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had seen and didn't know that I knew he was...different.
    There was no way I was going to tell anybody what I'd seen. For a start, I doubted that anybody would actually believe me. So my only course of action was to act like nothing was wrong. I would continue as I had before and would try and act as normal as possible if I did happen to bump into Jared. Deep down, though, I knew it was easier said than done.
    After a bowl of my favorite cereal, I went upstairs and got dressed in some jeans and a shirt. Stacy was going to pick Kennedy and me up in a couple of hours before the party so that we could get ready together. My current predicament was what I was going to wear to the party. It was nice to be able to focus my mind on something as trivial as trying to pick out an outfit--it distracted me from other, more worrisome thoughts.
    I fished out a pair of black skinny jeans, but after looking through some of my tops, I still couldn't decide. Then I spotted a beautiful blue baby-doll top my mom had bought for me a couple of months ago. I hadn't worn it yet. Happy with the outfit I had chosen, the only thing I needed to settle on was which pair of shoes I was going to wear. Like with my clothes, I didn't have a lot of options. I found a pair of black ballet pumps that would work.
    I packed the outfit I had chosen into my duffel bag and then rummaged through the drawer of my dressing table for lip-gloss, which was the sum total of my makeup. I decided to pack my toiletries and pajamas and a change of outfit for tomorrow in case I changed my mind and decided to sleep over at Stacy's house.
    Still with a couple of hours to spare, I decided to do some cleaning around the house. I started in the kitchen. I did the dishes and wiped down the counters. Then I moved to the living room, where I tidied up a bit. I fluffed up the pillows and arranged them on the sofa. I spent some time on the laptop I shared, checking out my social media accounts. As usual, there was nothing interesting. With another free hour I thought about doing my puzzle, but I knew my mind was not in the right place so I tried watching some TV. But after flipping through the channels, I couldn't find anything that held my attention.
    My phone rang. I looked at the display and saw Stacy's name flashing in tune with the ring.
    "Hi," I answered.
    "Hi, I'm around the corner from you. Are you ready?" she asked.
    I made a noise of agreement as I continued walking around the house, grabbing my things.
    "See you in a few," she said before ending the call.
    I picked up my duffel bag and reached for a jacket. Although it was pretty warm during the day, it did sometimes get a little chilly at night so I was taking a jacket with me just in case. I stood outside the house on the sidewalk, waiting nervously for Stacy. Unlike the night before, the forest across from the house looked beautiful and welcoming in the light of day. My eyes drifted down the road, wondering which house Jared lived in.
    Forget it. Forget about him , I chanted in my mind. I needed to forget what I'd seen.
    In the distance I saw a car and pulled my attention back to the road as I saw Stacy pull up in front of me. She leaned over and unlocked the door and I got in.
    "Hey, there," I greeted, putting my seatbelt on and laying my duffel bag by my feet.
    "Hi," she greeted back with a grin. "We just need to go and pick up Kennedy."
    "Okay," was all I got out before Stacy hit the gas pedal, and I flew back into my seat as the car screamed down my road.
    By the time we made it to Kennedy's, my hands ached from gripping my seatbelt, and my heart was still lodged in my throat. Stacy might only be driving a Beetle, but she drove it like a Formula One car.
    I struggled to let go of the seatbelt, because my survival instinct was telling my subconscious that it was my only chance of survival. I took a couple of deep breaths and tried to slow my heart rate down. I was pretty sure I had come close to having a heart