R.I.P Elaina

Jamie: "Well... i think there's only one thing to do. Open it and find out." i said, taking a deep breath. Someone had sent us a diary...? I wasnt sure what to make of it, but i was certain that if someone sent another a book, it was meant to be read.

Karina nodded, urging Illia on. "Open it! It was addressed to us, we're allowed, and we should. Don't you want to know what's inside?"

Illia wasn't sure if she actually wanted to know what was inside of it. She cleared her throat as her eyes came across the words on the very first page.

This diary belongs to: Elaina Elizabeth Pearce

The name was written in her graceful, scrawling handwriting. She coughed quietly and looked up at them. "It's hers... It's Elaina's," Ill ia said and started reading the diary entry on the first page aloud.

Jace sat diagonal from Illia, his whole frame tensed. He didn't want to hear any of this stuff. One of his hands were shoved by his side, curled in a tight fist. Just thinking of how Elaina was missing sent a painful jolt through him. All the missing cases he had ever heard of on the news ended up in a dead victim. He didn't want to think about that.

Nicola froze as the words were read, her whole body going stiff . The secret was in there? She eyed the book wearily when Illia was done and spoke up in a small voice. "If its hers maybe we shouldn't read it. It wouldn't be right."

Jamie: I was nervous now, very nervous. I wasnt sure i wanted my secrets revealed.... but at the same times, id been thinking about telling them for a while now. But i didnt think i was brave enough to do it. Maybe this was the best way. "I dont think it was sent to us so we could ignore it.... if you ask me, we're supposed to read what's inside." i said quietly. "It wouldnt make sense for whoever sent it to us to send it if they didnt want us to read it."

Zerrick tensed and sat up. "No! Don't open it." What he had told her was in there. No one could know about what he had done. It was supposed to be a secret. Dang Elena for dying! Now everything he had worked so hard for was ruined.

Nicola twitched in her seat, there was no way she wanted them learning what she'd been hiding for so long. "But it isn't fair to her, are you completely sure she'd want us reading something that was hers?" Nicola's voice was still quiet, a little stress bleeding into it though. This was not good.

Illia continued to stare at the page. She knew all of their secrets? Did she put them in here? Of course she did, Illia thought to herself. "She sent it to us for a reason," she said, her voice quiet. She didn't want anone knowing her secrets, but she did give it to them.

Jamie: I glanced over at Nicola briefly. If we kept reading... i realized my feelings for her would come out. They would be in there. Elaina had known. And i..... i wasnt sure i wanted that to come out. But if i wanted the other stuff to come out, well... it was all or nothing. "I agree. We got it for a reason, and i dont think it was so that we could ignore it." i said. Sorry Nicola.... you're going to be in for a shock.

Zerrick stood. "No, it's not right. We shouldn't read it." Anger was rising but he kept it down. He wanted to grab the book and burn it, along with his secrets and his past.

Nicola twitched again, her usually sweet smile turning into a glare at the diary. "I don't think we should." She told them in a low voice, trying to keep from reaching over and taking it to keep her secret safe. That wasn't something they needed to know, it wasn't something anyone needed to know.

Jamie: "But... look, noone can run from the truth. One day, some way, someHOW, the truth always gets out. The question now is, how do you want it to get out? Personally, i think id rather have it get out in a closed circle of friends than to a bunch of malicious gossipers. And why would anyone here tell? We'll all have leverage on each other after this. One person says something, well, we know their secrets too. Nothing has to leave the room." i said thoughtfully.

Zerrick sat back down and rubbed his face. "Fine. It's looks like nothing I say is gonna make you listen to me. If you want to know the horrible secrets we all have, and that I assume are written in there, then read it. But I can tell you this. None of us will ever be close again. We won't even look at each other the same way. I really don't want good friendships ruined over a freakin' diary."

Nicola shifted uneasily in her seat. "I agree. Its" she broke off and bit her lip. "I don't think its a good idea. My-, its not pretty." She looked at each on of hem with a pleading expression. She never talked this much. But she didn't want to lose them. She finally had friends. This would ruin everything.

Jace grimaced, sitting back. He still hadn't said anything about it, nor would he. He didn't really care if people knew about his secret, but he wasn't going to tell anyone willingly. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes, and stared forward.

Illia's fingers tightened around the diary and she closed it, still trembling slightly. "I'm going to read it out loud," she said, her voice wavering.

Zerrick sat, stunned. His secret had been first? He couldn't believe that it was out. Thoughts flooded through his mind, none of them telling him what to do. "I..." Words wouldn't form. now they knew that he was a killer.

Illia opened up the diary again and took a deep, shaking breath. "Zerrick, this one is about you," she said and read it slowly, letting it all sink in. He had killed someone... He killed a girl! Suddenly, he looked darker in his opinion, colder, but she didn't want to treat him differently.

Nicola blinked, her shocked eyes traveling from the diary to Zerrick. She almost wanted to laugh, it was so alien an idea that he could have done that. But yet.......she pulled her legs up to her chin on the couch and wrapped her arms around them. Zerrick wasn't the only murderer so she guessed she had no right to treat him any differently. So she gave him a hesitant smile, as if to shield him from what she was sure would be shock, maybe horror from the others.

Jamie: I blinked, slightly surprised. Well, that was intersting. But iremained calm, serene. No matter what, i couldnt picture Zerrick as a cold, heartless killer. I was sure he'd had his reasons for doing what he did.

[i]Dear Diary,

My friends have many secrets, secrets I'll pour out to you -- all of them, I promise. But the most disturbing one is Jamie's, by far. HER secret or should I say HIS left me shaking for days.

Jamie's a cross-dresser. He's a SHE. Don't ask how I found out, that's an embarrassing story that I'll never, ever tell. Not even to you, diary.

But it's just kinda...icky thinking that he's been at all our GIRLS ONLY sleepovers all this time. I still love Jamie like a sibling, even if he's a bit...confused.

xoxo,

Elaina

(Awws, his secret crush wasnt in there he should be relieved, i suppose.)

(separate entries for each secret)

As soon as the words left Illia's mouth, she glanced up at Jamie. She had always thought he was a girl, though she felt like something was slightly off. She supposed it wasn't that bad, though. After all, Zerrick had killed someone. Her younger brother was transgender, so she didn't mind.

Jace's eyes seemed to burn into Jamie, a look of slight horror coloring his eyes. His hands folded together and he shook his head slightly. He had never been around anyone like that or gay or anything. It wasn't that he didn't like them, it was just that he had a different, though flexible, set of beliefs.