LOUD SECRETS

Lilly had just moved into a new house with her mother. The moment they stepped inside, they started cleaning the dusty rooms together. They had been cleaning since morning, and by evening, only one place was left — the old storeroom. “I’ll clean the storeroom,” Lilly told her mother. “You can start making dinner.” Her mother nodded and walked toward the kitchen while Lilly slowly made her way to the storeroom. She was exhausted, but she wanted to finish everything quickly. The room was dark, dusty, and filled with old boxes. Lilly began cleaning in a hurry when suddenly her eyes fell on an old diary lying in the corner. She picked it up carefully and stared at it. “Whose diary could this be?” she whispered. Curious, she opened it. The moment she looked at the first page, her heart nearly stopped. The diary belonged to John — a boy from her class. Lilly frowned in confusion. “What is John’s diary doing in our house?” She quickly flipped through the pages, but what she saw made her blood run cold. The diary contained secrets. Secrets about every student in her class. Lilly’s hands started shaking as she turned the pages faster and faster. Then suddenly— She saw her own name. Her face turned pale. Her breathing became uneven as she slowly read the words written beneath it. Before she could continue, someone suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder. Lilly screamed and spun around in fear. It was her mother. Lilly let out a relieved breath. “Mom! You scared me!” Her mother looked worried. “Honey, what happened? Why are you so nervous? And why are you sweating so much?” “N-Nothing, Mom,” Lilly replied quickly. “I just got startled.” Then her mother noticed the diary in Lilly’s hands. “What’s that?” Lilly immediately hid it behind her back. “It’s nothing… just an old book.” Without wasting another second, Lilly rushed out of the storeroom and ran straight to her bedroom. Her heart was pounding wildly. She locked the door and quickly opened the diary again. As she read the part written about her, shock filled her eyes. “How does John know all this?” she whispered. The diary mentioned her secret relationship with Kevin — something she had never told anyone. Except Denny. And Denny was dead. Lilly hurriedly flipped another page when suddenly a folded letter slipped out of the diary and fell onto the floor. Confused, she picked it up. Her hands froze the moment she saw the name written on it. Denny. Lilly’s chest tightened. “What is Denny’s letter doing here?” With trembling hands, she unfolded it and started reading. Hi Lilly, it’s me, Denny. I can’t tell you this face to face, so I’m writing this letter instead. Lilly, things are not what you think. Please trust me. You misunderstood everything. That day, Kevin came to my house— The rest of the letter was torn. Lilly stared at it in horror. “No… where’s the other half?” Tears filled her eyes. “What were you trying to tell me, Denny? What happened that day? Why was Kevin at your house?” She broke down crying. “I saw them together… Kevin cheated on me with Denny…” But now the unfinished letter made everything feel wrong. Suddenly, her mother’s voice echoed from downstairs. “Honey! Come eat dinner!” Lilly quickly wiped her tears and hide both the diary and the letter inside her cupboard before heading downstairs. She sat silently at the dining table while her mother served food, but Lilly couldn’t focus on anything. Her mind was trapped in the same questions. What was Denny trying to say? What really happened that day? And how did John know everyone’s secrets? “Lilly?” She didn’t even realize her mother had called her name several times. Her mother gently touched her shoulder. “Honey, what’s wrong? Eat before the food gets cold.” Lilly forced herself to nod, but she couldn’t swallow a single bite. Then suddenly— The doorbell rang. Lilly looked up nervously. “Who could come this late at night?” “I’ll check,” her mother said. She walked to the door and opened it. A shocked expression appeared on her face. “K-Kevin? What are you doing here at this hour?” Kevin smiled politely. “Hello, Aunty. I just came to congratulate you on the new house.” Her mother invited him inside. The moment Lilly saw Kevin standing there, fear spread through her body. “What is he doing here?” she thought. Kevin looked at her and smiled. “Hey, Lilly.” But Lilly said nothing. She only stared at him silently. Then she suddenly stood up. “Mom… I’m going to the washroom.” Without waiting for a response, she quickly walked away. Behind her, Kevin’s eyes followed her every step…