I sit down on my bed and turn on my lamp, looking back down at the tape recorder in front of me.

Yes, the power is back on and has been on for the past ten minutes.

Anyway, it has been an hour since Eve fell asleep in her room and I have tried going to bed but the tape recorder is the main reason why I am still up.

The other reasons... well, they don't matter. I mean, it is just about the dance and other small stuff like that. I still can't help but get the feeling that going to the dance this year is a bad idea.

Yes, I have decided that I am going to the dance. Actually, Luke forced me, saying that I shouldn't worry because nothing will happen. How is he so sure of that? Oh yeah, he told off everyone that has a grudge against me or has had a bad past with me and warned them that if he catches or even hears about someone planning a revenge plot or a prank that involves me, he will ruin his life.

Oh, how he is so funny.

I mean, he hardly even swears and the only thing that he calls people that he either doesn't like or I don't like 'gorilla's'. What can he possible to do ruin somebody's life? Call them something worse than a gorilla? Honestly, Luke is one strange but amazing boy.

Ugh, I'm getting off track here. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the tape recorder. Okay, so, I have no idea what is on that tape recorder and to be honest, I don't even want to know. It could be something good but then again, when is anything ever good in my life? The letter... that was life-changing, not good. The baby... again, life-changing... not good. I'm still confused about the baby. I don't know if I want to be apart of his or her's life but if you think about it, I am now a half-sister to the child.

Is it bad that I sort of don't want to have a sibling? I mean, what if he/she hates me? What if he/she doesn't want me to be apart of the family? What if-

Oh, here I go with the 'what-if's'. I wish I could just push all of my problems away and never deal with them. Imagine if you could do that. I swear, I would be the happiest, most care free person in the whole-

Oops, getting off track again. Anyway, the tape recorder... I don't know if I should listen to whatever is on it. What if it's something that gets me thinking a lot? Like, what if my parents aren't actually my parents or... what if I am actually a mistake-

Good thoughts, Grace. Good thoughts... my brain cuts in and let out a sigh, glancing at the black tape recorder once again. Maybe I should ask someone what to do...

Luke? Oh, I doubt he would be awake at this time. Besides, if I message him now, he will probably ask me, in the morning when he wakes up, about why I was awake at this time. I could just say that it was the tape recorder since that's why I messaged him but ugh... I really don't want to keep answering the questions that Luke will throw at me.

Eve? No, she is asleep. I don't want to wake her up because she already has her mind running around with so many thoughts about her sister. I wouldn't want to worry. Then again, before she fell asleep, she did say that if I needed anything, I should tell her but right now? No, I can't. She needs rest.

Wait, what about Nicole? I mean, we are friends now, aren't we? Friends are suppose to come to each other for help and advice but... would she listen? What would she even say about it? I can already see it. Nicole is going to say 'listen to it' because she is honestly the most nosy person ever. Just because she would listen to it, does not mean that she has to tell me to listen to it.

I look at my phone which is charging on the drawer and let out a frustrated sigh.

Should I?

Do it, Grace, my brain pushes and I find myself reaching out and grabbing my phone. I type in my password and go to my contacts, looking at Nicole's name on the screen. What if she isn't awake? What if she is at a party? What if she-

"Breathe..." I mutter, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. After a few seconds of thinking, I finally decide to click her name. The beeping begins and I press my phone to my ear, hoping that she will answer.

"Hello?" I hear Nicole ask and when I hear her voice, I frown in confusion. She sounds so awake at this time. Maybe she is up thinking as well...

"Uh, hey Nicole... it's Grace." I say and Nicole sighs.

"Thank goodness. I have been getting calls from different people all day and when I saw a number on the screen, I was ready to yell at some people." Nicole says and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Wouldn't my contact show my name?" I ask and Nicole let's out a chuckle.

"I got a new phone. Anyway, what's up?" Nicole asks and I let out a sigh.

"Uh, do you think you could come and pick me up? I need you to... help me with something." I ask and Nicole gasps.

"Really?" Nicole asks and I chuckle.

"Yeah."

"Yes, a sleepover! I'm coming now."

●●●

Once I have finished packing my bag seeing as I have school tomorrow and I probably won't be back in the morning, I let out a sigh and brush my hair out of my face. I grab the piece of paper that I wrote on when Nicole ended the call and read over it, nodding in approval.

I walk out of my room and towards Eve's door. I push it open slowly, cringing at the creaking coming from the door. Once I push it open far enough for me to creep in, I walk through the small space and with the light that is coming from the brightly lit moon, I walk over to her drawer and place the note there, next to her phone. I'm pretty sure she will see it.

I mean, who doesn't wake up and immediately go for their phone?

I take one last look at Eve's sleeping form and let the small smile appear on my lips. I haven't known Eve for long but from what I have seen, Eve is very important to me. She has done so much for me and some people might see her as a mother because she is over thirty but to me, I see her like a sister.

I don't know what I would've done without her.

I turn around and walk out of the room, closing the door slowly behind me. As I pass the stairs, I notice a figure walking up to the door and I quickly walk to my bedroom, grabbing my bag off my bed and throwing it over my shoulder.

I walk down the stairs and walk to the door, swinging it open. All of a sudden, the figure grabs me and before I can even scream, someone bangs something hard to my head and I immediately black out.

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