Chapter 4: Trust Issues
1451 Words
The next morning, Daniela knew something was wrong before she even entered the classroom.
Maybe it was the way people became quiet whenever she walked past.
Or the way two girls near the window looked at her, whispered something, and suddenly became very interested in their phones.
Daniela slowed down.
“Why is everybody looking at me like I owe them money?”
Amara, walking beside her, laughed.
“Maybe you do.”
“I don't.”
“You sure?”
“Amara.”
“Okay, okay.”
They both laughed, but Amara's smile disappeared when she noticed the noticeboard.
“Wait.”
Daniela followed her gaze.
Someone had written across the board in purple marker:
WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID.
Daniela stopped.
Her stomach tightened.
“I didn't do anything.”
Amara looked at the message, then back at Daniela.
“I know.”
“You don't even know what they're talking about.”
“Exactly.”
Amara took a picture of the writing with her phone.
“Don't touch it. If somebody did this on purpose, fingerprints or something might—”
She stopped herself.
Daniela raised an eyebrow.
“Since when are you a detective?”
“Since today.”
Daniela smiled despite herself.
“Very serious detective.”
“Thank you.”
The joke helped for about three seconds.
Then the bell rang.
---
During first period, Daniela couldn't concentrate.
She kept thinking about the message.
Finally, Daniel appeared beside her desk during a change of class.
“Can I talk to you?”
Daniela followed him into the hallway.
He showed her his phone.
STOP ASKING QUESTIONS.
Her smile disappeared.
“You got another one?”
Daniel nodded.
“Did you reply?”
“No.”
“Good.”
He hesitated.
“There was another message before this.”
Daniela looked at him.
“What did it say?”
Daniel showed her.
YOUR NEW FRIEND ISN'T WHO YOU THINK SHE IS.
Daniela immediately thought of Amara.
Then she felt annoyed with herself for doing so.
“That's probably what they want.”
“What?”
“To make us suspicious of each other.”
Daniel nodded.
“Probably.”
Daniela looked at him.
“You don't sound convinced.”
“I'm just saying we don't know who sent these.”
“Neither of us knows anything.”
“Exactly.”
Before Daniela could answer, someone called her name from inside the classroom.
Amara stood by the door.
“You guys coming? Because if we're late again, Mrs. Bello is going to use us as an example of what not to become.”
Daniela laughed.
“Coming.”
As they walked back inside, Amara glanced at Daniel.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.”
She looked at Daniela.
Daniela nodded.
“Fine.”
Amara didn't push.
She simply gave Daniela a small look that said she knew something was wrong but wasn't going to embarrass her by asking in front of everyone.
That somehow made Daniela feel worse.
---
During break, Daniela found a folded piece of paper on her desk.
She opened it.
CHECK YOUR LOCKER.
Her heart jumped.
She immediately looked around.
Students were talking, laughing, moving between desks.
Nobody seemed to be watching her.
Amara noticed her expression.
“What happened?”
Daniela handed her the note.
Amara read it.
Her face changed.
“Okay…”
“What?”
“I don't know.”
Amara looked around.
“Did you tell anyone about the messages?”
“No.”
“Daniel knows.”
“Who else?”
“Nobody.”
Amara folded the note carefully.
“Then maybe don't go alone.”
Daniela looked at her.
“You're coming?”
Amara gave her a look.
“Obviously.”
---
Daniel met them near the lockers.
Amara explained what had happened while they walked.
“Could be somebody messing with you,” Daniel said.
“That's not helping,” Amara replied.
“I'm just saying.”
“Well, say something helpful.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Okay. Don't open the locker.”
Amara nodded.
“See? That's actually useful.”
Daniela smiled.
“Can you two stop arguing for five seconds?”
“No,” they answered together.
For the first time that morning, Daniela laughed properly.
Then they reached her locker.
It was slightly open.
Daniela's smile vanished.
“I locked that.”
Amara's voice became quieter.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Nobody touched it.
Daniel looked down the hallway.
“Could've been left open.”
“No,” Daniela said. “I always lock it.”
She slowly opened the door.
Her books were still there.
Her lunch.
Her timetable.
Nothing seemed missing.
Then she noticed the envelope.
It was black.
No name.
No address.
Just a small purple crown drawn on the front.
Amara leaned closer.
“That's creepy.”
Daniela opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
It showed Daniela standing outside the school gate the previous afternoon.
Daniel was beside her.
But someone was standing behind them.
Their face was blurred.
Amara took a step closer.
“Who is that?”
“I don't know.”
“Were they there yesterday?”
Daniela nodded.
“I don't remember seeing anyone.”
Amara turned the photograph over.
There was writing on the back.
YOU'RE LOOKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.
Daniel stared at it.
“That's not funny.”
“No,” Amara said quietly. “It isn't.”
Then she noticed something.
“Wait.”
She pointed at the corner of the photograph.
“There.”
Part of a classroom window was visible.
Daniel looked closer.
“This was taken from inside the school.”
Amara's face tightened.
“So whoever took it was watching from one of the classrooms.”
Nobody spoke.
A noise suddenly came from the end of the hallway.
Footsteps.
Someone disappeared around the corner.
Daniel reacted first.
“I'll check.”
He ran.
“Daniel!” Daniela called.
Amara grabbed Daniela's wrist.
“Wait.”
Daniela looked at her.
“Why?”
“Because we don't know who that is.”
A second later, Daniel came back.
“Nothing.”
Amara let out a breath.
“Great. Love that for us.”
Daniel looked down.
Something was lying on the floor.
A purple pen.
Daniela picked it up.
A tiny crown was engraved on the side.
Amara stared at it.
“I've seen that before.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Where?”
Amara thought for a moment.
“I'm not sure.”
“You're sure you've seen it?”
“Yes. I just can't remember where.”
Daniel frowned.
“Could've been anybody's.”
“Exactly,” Amara said. “So let's not accuse somebody because of a pen.”
Daniela looked at her.
Amara noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No, what?”
“You're defending whoever owns it.”
Amara's expression hardened.
“I'm not defending anyone. I'm saying we don't have proof.”
Daniela immediately regretted her words.
“Sorry.”
Amara looked away.
“It's fine.”
But she wasn't smiling anymore.
Daniel broke the silence.
“We should probably tell someone.”
“Who?” Daniela asked.
“Teacher. Principal. Somebody.”
Amara shook her head.
“And say what? Someone keeps sending mysterious messages and we found a creepy photograph? They'll probably take our phones and tell us to stop watching too many crime shows.”
Daniel almost smiled.
“Fair.”
Daniela looked at the photograph again.
Something about it still bothered her.
Then her phone buzzed.
All three of them froze.
Daniela checked the screen.
A new message.
NOW YOU KNOW WHO TO WATCH.
She stared at it.
Then she noticed the sender.
Her own phone number.
Daniela's face went pale.
“Guys…”
Amara stepped closer.
“What?”
Daniela showed them.
Amara stared at the screen.
For once, she had absolutely nothing funny to say.
Daniel looked between them.
“How is that possible?”
“I don't know.”
Amara slowly shook her head.
“Okay.”
Daniela looked at her.
“Okay?”
Amara swallowed.
“We need to stop assuming this is just school drama.”
The hallway suddenly felt much colder.
Someone wasn't simply trying to scare Daniela.
They knew where she was.
They knew who she talked to.
They knew about the messages.
And somehow…
they could make it look like the messages were coming from her own phone.
Daniela looked at Amara.
Then at Daniel.
Neither of them looked suspicious.
And somehow, that was the scariest part.
Because if the person behind this wasn't obvious…
then Daniela had no idea who she could trust.
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