I couldn’t concentrate all through fourth period. Once the bell rang it would be lunchtime. Lunch…the best time of the day for me. I get to see my boyfriend, Connor, and sit with him the whole forty-five minutes. Connor…ah where to start? Well he is the hottest guy in the grade by far, and it makes me every girl’s envy. He is so sweet and perfect. I am the perfect girl for this perfect guy because he just went through a tragedy. Jenny, his old girlfriend, recently disappeared. There wasn’t one girl who wouldn’t give him a shoulder to cry on, and he chose mine.

Connor is what I would definitely call Abercrombie model material. He has flippy dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and perfect complexion and tan. He is also 6 inches taller than I am, not that I measured or anything. Anyways, at lunch we sit with all of his and my friends. Chloe, Jenna, Hannah, and Alice sat talking and laughing around Johnny, and the rest of the three boys made gross jokes and threw food at each other. They have been very mature lately compared to the stupid farting noises from last week. Besides all of the annoying noises, they poured lemonade on their pants and acted like they peed their selves. But luckily, I don’t even really talk to them, because I am so hypnotized by Connor. Oh, Lilly also sits with us, and she is madly in love with Connor. We always kiss and flirt in front of her, and I love it because she is my arch nemesis and flirts with him every chance she gets! I know it sounds mean, but trust me; she’s the most annoying person at school. She is so bad, that she has the nickname Lilly the Liar. She earned such a great name because of when she spread a rumor about me in fifth grade about going out with Howard! Yes, the weirdo with the unibrow. I know right, what a nice girl. She gets on my last nerve! But I am so lucky that he’s my boyfriend. We are totally meant to be.

Today was by far the best lunch. Connor asked me to come to his lake house with him! I know right, Connor Crabb asked me to go on vacation with him! The best part is he asked me to go with him right in front of Lilly, and she cried…Score! “I’ll be right back Connor,” I said as I ran to the bathroom. Grace and I jumped and screamed for two whole minutes! I couldn’t concentrate through the rest of the day.

The week blew by me in a blur, and soon enough it was Saturday morning! I packed my cutest clothes and swimsuits and my mom drove me over to his house. The temperature was perfect and I was so excited. This was going to be the best weekend of my life. I showed up and he was putting the last of the luggage in his car. Wow, wait, his car? Oh yeah! He can drive! It’s so awesome, and makes him even cooler. Once we were ready, I hopped in shotgun we drove off in his red convertible BMW, looking like movie stars.

After an hour of talking went by, we finally made it to his lake house. One word I would describe it by would probably be unbelievable. “Wow, Connor, this is beautiful,” I said.

“Thanks Alyssa, I’ll get your stuff and you can go ahead and get changed while I cook dinner,” he replied.

“Thanks! I’ll be out soon,” I said excitedly.

Wow. He is getting my stuff and cooking for me! What a gentleman! While I was in the bathroom, smells of pasta seeped through the crack under the door. My tummy was growling and I couldn’t wait to eat. I changed quickly and sat down at the glass table into a temperpedic feeling chair. I felt like one of those business ladies in first class at American Airlines.

The dinner was amazing, and being the good kids that we are, we waited 30 minutes, well almost. Then after an episode of “Glee” we decided to take a night cruise on the lake. We made it just in time to watch the sunset, and the water was so blue. It was as if it was right out of a Smart Water commercial! It was also as smooth as glass, most inviting I had ever seen it, and I could see little fish swimming at the surface. “I’m going to jump in,” I said anxiously.

“Okay Lyss, be careful,” he said with wrinkles forming on his forehead.

“Oh don’t worry Connor, nothing’s going to hurt me.”

“I know I just get nervous sometimes. I shouldn’t though, because I actually come here all the time, this exact spot, and I always watch the sunset. It calms me down and gives me a place to think.”

“Oh, don’t be such a worry wart!” I said. Connor has always had a bit of a temper, so I’m glad he comes here. I can look past his issue because he is beyond perfect besides that. I am more sympathetic and understanding than ever since the tragedy anyways. After wading in the water for a little bit and swimming around, I felt something.

“Oh my gosh!” I screamed.

“What! What is it! Are you ok?” Connor said as his forehead formed wrinkles in worry.

I jumped back on the boat as fast as I could. Maybe I was just imagining it.

“Oh nothing, I just felt something touch me, it was weird,” I said.

“Oh okay, we better head back anyways, it’s getting late,” he replied. There was a little concern in his voice, but he honestly didn’t seem to care. He was really pushing me to get out of the water.

I turned around quickly to grab my shirt that was lying wrinkled, inside out, on the damp cushion. I saw something floating under the surface of where I just was. Sweat formed little droplets on my upper lip. The figure looked like Jenny.

“What is that?” I yelled.

“What?” Connor said, confused.

“Oh, nothing, never mind,” I spoke in a quick, high-pitched tone, and my voice cracked as the words rolled off my tongue.

The ride home was anything but calming. So many thoughts were running through my head. Am I imagining this? No way, Connor would never. But, he does have a temper. No! Shut up Alyssa you’re just scaring yourself. That couldn’t have been Jenny. Or could it have?

“Are you okay?” My train of thought was cut off by Connor’s sweet voice.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine, just cold I guess,” I stuttered in an attempt to sound composed. I tried to stay calm, but I knew Connor could tell something was wrong.

“Here I’ll come warm you up.”

“No, stop it!”

“Alyssa, what’s your problem?” He was frustrated.

“Sorry, I just need some space.” Lie. I just didn’t want his hands wrapped around me like he was going to strangle me! “Lets just get back to the house, ok?”

“Whatever,” he said in a voice I’ve never heard before. He looked like a scared puppy with a secret.

After, what seemed like, a thirteen-hour boat ride, we finally arrived. Deep breaths, Alyssa, deep breaths.

Once we walked into his room, something was immediately off. Even the sky was a weird color. No wind, no rain, no sun, just sky. His room was covered with a flowery air freshener, making it hard to breathe. He sat down on his bed and threw his shirt off. I stood in the doorway so at least this monster couldn’t lock me in here.

“I’m going to hop in the shower a sec, that ok?”

Score!

“Of course, take your time. Really. Take as much time as you need!”

Ok, wait for it…bam! The shower door closed. Ok Alyssa, take a chill pill. I’m sure you’re just imagining this. I always read to take my mind off of things, and so I looked through a pile of newspapers and magazines, which is odd. Connor told me he never reads the newspaper. I pulled aside the most recent Dallas Morning News, and took a look. A massive knot swelled in my abdomen. My eyes were suddenly glued to the large heading, OBITUARIES.

“No, please no!” Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes.

JENNY JOHNSON was the first name I read. I collapsed to my knees. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I frantically looked at the others. All of the obituaries were all of the girls that Connor has gone out with. It all makes sense now.

-Brooke Miller

-Grace Smith

-Elizabeth Carter

-Caroline Crow

-Christina Owens
I pieced it all together in my mind. All girls Connor goes out with, he kills them when he doesn’t like them anymore. To top all of this madness off, all the murders were traced to the location of, ironically, the lake house.

Now I know why Connor took me here, he’s going to kill me. Just like Jenny. Next thing I know his next girlfriend will be swimming on top of me. I threw my head in a pillow and screamed and cried. My heart was pounding almost a hundred miles an hour, and I couldn’t hear anything, except for the sound of the faucet turning off. The only thought in my mind was that I needed to get out of this place. Now.

The world froze around me and my brain felt like it wasn’t working. The next thing I knew is that Connor was sitting by me on his bed. So close, that I could feel his breath, like a cloud of warm mint. I glanced over at him to see his expression. He had a twinge of evil in his grin. Then he lay down next to me. He put his ice-cold hand on my leg and I stayed still. He then looked into my eyes and I pushed him away, and as I was trying to get up, I felt something scratch my leg on the side of the bed. I glanced down and a flood of emotions came over me. It was a knife. I grabbed it as fast as I could and backed up, holding it in front of me.

“Alyssa, wh-what are you doing?” he asked.

“Connor, why do you have this knife?” Tears filled my eyes and I had an angry tone.

“No reason, uh, for cooking,” he said. I could tell he was lying.

“Lie! I saw the papers Connor, I know, you were going to try to kill me!” I yelled.

He chuckled, but it was not a good kind of laugh, more like a laugh a villain would laugh before ripping his victim to pieces. “You see, Lyss, I wasn’t going to kill you, I decided you were worthy. You aren’t like the others. You’re smarter,” He stepped closer, “You’re better than all of them,” I could feel his breath on me now, “you were going to be the one I kept,” he said, flashing me a fake apologetic look.

“Were?” My voice shook.

“But know that you know, the only thing I can do is get rid of you, because we don’t want anyone finding out about my secret, do we now?”

“You’ll never hurt me!” I ran down the hall, with foggy vision from tears. My heart was beating in my ears and all of my thoughts were jumbled together. Suddenly, the stupid carpet flew up and tripped me. Well, it probably didn’t happen like that, but I tripped, and fell. The knife cut my leg when I fell, and blooded pooled on the floor. I could hear Connors loud footsteps behind me, getting closer by the second. I had never given much thought to how I would die, but I knew it wasn’t going to be like this. I jumped to my feet, dizzy, and a little confused. I turned the doorknob, and at the last second, I felt his strangling hand skim my back. I was out the door before he could get me, and ran to the police.


After five minutes of running only off of my adrenaline, I finally made it to the Vinyard’s Police Station. The one-mile run felt like ten miles of running with a dead leg. A door had never looked so beautiful in my life. I busted through the door and collapsed to my knees. Breathless, almost in a whisper, I say with the only breath I have, “Please, someone, help me.”

An officer rushed over, moving faster than is to be expected from this large man. I read his nametag, Officer Carl. Carl was very odd. He was dressed in a uniform much too tight for his chubby small body. A cigarette was hanging out of the corner of his mouth. He was leaning so close to me that his awful smell seeped into my lungs and made them feel as if they were shriveling. He was scary looking, covered in black, uncombed hair, with his forehead in ripples of worry. When I looked into his promising milk chocolate brown eyes, I knew right away he could help me. He cleared his throat, and he spoke in an overwhelming raspy deep voice, “What’s wrong little lady,” his words leaving me in a cloud of smoke.

“Please, go get Connor Crabb, 5832 King’s drive.” He jumped in his car and rushed there.

About thirty minutes later, his car screeched into the police parking lot. I ran outside. Actually more like a limp, and I yelled, “Did you get him officer?”

“I searched everywhere, he’s not there!”

My heart felt like it was going to bust out of my chest. Then, I felt vibrating in my back pocket. I glanced at the blood-covered screen and it was a random number.

214-517-4595. Maybe it’s someone who caught Connor, I thought. So I answered, reluctantly, “Hello?”

“Hey Alyssa,” a familiar voice said.

“Who is this,” I asked.

“Oh, your good friend Connor, of course. Sorry Mr. Carl couldn’t quite catch me,” he said, making my stomach turn inside out.

“But he’s going to, and if he doesn’t then I will,” I yelled, questioning myself.

“Ha, I don’t think so Lyss,” he laughed. I hung up.

As I pushed the red ‘end call’ button, I saw his car speed out of the gates of the lake community, and I never heard of or saw Connor Crabb again.

The next week at school, every girl I knew surrounded me to ask about my “vacation”. I decided not to tell anyone so I used the usual, “Good, Fun, or None of your business” replies. I couldn’t think strait the whole day, and in algebra the only numbers I could see were the random numbers from the call that weekend.

I woke up to my alarm the following day, and surprisingly, there was a newspaper on my bed. I looked at it, and all the memories and emotions flooded back. OBITUARIES. When I looked a little closer, the top name was CONNOR CRABB.

A smile instantly popped up on my face. There would no longer be anymore Connor victims, all thanks to me. Although I was happy that everyone was now safe, I couldn’t help but be a little sad, because he really was the perfect boyfriend. Well, besides the killing thing. Anyways, I haven’t read an obituary since then, and I haven’t had the need to, me and my friends are safe.