I heard someone come up the stairs. Doors of rooms opened and closed. The footsteps grew louder as they neared my door. I closed my eyes and started taking deep breaths, feigning sleep.

"Mary, are you alright?" It was aunt. She was checking up on everyone.

I kept feigning sleep.

I heard the door squeak as aunt was closing it. I mentally heaved a sigh of relief, when the squeaking stopped midway.

I opened my right eye slightly. I saw the door open again. Aunt poked her head in.

"I can see your shoe, Harvey," she said and closed the door.

I heard her footsteps retreat down the hall. I didn't move. It felt like I was turned to stone.

Harvey shook me. "That was close, wasn't it," he beamed.

"We got caught," I gasped.

"No, no we didn't," he said.

"She saw your shoe," I hissed.

"She was just messing," Harvey replied.

"Are you crazy?" I whisper yelled.

"She didn't say anything. So we aren't exactly caught," Harvey said.

"You people are hopeless," I shook my head.

"That's what you love about us," he smirked.

"I don't love anything about you," I said.

"Oh you do, and you know it," he smirked.

"Get out," I hissed.

"Aye aye captain," he saluted before climbing out of the window.

He waved one last time when he was on the ground before disappearing off into the darkness.

***

"Mary," Jamie leaned against the locker beside mine.

"Jamie," I nodded, getting my books out of my locker.

"Guess what happened last night?" he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Harvey left me stranded in the bushes outside your window," he said.

"We thought you made a run for it," I laughed.

"Well, I didn't. I couldn't leave him behind," he said. "I'm no traitor."

"He left you behind," I laughed.

"Yes, he did," Jamie made a face. "I waited ages for him, under the prickly bushes."

"You didn't hear him leave?" I asked.

"I waited and waited and waited, and I might have accidentally fallen asleep," he said.

"Dude, how can you fall asleep under the "prickly bushes"?" I laughed.

"I don't know," he rolled his eyes. "It must have been the breeze."

"Blame it on the breeze," I said.

"I just did, didn't I?" he stuck his tongue out.

"Serves you right though," I made a face.

He rolled his eyes.

"What exactly happened?" I asked.

"Funny story actually," said Jamie. "I accidentally knocked a pot off the stove. The crash woke your aunt up. I managed to unclasp the window before she got to the kitchen. But your aunt is quick, I tell you.

I laughed.

"She threw a pan at me. A freaking frying pan. But I managed to scramble out the window and make a run for it," Jamie said, looking proud of himself.

"So that was your scream?" I laughed.

"It was a freaking frying pan. It hurt," he whined.

"It was so girlish, I thought it was Lily," I doubled over with laughter.

"My right shoulder hurts, alright. You have to massage it for me," he said.

"Not even in your dreams," I punched his shoulder and ran away.

***

"Mary, mom's calling you," Ian poked me in my cheek.

"Go away," I flapped his hand away, without averting my eyes from the TV screen.

"Mom's calling you," he yelled in my ear, poking me again.

"Don't poke..." I tried slapping his hand away, when it hit me. "The box!" I exclaimed.

"What box?" Ian asked.

I ignored him and ran up the stairs. I took a few deep breaths before knocking at the door.

"Come in," aunt answered.

My heart thudding loudly, I stepped in.

"Here's the box," she picked it up from her bedside cabinet.

It was a small wooden box. But too big for just a letter.

'Maybe there's something else inside it,' I thought.

"I'm going to open it now," aunt said.

I nodded.

She opened the box, very carefully.

"A necklace?" I looked at aunt, disappointed.

"I thought you said there will be a letter, or something," I said.

"I thought so too. Well, I guess this necklace was special to Brandon, somehow. And he gave it to you to show you that you were special to him too," said aunt.

"I guess so," I perked up a bit.

Aunt shut the box and handed it to me.

"Thank you," I said and immediately turned to leave, afraid that aunt might change her mind.

I went upto my room and thoroughly examined every inch of the necklace. Nothing.

I unhooked the necklace and hooked it around my neck. The locket rested between my beauty bones. I looked at myself in the mirror. I saw a simple girl staring back with a melancholic smile. These past few weeks had been really depressing. I had Harvey and Jamie to thank for being there.

I fingered the locket, looking at it in the mirror. The feel of the locket against my skin made me feel safe. As if Brandon was there with me. I decided to wear it for the rest of my life.

Little did I know, the locket I decided to wear for safety would turn out to be a danger magnet.

Author's note:

The chapter is dedicated to BazigahMurad for giving me that little push to update. My messed up life right now is no excuse to not update.

And I would like to thank sept27libran and Nwz_Hsn, and all the other readers for being so patient.

-emptysilence- I updated the cover. It looks lovely ♡

The end of this year has been really depressing. I don't know why. But it has been.

I hope the next year brings loads of happiness and good news for us all.

And a question... who do you think the necklace is gonna be related to? The one with the right answer will be given a dedication in one of the coming chapters.

Toodles!