The Warning
604 Words
Zara barely slept that night.
The note was still sitting inside her notebook.
Stay away from Jayden.
Six simple words.
But they had managed to turn everything upside down.
She kept wondering who had written it. More importantly, why?
Jayden had enemies. Everyone knew that.
But why would someone care enough to warn her?
By the time Zara arrived at school the next morning, she had made a decision.
She wasn't going to tell Amie.
Not yet.
She wasn't going to tell a teacher either.
And she definitely wasn't going to confront Jayden.
At least, that was the plan.
“Good morning.”
Zara looked up.
Jayden stood beside her desk.
“Morning.”
He studied her face.
“You okay?”
“I'm fine.”
“You don't look fine.”
“I didn't sleep well.”
“Why?”
Zara looked away.
“Nothing.”
Jayden was quiet for a moment.
Then he leaned slightly closer.
“Did someone say something to you?”
Zara's eyes returned to his.
“Why would you ask that?”
“Because you look like you're thinking about something.”
“Maybe I am.”
He gave a small smile.
“You're not very good at hiding things.”
“Neither are you.”
His smile disappeared.
For a second, they simply looked at each other.
Then Jayden's expression became serious.
“Zara, if anyone bothers you, tell me.”
“Why?”
“Because I don't want you getting dragged into something that has nothing to do with you.”
She almost laughed.
“That's the problem. I think it already has something to do with me.”
Jayden froze.
“What do you mean?”
Before Zara could answer, the bell rang.
Students began filling the classroom.
Jayden stepped away.
“We'll talk later.”
Zara nodded.
But they never got the chance.
During lunch, Zara went to her locker.
As she opened it, something fell onto the floor.
A photograph.
She picked it up.
Her stomach dropped.
It was Jayden.
But he wasn't alone.
Standing beside him was the same girl she'd seen yesterday.
The picture looked old.
Maybe several months old.
On the back, someone had written:
Ask him what happened that night.
Zara stared at the words.
“What night?”
“Zara?”
She quickly turned.
Jayden was standing a few steps away.
His eyes dropped to the photograph in her hand.
His entire expression changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“I found it in my locker.”
He walked toward her.
“Give it to me.”
“Why?”
“Zara.”
“No.”
His jaw tightened.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain it.”
He looked around the hallway.
Several students were nearby.
“Not here.”
“Then where?”
Jayden took a breath.
“After school. Behind the old science block.”
Zara hesitated.
“Why there?”
“Because I need to tell you something.”
She looked at the photograph again.
“About her?”
Jayden didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Zara folded the photograph and put it into her notebook.
“Fine.”
Jayden nodded.
But before he walked away, he said quietly,
“Don't tell anyone you're meeting me.”
Zara watched him leave.
For the first time since this whole mess began, she wasn't just curious.
She was scared.
Because whatever happened that night had clearly been important enough for someone to threaten her over it.
And now Jayden was finally going to tell her the truth.
Or at least part of it.
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