Right after I departed Sam, I dashed towards my house, which probably emulated what Sam was doing too. I really didn't want my parents to find out that Sam and I were dating and I especially didn't want them to know that we slept on the beach together last night. The thought of them finding out made me uneasy and it would definitely end my relationship with Sam. That would be the worst part of the situation. If I didn't run fast enough, my parents could wake up before I got home and then they would notice that I was gone, and it would be all over the news before noon. Like I said before, my family is very famous in the Dark Falls Island.
This was the only thought that crowded my mind as I hurried home. I had to push it out of my mind, though, so that I could focus on getting home unnoticed. The walk to my house was only thirty minutes from the beach, but if I ran all the way there, I could get there in maybe twenty minutes if I tried hard enough, but I was already out of breath and the temperature was rising – fast! You see, when you're intelligent like me, every possible variable has to cross your mind, and most of the time it's incredibly annoying – like right now – but it can be helpful – like on the beach this morning.
As all kinds of variables passed through my mind, I hurried home. But I could sense something dangerous around me because the hairs on my neck were rising, as if someone was watching me. I turned around, and for a split second I saw a black figure jump into an alley. I took a deep breath and studied my surroundings carefully. This was no joke. I definitely saw someone following me. I could sense it. I slowly turned around and continued the run to my house. Maybe I was just imagining things?
* * *
When I arrived home, I felt the same exact feeling when I thought someone was following me before. I took the few steps to the porch, and sat there, so I could make sure no one was following me. If my parents woke up and found me sitting on the porch, I would just tell them I needed some fresh air. I hoped they were still asleep.
As I scanned the porch, looking intently at the brown-brick steps and the white Roman-style columns that towered over the porch and sat under the small square roof that sheltered the porch, I spotted a square, brown package tucked in between the green, dew-covered grass and the porch. I picked it up and read the note on it.
To: Astrid Hoenth
From: Anonymous
Before you think about having another sleep-over with your secret boyfriend, you should think about how popular your family is.
Right under the note, there was a picture attached to it. When I observed it, my breath caught in my throat. It was a picture of Sam and I sleeping on the beach together last night. Who would do something like this? But, more importantly, who could do something like this? After I carefully studied the note, trying to think if the handwriting on it was familiar to me or not, trying to spot any addresses on the packages, and for any other signs that might show me who did this, I opened the package.
Inside the package, there was a scrapbook. The cover was made of leather and the title on the cover frightened me. It seemed threatening: A Relationship Never Meant To Be. I flipped through the pages, almost sobbing at what I saw. The scrapbook was covered with pictures of Sam and I on our secret dates, which only Sam and I knew about, and recreated notes and pictures of presents that we gave each other for special instances. Someone has been spying on us for the past four months, ever since we started dating. It's shocking how long we've kept our relationship secret – of course Gwen and Tanner knew, though.
I put the scrapbook back into the package, and sighed. I hid the package behind a tree on our front lawn, so no one would see it. I didn't need anyone else knowing that I was dating Sam. I looked blankly at the ground for the next thirty minutes, until my mom came outside and let me inside the house. Thank God she doesn't know about last night, I thought as I walked inside. She must've just come downstairs.
I went upstairs to grab my phone and texted Gwen about coming to the library at 9:00 A.M., and also informed my mom about the hang-out. My mom was okay with it.
* * *
I arrived at the library at 9:00 A.M., just like my friends and I planned. Sam, Tanner, and Gwen were already there when I arrived. I walked up to them and said, "Hey, guys."
They all turned around. Sam was wearing a brown-and-white striped shirt – which matched his fluffy, brown hair – and khaki shorts. Tanner was wearing a white tank top and khaki shorts, which made him look like a surfer, especially since his hair was dirty blonde, and his skin was tan. Actually, he was a surfer. He was playing in the Dark Falls Teen Surfing Competition later this week. If he won, he would go to the California State Teen Surfing Competition, and if he won that – which was almost impossible – he would go to the United States Teen Surfing Competition. Finally, Gwen was wearing a green dress with a black sweater-vest pulled over it. Her black hair was in a ponytail and her tan skin was sparkling in the summer sunlight.
"Oh, hey Astrid," Sam, Tanner, and Gwen said in unison. They all had smiles on their faces, but Sam looked a little uneasy. Maybe he was worried that someone knew about our "sleep-over" on the beach last night?
"Gwen, I love your dress," I said, admiring how her green dress brought out the green in her eyes.
"Thank you, Astrid," Gwen replied, her lips spreading into a large smile, but it almost seemed fake.
"What's going on?" I asked, confused. Being confused was unlike me. Usually, I always knew the answers to problems and such, but in this circumstance, I didn't. Why were they so uneasy? I needed to find out.
"Uhh...," Sam, Tanner, and Gwen said at the same time. They obviously knew something that I didn't because I was totally perplexed.
"Come on, guys. What aren't you telling me?" I asked again, except this time my tone of voice was compassionate.
I finally figured it out, though, when Tanner and Gwen eyed Sam, obviously wanting him to tell me. It must have to do with us being on the beach last night. This realization made it harder for me to be patient and let my friends – well, in this case Sam – tell me what happened.
"You need to see the newspaper," was all Sam said. I strolled over to the glass case near the sidewalk leading into the library, which was filled with copies of today's issue of the Dark Falls Island Newspaper. I slowly pulled my wallet out of my pant-leg pocket and put a quarter into the slot. I waited for the machine to make a sound, and then lifted up the lid and picked a newspaper from within. I gasped when I saw the first page.
There was a picture of two figures running away from the Dark Falls Island Beach. Their faces weren't visible but I already knew it was Sam and I from this morning. News does spread like wildfire in a small town. I sighed and strode back over to my friends.
"Let's talk about it inside," I said, my hand reaching for Sam, Tanner and Gwen on either side of us, shielding us from the publics' eyes.
* * *
My friends and I took a seat at an empty table towards the back of the library, so that no one could hear our conversation. We didn't need people figuring out that Sam and I were the unknown people on the newspaper. Also, I was going to tell my friends about the package I got this morning. "So, what should we talk about first?" I asked, even though everybody knew what we needed to talk about first.
"I think we should talk about why you and Sam were on the beach this morning," Gwen puts in.
Sam and I both sigh at that. We then exchange a glance with each other and the look in his eyes suggests that he wants me to talk first. I nod and take a deep breath before I start.
"Look, I know it looks bad because a picture of us – well, nobody else knows that – is on the newspaper, but I can explain. Sam and I were having a date on the beach, late last night, so that no one else would see us, and –" before I could finish what I was saying, Tanner cut in.
"Why did you have to sneak in? Couldn't you have had a date there when it was open?" Tanner asks, but the expression on his face after he says it shows that he knows it would be a bad idea.
"We both know that wouldn't be a good idea. News spreads like wildfire in a –" Sam chimes in to help me, but I cut him off.
"Wildfire spreads in a small town, yes. Now, if you'll let me finish I can continue," I say. I pause and wait for everybody to hush up.
I continued, "Okay! When Sam and I woke up, I noticed that employees were going to start arriving and I got panicked and Sam rushed with me to the exits, but when we were about to leave, an employee had arrived. This was where things got interesting. Sam thought of an idea, though, that would allow us to exit the beach without anyone figuring out our identities. Sam grabbed pepper spray out of my purse..."
"Why do you have pepper spray in your purse?" Tanner asked, cutting me off.
"Will you let me finish already?" I asked frantically, getting annoyed.
"Yes," Tanner replied, laying back into his chair.
"Okay, so Sam grabbed pepper spray out of my purse and sprayed the beach employee in the eyes with it. The beach employee didn't see it coming, and the pepper spray blurred his vision, so the beach employee had no idea who we were. Now, someone must've been hiding somewhere and was able to take the picture, but I have no idea who would've done something like that. After we were far enough away from the beach, we said goodbye and ran to our houses. My parents know nothing. I don't know about Sam's parents though," I tell my friends.
"My parents know nothing too," Sam replies.
"Okay, so we know that nobody knows your identities, but who took the picture?" Gwen asks, her expression displaying curiosity, but also concern for Sam and I.
"I don't know. Maybe it gave the person credit below the picture on the newspaper?" I said, checking the newspaper for an answer to our problem.
I found whom it credited and I read the name aloud, "Howard Finchman. Howard Finchman took the picture. Isn't he that nerd that goes to our school?" Astrid asks.
"Yeah, h-he is..." Sam stuttered.
"What's got you in a frenzy?" I ask Sam.
"Oh, nothing, I j-just...just never liked the guy," Sam says back, obviously uneasy about the fact that Howard Finchman took the picture.
"Well, now we know who to confront, but I have to tell you guys something," I say.
"What, Astrid?" Tanner and Gwen ask in unison.
"I got a package earlier this morning with a scrapbook in it. Pictures of dates Sam and I went on, and pictures of presents and notes we gave each other filled the pages. Someone knows that Sam and I are dating, and now that we know Howard Finchman took the picture, I think he sent me the package too," I tell my friends, but Sam is staring off into blank space. Maybe it's because he hates Howard for doing this? I didn't really know.
"Sam, are you okay?" I ask, genuinely worried about him. I place my hand on his shoulder and rub his back, trying to coax him out of whatever kind of trance he was in.
"I just really hate Howard for doing this," Sam replies, finally coming out of his trance.
Sam looks up at me and I smile at him. "It's going to be okay. What do you say we go hang out at your house? It'll be more comfortable there, and more private."
"Sure," Sam says, standing up and reaching for my hand. I hold his hand for a few seconds and kiss him lightly on the lips.
"Okay, let me just check out a few books first. I'll catch up with you guys in a little bit, okay?" I say, waving them goodbye.
My friends exit the library and I browse for books for a few minutes. I check out a book about astronomy and then exit the library. It only took me a few minutes to browse for books, so I should be able to catch up to my friends if I hurried. I started to run in the direction of Sam's house, but just as I was about to step off the sidewalk, I saw something glinting in the sunlight. It was something between two walls of the exterior of the library. I walked over to it. When I got to the glinting object, I examined it. It was a dark piece of metal shaped like a pizza slice, expect the sides were different shapes, almost like a puzzle piece.
The triangular piece of metal had all sorts of signs and symbols on it, but I didn't recognize any of them. Maybe they were ancient symbols? Could this be a piece of treasure? I knew that wasn't realistic, but the triangular piece of metal looked ancient and treasure-like. I mean, it sparkled in the sun, and the dark metal almost looked like it was space itself, because of the tiny dots of light intertwined in it, which looked a lot like stars.
I had no idea what this was or why it was on the ground next to a library, but I wanted to know more and especially figure out what it was.
I slipped the piece of metal into my purse and then walked to Sam's house like nothing had happened.
ns 15.158.61.51da2
