(Pronunciation: {Lilyla: Lil-LYE-La} {Verte: V- ERR-Tay} Only 2 words needing the pronunciation!)
Hot on the trail of the mass murderer Angelina Johanna I didn’t have any time to spare as she turned around a corner in the dark alleyway. Angelina had no clue I was following her at least, if she did she didn’t show it. I was halfway around the corner and about to catch her—
“TAYLOR!” My best friend Lilyla exclaimed in a loud whisper as she waved her hand in front of my face wildly as we sat in our French class.
“What?” I asked in a daze as I tried to comprehend what was going on around me, one minute I was on the trail of A.J. when all of a sudden I’m in French class.
“Mademoiselle asked you ‘what your favorite color is?’ in French!” My best friend Lilyla explained to me.
“Oh! It is… verte?” I said unsure of whether or not that was the right word for green.
“Oh! Vundervul!” Mademoiselle exclaimed with a thick, French, accent. She was clearly happy that even while I was zoned out I was aware enough to remember my answer to her question.
Lilyla and I were walking out of Mademoiselle’s class 15 minutes later.
“So…” Lilyla started, “What were you actually doing during French when I saved you?”
“Well…” I started.
“Taylor Rosaline Davies! You are going to tell me or I will rip it out of your brain!” Lilyla exclaimed loudly; then quietly added, “Please remember that I am a witch!”
I quickly recounted what happened in my dream and how close I had been to catching A.J. when we bumped into my crush!
I usually was confused because my crush (Brenden) was my other best friend that catches up with Lilyla and me after our French class and he has to get there from the back of the room while Lilyla and I are the first ones out of the door.
“Hey Taylor, Lilyla!” Brenden exclaimed.
“Hey” I said quietly.
“Hi! Did you finish that science homework?”Lilyla asked Brenden since she hadn’t even worked on it at all.
“Yeah as a matter of fact I did! Want any help?” He asked Lilyla.
“That would be great! “ Lilyla exclaimed very sincerely.
“Hey, Taylor… You ok? You look like you might be sick,” Brenden continued in a concerned tone.
“I-I will b-be f-fine,” I said as I tried not to get sick from something I ate for breakfast that morning.
“Are you sure? You look really pale and you feel really warm,” Brenden continued after touching my cheek and forehead; his voice still in the same soft, concerned tone that he had used many times before when I have felt this way. As I looked into his eyes I could see the true meaning in the statement.
“I-I don’t k-know if I a-am anymore…” I said in a tone just barely an intelligible whisper as my knees started to buckle. Then I blacked out and the last thing I remember was Brenden caught me before I hit the ground.
“Is she ok?” I heard a voice whisper as I slowly opened my eyes.
Two eyes were watching me as carefully as they could while protecting me from the mass around their head.
I started to recognize shapes and then I could make out faces; it seems as though the whole school had stopped in the hallway after I fainted to watch what happens next.
This was the third time that week! I need to stop fainting, especially around Brenden and Lilyla; they both think I’m a freak, I’ll bet you anything! But, the only reason I’m fainting is because of Angelina Johanna.
Angelina Johanna had always been my enemy and now she was trying to hurt me; majorly.
Brenden and Lilyla were always there with me; they had even switched some of their classes around to be in mine to help me. I had been on the edge of suicide when Brenden and Lilyla convinced me it wasn’t a good idea; there were too many people that would miss me.
Brenden saw my eyes open slightly and quickly gave me a peck on the lips, as though something was coursing through me I started to sit up when Brenden picked me up and Lilyla hurried at his side.
“That’s the third time Taylor!” Lilyla told me with her eyes huge and frightened, “Please! Let us tell someone!”

“I-I can’t,” I whispered to her slowly as I clung to Brenden, “and you know that!”

“Yeah, but…” Lilyla started then stopped herself with comprehending in her eyes.
“Now Lil—Lilyla ,” Brenden said having grown accustomed to the fact that I hated it when he called Lilyla by a nickname but didn’t call me by one, “We are trying to help her overcome the fact that she needs to calm down and not worry about Angelina.”
“Oh, Yeah! Right,” Lilyla said with the still terrified after-shock look in her eyes.
I reached up to feel Brenden’s face with my icy hand. Brenden looked down at me and smiled; a scared, yet encouraging smile.
“We will get back at her! Don’t worry Taylor!” Brenden told me as I calmed down, I just hoped we could stop her I didn’t want to get back at her; I only wanted to stop her.
“Today, a young teen’s body was found floating in the shallow water end of the Lake Jenkinson where the reports say that a young girl was thrown or jumped off of the north 97 bridge…”
The T.V. was flipped off and soothing piano music was flipped on; Brenden, Lilyla, and Taylor all sat or stood in Lilyla’s bedroom
“Taylor, and to think that could have been you!” Lilyla exclaimed.
“I know!” I exclaimed, “But, I’m glad it wasn’t!”
I gave both of my friends a hug. It had been two weeks since I had thought about jumping off a bridge but hadn’t because my friends convinced me otherwise.
“I wouldn’t have been here if it hadn’t been for you two!” I said in one breath.
“Yeah, well. What are friendships for?” Brenden asked the room with a smug look on his face as I sat in his lap.