Stella's Secrets Read online

  Menaka Ravikumar

  Copyright © 2015 by Menaka Ravikumar.

  ISBN: Softcover 978-1-4828-4110-7

  eBook 978-1-4828-4109-1

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

  www.partridgepublishing.com/india

  Contents

  Chapter 1 The beginning

  Chapter 2 The end of Savannah Mason

  Chapter 3 Stalkers and secrets

  Chapter 4 The chest

  Chapter 5 The address

  Chapter 6 Lies and dreams

  Chapter 7 Shh…

  Chapter 8 New girl

  Chapter 9 Fury

  Chapter 10 A new identity

  Chapter 11 The first task

  Chapter 12 The therapist

  Chapter 13 False confessions

  Chapter 14 Unreal reality

  Chapter 15 Desire

  Chapter 16 Secrets near the grave

  Chapter 17 Truth

  Chapter 18 Abduction

  Chapter 19 Anonymous revealed

  Chapter 20 Game over

  Chapter 21 Epilogue

  To my family, my guardian angels, for making my dream come true, and supporting me all the way. Don’t know what I would do without you guys!

  ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.

  -Mahatma Gandhi’

  Chapter One

  The beginning

  I was running, but I didn’t know where. Something was after me. I had to get away. I had to…

  “Stella?? Stella!” That voice. It was so familiar. But I couldn’t place it. I couldn’t remember…

  “Stella! You’re going to be late!” My mom pounded on the door. I let out a squeal and rolled off the bed in surprise. With a moan I pushed myself off of the floor and went to shower. When I went downstairs mom was in the kitchen, enjoying her usual cup of coffee.

  “Hey sleeping beauty.” She teased and I stuck my tongue out at her before grabbing her cup of coffee and stealing a sip. Then I straightened out my graphic tee, put on my coat and hat and grabbed my book bag. I quickly picked up a granola bar and slipped into a pair of Uggs.

  “Bye mom! Bye dad!” I called just as my dad walked down the stairs in his suit and tie. The weather was great and it was a beautiful morning in December, Glenville, California.

  I took a deep breath before starting my car, thinking about Max Leary, my boyfriend, and the fact that he was coming back from the soccer camp he had gone to in November. We spoke a lot on the phone, but I couldn’t wait to see him on Friday, which was when he came back, and it was also my best friend Ashley’s birthday.

  Ryan, Evan, Justin and Alex, my best guy friends, had also gone, since they were all part of the sophomore soccer team. Luckily I had my best girlfriends to keep me company, so we all missed our guy friends. I have nine best friends: Ryan Abbott, Evan Miller, Justin Devon, Alex Zimmers, Chloe Grazzi, Snowy White, Ashley Munroe and Stephanie Miller.

  Stephanie is Evan’s cousin, and they’re basically inseparable. I love my best friends a lot. Mainly because they’re like the siblings I’ll never have. I thought about Max. His dad had been murdered seven years ago, when Max was nine years old. Creepily enough, that was seven years ago today.

  Though seven years was a long time ago I still felt haunted by Mr L’ s death. I remember I used to call him ‘Mr L’ instead of Mr Leary since we were almost like family. He was like my second dad, the one that was there for me when my real dad wasn’t.

  Sometimes I wonder how it would be if he was still alive. I know it sounds awful but maybe it was time for him to die. If he hadn’t maybe I wouldn’t have told Max I love him. Maybe I wouldn’t have developed feelings for him. I sighed. What’s wrong with me?

  I gripped the steering wheel and took a swift left turn, getting closer to school. I hated myself for thinking about Mr L like that when he died today. Max has a little sister, Caitlin, who was a year old when Mr L died. Max is from London, England, but his family moved here, to L.A, California, when he was five.

  I have been friends with Max since we were five, and I know exactly how he feels about his dad’s death. I know, I know, you think I’m being naïve, right? I’m pondering over my boyfriend’s dad’s death, yeah it’s stupid and it won’t bring him back, but I couldn’t help it. It was all I could think about as I finally climbed the steps of Star High School. Just as I reached the last step and pushed the glass doors open my cell phone rang.

  I had set a special ringtone for each of my friends and Max’s ringtone-’State Of Grace’ by Taylor Swift was playing. I grinned, answering immediately.

  “Hey Max!”

  “Hey you.” Max replied. “What are you up to?”

  “Nothing much. Aren’t you supposed to be warming up for torture or something?” I asked jokingly as I walked to my locker, my boots clicking on the marble floor. Max laughed and my already big smile widened. I opened my metal locker. Max was going on about his new roommate and how much he loved it there, but also how glad he was that it was almost over.

  I was stuffing my messenger bag with the books I needed when I looked up and saw something really creepy - Mr Leary. He was looking straight at me. Oh. My. Gosh. I must be hallucinating. I gripped my phone tighter, barely listening to Max. I watched as Andie Leary produced a knife out of nowhere, then, still staring at me, he pointed it straight at me.

  “Stel, are you still there?” Max’s voice made me blink.

  “Um-Y-yeah. Sorry.”

  Max must’ve noticed something was wrong, because he said quietly: “Hey, we can talk later if you want. I have to go anyway.”

  “Yeah. Talk to you later.” Just as I hung up I felt a hand on my shoulder and yelped in surprise.

  “Stel! Relax, its just us.” I spun around to see Stephanie, and one of my cheerleader friends, Savannah Mason, smiling at me. Savannah and I became friends in seventh grade. She’s a fun person, a tomboy with fiery red hair and sky blue eyes. I never really expected to be close friends with her though, but she happens to be really supportive.

  I’m supposed to look like her too, since I’m Spanish, but my grand mom is only half Spanish, and she has blonde hair, so I inherited my hair from her. I always wanted to be a redhead though. I will probably dye my hair or something when I go to college.

  Savannah and Steph both hooked their arms through mine, leading me to homeroom while talking about the boys and Ashley’s birthday party. I looked over my shoulder, trying to see if Mr L was still there, but he was gone.

  X-X-X-X-X

  “Max!” I squealed, hugging him. It was Friday, in the morning. The boys had finally come back from soccer camp. We were outside school, and their bus had just dropped them off, so the freshmen and sophomores had crowded around the entrance, waiting to greet the most popular celebrities of our school.

  I was grinning and still hugging my boyfriend when I saw someone staring at me. I frowned, my smile fading. He just stood there, looking at me intently. His eyes were beady, and they bore into mine. I squ
eezed my eyes shut and opened them again. He was gone.

  Creepy. I thought. I pulled back from Max and greeted my best guy friends. But by the time I walked to Spanish with Max and Stephanie I was in party mood, and I had forgotten about the creepy guy who was following me.

  X-X-X-X-X

  After school I made my way to the school entrance, my backpack in one hand. I was planning on going to my mom’s fashion shoot to ask my friends, Gabrielle and Gabriella Carlyle to help me choose an outfit for Ash’s party.

  Gabrielle and Gabriella are seventeen year old identical twins whose mom is the makeup artist in my parents company. Both of them are like big sisters to me, so I was happy that I was going to meet them.

  I swung my backpack over one shoulder and pushed open the school doors. As I walked towards my blue jeep I reached into my backpack for my keys. When I looked up I gasped, seeing who was next to my car. That man. The creepy man I had seen in the morning. He was looking around. Then he caught my eye and smiled evilly. I shivered instinctively, a little freaked out by the way he smiled at me, as if he knew something that I didn’t.

  I looked down at my car keys, pressing the automatic lock button. When I looked up he was gone. Someone is stalking me. I thought, running a shaky hand through my hair. And whoever he is, I’m gonna find out.

  X-X-X-X-X

  The party was in full swing when I got there. Ashley’s house is huge, and she invited most of the tenth graders, and some ninth graders too. Her house was decorated beautifully, and Ash had added a romantic touch with mistletoe hanging in random places in the living room.

  After wishing Ash happy birthday and getting a drink, I joined my friends in dancing for a while, but soon I got bored and excused myself to get some air. Getting another glass of orange juice, I headed to the sliding door that lead to the garden and silently slipped through it, my Jimmy Choo pumps sinking into the snow covered grass.

  As I started walking I shivered a little. I was wearing a cashmere sweater with my black skinny Lacoste jeans, but it was freezing outside and I had left my coat inside. Oh well. I was only going for a small walk, it wasn’t like I would freeze to death. All of a sudden I heard laughter. What in the world? I frowned, walking faster. I could hear the laughter getting louder so I kept walking.

  Ash’s garden was huge, and since her parents own and work at their hospital they live in a huge mansion with a big garden. Ash told me that their garden had a bunch of new bushes and trees, and I realized her garden had turned into a beautiful forest like place as I walked further.

  Then I ran smack into something - someone. Hanging from a rope tied to her neck, attached to a tree branch, Savannah’s blue eyes stared at me. My cup dropped to the ground.

  She was dead.

  Chapter Two

  The end of Savannah Mason

  I felt numb as I watched Mr Miller examine Savannah’s body. It was an hour after I had found Anna’s body, and I was sitting in the front passenger seat in Max’s jeep, the door wide open. I still couldn’t believe she was dead.

  After I had found her I had screamed and screamed until I was crying, and by that time Max and my friends had found me, and Evan had managed to calmly call his dad.

  I was sitting alone in the car, waiting for Max to finish talking to Mr Miller’s partner, Julia. I felt sick. I had cried a lot, and I just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep. I was about to get up and call Max when Ash came up and stopped me, bending down so we could be at eye level.

  “Are you ok?” She asked and I shook my head.

  “I’m sorry I spoilt your birthday.” I told her and she shook her head, then wrapped her arms around me.

  “You’re so weird Stella. You just found the dead body of one of your closest friends and you’re sorry about my birthday? Stel, I don’t care about that, I’m worried about you!” Ash laughed a little.

  “I know. I just can’t believe she-she’s d-dead.” I replied, suddenly unable to control my tears.

  “I can’t either. I’m sorry.” Ash squeezed me tighter, and I squeezed her back, feeling her shaking a little. I realized she was crying too. After we pulled back Ash took a deep breath, then smiled at me.

  “Savannah would want us to be strong, right? She’d probably say ‘Ok, I’m dead. Can we move on?” Ash imitated Savannah, and I smiled weakly.

  “Yeah. That’s a totally Anna Mason thing to say.” I agreed quietly. Ash gently squeezed my hand.

  “You’ll be ok.” She said softly, and tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear.

  “I’m gonna go tell Max to come take you home, ok?” Ash stood up, dusting off her blue Betsy Johnson dress. I nodded.

  “See you tomorrow?” She asked and I nodded again. Max walked over a few minutes later, and then we headed home.

  X-X-X-X-X

  That night my parents let Max stay over. Though I didn’t want him to see me cry, I found it comforting that he would be next to me. Both of us lay down in silence, and I think we were both still processing Savannah’s death. I didn’t know whether I would be able to go to school on Monday without imagining her everywhere.

  “Max.” I murmered, and he replied immediately. ”Yeah?” I turned to face him on the bed, and his blue eyes looked back at me. “I’m scared.” Max didn’t say anything. Instead I felt him pull me into his arms.

  “Me too.” He whispered, and I buried my face in his chest and let my tears fall again. Squeezing my eyes shut, I wrapped my had aroud Max’s, and listened to his heart beating, I felt myself fall asleep…

  “Stella.” A very eerie, unfamiliar voice called. I looked around. “Who are you?!” I shouted.

  ”Stella, you don’t remember?” I turned and gasped, taking a step back. That man. That guy I had seen in school, near my car. He was there, right in front of me.

  ”This can’t be happening.” I whispered. ”You-You were in school! Who are you? What do you want from me?” I took another step back, but he appeared behind me, grabbing me when I turned around in surprise.

  ”He took everything away from me.” He said, his nails digging into my wrists. ”Now it’s my turn.” He grabbed my neck, squeezing hard.

  “No!” I choked.” Stop, please! Sto-” He choked me harder. I felt myself losing air, unable to struggle. His hands felt cold… and dead.

  “Nooo!!”

  X-X-X-X-X

  I woke up screaming. As soon as I opened my eyes I felt Max’s hands on my shoulders, trying to calm me down. “Babe, relax.” He squeezed my shoulders and for a moment I was back to the previous night, when I had found Savannah’s body, and I had screamed and cried at the same time.

  “Hey, it’s ok.” Max’s voice made me come back to reality. He wrapped his warm arms around me and I let him hold me close. After a moment I pulled away to look at my bedside clock. “Its almost ten.” Max said, reading my mind.

  Savannah’s dead. I took a deep breath, and surprisingly, didn’t get all emotional. I’m gonna find out who killed her. I thought, then looked up at Max. “Hey, are we gonna meeting the crew today?” Max nodded in reply, his honey blonde hair flapping over of his eyes. Yesterday I hadn’t even noticed that I had been sleeping on his bare chest, but now I took it all in.

  Though his hair was messy, my boyfriend looked hot in his Tommy Hilfiger shorts and perfectly tanned chest. My eyes wondered to his torso, taking in every bit of his amazing six pack- a result of playing so much soccer. He grinned, showing his dimples, and poked my stomach.

  “You can stop checking me out, Johnson.” He teased, and I blushed. Ugh. Wrong time to go all hormonal teenager, Stel.

  “Shut up.” I poked my tongue out at him. ”I’m gonna go shower. Did you finish breakfast?”

  “Nope. Don’t feel like it.” I nodded in understanding, then went to the bathroom to shower. Today was gonna be a long day.

  X-X-X-X-X

  When I
got home I wanted to keep myself busy and not think about Savannah’s funeral, which was probably next week. The meeting with the crew went ok. Jake Cameron, Savannah’s one year boyfriend, had joined us, and we had caught up. Now I was helping my mom unload boxes from the attic. The place was really old, and we hadn’t used it for a long time. I coughed, then grimaced as I forced myself to push the cobwebs away from my face.

  “Amorcita? Are you ok?” Mom used my pet name and I grunted.

  “Yeah! I’m-Woah!” I stumbled forward, tripping over something.

  “Ow!” I cried. I squinted, then realized what I had fallen over. It was a huge chest. I stood up and examined it, running my fingers over the intricate carvings. Just when I found the keyhole my mom’s voice made me jump. ”Stel, you wanna take a break?” I turned to face her, my hand leaving the chest.

  “Yeah.” I murmered. ”Be down in a sec.” She nodded, and I was left alone again.

  There was something written on the front of the chest. I frowned when I read it. ’Baby Luisa.’Who is that? Before I could think anything else mom called me again. With a sigh I climbed back down the ladder leading to the attic and went to find my mom.

  X-X-X-X-X

  Later that day mom got a call from Mr Miller, saying that he wanted to get my statement, and ask me a few questions. Mom didn’t want me think I would be able to handle it, but I insisted and went with dad. On the way there I was really nervous, and fiddled with my hands.

  Dad noticed. ”Relax Ella. They just want your statement. You’ll be fine.” He assured me. I silently nodded, though I was pretty sure I would throw up if I had to go back to yesterday and relive finding Savannah’s body. When we arrived, both of us stepped out of the car and went inside. Mr Miller’s partner, Julia Carter, smiled at me, motioning towards the interrogation room.

  “It’s ok Stella. We just want to ask you a few questions. “She told me.