"We are getting you out of here."

My posture became straight as I lifted my head up as fast as I could to see the person that spoke.

No one ever came to visit me.

"You look worse then two weeks ago, Amira," Peony said with a smile.

I groaned. "It might be the fact that two weeks ago I wasn't behind bars!"

My friends expression turned to one of sadness. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you, but all the evidence pointed to you. How could I believe you when you were the one that held the bloody knife?"

She said didn't, not don't-past tense. "Do you believe me now?" I questioned.

"I do."

"Why now? What changed your mind?" The memory of everyone ditching me and sirens flooded my mind. Me screaming that I didn't do anything wrong, that they must have got the wrong person, but still getting handcuffed and thrown into the back of a police car. No one was there to help me, no one believed me.

She pulled her phone out of her bag. "I found a video that explained everything, proving I was wrong. I went around everywhere trying to see if anyone recognized the girl, and found out it was a girl named Gina, not you."

I jumped up off the ground and stood as close as I could to the bars. "Show it to me."

She gave me an are-you-crazy look before putting her phone back. That's when it hit me that you weren't allowed to bring anything into a prison to visit someone. "How did they allow you to bring in your phone?"

"Who said they allowed me in? Now, do you want to stay around and talk, or do you want to get out of here?" I stayed silent. "That's what I thought," She said, while pulling a pair of Keys and police uniform out of her bag.

"Thank yo-" I started to say after she entered the keys in the lock.

"There's no time for thanking me, put on the uniform and let's go." She started walking back in the direction of the exit and I followed behind.

Some police guards stopped us and asked questions, and peony would explain how I needed to escort her out because she went into the wrong section. Then they would ask me and I would nod and pull her away, just like she instructed me to do.

When we got to the front door I opened it like I was escorting her out, then walked around the corner and disappeared from view before changing into another pair of clothes.

I didn't ask her any more questions, even when we walked up to a random car on the side of the road.

"Thanks bro, I owe you." She handed the uniform and the set of keys to--who I am assuming--is her brother.

He got out of the car and handed her the car keys. "Glad to help." He smiled in my direction before walking away.

"By the way delete the footage of me opening Amira's cell door!" She screamed at his retreating form.

"Everything's already taken care of!"

****

We arrived at her house after a completely silent car ride. The only thing she told me was that her parents are on vacation.

When we got to her room, I started talking first, voicing what I thought.

"So you have the video, but even if you turn that in the police will just go to her house and she will already be gone. And that still isn't a reason to let me out of jail in the first place. I'm going to be in even more trouble if they find my empty cell."

"I just thought you might want to see the actual killer getting arrested on her birthday." She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not." Now she was just teasing me.

"How do you know her birthday is tonight?"

She threw a piece of paper at me, I quickly read it. Everything was written in fancy cursive. At the top was big letters saying "Masquerade Ball," then the time, place and cause for this huge celebration.

"Isn't it a shame that she'll be arrested on her 21st birthday," she replied, pulling a dress out of her closet. Then neatly laying it on the bed and walking over to me.

"Is that the dress you're wearing?"

"Nope, it's yours." She took the black dress and handed it to me. "I know it's your favorite color."

The black dress looked so pretty, and I just loved how it was strapless and had a heart shaped neckline.

"If this is my dress...Where is yours?" I asked.

"I'm not going, just dropping you off"

I opened my mouth to ask how her plan would work if she wasn't there, but she was already a thought ahead of me.

"The guard will let you in, he's good friends with me. And the video is with someone I know will follow my instructions."

After I took a shower, got on the dress, black heels, curled my hair and put on makeup-we left.

While in the car she told me the plan and gave me a black mask.

I almost forgot it was a masquerade ball.

I put the mask on and headed for the entrance. I easily got in by the guard just looking at me.

People were dancing everywhere--with or without a partner. I was never much of a dancer, so I just walked over to the bar. Plopping myself on a stool as I asked the bartender for a glass of wine.

A slow song came on and a guy with a dark green mask came up to me and held out his hand. I shook my head no declining the offer.

"Why wouldn't a pretty girl not want to dance?" he asked, and the minute I heard his voice I looked down at my hands trying not to make eye contact.

Why is he here? He always told me he hated big parties?

"Please don't look down; I want to see your beautiful eyes." He lifted my chin up with his hand to make eye contact. Right when we did he pulled back. "Amira?"

I didn't say anything and just shook my head like he'd mistaken me for someone else. Jumping off the stool I started to walk away, only to get stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

He smirked. "I know it's you. Your green eyes give you away."

He would find out eventually. So better confess now then later. "It's me, kyle."

"How is that possible? You are supposed to be in prison. I saw you taken away in the police car." I could already tell this wasn't going to be a good conversation.

"You saw me get taken, yet you did nothing to help! You turned your back on me when I needed you the most."

"You had a knife in your hand! Of course I wouldn't believe you! " Kyle tried to keep whispering, but his voice failed him. Luckily, no one looked our way.

"I was framed! I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. And the worst part was when I was hoping that when I looked through the car window I would see that you were just acting and that you would get me out. But instead you mouth to me, 'We're over.'" I started to tear up and cover my eyes with my hands.

"Why would I want to date a girl in prison-"

"For something she didn't do," I explained.

"How do I know that you are telling the truth. You basically told me you were in prison, but got out. And still haven't told me how you did?"

"And now I'm telling you it doesn't matter. What matters is the actual killer is here and I'm finally going to make things right."

"Okay, so once you find them how are you going to prove-"

The lights turned off and a spotlight was on a girl at the top of the steps. She had a Cinderella styled dress, but in pink. And everywhere the light hit the dress it would sparkle.

The minute she smiled I knew that it was her. Everyone screamed, "Happy Birthday!" confirming I was right.

"That's her," I said, pointing my finger in her direction.

"That's not possible."

"Yes it is."

"That's my sister! And she would never kill anyone. Wow, I can't believe you would steep so low as to blame my sister for a crime. Is this your way of making me turn against my sister so I will come running back to you! Are you that desperate," he scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Then you're lucky you won't have to see me again."

I could understand why he was defending his sister. I don't know if I had a sibling I would suspect them of committing a crime, but to call me desperate and turning against me so fast. I dated him for a year and he never acted that way around me.

I'm glad I saw this side of him.

I asked the bartender for his phone. Once he gave it to me I dialed three numbers then held it to my ear as it rang. A lady answered and asked what the problem was, I tried to change the pitch of my voice as I replied, "I found the murderer."

The police would track the phone to this location, so there was no need to say where I am. And they were close by so they should arrive shortly.

And right on time when the people in blue uniforms and badges walked through the door a screen came down directly above the stage-exactly what peony said would happen.

At first all you could hear was noise and then an image showed.

Everyone was now looking at the screen.

First it showed people, my friends, putting their glasses in the air before clicking them together and drowning them down with one gulp.

The next scene showed them talking, at least I thought they were talking, it was too loud to understand. Finally, someone's face was showed on the screen-my face.

I kept yelling at my friends saying I didn't want to go outside and that the party was inside, but they insisted because they needed to puke. The camera caught only glimpses of that before a loud bang was heard and in a blur we saw a girl walk out with a guy.

She pushed him up against a wall and started to trail her fingers up his chest before reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a knife.

Everyone got quiet as she spoke, "This is for cheating on me!" The knife was in his chest for a second before being pulled right out.

Shock took over her face as if she didn't understand what she had just done, and when she finally looked up from the knife everyone in the audience gasped.

The Birthday girl they just realized was the murderer.

Shouts were heard, but this time not from the screen, but from the party.

The police walked up to where the girl in the pink dress was standing and took handcuffs out of their pockets.

I averted my eyes back to the screen as I saw Gina run over to me and place the knife in my hand, before taking off in the other direction as sirens were heard.

A tear fell down my face. If I left fast enough I never would have been in this position, but this would all be a memory soon anyways.

By tomorrow I would wake back up in the jail cell. No one would have realized I left or returned from the back door being left open. And I would be known as innocent, just like I always should have been.