"You're never going to get away with this." I growl, even before I turn around.

"Oh, but I will." Vikram whispers into my ear.

"I'm sorry, I really did like you." He says evilly. "But you know too much." At this instant the object tightens against my neck and I move backwards away from it until I'm pressed up against Vikram's body.

"Did Danny tell his other little friend?" He asks, stretching the red jump rope taut across my throat. Determined not to let anything slip, I resist crying and respond.

"No. Only me, he told me the night at the church." I say very convincingly.

"Don't you think this is a little ironic?" Vikram cackles, obviously meaning the red jump rope, as he tightens it.

"Danny will never forgive you." My voice cracks under the pressure on my throat.

"Oh, I know." He sighs. We all know who the real sociopath is.

"Goodbye, Johanna." He whispers in my ear. Vikram yanks backward on the rope, wraps it around my neck, and continues to tighten it, cutting off the access of air to my lungs.

I remember hearing once that when a wild animal is after you to play dead.

I struggle, kicking and thrashing, clawing and scratching, all while gagging on nothing. Blood drips from my nose from the pressure, and I feel my face flushing wit heat. To make it believable I wait a good few seconds before going limp.

I remember the days when Lacey, Danny, and I would go swimming, we would all dive under the water and see who could stay down there the longest. I always won, only going back to the surface way after the other two had pushed their feet against the bottom of the pool to get to the top.

I also use the skill of the staring contests I always had with Lacey. Danny sucked at it, he'd blink after only three seconds. Lacey and I went on for what seemed like forever, until our eyes dried up. I'd still always won though.

So I collapse to the floor, hold my breath, and stare at the ceiling. Vikram chuckles and drops the rope and I, circling us a few times before kneeling down. He stares right into my face, and for a brief moment I believe my heart stopped, because it looked like he knew. I can't hold my breath for any longer, but he's still kneeling next to me. Black dots spot my vision and I force myself not to take a breath, even though it feels like my lungs are collapsing. I don't think I'd be able to breathe even if I let myself, the rope is still tangled around my throat.

I hear a bang and some background noise, but I have to concentrate on holding my breath. I let myself drift into unconsciousness because I know Vikram will leave soon and when I wake up I'll be alone in the house, successfully presumed dead.

Lacey's POV

Danny and I sit in his room at the foot of his bed sharing a bag of chips and chatting like the first night we reconnected. As horrible as it sounds, this is how I feel it should be. Just Danny and I, no Jo. I feel like Jo is always following Danny around like a needy puppy. I mean he is her only friend besides Rico, she really needs to branch out a little bit.

"I can't believe it's all over." I sigh as I lean into Danny. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and passes me the bag of chips.

"I don't believe it." Danny says.

"Come on, do you seriously think Vikram will try to get something from you? He wouldn't come after you when you're in such a spotlight, he wants to stay missing." I point out.

"I guess you're right." He says, making a grab at the chip bag.

"uh-uh, you already ate like the whole bag!" I slap at his hand playfully and shake the bag, which has nothing left but crumbs.

"I play sports, I eat a lot more." He laughs.

"You eat like a horse." I joke.

"I still feel like something's off." Danny says.

"What?" I ask, the seriousness in the room like an elephant.

"Jo." He says simply.

"You've got to be kidding me." I say angrily, pulling out of his arms and standing in front of him.

"It's always been her, hasn't it?" I ask.

"No, that's not what I'm talking about!" Danny says, grabbing my hands in his.

"I think she's in danger." He says, staring me in the eyes. I can't resist those eyes. I look away.

"You think she's in danger every three seconds." I snap.

"No, you don't know what I mean! In anger I told my dad that Jo knew he framed me." Danny says stressfully, running his hands through his hair.

"You did WHAT?!" I ask him.

"We need to go check on her, she's home alone tonight." He says, throwing me my jacket.

"Alright, let's hurry." I pull my hair from my jacket and grab my car keys off his night stand.

Danny's POV

When Lacey parks in Jo's driveway, everything appears normal. I give Lacey a concerned glance and she gets out of her car.

"Jo?" I call out, frantically knocking on her door.

"Jo, open up, it's serious!" Lacey raps on the frame. I look around and fear bites at my heart when some curtains are blowing around outside an open window.

"Stay here!" I urge Lacey, already knowing she's not going to listen to me. I crawl through the window and creep into the living room. When I see my father's back, I shout.

"I'm calling 911, get out of here!" And my dad bolts. Lacey finally gets through the window as I rush into the room my father was in.

"Jo!" Lacey cries. Jo is lying on the floor, eyes frozen open and staring at the ceiling. My eyes can't help but drift to the red jump rope tangled around her neck.

"No!" I cry out, kneeling beside her and trying to unwind the rope. When I look back at Jo's face, her eyes are closed. Her face is a reddish purple color from lack of air, and a small dribble of blood has run down her face from her nose.

"I can't get it off!" I say, tears blurring my vision. Lacey carefully lifts Jo's head with one hand and calls 911 with the other. When I finally slide the rope from around Jo's neck, I angrily throw it across the room where it hits the wall with a bang.

"Jo, open your eyes, it's us now, you can stop pretending." I say frantically.

"Jo?" I croak. Lacey is good in a crisis, and she reaches over to check Jo's pulse. Her two fingers linger on Jo's neck a few seconds too long and my heart falls. Tears are running down Lacey's cheeks as her fingers just rest there.

"She's dead, isn't she?" I ask.

"I'm sorry Danny-" She says, and the tears keep on coming. The police sirens can finally be heard out front.

"Wait! Danny I felt something!" Lacey says hopefully as the police knock down the front door.

"Jo? Johanna Masterson wake up right now!" I cry, cradling her head in my lap.

"Put your hands in the air!" The police shout. At the front of the pack is Jo's dad, staring in horror.

Lacey's POV

Everything only goes downhill. An ambulance attaches a thousand machines to Jo and carts her out of the house on a stretcher.

Mr. Masterson roughly locks the handcuffs around Danny's hands with tears on his cheeks and an angry fire in his eyes.

"Danny didn't do this!" I scream at him.

"Save it for the court!" He tells me, leading Danny to a squad car. Danny stares at me apologetically over his shoulder. So I stand there in the living room alone. The living room Jo was strangled in while I thought badly of her, the room Danny was arrested in for her attempted murder.

What makes me feel even guiltier is that the biggest reason I'm glad Jo is alive is so that she can testify in court. I can't help it, I wasn't that close with her. I feel like all of this is somehow my fault. If I hadn't been bitching at Danny for worrying about Jo, maybe we would have gotten here a minute sooner and she wouldn't be in an ambulance and he wouldn't be in a squad car. If we had gotten here earlier Danny could have stopped Vikram and the police would have caught him.

But then I realize something. This is all Vikram's fault. If it weren't for Vikram, not only would I not be in this situation right now, but Regina would be alive, Danny would have never gone to jail, Jo and I would still be friends, and we would have had a normal life. All three of us. Together as best friends. I clench my fists and I suddenly have an extreme desire for revenge, and I wonder how Danny has held it in for so long.