Lonely as she felt, Anna did her best to avoid Pearl that day. Pearl however, did the exact opposite. She tailed Anna everywhere. They didn't say much to each other, but for once, Anna was glad that she wasn't alone. Everywhere she looked, there were people in groups of friends, laughing, joking.
'You want to go somewhere after school?' Pearl asked immediately after the bell rang. Anna considered, but, realizing now the danger that she posed to anyone, especially those closest to her, she declined.
'No, thanks love. I have to go out tonight anyway.'
'Where you going?'
'Out.' She sighed. 'I'm sorry. Pearl, I like you, you're a nice kid…Hell, you're a great friend too. The thing is, we CAN'T be friends, it just can't be. I'm too…'
'You're too what?' Pearl almost whispered it. Anna felt a stab of guilt, driving right through her, puncturing her insides and making her stomach feel numb and her mouth feel dry.
'Too unnatural.'
'You're…not. Not to me! Anna please!' She began as Anna turned away. 'You're the only friend I've ever had; no one else has ever talked to me before. I don't think you're weird or unnatural or anything else, please, Anna LISTEN TO ME!' Her voice made Anna stop and turn.
'You have to understand, this is not what I wanted to do. Pearl, why do you think I didn't want to talk to you to begin with when I first started here?'
'Anna, that was only two days ago! You're talking like you've been here forever!'
'WHAT IF I HAVE BEEN HERE FOREVER?'
They both stopped. Pearl felt hot tears spill over her eyes. Anna's shouting was a horrible sound, it was like her voice turned to ice, grew, filled up the room. She could feel her anger, her pain, her guilt. Her sadness.
'Anna.' Pearl said, her voice trembling, as she watched Anna move for the door a little too quickly.
'Yes…' Anna's voice wasn't steady either.
'Don't do anything stupid. Please.'
Anna turned, ignoring the wetness dripping from her eyes, waiting until she turned around to wipe it away.
'I don't do stupid.'
Anna's next task: getting more food. She was hungry. And alone. After being alone for so long she thought she'd be used to it but, before having a friend, even if it was only for a couple of days, she hadn't known what she could have. Now she missed it. Like a physical ache. Eventually she dragged herself away from the broken shards of mirror and out into the night. Once again, she wore her white dress; the blood from the previous evening had dried from Anna stuffing the dress behind the radiator to hide it earlier. She was oblivious to the world, more so than the previous night, though she now took care to avoid cars. She wanted to run once she got into the open but knew that this was only draw attention to herself and since everyone was on alert after the two previous killings, this meant that Anna had to be extremely nondescript.
She was so intent on her goal, that she didn't notice the sound of shoes squeaking behind her.