Joy sat on her lawn wearing a yellow tank top with a short sleeve denim jacket and shorts her purple flip flops sat beside her as she let her feet swing through the grass. Her thoughts were currently occupied with her newest boyfriend not that her friends knew who this guy is, now that would be disastrous. She smiled down at Patricia who sat beside her, "Oh Trixie, you're such a loyal girl." Joy often spoke to Patricia as a pet, and always used her hated nickname from 2ed grade. Patricia knew joy the longest even before joy became the 'it girl' of school. In their group of friends Patricia was a goth girl who always sat next to Joy. Joy was the only one who knew of her secret crush on Eddie Miller the bad boy of the group. Today Patricia was wearing a black tank top with a tight leather skirt and her usual pink and blue hair streaks. "What time is it Trixie?" Joy asked using a silky smooth voice that sometimes worried Patricia. "It about 3:00, why?" Patricia asked not meeting Joy's eye as most of her friends learned to do. "The game should be over." Joy stated as Nina made her way over the gate that separated her house from Joy's. Nina was the multitasking girl in the group she had the best grades, supported charities, was dating Fabian Rutter( who was just as smart as Nina just not as competitive), played for track, and lacrosse (which she had a game today), but most of all Nina was independent which often caused conflict between her and joy. Amber and Mara pulled up in Mara's mom's car. Amber was the girl who was just happy to still be a part of the group, she has an on and off relationship with the football quarterback Mick campbell, after her parents got divorced she started to gain weight, a trait joy never failed to point out. Mara was the swim athlete and proud of it it she was dating Jerome Clark who wasn't a jock but surprisingly stole Mara's heart any way. "Nice baggy sweater Ambs, but it's sooo hot why don't you take it off?" Joy laughed not seeing the look of hurt in Amber's eyes. "That wasn't cool Joy!" Nina yelled noticing Amber. "Nina stop its..." Amber tried to state but joy cut her off. "Now now Ambs I think Nina has something she would like to say." "Oh here they go again." Mara said looking to see if her mom had already left, she had. "All I'm saying is you treat us like crap joy especially Amber and I'm getting sick of it!" Nina exclaimed. "Well you don't have to be here if you don't want to!" Joy threatened. The boys walked to where Nina and Joy were going at each other. "Joy I swear to god you can be such a bitch sometimes!" Nina shouted not noticing the boys. "What happened this time?" Jerome asked wrapping an arm around Mara. "Joy said something to upset Amber and Nina lost it." Mara exclaimed calmly this had become a common theme for her friends Fabian went to separate the two taking Mick as backup. "Now girls are we here to fight or to party?" Mick asked. Joy smiled her sweetest smile, "Mick's right we survived 7th grade we should be partying. Still at your barn right Nins?" "Yeah Joy whatever." Nina said her and Fabian leading the way. This is what made the fights between Nina and Joy so dangerous they would end just as easily as they started. "What about Savannah?" Amber asked. Savannah was Nina's older sister who lived in the barn for her last two years of high school. "She's moving to America with Damon." Nina told the group as she opened the door. Savannah and Damon were making out on the coach. "Well aren't you to the sweetest couple I have ever seen." Joy said. Savannah looked up "thanks we have to go now." Savannah always made an excuse to leave when Joy was involved. "You guys wait out here, us girls will change into something a little more comfortable." Joy smiled the guys nodded as the girls went to get changed. As they were about to go to let the boys in Mick yelled, "Hey what do you think you're doing?" The girls ran to see what was wrong just in time to see Mick tackle a figure to the ground. Nina was the first to get there it was Alfie Louis the boy who lived across the street from Nina and Joy. Alfie looked up at her terrified, "I... I swear that I d... didn't see anything N... Nina. Please... don't tell Joy." He pleaded. "No need I'm already here." Joy stepped in to Alfie's view. "Where did you find him?" Amber asked Mick. "He was sneak around behind the barn." Mick answered getting up but still making it so that Alfie couldn't get away. Nina's eyes widened, "You mean over there?", Nina pointed at the path that led to the woods behind her house. " Yes, why?" "I swear that I didn't see anything!" Alfie tried to look to the group but Mick held a tight grip. "There's a window that's in the bathroom!" Nina yelled. "What?" Amber asked wishing she hadn't heard Nina. "We're you watching us get changed!" Patricia asked angrily. "N... no I... I didn't see anything." "Let him go Mick I'm sick of looking at him." Mick did as Joy demanded and though the boy to the ground. "Leave before I change my mind". Joy worned Alfie and with that he was gone. The group of friends sat and watched movies until joy got bored. "OK guys, now I know that especially with Nina we have been a little easily disagreeable. So I suggest that we share secrets." Joy announced, the boys had left about half an hour ago to their campsite in the trees behind Nina's house. Joy always said that secrets were what kept them together but some in the group might claim that in the end the secrets would be what tore them apart. "So, whose first?" Joy asked looking around the room she smiled. "Trixie, you want to start it?" Joy asked sweetly. "Yeah o... ok. Well lets see secret." She thought of the obvious one that she would eventually have to tell them anyway, "Well I'm moving to Iceland." " Joy you next." Nina suggested. "Sure Nins." Joy had to think she knew everything about her friends but she had to be careful with what she shared with them. She smiled thinking of her best lie yet, "I'm dating Eddie". Was it true no, did joy care not at all. "Well I guess I should say something." Amber thought for a moment. "My mom still with s for my dad to come back to us." Amber then looked to Mara. "I think that Jerome's sister is a bitch." Mara smiled relieved to get it off her back. "Your turn Nina." Amber smiled. Nina thought to tell her friends how she kissed her sister's boyfriend but her better judgment advised against it. "Well, Savannah used to think that Alfie Louis was cute." All of the girls gagged and laughed. "And with that disturbing image in our minds I think it's time for bed girls." Joy said. Everyone moved to their assigned place either on the floor or one of the coaches. "Goodnight girls." Joy said adding a sweet smile. "Goodnight!" They each replied. Later that night something awakened Nina from her peaceful sleep she slowly opened her eyes to see that it was Joy. "Joy?" Nina yawned. "What time is it?" Joy checked her phone, "About 3:30." Joy told her. "Is something wrong?" Nina asked. "No everything is fine just go back to sleep. I'm going to go back to my house for a second be right back." "Do you need my help at all?" Nina yawned again. "No Nins just go back to sleep I'll be right back." Joy pet the top of Nina's head, "I hate it when we fight Nins." Nina snuggled back under her covers. "Me to Joy." Nina whispered before she fell back to sleep. A scream woke all the girls up. "What happened?" Mara asked. "I don't know." Amber replied. "Where's Joy?" Patricia asked. "She went back to her house to grab something around 3:30?" Nina told the group. "How do you know that?" Mara questioned. "She made a little too much noise and woke me up." Nina started. Patricia looked at her phone, "That was an hour ago, it's 4:30 now." "Joy wouldn't just leave without telling us why." Amber stated. Even Nina knew that this was true. The boys knocked on the door. "Did you girls here that screaming?" Mick asked. "What's wrong?" Fabian asked looking at Nina's worried face. "Joy's gone missing". Patricia said. The friends went to Joy's house first when her mom told them that she hadn't come home they went to file a police report. Two months later Patricia left for Iceland still no trace of Joy Mercer had been found.