The Pack’s Pact

Madeline Turner sat alone at the lunch table. It was the first day of her freshman year, and she had just transferred to Lake Longwood Academy after her last little mishap at Cedar Beech Academy. A “mishap” that she dared not speak of but thought about often. She couldn’t help that the little girl died. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t actually do anything. She just listened. Who knows what really happened? In fact, the little girl’s cause of death really wasn’t confirmed. It didn’t matter. She was a nobody, that’s why she was chosen. Nobody even remembered her name.

Madeline looked around and saw the hustle and bustle of bright blue eyed, shapely, freshmen girls with long blonde hair that flowed like rivers. Suddenly, she grew self-conscious of her dull stringy brunette hair, dead brown eyes, and stick figure. She wasn’t the best looking or the most outgoing girl, but she was willing to do anything to befriend the other girls. She had to. She made a promise before she left Cedar Beech.

Madeline was described by her former teachers as quiet and reserved, a loner. She knew for herself that she was hard to get to know and a considerably private person; but she was very observant of others and her surroundings. Probably hyper vigilant. She had to be this way because she was the one “on watch” when her “friends” at Cedar Beech tortured that poor little girl. She stood outside the door and listened to the girl scream in agony and on alert just in case a teacher came. She never spoke of the incident to her mother, but her father knew. He helped her. He was the one that taught her everything she knew. That’s how she ended up transferring to Lake Longwood. Her father called and pleaded with her mother to let him have custody of Madeline for a few years. Her mother reluctantly agreed. This was her father’s effort to make sure Madeline didn’t get caught up in the case of the missing dead girl. She was inadvertently on the run.

Madeline didn’t even know what the girl’s name was, but it didn’t matter anyway because the little girl was dead and long gone.

She kicked herself in the arse plenty of times for allowing herself to be persuaded into such a horrible game. She couldn’t believe that she was even involved with such people that would even want to commit such an act. She wasn’t like those monsters. They were heartless, soulless, and emotionless; and although she had always been fascinated by assassins, she wouldn’t have dared executed a murder. Not like this anyway. But she was present when it happened, so I guess that made her guilty by association. Practically an accomplice. So, what did that make her dad?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tall, skinny blonde haired, blue eyed girl that she had just seen walk by. “Hi!” the skinny girl said so enthusiastically.

“Hello.” Madeline replied with her head bowed, too afraid to look up to see the girl.

“Wanna sit with us?” the bubbly girl asked Madeline. This question caught Madeline’s attention and she glanced up to see the crazy girl asking her to socialize.

“Sure,” Madeline said awkwardly.

“This girl has no idea who she’s talking to,” Madeline thought. “I’m probably the most socially uncomfortable person she’s ever met and above all, I absolutely hate “happy people.” That’s why we killed—I mean, they—killed the last one. It’s nothing to be that happy about all the time,” her thoughts continued.

Her hands were burning. She looked down and noticed that her fist was balled up, and she began to be filled with unprovoked anger. She really needed to take her medicine.

She was already skeptical of the skinny girl’s motives for asking her to eat with the group of “perfect girls.” This bubbly personality was making her angrier. She was surprised the girl even knew she existed. If she was trying to be funny, she should know that he who laughs first, dies in the end.

“So are you coming?” the skinny blonde asked.

“Oh yeah,” Madeline said, getting up to follow the blonde.

“My name is Anya, by the way. Anya Blackburn,” she said to Madeline.

“Oh ok, nice to meet you Anya. I’m Madeline,” Madeline replied shyly.

“Oh cool,” Anya responded. “You can meet the girls,” she continued while walking in a slut walk. They finally stopped at the table that would be their “assigned table” for the rest of the year. The other two girls stopped eating and looked up briefly before they went back to eating without really acknowledging either girl. Rude. The anger was coming back. “Down girl,” Madeline coached herself.

“Cut it out you guys,” Anya said to them. The two girls huffed and puffed before turning about to Anya and Madeline.

“Hi,” they said in disgusted unison followed by rolled eyes.

“Don’t pay them any mind,” Anya said to Madeline. “It takes them a while to warm up to new people,” she continued.

“It’s fine,” Madeline said emotionlessly. She didn’t seem to be bothered by the girls’ lack of manners. They were already dead to her.

“This is Audrey Connor and Brooke Alexander, my best friends,” Anya continued without seeming to realize just how unbothered and uninterested Madeline was in meeting them.

“Nice to meet you,” Madeline said expressionless. Brooke and Audrey just stared at her.

“You’re strange,” Brooke said with a beaming smile on her face. Clearly being a smart ass bully.

“Thanks, I guess,” Madeline said kind of blushing. It was almost a compliment when others commented on her strangeness. They didn’t realize that she was different. She liked insults, actually preferred them especially after she stopped taking her medicine.

“Sit down, we don’t bite,” said Anya. “Except Audrey, she is kinda weird like you,” Brooke said giggling.

“Shove it,” Audrey said easily offended.

“Geez! I was just joking Audrey, cool it,” Brooke said sensing the animosity.

“Whatever,” Audrey shot back.

Audrey may have had potential. Madeline had to test the waters and see.

She was really starting to feel uncomfortable sitting with these catty females. But she needed them to execute the plan. She promised to continue the Cedar Beech legacy. This was going to be the beginning of another pact. Someone was going to have to be the sacrifice. And Madeline knew exactly who it would be.