K is for Killer

It was almost ten o' clock p.m. at Hollywood Arts high school, and it was a particularly warm night. The air was humid, and the stars were masked by thick clouds promising rain, but none of the teenagers inside the high school minded.

Trina, Robbie, Tori, Jade, Beck, Andre, and Cat were all rehearsing for a play the next day, and they were very behind. Trina was focused on applying makeup, Tori and Andre were writing a song as they practiced, Cat was pretending to be a fire truck, and Robbie was playing on his pearpad.

Surprisingly, the only ones focused were Beck and Jade.

"Okay, Andre, maybe it would be better if we did an A on this note," Tori said, hunching over their music sheet.

"Oooh, good call," Andre said.

"Can we please get started?" Beck asked, raking a hand through his dark locks. "We've been here an hour and we don't have anything done!"

"Oh my gosh, did you know that there are underwater Pearphones?" Robbie was asking, as one of the Grumpy Gerbils on his game screamed. "How cool would it be to have one of those? We could totall-"

"WHEEEHOOO, I'm Cat! The fire engine! WHEEEHOOO!"

"Guys," Beck repeated. "Seriously."

"Tori, which eyeliner works better? The one on my left eye or my right?"

"I dunno, Trina, I'm busy…Okay, Andre, how does this sound?"

"WHEEHOOO!"

"I mean, seriously, snorkeling would be so much better if we could use our Pearphones to look up what kind of fish we were seeing-"

"Okay, Tori, try these last two notes-"

"Ugh, the glitter eyeliner is coming out in clumps-"

"WHEEHOOO!"

"Everybody shut up!" Jade screamed, and everybody froze. "We're doing the play now, so put away whatever you're doing and get the script."

"Okay, let me just finish-"

"NOW!"

Everybody jumped to put away their makeup, pearpads and lyric sheets and take out their scripts.

"Okay," Jade said, once everybody had settled. "The play is in less than twenty-four hours, and half of you don't even know your lines! Let's get going!"

"Dang, girl," Andre said under his breath.

Jade grabbed her own script, and continued taking charge. "Okay, Trina, your line is first as the narrator."

"Okay," Trina said. "Ahem…LONG AGOOO IN THE CAAAAASTLE OF-"

Trina yelled at the top of her lungs, using a bad fake accent.

"Trina," Beck called over her voice. "…Trina. TRINA!"

She stopped.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?" Beck asked.

"I'm projecting my voice…Too loud?"

"Yeah, kinda…"

"Okay, okay…Long agooo in the caaaaastle of Gerona, there lived a princess naaaaamed Catherine, who was engaged to Prince Donavon. One day she decided to speak to the Prime Minister about her ceremony!"

"Lose the accent," Tori muttered to her sister, and Trina rolled her eyes.

A silence followed, and Jade sighed.

"Cat? Your line?"

"Oh, right! Um, okay…Wait, where are we?"

"First page, second line."

"Really? We've been here an hour…"

"Yes, we're all painfully aware," Jade said through gritted teeth. "Can you just say your line?"

"Okay! Oh, Prime Minister…Wherever shall my wedding take place?"

"…"

"Robbie, you're the Prime Minister," Beck groaned.

"Oh! Right…"

"Robbie, put your phone away and say your line! You memorized it, right?"

"Yeah yeah," Robbie said. "Um…Oh my gosh!"

"That's not your line!"

"No, I know!" Robbie's face was suddenly pale white. "Look at the text I just got!"

If his tone hadn't been so frightened, Jade wouldn't have bothered. But since Robbie looked like he was about to wet his pants, it must have been something good."

"To Robbie and friends," Jade began reading it. "A killer is outside your school right now…about to murder you. Take cover and beware."

Everybody simultaneously freaked out.

"Who's it from?" Tori gasped.

"I-I dunno, it's an unknown number!"

"Okay, well, hide!"

"Quick, someone shut the lights off so the killer won't know we're here!"

Jade stood in the center of the room, gaping openmouthed at the stupidity of her classmates as they all took cover behind desks, in lockers and against the wall. Trina slammed the lights off and dove under the table.

Everything was silent for a whole minute as Jade tried to control her temper by breathing deeply before she spoke.

"Jade," breathed Robbie. "Stop breathing so hard, they'll hear you."

"…YOU PEOPLE ARE RIDICULOUS!"

"Jade, shh!"

"There is no killer here," Jade replied. "It was just a text to scare Robbie, now stop behaving like children and-"

Jade was cut short by the beam of a flashlight shining in through a window. As soon as it appeared, it vanished. Jade froze.

Heavy, sure footsteps were thumping their way closer and closer to the door. It creaked open, and a patch of moonlight illuminated what looked like a knife blade.

Before anyone could move or speak, Jade was running to the figure, feet poised to attack. She kicked at it hard, and the person fell to the floor.

Andre ran forward to turn the lights on, and they illuminated an all too familiar face.

"Sinjin?" Jade asked. "What do you think you're doing?"

Sinjin stood up and dropped what he was holding, which wasn't a knife, but a silver high heeled shoe.

"Please don't tell my mother!"

Random Quote Of The Day: Clown: Can I have a ride to your house?

Tori: Um, no.

Note: OMG guys I got a turtle! It's a painted turtle, and it just hatched and it's the size of my thump tip! It's so tiny and omg I love it! Haha, I was so excited and I was gonna name him either Finnick or Peeta from Hunger Games, but then I realized that "he" was a girl! Uh oh! So any name suggestions?

Sshaw101: Haha, I love hearing about your sister! Eh, that came out stalkerish, huh? Haha…And Imma make you some Jell-O!

MariaLuvsYew: lol, I'm so sorry!

Anonymous: OMG YESS! Tonight at midnight! My friends are going, but I can't because it's too late on a school night and I get VERY cranky if I don't sleep. Haha, but I am so mad!