Chapter 2

Hanna

My alarm ricocheted through my nightmare of drowning in a grave filling up with blood, and I jumped in my bed. I slammed my fist down on the button on top of the clock, and the plastic clock burst into pieces. Fuck! Must've hit it harder than I thought. I laid back on my pillow and rubbed my eyes with a groan escaping my throat. I rolled over and opened the drawer of my nightstand and shoved my papers aside, revealing a small bottle of Jack Daniels. I twisted off the cap and took a long swig before replacing it back in its less than clever hiding spot. I pushed my blankets off me and climbed out of bed. I grabbed my outfit for the day and walked to the bathroom where I took a shower and got ready in a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and a white lace long sleeved top overlaid with a melon colored cropped blazer and black open-toed booties. Once I was finished, I left the house with a thermos of coffee and my purse in hand. Just as I'd stepped outside, my phone pinged in my hand and Aria's face appeared on the screen accompanied by a text message announcing, "On my way."

I typed back a quick, "outside" before tucking my phone in my pocket and waiting at the end of my driveway. I pulled a pair of sunglasses from my purse and just as I perched them on the bridge of my nose, I caught sight of a large older black muscle car pull up to the curb between mine and Aria's house and park. The windows were tinted and no one got out. I pulled my phone out of my pocket again and took a few quick pictures before Aria pulled up in front of me. Her brother, Mike, sat in the backseat.

"Thanks for the ride," I said as I opened the door and climbed in. "I appreciate it."

"No problem." Aria smiled.

"What do you mean no problem?" Mike interrupted. "You're not the one having to sit in the bitch seat."

"Mike." Aria shot him a scolding look.

"Hey have you guys ever seen that car around here?" I asked as we drove past it on the way to school.

"No. It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen here before," Aria said.

"It's really nice though," Mike added.

"Hmmm . . ." I leaned back in the passenger's seat.

"So how long until your mom gives you back your license?" Aria asked.

I shrugged. "She says until she can trust me again."

"So never?" Mike quipped.

"Mike!" Aria scolded again.

"No, it's fine. He's probably right." I sighed.

"Well at least Sean's parents didn't press charges though, right?" Aria asked.

"Yeah, you could be in a detention center right now." Mike stretched out in the backseat. "You know with the underage drinking and all."

I rolled my eyes but didn't speak.

When we pulled up to the school, Alison and Spencer stood out front. We met up with them just as Emily pulled up in her car. She climbed out of her car and joined us, and her hand entwined with Alison's and they kissed. The girls began their chatter over their evenings, and I followed them as we turned to enter the building, just at that moment I spotted the same car pull up to the edge of the parking lot and wait. I paused at the top of the steps.

"Hanna, you coming?" Spencer asked.

I glanced back to them and then to the car. "Yeah."

I followed them inside.