“What do you mean you were the last person to see her?” A few seconds of silence had passed between the group after Braxton’s breaking news, and Willow was the one who finally found her voice to speak up. “The day she went missing, I had seen her. Even if I hadn’t seen her, I had gotten that restraining order against her a while back, remember?” Willow slightly nodded while Jennifer looked at him with a confused expression. “Why am I just now hearing about this restraining order?” She asked.

Braxton began stirring his now melting ice cream then took a spoonful of it into his mouth. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. During school you had a different schedule than us, so you didn’t hang out with us when we hung out with Hayleigh.” This caused her to cross her arms, puffing out her cheeks as she pretended to pout. “I still like to know what’s going on with you guys.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyways, things kind of got out of hand at the end of last school year, so I had to get a restraining order.”

“Is that why you seemed so cold about her being missing?” Jennifer asked. Braxton sighed. ‘She wasn’t there for what happened Braxton, keep your cool.’ “It’s not that I don’t care, because I do, you just don’t know what she was like there at the end of our friendship.” There was a pause Jennifer wasn’t going to drop it anytime soon.

“She got obsessive and started stalking me.” He said in a monotone voice. Obsessive was an understatement for the situation, but it was the best he could do to describe it. “I don’t want to talk about that though, not unless I have to. It’s kind of a touchy subject for me, especially since she’s now missing and I might be looked at as a possible suspect.” Taking another sip of his coffee he chuckled. “I never thought I would find myself in this kind of predicament.” Jennifer rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. “How did you two even get to be so close though? You two were complete opposites.” He gave a soft hum. “I can at least tell you that much.”

It was the beginning of Braxton’s senior year when he first met Hayleigh Henderson. Hayleigh had just barely turned sixteen and was in her sophomore year. The two of them went to the same school, but Braxton was the loner type while Hayleigh had been one of the popular girls, so they had no reason to interact with one another. Braxton already knew about Hayleigh, not by choice, but it’s always hard to escape rumors. Everyone knows your High School years are the best, correct? Wrong. Not everything went that way for most people. Hayleigh was one of those people. The rumors had started at the beginning of the last semester of that school year.

Most boys in Hayleigh’s grade would fawn over her, completely entranced by her beauty. Her eyes were as blue as the sea, with curly ginger hair that reached down just a little past her shoulders. She had freckles that were covered from one cheek to the other. Her face was sharp, and she had more of a curvy figure and a bigger bust than other girls her age. Out of all this, her eyes were what caught Braxton’s attention.

Before the rumors had started Hayleigh had been dating a senior who went by the nickname, Lucio. He was what was considered a “bad boy.” He skipped out on school a lot, hung out with tough crowds, and was always in some kind of altercation with someone, but his looks were what caused girls to flock to him. Lucio was extremely lean and had a tan that looked like it was almost natural, with a mop of messy black hair on the top of his head.

Most seniors liked to party at this time in their life, and Lucio was no exception. A friend of Lucio was throwing a party and Lucio dragged Hayleigh along with him. Things never go as we want, do they? The day after the party is when the rumors started. It appeared that Lucio and Hayleigh were no longer together, and everyone was talking about it. According to rumors, Hayleigh had finally slept with Lucio and took it a step further by sleeping with his friends as well. For the next couple of months, she had been titled the biggest slut in the school, and all of her ‘friends’ started to avoid her. As the end of the school year got closer it started to seem like people had forgotten about Hayleigh and moved on to the next ‘big thing.’

One day Braxton happened to stay after school, he was hoping to find peace in the library to finish up on a project that was due soon. As he walked into the library he was hit with the smell of pages of old and new books. It was a calming scent. He glanced around and saw a girl sitting by herself at one of the furthest tables reading a book. ‘Hayleigh Henderson.’ Her name popped into his head and before he could look away, their eyes met. If it hadn’t been for her eyes, he never would have approached her.

“That’s a good book you’re reading,” he said as he approached her table, pulling out a chair to take a seat. “It’s one of my all-time favorites.” The girl had been shocked that she was being spoken to. He couldn’t help but wonder if he said something wrong. She noticed the worried expression on his face and spoke up, “Ah sorry! No one speaks to me, so I was surprised that you did. I was never a reader, but it’s not too late to start a new hobby.” Her eyes glistened as she spoke, twirling one of her curls around her finger. He immediately felt emotionally deflated. Here he was hoping that there might have been something in common, just for that hope to lead to a dead end. Right as he was about to excuse himself his eyes met hers once again and his gaze was locked with hers.

Loneliness. That was the first word that came to his mind whenever he looked into her eyes. The eyes that were going to be his downfall. Something inside of him told him to stay, to keep talking to her, so he did. “Are you liking it so far?” He asked as he nodded his head towards the book in her hands. “I’m enjoying it, I think this place is the best place to read after school.” There was no arguing with that. From where they sat they could look out the window and watch the sunset. “It does feel cozy enough to sit here for hours and just read a good book.” He spoke softly as if he was trying not to disturb something or someone.

This caused Hayleigh to eye him suspiciously. “Well you aren’t reading, so why are you here?” Her tone sounded cold, which took Braxton by surprise. “Uhm, I only stayed after so that I can finish a project for one of my classes. I wasn’t expecting for someone else to be here when I got here.” He spoke in a low tone. The sudden silence between them grew, and this told Braxton it was his time to leave.

Grabbing his bag from the floor, he stood up but was suddenly pulled back down. Hayleigh’s natural rosy cheeks were now a bright red. “I’m so sorry about that!” She exclaimed. “I just…” She trailed off, biting on her bottom lip as if she was getting lost in thought. “Since the rumors started at the beginning of this semester no one has spoken to me. There had been a few guys who tried but that was only to see if I would have sex with them.” Irritation laced in her voice, but her eyes showed pain. At that moment Braxton couldn’t help but feel pity towards her.

“Ah, I apologize if my approaching you made you think I was only out to get you to sleep with me.” His face was now also red, but more so from embarrassment. She shook her head. “It’s okay, I shouldn’t have assumed. I’m about to head home. Would you care to come outside with me and talk?” She was already shoving her book into her backpack, looking at him as if she was expecting him to follow. ‘I can just finish the project tomorrow.’ With that thought, he grabbed his bag and followed her out of the school.

As they stood outside they could see that the sun was setting, silence fell between them once more. “So,” Hayleigh broke the silence. “What do you think about the rumors?” ‘Straight to the point, huh?’ He took a moment before answering, trying to gather the right words to say without possibly seeming like an asshole. “If you want the truth, I’ve never been that big into gossip. I wasn’t there when it happened, so it’s not my place to tell if it's true or not and it also isn’t my place to go around telling other people.” He could tell by the expression on her face that she wasn’t expecting that response. For once in his life, Braxton felt as if he said the right thing.

Before the conversation could continue, Hayleigh’s phone started to ring. “Sorry, just one second,” She turned her back away. “Hello? Yes, I’ll be heading home soon. I love you. Bye.” She quickly turned back to face him. I’m sorry, that was my mother. She wanted to check up on me.” Braxton only nodded. “To what you said, all rumors do have some truth to them.” He was barely able to catch what she said before she was suddenly in his face. Up close he saw how beautiful her freckles were and how they helped make her eyes pop out. “I feel like I can trust you though, so I’ll tell you the truth.”

‘The truth?’ He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, but he stayed quiet. “As the rumors said, I went to that stupid party with Lucio. At the time we had already broken up. While we were together he was very abusive mentally, and I finally had enough of it and had broken up with him. He pleaded for me to stay, said he would change, and I believed him. That was stupid of me, wasn’t it?” She laughed, but it sounded sad. Braxton knew better than to answer that question. “At first it was getting better. When he asked for me to go with him, I agreed. When we had arrived everyone was drinking, most people were passed out drunk or were high. They had a few sodas though, and I felt uncomfortable, so I asked Lucio to get me a soda so that I could distract myself. He left me by myself as he went to get my drink, once he returned with it I had drunk most of it. It tasted funky but I had ignored that.” She paused, then swallowed as if there was a lump in her throat.

“Next thing I know, I’m passing out. When I came, Lucio was on top of me. From my waist down I was naked. Before I could fully understand what was happening to me, I felt a sharp pain and I cried out. Lucio whispered in my ear that it was okay, to calm down. Then I felt him moving and it hit me what was happening. I was being raped! I struggled underneath him, and he wouldn’t let go. I screamed at him to stop, that I didn’t want it, but he kept going. I could hear his groans in my ear as he finished inside and pulled out. I remember looking off to the side, and I saw his friends just sitting there. None of them had tried helping me. ‘Do what you want with her,’ I remember Lucio saying. Then next thing I know I’m being passed around to these different men, screaming for help. The next thing I remember is passing out again. When I woke up once more someone was over me, they were on the phone calling for help. Lucio and his friends were already gone. I was rushed to the hospital where they found traces of a strange drug in my system, and my parents had been called.” Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry Hayleigh.” It was all he could muster as the tears began to slide down her cheeks. He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. “No one should ever have to go through that, and I am so sorry that you had to. You are so strong for still living life after that.” Her body stiffened in his arms but then relaxed as she hugged him back.

Finally, Hayleigh backed away, blushing. “Thank you for that, I needed it. It’s getting late though so I should head home. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Braxton nodded. As she began to walk away he called after her. “Wait! Let me walk you home, is that okay?” As the words left his mouth his cheeks flushed. She gave a small nod and a smile. “I would love that. My house is this way.”

They walked in silence. As they walked Braxton couldn’t help but be impressed. He was on the rich side of town, all of the houses and yards looked so much fancier than what he had ever seen. THUD! Hayleigh had stopped walking and he hadn’t noticed. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?” She chuckled. “Yes, I’m fine. This is my house.” He looked up at the place and was amazed. Around the yard was a metal gate, the fancy kind, and the house itself was a light blue-colored mansion. Braxton had never seen such a huge house before in his entire life. “Your house is nice!” He couldn’t contain the excitement that escaped from him. Hayleigh looked sad. “It can be pretty lonely. Anyways, I need to get in before my mother worries. I’ll see you tomorrow at school.” With a wave goodbye, Braxton watched her enter her house, and he headed in his direction.

“Wow, Hayleigh opened up to you just like that for the first time meeting?” Jennifer was in awe. Braxton looked down at his cup, which was now empty. He gives a curt nod. “Honestly, as she started talking about it I wanted to stop her. I didn’t want to bear the thought of what she had gone through.” He gritted his teeth. Thinking about it made him angry over and over. He had seen Lucio a few times after and he always wanted to sock it to the guy for what he did. “Why didn’t you stop her then?” It was Willow who spoke this time, her eyes shining with curiosity. “Was it love at first sight? Is that why?”

“No, Willow. I just had the feeling she needed someone at that moment, so I let her speak. If I had known what it was I never would have approached her to begin with. I’m too messed up as a person myself to be able to be the person someone needs when they experience something like that.” He squeezed his cup. “Well, to me it seems like you were exactly the person she needed at that time.” Willow placed her hands over his. “You were always a good friend to her, even if you might not want to admit that. She cared about you, even when it got bad between you two.” He just looked at her.

“Are you guys done? I was thinking we could go do some shopping together and get ready for our little party for the upcoming holiday.” Both Jennifer’s and Willow’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Yes!” The two exclaimed in unison. They all got up, paid for their coffee, and headed out of the shop.

Grabbing his keys from his pocket, he noticed a white slip on his windshield. ‘What’s this?’ He grabbed the slip. It was a note. His blood ran cold. ‘Watch you’re back. Someone has their sights set on you, and they will do anything and everything they can to get their hands on you.’ “What the fuck is this?!” He was breaking out into a cold sweat. “Are you okay?” Willow had pulled up beside him, concern etched into her face. Braxton quickly shoved the slip inside of his pocket. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll follow you.” Before she had the chance to speak he was slamming his door shut, hands shaking as he gripped the steering wheel. ‘Please just let this be a prank.’

The store was just as empty, which was unnerving. “There is no one here!” Willow said in amazement. On one of the walls nearby there was a missing person poster for Hayleigh. Braxton didn’t want to be reminded that he might be looked into as a possible suspect. “Let’s get our stuff quickly and leave.” He murmured as he headed past his two friends. “Wait up Braxton!” Willow pouted.

To Braxton’s surprise, the store trip was quick. He had wished for longer to give himself some more time to be distracted but it looked like luck wasn’t in his favor. He was exhausted. “Time to head home,” Willow said through her yawns. “Why don’t we all meet up next week to plan out our party more?” Jennifer and Braxton both nodded in agreement, and they all went their separate ways for that day.

Walking to his car, it felt like the note he had was burning into his pocket. He so badly wanted to find out who sent it and hoped that it turned out to be only a prank, but something deep inside him told him he wasn’t, and even if he didn’t want to, he was going to find out who sent it and why they sent it.

Once back at home he changed out of his clothes and into nightclothes. It was now only four o’clock, but he had no plans of going anywhere else, and he just wanted to relax for the rest of the day. He had placed the note on his bedside table as he crawled into bed and covered up. ‘I just need a quick nap.’ As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.

Darkness. It was all that surrounded him. The sound of pained groans wrapped around him. He frantically looked about, trying to open his mouth to call out to whoever it might be only to find out that he had no voice. Lifting his arms was a challenge as if a strong force was holding his body down. With each attempt to move forward he was filled with a sense of dread. Without warning, a bright light flashed before his eyes. He grimaced, attempting to cover his eyes but failed.

“Braxton.” The voice that spoke his name was gentle, sounding almost happy to say his name. He went to speak and realized he now was able to control his body without issues. He frantically looked around him to only find nothingness in the light. “Who are you?!” He shouted, his voice shaking as he called out.

“Braxton, it’s me. Do you not recognize my voice?” The voice spoke, its tone now sad. “Khloe?” He said, voice barely above a whisper. Suddenly a female appeared before him. She had straight black hair that came down to her shoulders, but it was braided in french braids, her once bright green eyes were now a dull green color. She wore a mid-thigh dress that was covered in sunflowers.

She nodded, “Yes, it’s me,” she said. “I don’t have much time Braxton but you have to know that I was,” suddenly she was no longer speaking but her mouth still moved. “What?” He asked. She kept talking, but still, he could hear no words. Suddenly the darkness was back and it was beginning to suck Khloe into it. The female made an expression as if she was crying out for help and reached out her hand towards Braxton as the darkness took her away. Braxton attempted to lunge towards her but the weight holding his body from moving had returned and he was forced to watch Khloe disappear in front of him.

Suddenly he was falling. He had no way of catching himself, and his voice wouldn’t work, his attempted screams not even coming out. He jolted upright, covered in a cold sweat as he looked at his clock rubbing his head. “What a strange dream,” he mumbled to himself. “At least I hope it was a dream.” If not, he had to figure out what it was Khloe was trying to tell him.

However, spirits weren’t real.

Right?