"You guys are meant for each other, you can work it out." ~ Piper McLean
"If you don't do it, you know what will happen." A sly smile crept up on her face. "I can imagine the headlines next week. The Shooter revealed."
"Stop." The Shooter said. "You, you are manipulating me to do something? You? Is this some kind of joke? I am threatened by a nobody."
"Won't be so much of a nobody if you fear me. Looks like I can check that off my list now. You're looking at the new mastermind."
"No, I refuse." The Shooter said firmly. "As much as it seems tempting to help, I have my own motives. I don't get bossed, I boss people around."
"I knocked down Piper McLean."
"Not kill. I'm not looking forward to a brief week of unconsciousness. I want her dead but I want her to find out my identity before she kisses goodbye to her life." The Shooter smiled creepily. "It's beautiful watching all these police, detectives, Goode high students trying to find out who I am when I'm just under their nose."
"How about dear Jason? Oh, how heartbroken he'll be when you killed his lovely girlfriend? You are fond of him, aren't you?"
"Of course I am!" The Shooter snapped. "Ah, Jason. Poor Jason. There's other girls out there. Not everybody will be like Miss movie-star McLean. He deserves better."
"How about Reyna? She's pretty fond of Jason too. What would you think Jason will be like if Reyna and Piper ended up in the cemetery?"
"Reyna?" The Shooter laughed. "I don't give a damn about her. Her mom pisses me off. Look, I wasn't going to hurt those girls. My intentions have already been done two years ago. BANG, my victims are all dead."
"Well, dear me. I am terrible at hiding secrets. If I have information you are scared to release, that isn't so good is it? The choice is yours, love. Do it or it'll be tomorrow's headlines."
"Excuse me. I am a highly respected member of the public and in the, well let's say criminal world. They all know me as the mastermind, the shooter but nobody knows who I am. Except for you of course, miss amateur." The Shooter gave a haughty laugh. "I don't believe your little threat can stop me from anything."
"Well, this might." She took out her phone and held it against the Shooter's face. An anonymous text to the police read:
The Shooter is…
"Shall I quickly type your name there? If I wrote it, it'll be in the records forever. You can't erase it. The 'delete' function would only make the text disappear from screen. It'll always be in the phone system."
"Leave." The Shooter said firmly. "Leave and I never want to see you again. Mark my words, fuck off and you'll be safe. If you don't, you will be the next one serving Satan down there in Hell."
"Oh, it's just the matter of time I'll meet you there." She shrugged. "It's not like you're an angel either. Next time I see you, you'll be behind bars, biatch."
"Here." The Shooter's eyes remained cold.
"What?" She asked confused. "Huh?"
The Shooter whisked out an envelope from the coat pockets. "The money."
"Wow, you're really giving it to me?"
"I don't exactly have a choice here. Now fuck off, get your sorry arse away from my sight." The Shooter threatened. "Next time, you won't be so lucky."
As she left, the Shooter opened the drawers and stroke the weapon fondly. There would be at least 200 people in that Valentine dance, perfect. If that amateur is going to point her filthy fingers and threaten the shooter like that, it's not going to work. The Shooter is going to teach her a lesson. Something she will never forget. Maybe she will end up being a victim this time. She is not getting away with the money.
"Percy." Piper said. "You are in trouble."
"Seriously?" Percy raised his eyebrow. "You call me when I'm in the middle of watching a movie and won't even say 'hi'."
"Sorry but you do know the Valentine Dance is next week don't you? Everybody is expecting you to ask Annabeth and the thing is, she cheated on you."
"Yeah." Percy winced. "I have been thinking of that but is there proof that the picture is taken when I'm dating her? After all, Luke is gone for like 80% of the time we're dating."
"He's alive at that time and Annabeth obviously knew. They might be secretly meeting each other or something. Besides, you guys were dating even before the Shooter." Piper told him.
"This isn't helping our situation." Percy sighed. "I don't know what to do."
Piper laughed. "Tell Annabeth. In fact, I told you to confront her like right after you saw the picture. It's unhealthy in a relationship to keep secrets from each other."
"I can't." Percy said. "Haven't you realized? I love her too much. It's impossible to just break up with her."
"Telling her doesn't mean you're breaking up." Piper reminded him softly. "You guys are meant for each other, you can work it out."
"I don't think it will this time." Percy admitted. "Seriously. She was cheating on me."
"Ask her for the details. Ask her why she was doing that. It will work out Perce, trust me." Piper said encouragingly. "It won't be that bad. Come on."
"Do you think I can do this?"
Piper cried. "Of course! Text her saying you want to meet her somewhere now. Don't do it over text or phone calls. You'll be such a jerk if you do that."
"Are you sure?"
"Do it now Perce." Piper told him. "Or I'll arrange it."
"Okay, fine! I'll do it now."
"Frank." Hazel tapped her friend's shoulder. "You realize we're like the only ones without a date to the Valentine Dance do you? I mean, not like the only ones without a date. Like without anybody expecting to ask us to the dance."
"Uh yeah." Frank titled his head thoughtfully. "And?"
"I was wondering if you want to go to the dance with me." Hazel blushed. "I mean not like as a couple, but as friends." She added quickly.
"Sure." Frank's cheeks had a slight twinge of crimson. "I'd love to. You know, so we won't be going alone."
"Yeah." Hazel said awkwardly. She really wanted to ask Frank out, not as friends but as a couple but she thought it would be hard. If Frank didn't like her that way, their friendship will be ruined.
"So.." Frank said. He's terrible at awkward situation and despised being in one.
"Uh.." Hazel shifted her foot. "You know, if anyone asked if we're a couple or not, should we say yes or no?"
"Say yes." Frank told her, a bit too quickly. "It's not like I want us to be a couple but we wouldn't look as bad if we pretend to be one."
"That works." Hazel said thoughtfully. "Especially when it's Cat's party. Shame Piper won't be there though, she'll be in Ashley's."
"Cat must be devastated." Frank commented. "I mean she and Piper are best friends and now Piper is ditching her for Ashley's party."
"Maybe Cat's going too."
"So Cat's ditching her own party for Ashley's." Frank frowned. "Don't see that happening."
"Yeah, you made it sound ridiculous." Hazel tilt her head towards one side. "I don't know how they're going to work it out but they seem to be great so I'm guessing no conflict."
"Hylla?" Reyna called. "What are you doing for Valentine day?"
"Im going to Ashley Taylor's party." Hylla replied smugly. "I got invited."
"And?" Reyna raised her eyebrows.
"Ashley is popular, Reyna. I'm not going to only be successful and rich. I'm going to be successful, rich and famous." Hylla boasted. "Too bad you're not invited, little sis. Everybody's going to be there."
"You're not the only one there." Reyna said bitterly trying to hide her jealousy. "My friend Piper's going. She got invited, personally."
"Piper..Piper McLean?" Hylla shook her head. "You're still friends with her after she stole your boyfriend?"
"Jason's not my boyfriend and he's not even dating Piper." Reyna corrected but hesitated. Is she even friends with Piper? Sure, people consider them to be friends but really, being envy of her constantly isn't healthy in a friendship. "and yeah, Piper's my friend." Reyna muttered slowly.
"Okay." Hylla shrugged. "So why did Piper get invited but you didn't?"
"Piper's friends with Ashley. Really, really good friends." Reyna added even when she didn't know it's true or not. She's sick of Hylla bragging and wanted to make Hylla feel jealous of somebody for once, like Reyna is herself.
"Um..okay?" Hylla frowned. "What are you doing? You seem so strange today."
"Oh nothing." Reyna said casually and picked up her phone. "Oh look! Piper just texted me! She's going to do the pool with Ashley tomorrow."
"Cool." Hylla sighed. "You know I don't really care. Why are you telling me this?"
"I don't know. Just thought you might like to know." Reyna smirked. "You might."
"Okay." Hylla shrugged and walked out of the living room.
Piper glanced at a framed photograph on her wall. It was a photo of her and Silena. Piper understood how Silena felt before she died. Piper's life is pretty much mess up but it was predictable. She wanted more thrills in her life. She wanted to do something that she know she would regret later on.
Piper sighed. Maybe the answer to her problems will be found in Ashley's Valentine day party. She wasn't that innocent girl everybody pictured her as anymore. After her fall out with Cat a few years ago, she thought Cat was a bad influence. Now they are friends again, Piper realized she isn't anymore. Cat helped her figure out that there are much more to life than being popular, prom queen, or somebody everybody wants to be.
People often compared Piper to Drew, Silena or Cat. However, if you really know them, you would realize they are totally different people.
Drew is more of a shallow, cunning, manipulative person. Everybody have somewhat of an impression that Drew is a total airhead but in reality, she isn't. She hid her intelligence and really, she is smarter than anyone. Her hidden cleverness had gave her advantage.
Silena is the beautiful, popular, perfect in a teenage way girl everybody looked up to. She has good morals but sometimes does illegal, unacceptable things in order to achieve the outcome which always benefits somebody.
Cat is the straight on bad-boy. She's one of those haughty girls who doesn't give a damn about anything. Her motto if she had one would be something like 'Live like today is your last day'. She is carefree, brave and dangerous. She is the loose cannon you want on your team.
Piper is the girl every mother wants. She is pretty, innocent, pure and nice. Despite all this, she isn't as perfect as everyone imagined. She is naive and have many things to learn about the world. She is fragile and easy to push over the edge. She makes a great victim, but also a strong enemy.
There's one thing all these girls have in common. They all have pretty lies hiding ugly truths. They have terrible secrets, some so bad they can kill simply by knowing them.
This makes all of them vulnerable victims. The Shooter wants to know the secret. The Shooter doesn't want the secret to get out. The Shooter would do anything to get information out of these girls or make them do what the shooter wishes. However, the consequences of being popular is that everybody knows about you. They study you. They know your strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes, they even know things about the girls they don't know themselves.
AN: Pre-Valentine Day chapter! hehe, percabeth breaking up before Valentine Day... If you want a Valentine Day story, check out my story Poseidon's Adventure. :P
Next chapter will be the Valentine Day special :)
~Kisses, Emily