"Does defeat leave a taste in your mouth, one that you could live without?" -You Me At Six, Tigers and Sharks

FORD AND I SIT IN THE SAME SPOT WE SAT THE day Jas had found us weeks ago, limbs dangerously close to dangling off the edge, our fingers brushing as we lay our palms flat against the rock. In my other hand is the note we found in the tissue box, perfectly unwrinkled, just the way I found it. I hold it in my hand, not looking at it but brushing my hand against the paper, rolling scenario over scenario in my head, trying to get a grasp on a possibility, but I come up with nothing.

Ford and I haven't talked about it much. We just kind of stared at the note, before mutually agreeing on just getting away. Once we were at the cliff, we still didn't speak; just held each other's hand and stared out at the view. I don't want to think who would possibly want to kill me. Maybe they didn't, though. After all, why would they leave a note? I shake my head.

Noticing the movement, Ford turns his head to look at me, giving me a small smile. "You okay?"

"Perfect," I sigh. Although it was sarcasm, I still drop my head on his shoulder. There's a moment of silence between us, both of our eyes trained on the horizon, before I speak again, this time in a much softer voice. "Ford? Are you scared?"

"Terrified," Ford admits in a heartbeat. I glance at him and he hesitates before continuing, "I've never been a brave person, Ava. I'm scared of losing my family, you, Jas, or Lucas. I'm scared of pain, of darkness, of danger. I'm scared of dying. It's why I ran."

"Are you scared of losing yourself?" I ask. "Because I am."

Ford shakes his head. "No, I'm not afraid of that. And you shouldn't be either."

I furrow my eyebrows. "But I feel like I already am."

"It's okay," he says. "I'll go with you. We can get lost in each other, it's our best shot at finding ourselves."

x

Ford doesn't reply to my texts for the rest of the day. Neither does Jas.

I'm left alone in my room, flipping through the English homework I really need to get caught up on. I sigh, realizing I'm really not in the mood to study, so I just flip through some old work, trying to find inspiration. There, I find myself looking at the notes I had made on The Mystery of Edwin Drood way before everything went to hell.

I think back to the unfinished ending. For some reason, that gives me the chills. I don't like the idea of that, the same way I don't like the idea of the universe never ending. There has to be an end. Thinking back to how I had told Jas how I though Ford was pulling an 'Edwin Drood' I can't help but feel nervous that this will end the same way the book did; it won't end.

I put away my English. I need to sleep.

x

Ford and Jas still haven't replied to me the next day. I'm starting to get really nervous about Jas; I see her come and go from school, but she never stays for classes, and she never answers calls or texts. Ford, however, hasn't said a peep to me since we talked that night.

Having nothing better to do, I head over to the local library. I've never been to much of an avid reader, but I find myself drifting towards the mystery section. I read the summaries before finally finding a book that seems interesting, and sit down with my back leaning against the shelf, book in my lap as I flip through the pages. Maybe I'll get some sort of idea from them? Either way, it can't hurt. I need to figure out who the killer is, and since everyone is pretty much ignoring me, I'm on my own.

I sit there, flipping through the pages of the book, before footsteps finally approach me. I look up to see combat boots, black jeans and a leather jacket. James. My heart skips a bit from fear, which is nothing to do with James; it's just been doing that with every single person I've passed by today, making the folded note in my pocket seem heavier.

"Hey, James," I breathe, giving him a small smile. He returns it, sitting down cross legged across from me.

"You forgot this at school yesterday," he tells me, holding out my lunch box. I let out a laugh.

"Thanks, James."

He nods, "I tried to get it to you yesterday, but your mom said you weren't home."

I shrug, shuddering at the memories of the tissue box underneath my brakes, and quickly pray James didn't notice my small tremor. "I was out, not a big deal. You could've texted me."

"Phone's broken," James shrugs.

"How'd you manage that?" I snort, closing the book and setting it aside, giving James my full attention.

James' face flushes. "It may or may not have dropped in a bathtub full of water. Stop. I'm serious, Ava, stop laughing, it's not funny."

James and I talk for a bit more, keeping the conversation light and laughter-filled before James' face falls a bit and his tone becomes more serious. He clears his throat. "Jas hasn't been answering me. Has she talked to you lately...?"

I shake my head, also feeling upset at the talking. I pick at a thread on my cardigan. "No, she's been ignoring me. I don't know what's going on with her. I would have thought she's missing if it weren't for the fact that I see her in the mornings."

"I don't like it," James says, eyes travelling to the windows of the library, the dark orbs getting hazy. "I wish she were to tell me what's wrong. I hate feeling like this is all a guessing game. She's never like this. I just don't get it."

"You literally spoke my mind," I agree. "I just don't get what she would have to hide from us. I mean..." I swallow, looking up at James. "You don't think she's hiding anything, right?"

James' jaw clenches. "I think at this point, everyone is hiding something."

We don't talk much after that. James leaves, saying he has to go get home for dinner, and I'm left alone in the library, staring at the book in my hands. Suddenly, I don't feel like reading anymore.

I leave the library, wandering aimlessly around the streets. I check my phone, just to find that I still have got no reply from Ford and Jas. Feeling slightly fed up, I decide to call Ford. When there's no reply, I call Jas, expecting the same, but feeling genuinely surprised when she picks up.

"Jas?" I ask, panic yet relief rising in my throat; panic from the fact that she possibly could have had something to do with my brakes yesterday, yet relief that she's finally answered me.

"Ava? Hey." Her voice sounds breathless.

I explode. "Where have you been? You've skipped practically the whole week of school, you've been ignoring mine and James' texts, you haven't talked to me at all. Didn't you care that I've been left alone with this Ford thing? Did you even know that someone stuck something underneath my brakes and I almost drove off a cliff? Jesus, I know I sound selfish, but Jas, you can't just leave like that!"

Jas' side is silent for a second. She takes a shuddering breath, before finally saying, ''I'm sorry, Ava."

"You're sorry?" I scoff. "Tell me what happened, Jas. That's all I want to know."

"I will," Jas says after a few moments of hesitation. "I'll pick you up tonight at eight. We'll go out of town, and I'll explain everything."

Jas hangs up after that. I run a hand down my face, feeling worn out. I know it's going to be a hard next four hours, but seeing as I will probably have a long night ahead of me, I decide to head home. My mom's not home, but my dad is for once, making some pizza out of scratch.

"Hey, where were you?" he asks me.

"I was at the library," I shrug. My dad gives me a weird look, but doesn't comment on it. "I'm going out with Jas later."

"No, you aren't."

I freeze in my steps. Turning slightly, I narrow my eyes. "What?"

"You've been going out way too much lately, Ava," my dad states, turning to face me as well. "I don't like it. You're staying home tonight."

My heard is literally pounding against my chest. I need to know what Jas has to tell me. I never fight with my dad, ever, but this whole ordeal with Ford has given me thicker skin. I'm not going to stand by this when I might be this close to figuring this out. In a calm voice, I try, "Dad, I have to go. Something has been wrong with Jas lately, and I want to know what's wrong. I promise not to go out after this, but you know she's my best friend."

My dad sighs heavily, meeting my pleading eyes. "Ava, something's going on with you. You look so paranoid. You keep looking over your shoulder, I can tell you're not getting enough sleep- I may be letting you live your teenage life, or whatever, but that doesn't mean I want you getting into anything-"

"I'm not," I interrupt quickly. "I promise. Jas and I are probably just getting pizza or something."

Thankfully, my dad doesn't say no to me often. He gives me a small smile, sighing. "Just for tonight. You're staying home and studying tomorrow. You've been falling behind in your classes, I don't like it."

"Thank you!" I hug him tightly.

When Jas picks me up at eight, her face is makeup free, pale, and panicky. She's talking in Hindi with her mom on the phone, but as soon as I come in, she turns off the phone and turns to me. Her hand shoots for mine, and I realize she's shaking.

I waste no time shutting the door. The car doesn't move yet. "Jas?" I whisper, noticing how she's shaking all over. "Jas, what's wrong?"

She doesn't look at me. "I have to tell you something."

"I figured," I laugh gently, trying to lighten the mood, but it doesn't work. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to be mad. Why have you been avoiding me."

Jas swallows roughly. Her eyes finally meet mine, and I can't help but notice the dark bags under them, despite the darkness outside. "I've been hiding something from you."

"What is it?" My heart is pounding.

Her brown eyes shut. "I know."

A pause of silence.

"You know what?"

Jas' breath hitches. "Ava, I... I know who the killer is."

LMFAOOOO BEEEN WAITING FOR THIS CLIFFHANGER FOR SOOO LONG I LOVE LIFE :')

Okayy so i have something to ask you guyss :) should i have a cast for this story? i'm kind of thinking about it after someone inboxed me about it aha but i'm not sure. if i should, could you leave me suggestions for who might play who? i'm terrible at these things (: 

if you enjoyed this chapter, please PLEASE leave a comment and vote :) i love you all so so much! (: xoxo