Lizzie

I message Brandon really quick to let him know not to come over tonight. By the time I've been to Tammy's and spent time with her and Lilly, it'll be ten, and I don't fancy a late night. Classes are getting harder, our assignments are practically killing me, and there's no way I'm doing Brandon's assignment tonight in any case. Besides, it's the weekend, so I can squeeze it in then.

In between helping my mom bake cakes for the charity drive she is hosting on Sunday. We love doing all things like this together, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas. We can literally spend hours in the kitchen baking, cooking, and stuffing our faces. Okay, so Mom doesn't usually stuff her face; she's always watched her figure, and that's why she could easily pass for a model's body.

Lilly honks her horn. "See you this evening, Mom. Dad." I shout out and then head outside with just my mobile in my back pocket and my turquoise sequin purse. It's my favorite. Brandon bought it for me for my fourteenth birthday when he'd visited Morocco with his parents. That boy sure has travelled. I mean, don't get me wrong. So have we, but mostly here in the US.

Dad says that because he has to travel internationally so much for work, he can't face it for our holidays. We don't mind. We have visited many stunning places here in the US. Although I am hoping to go to Paris in the summer vacation. This is still an ongoing discussion with both my parents. Mainly because they say I'm too young.

I have to snort at that. I'm practically eighteen; kids younger than me travel in groups. I honestly can't see what the big deal is. Lilly can't travel with me as she's doing a summer camp with her younger sister and Tammy; well, who knows what Tammy will be doing. This whole thing going on with her right now will have rocked her so much; I dare say she won't feel like doing anything much.

They did say that if Brandon came with me, they may consider it. I haven't asked him yet. To be honest, I'm not sure how I'd cope with him being with me 24/7. It's already bad enough that I am crushing so badly on him and I only see him in a few classes every day and after school when we do our homework together.

I don't think my heart could take it. What if he meets a Parisian girl? They're all supposed to be like models and so sophisticated. Definitely my heart would break, and then the whole secret I've got going on about crushing on Brandon will be out in the open. He'll laugh at me and tell me I'm being stupid having a crush on him; we're best friends after all.

"Hey girl," Lilly says. She's wearing a white smock top with orange flowers and cutoff denim shorts. Her legs are tanned and lean from all the sports she plays and the running she does every morning. I love Lilly. Not only is she beautiful, but from the inside out. I can easily see why Denver is obsessed with her. They're sure going to miss each other when college starts.

"Hey. I'm so worried for Tammy." I slide easily into the passenger side and hook up my seat belt. A Taylor Swift track is playing. We both love Taylor Swift; my dad organized for us to meet her one time at a concert she had here in Cali. It was an out-of-this-world experience. Can you imagine it? Taylor fucking Swift. It was surreal. And she was so nice to us both and signed her autograph for us on a couple of albums we had managed to purchase.

"Me too. Me too, Lizzie. All we can do is be there for her. So tell me, was Brandon not coming over to yours tonight?" She sticks a piece of gum in her mouth and offers me one. I decline.

"He was but then he messaged to say he had something to take care of with Denver and couldn't make it. I'm guessing you had something similar from Denver, right?"

She nods. "Yep. I sure hope those guys aren't up to something dumb that the police should be dealing with." I frown because I'm thinking exactly the same thing. The police need to handle the investigation and find whoever did this to Tammy, not Denver and Brandon. My heart is racing a little because I'm scared of what he will do and what could happen to him. Honestly, if a man is that bad he date rapes a girl, what else can he be able to do?

He also looked a lot older than Denver and Brandon. For sure, he was a few years older than Tammy. And then there's the people he'd hang out with. Now I'm shaking.

"You okay?" asks Lilly as she navigates the traffic on the main road. It's always busy, and it can sometimes take up to 25 minutes to get to Tammy's.

"Yeah, sure. I'm just really worried for them. You know the guy could be a real bad ass, and it just frightens the shit out of me."

"Same. I think personally they just leave it well alone. But you know what they're like and Brandon. Well, Brandon thinks he's some kind of bad ass boy. He's going to get himself into serious trouble one day, Lizzie. You need to get him in hand."

"Me." I almost squeal. "How on earth am I going to get him in hand? We're only best mates. You know Brandon isn't going to listen to a word I say. He's headstrong, challenging at the best of times and has his own mind. The last person he's going to listen to about something like this, is his bestie. Be serious." I cross my arms. I wish he would listen to me, however. I'd soon tell him what for.

Lilly turns the car left onto a smaller road that will take us to the house where Tammy lives. It's set on its own acres and looks like a plantation home. Her dad had it built for her mother, who is from Georgia. To say it's like something out of a movie is an understatement.

We arrive, and Lilly gets out of the car first. I trail behind her, checking my phone as I walk. There's no response from Brandon.

I hope he's going to be okay. My heart is racing, and I feel like my stomach is in knots.