let out a content sigh. Unfortunately I came crashing down from a very euphoric place when my cell phone beeped:

  ‘Tick tock, tick

  tock. Time is almost

  up. Have you forgotten

  the deal we made?

  -Anonymous’

  I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand. Out of all the things I could forget, I had to forget this? Cursing myself under my breath, I quickly ran up to my room and stuffed Mr L’s journal in my tote bag before grabbing my cell phone and running out the door. I drove quickly to Listron Street, reaching within ten minutes. I held the key to the apartment tightly in my hand as I climbed to the second floor.

  I pushed the key into the lock on the door and turned it, then pushed the handle down. The door swung open and I stepped in. My hand found a switch on the wall and I flicked it on. It looked like the apartment had been lived in. There was a desk near the window with a swivel chair, and what looked like a bulletin board stood a few steps away.

  There were also two sofas, and three doors which when I opened, one lead to a small kitchen, the other to a tiny bathroom and one to a bedroom. I sat on the swivel chair and looked at the contents on the top of the table. There was a small diary, one that looked exactly like Mr L’s journal. Maybe it was another one?

  I picked it up and flipped it open. On the first page there was an entry with the date on the top - September 9th - Max’s birthday. When I read through it I realized it was actually a log book, full of entries. I skipped a few pages and stopped in the middle:

  ’June 21st 2005

  Today was my last day in court. My anger towards him has reached it’s peak. Not only does he have the guts to say he isn’t guilty of the crime he committed, but he said that he wasn’t in the house when it happened.

  He stated in his testimony: “I was not in the house when she was raped, therefore I’m not guilty.”

  I gulped. Who was he talking about? I continued reading:

  ’John said I need more evidence. I have enough pictures of her, all the bruises are visible. But I agreed with him. She has a few marks on her shoulder, but the problem is that she won’t talk. She’s too traumatised. But I have to convince her. I have to convince Stella to tell the judge what he did to her.’

  As soon as I read my name, I almost dropped the book. No. No, it can’t be true. How come I don’t remember?

  The sound of the door being locked made me jump up and run towards it. Too late. I was trapped.

  Chapter Thirteen

  False confessions

  I pounded on the door with my fists. “Help! Somebody! Open the door!”

  There had to be another way out. I went back to the desk, and put the log book into my tote bag. My phone beeped:

  ‘Ha! Now I see how naïve you are!

  This is your punishment for being

  late. The rules are changing.

  -Anonymous.’

  I should have seen this coming. I thought, pulling at my hair in frustration. I was beginning to feel claustrophobic. I looked around for a window frantically. When I finally found one in the bedroom I opened it and peaked out. I wasn’t even worried about the height of the jump since I had been perfecting gymnastics moves since before seventh grade.

  I couldn’t see anything in the dark, so I grabbed my bag, swung it onto my shoulder, and taking a deep, shaky breath I stepped out onto the windowsill. “C’mon Stel. You can do this.” I willed myself out loud. If I could manage to do a perfect flip I would land on my feet. But if I didn’t? Well, then I would end up fracturing a bone - or maybe worse.

  I wished I wasn’t carrying a tote bag. It felt heavy on my shoulder, the straps digging in. I closed my eyes and tried to picture Max’s smiling face in my mind. Then I opened my eyes, and jumped. Luckily I had positioned myself correctly, and a moment later I had landed on my feet. I took off towards the parking lot, but not before looking around and noticing that I had jumped from a window that seemed to face the back of the building. So I had to turn to my right before I could reach the parking lot.

  As soon as I reached my car I threw myself onto the driver’s seat and hurriedly started the engine. I checked my watch and realized that I was already half an hour late for the sleepover with the girls. Curse you, Anonymous. I thought bitterly.

  X-X-X-X-X

  During the sleepover the girls were all chatting excitedly about the Valentine’s Day dance, but I wasn’t really excited. I really needed to talk to John - Mr Miller, about my past. I still didn’t believe that I was raped. I needed to know about my past. I was supposedly six years old when it happened.

  And if Ben did something to me, wouldn’t MrsL know about it? My friend’s parents were all good friends, so wouldn’t they have told her? And what about Mr Leary? What also didn’t make sense was Anonymous. I had received a message with the key to the apartment, but why?

  Why did Anonymous want me to remember my past?

  Maybe Tyler was Anonymous. He would fit the profile, right?

  But what was his motive?

  And if he really was Anonymous, why in the world would he want me to know about my forgotten past?

  As I watched my friends laugh and talk, I wondered all these things, and I let the questions run through my mind, like clockwork.

  X-X-X-X-X

  One Wednesday afternoon, after school, I was busy painting decorations in the auditorium when two strong arms wrapped themselves around my waist. “You know there’s this awesome dance coming up, and I was wondering if you’d be my date…” Max’s warm breath tickled my skin, making me shiver.

  I turned to face him, paint brush in hand. “Oh, really? I’ll have to check my schedule.” I hooked my free arm around his neck and pulled him closer so our faces were almost touching.

  “Good.” Max chuckled. Then his eyes went serious.

  “But you have to promise me something.”

  I tilted my head in curiosity. “What?” Max leant down, tucking a lock of my honey blonde hair behind my ear, before whispering sexily.

  “We’re going to be enjoying something other than the party.”

  Then he kissed my ear, and I felt my whole face grow hot. He was definitely implying something. Before I could comment Max pressed his lips on mine.

  When I heard someone whistle I forced myself to pull back. “No privacy.” Max muttered, pressing his forehead on mine.

  I laughed at his frustration and gently flicked some paint onto his cheek. “That’s what you should expect, sweetie. We are in the middle of the gym.”

  X-X-X-X-X

  The next afternoon I went to the Glenville police department headquarters to see Mr Miller. He was the only one who could tell me the truth. The o
nly person could give me proof. Standing in front of the building brought back memories from when I was ten years old.

  Evan and I would pretend to be detectives searching for clues in a crime scene.

  I climbed up the steps and walked into the building. Some of the detectives at their desks looked at me in curiosity as I scanned the room for Mr Miller. But instead I was greeted by Julia Carter, Mr Miller’s partner and Deputy Sheriff.

  “Stella! I haven’t seen you in a while. What brings you here?” She asked with a smile.

  I smiled back and replied. “I wanted to talk to Mr Miller. Is he here?”

  “Of course sweetie. He’s in the interrogation room. C’mon. I was just going to head over.” She nodded for me to follow. Sometimes it was hard to believe she was deputy sheriff when she was all smiley and young. Julia was actually in her late thirties, and she was the youngest person to work beside Mr Miller, the Sheriff of Glenville.

  If you looked at both of them in action, you could tell that Julia and Mr Miller liked each other. A lot. At least, that’s what Evan said. We finally stopped at a small door.

  “Who exactly is he interviewing?” I asked as Julia pushed the door open and led me inside.

  Julia laughed.” I would love to tell you that, but I don’t really know yet. I just came back from lunch, so I only just found out about the suspect.”

  She flicked on a light switch and I saw that there was a huge mirror in the front of the room. And to my surprise Tyler Jordan was sitting in the interrogation room with Mr Miller. I couldn’t help staring.

  “Ok, whatever you do, please don’t try to meddle with any buttons.” Julia told me, before leaving the room.

  Seconds later she appeared in the interrogation room. I looked around the room I was standing in. It was fairly big, with one huge tube light, and a few chairs sitting around a rectangular table. I pulled up one of the chairs and sat in front of the mirror. On my right hand side there was a small keypad with a single button.

  I reached over to it and pressed, not bothering to remember what Julia had told me. In an instant I could hear the conversation. I had been trying to read their lips, but unfortunately I wasn’t good at it. “Ok, tell us again, Tyler. What happened? How did you kill Savannah Mason?”

  My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out.

  ‘And the killer is revealed! You’ve

  got what you wanted b****!

  -Anonymous’

  Chapter Fourteen

  Unreal reality

  I pushed back the chair I was sitting on and fled the room. Black spots clouded my vision and I felt my legs collapse under me. I could feel the cold ground under me, then voices calling my name right before I blacked out.

  “Help! No! Don’t touch me!” I was struggling. A dark figure loomed over me. “It’s ok bright eyes. You’ll enjoy this.” I screamed. This was my younger self. A second figure stood watching.

  “Help!” I wailed.

  ”Mommy! Daddy…” I whimpered. “Help!”

  When I woke up I was screaming. My eyes opened and I felt two arms, strong and firm, grip my arms and hold me down. After a moment his face came into view.

  “Evan? What are you doing here?” I sat up as I spoke. I blinked slowly before taking in my surroundings. Evan smiled at me.

  “You’re in the guest room of my house. I came to pick up Dad for lunch and you were screaming your head off. So dad and I brought you here.” Ev explained.

  “May I ask why exactly you were at the office?”

  I gave a small shrug in reply. “No reason. I thought I would catch up with Mr Miller.” Ev nodded slowly, but his eyes told me that he didn’t believe me.

  A sudden throbbing pain in my temples made me groan. Ev sat down on my left and handed me a glass of water and two tablets. “It’ll help with the pain. It’s just Tylenol Stel. Don’t give me that look.” Evan rolled his big blue orbs at me when I looked at him quizzically.

  “Oh, you’re awake.” Mr Miller walked in, smiling at me.

  “Evy? Could you give us a minute?” Evan looked at me, then glared at his dad, probably for calling him his hated nickname, and back at me. Huh. Someone hasn’t gotten over the so called annoying pet name. I managed to hold Ev’s stare till he looked away, turning to leave the room, but not before waggling a finger at me. “This conversation isn’t over.”

  As soon as he closed the door behind him Mr Miller spoke. “Ok, I know you wanted to speak to me for a reason. Spill.” Before I could speak the sound of my phone beeping interrupted me. I reached over and picked it up from it’s place on the nightstand near the bed.

  ‘Tell and I’ll kill

  someone else. How

  about ‘Evy’?

  -Anonymous’

  -

  My gaze shifted to the window. Unfortunately the guestroom was on the second floor of the house, so I had to get up to get a proper view. Could Anonymous be out there? Or was he on the inside?

  “Stel? Hey, are you going to tell me what you needed to talk about?” I looked up at Mr Miller. I thought about what would happen if Anonymous really did do something to Evan.

  I couldn’t let him hurt my friends, so I gave Mr Miller my best forced smile. “Nothing important.” I swung both my legs over the side of the bed before standing up. “I’ll see you later, Mr Miller.” I quickly grabbed my phone from my nightstand and threw my school bag, which was lying in a corner near the door, over one shoulder.

  I practically ran down the stairs and past Stephanie and her mom, who were chatting quietly. They both didn’t look up as I hurried by, so I walked past and quickly got into my car, which Evan must have brought over. I had taken my car key from it’s place in my pocket as I walked towards my Jeep. That was close. I thought. So close.

  X-X-X-X-X

  “So, Stel, what are you going to wear?” Snowy asked me as she helped me with my eye makeup. It was February fourteenth, the day of the dance, and I had forced myself to join the girls for our usual makeover-before-a-dance ritual. We had decided to go to Snowy’s house, and while Snow did my eye makeup, Ashley, Chloe and Steph were putting on their dresses.

  “You’ll see once I put it on.” I told her casually. Snowy pouted, then spoke in a really weird voice that made her sound like daffy duck.

  “But I wanna see it now!” I laughed at my weird best friend and slapped her cheek lightly.

  “Was that your best pouty look? Coz it sucked!”

  Snowy poked her tongue out at me in reply to my sarcastic remark. The door to Snow’s walk in closet opened and Steph came out.

  Snowy and I helped Steph with her hair and makeup, then Ash and Chloe joined us. We had all gone simple, wearing a little mascara, light blush and light pink lip gloss. We all had on cute tutu dresses in our signature colours, along with matching pumps.

  I wondered if Tyler would be at the dance. And Samira… She had just disappeared after giving me the key and the note. Maybe she was connected in some way. I knew I had to find out. Though I doubted that getting information from Samira would be a piece of cake. Maybe I should just forget about solving murders for today. After all, it is Valentine’s Day.

  X-X-X-X-X

  “Good job with everything Stella.” Nick commented as he walked past. I gave him a smile. “Thank you!” Max and I were slow dancing, and the night was half over. I had already danced to a ton of songs with my friends, and slow danced with each of my guy friends, but now the music playing was mostly slow.

  I had been getting a lot of compliments from random people as well as my classmates about the decorations in the transformed gym. Max pulled me closer to him and I smiled. I could feel the warmth from his hand on my waist, seeping through the fabric of my dress. “You’re so cute when you smile like that.” Max commented, and leaned closer, chewing on his lower lip.

  “And you’re so cu
te when you say stuff like that.” I laughed. In seconds his lips were on mine. I felt one of his hands cup my cheek and held my waist a little tighter. His other hand slid in my hair, while my hands stayed wrapped around his neck. I sighed contently and leaned into him, playing with the hair at the back of his neck.

  I didn’t want anyone to catch us so I pulled apart. “Do you want to go home soon? “Max let his forehead rest on mine, his breath fanning my face. “Ok, um, yeah.” He took my hand, and we walked towards the entrance of the gym. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Unfortunately we got caught talking with Tyler Jordan and his date, Mae Morrison.

  I wanted to ask Tyler what happened at the police station, and how he was here when he ‘confessed’ about killing Savannah. But I couldn’t. Not here, and not now. Especially since Max was with me. I tugged at the hem of my blue knee-length Betsy Johnson dress. My feet were starting to hurt, making me wish I wasn’t wearing four inch heels.

  My dress was backless, as well as strapless, so when a cold gust of wind sent a shiver through my body I turned out of pure instinct. I could sense Anna. I felt her presence right after the shiver, and it left an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Savannah was definitely in the gym. My instinct told me to do only one thing - run.

  So I did. And this time, there wasn’t a hint or taunt from Anonymous.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Desire

  I saw Savannah’s face in the crowd and took off towards her. I ended up running out through the gym doors and out into the hallway. I had definitely seen her. I am not going crazy. I repeated the words as I slowed down into a quick walk, head turning right and left. The hallways were only lit by a few small bulbs, and when they flickered I saw a shadow.