13

Thursday. Third period. Still nothing. Tiana had begun to question A's silence and wondered what kind of plan he or she was cooking up for her and the others? Deep down inside, she wanted to believe that A was gone but there was no way that could be the case because Sofia had received a text a few days ago. It was an option she really would have liked to consider, but she knew that there was just no point.

"Right, finish your sentences and get into pairs." Mrs Trenton, the French teacher, took her eyes off what she writing and pushed her round spectacles up her nose. "Practice the paragraph you've just written with your partner."

Laura approached Tiana as everyone stood up from their desks. "I need to talk to you."

"What is it? Has A sent you something new?" Tiana pulled Laura into the corner so that everyone else was out of earshot. "What have you been threatened with this time?" A made Tiana very anxious

"Well..." Laura looked as if she was deciding on what she should say. "I've been trying to tell you this for a few days now..."

"If it's personal, you don't have to tell me you know." Tiana whispered and made sure Mrs Trenton wasn't looking. She fixed the waist of her black, skinny jeans.

"No...Well...it isn't personal to me." Laura walked across the classroom and back to her desk at the front. She grabbed her purple Dior handbag.

Tiana grew more and more confused as she waited. When Laura returned, she was desperate to know what was actually going on. "So who's this new piece of info about then?"

Laura took a deep breath and pulled a piece of yellow paper and a plain white envelope out of the purse. "I think you should see this." She was about to hand Tiana the yellow piece of paper, but she decided to give her the envelope on its own. "A wants this to go public."

Tiana ripped the contents of the envelope out and was speechless when she saw the photograph.

"A can't make me do it though, and I won't!" Laura stated.

Mrs Trenton looked up. "In French please!"

"It's a lot to get my head around, but why didn't you tell me? I know what you're going through." Laura fiddled with the piece of paper.

"I...I...I can't do this I'm sorry," Tiana picked her bag up and stormed out of the classroom ignoring Mrs Trenton's yelling.

"Tiana! Wait!" Laura ran to catch up with Tiana. "Talk to me! I know it's hard but think about it! If this happened to you, it can happen to any one of us."

Tiana fought back the tears. "A knows too much!"

Laura tried to calm her down. "Exactly! But I won't say anything. I promise."

"But what good is that? A could do it without your help whenever he...or she...or whatever that beast is wants to!" Tiana paced up and down the hallway frantically. "There's obviously more than one copy of this picture! It could be plastered all over the walls by tomorrow!"

"Take a deep breath!" Laura breathed in deeply.

Tiana did the same repeatedly. "Alright."

"Now, how about we walk and talk?" Laura didn't wait for an answer. She was headed straight for the door of the languages block. "Some will do you good. It will help you to relax!"

"It's gotta be Anna! Why would Abi do this to us, even if she was alive-" Tiana started.

"We don't know she isn't alive!" Laura snapped. "But I do agree with you. Anna is clearly holding a grudge."

"If that picture gets out...what am I gonna do?" Tiana's breathing rate increased again.

"The picture's not that bad! It's just something that people will take a little while adjusting to." Laura gave Tiana a reassuring smile.

"But how will anyone get used to this?" Tiana waved the picture in Laura's face. "I dated my own cousin Dan."

Laura gasped. "Keep your voice down! If you keep talking that loud, you won't need to wait for A to tell all." Laura narrowed her eyes. "That's the reason you left the party isn't it? You're still in love with him aren't you?"

"I left because I didn't wanna make things awkward for him." Tiana rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we can't be together now! I was stupid back then!"

"If you still like him then don't fight it." It was so obvious that Laura felt strongly about love and being with someone if you truly thought that it was what you wanted.

"If only it were that easy." Tiana stood staring at the darkening skies.