06-08-2011

Nelly seems to be in a great mood today. She ranted for an hour about her new boyfriend. That’s great and all, but why’s she talking to me about it? She usually tells me to go to my room by now because she “doesn’t want to deal with me.” It’s suspicious, honestly.

06-10-2011

Something just happened. It's either serious or completely nothing. I think we just witnessed a kidnapping. Star and I were filming a cosplay video when we both noticed a loud thud from the back of a car. I’ve seen that car before, too--a red car so beat-up I can’t recognize the make of it. A car that can easily be spotted as a drug deal, but this time, it’s worse. Star and I immediately ducked down when we saw a man approaching it. We only saw his legs, but we heard him smack the car a few times, get in it, and drive off without a word. Am I just being paranoid? What just happened?

06-11-2011

I had a dream last night that I watched a guy throw a girl his trunk, but I was stuck behind a glass and couldn't stop it. I’ve felt off the whole day. I tried pouring myself juice earlier, but I couldn’t seem to hold the cup still. I texted Star about my dream this morning, but she hasn’t texted me back yet. She's probably freaking out too. I don’t know what to think. I want to tell someone, but my sister's the last person I would tell. Maybe my teacher? Would she even believe me? There's no proof of a missing person, just a video with muffled bangs in the background that could be from anything.

06-12-2011

Andrea wasn’t in class today. No one seemed to care. They probably think she’s just sick, but I can’t help but think it was her in that car. It was probably her. I KNOW it was her. I went to her house today, and her mom said she had spent the night at her friend’s house yesterday and was supposed to go to school from there. I told her she wasn’t at school today, and she immediately called the friend. They haven’t seen her either.

06-13-2011

It was her. We were told Andrea was reported missing yesterday afternoon. I wanted to talk to Star about it, but she’s been avoiding me since she was picked up on Saturday. I thought she was just spooked and we’d talk again a few days later, but nothing. Our teacher told us to walk home in pairs. I tried to find Star, but I bumped into my teacher instead. I told her about what I saw and even showed her the video. She said, "You can kind of hear bangs, but it's hard to tell where they're coming from." I knew she didn't believe me, but she asked if I called the police. Of course, I've thought about it. I have. That would be the obvious thing to do. But I've seen enough crime shows. I saw one recently where the detective pinned the whole case on the victim. What if that happens to me? What if I get in trouble for making a false claim? That's a massive crime, Mom told me.

06-14-2011

I tried to talk to Nelly yesterday, but she wasn’t home for some reason. She’s been coming home late recently. Each night, I've noticed a car outside. It was too dark to tell, but it looked red. I asked her if the car was her boyfriend’s, and she said, “What’s it to you?” I explained what Star and I saw, but she didn't even look at me. She told me Mom wasn’t going to come home to a liar. As she walked away, a notebook fell out of her bag. I shouted, "That's my notebook!" But she just yelled at me to mind my own business. There was something weird about it, too. She snatched the notebook so fast the pages almost ripped off. I wanted to look at it while she was sleeping, but her door was locked.

I tried calling Mom with no answer. I called Star instead, but she didn’t answer either. I gripped my phone the whole night, contemplating calling the cops. I mean, what would I say? "Hi, I think I saw who kidnapped Andrea." I don't even know if Andrea was the one in that car. It sounds too suspicious. What if they pin the crime on me? No one seems to believe me. Star is MIA; my teacher has always been out to get me, and Nelly hates me- I mean, A LOT of people have red beat-up cars. It's the natural color of a trashy car. But that notebook. I bet that notebook has something to do with it. Or it couldn't be him. My sister's known to date scumbags. She could just be stupid enough.

06-15-2011

I finally did it- I called the cops. Maybe it was out of spite because Nelly has been exceptionally mean lately. Out of the blue, she told me Mom didn't care about me, and that's why she wasn't home. She thinks about that more than I do, but it still hurts. I said, "I bet you know where Andrea is." This seemed to outrage her. She forcefully grabbed my arm, dragged me upstairs, and locked me in my room. I tried escaping, but she seemed to have placed something in front of the door because I couldn't even see out of the hole. I couldn't jump out my window because I was on the second floor. She could've just scoffed and asked what I was talking about before leaving, but this triggered her. I know she knows. This was enough evidence for me, so out of sheer nervousness, I dialed 911. I was seething and tremoring at the same time. It caused issues with the dispatcher because she kept telling me to slow down and repeat myself. I told her everything. How I saw a kidnapper that I suspected of taking Andrea, how I thought it was my sister and how she has this notebook she hides, and how I was locked in my room against my will. Now, we wait.

I heard the front door open. Is she leaving? There's someone else with her. It must be him.

06-15-2011, 30 minutes later

I dozed off and woke up to the cops shouting to open up and banging on the front door. Nelly was caught trying to climb out the second-story window; I heard her boyfriend get tased outside. He must've not gotten that far because I could hear his gurgling sounds and a thud as he hit the dirt. The red car was in the driveway, and several cops with guns surrounded it. When they opened the trunk, there was a girl inside. But it wasn't Andrea. Who is she? What happened to Andrea? Why are they kidnapping girls?

I waited outside while the cops searched the house. They found a couple of ropes, Duck tape, and a notebook documenting each kidnapping. I knew it. She kept yelling, "It's not mine! I was framed!" But I don't think anyone believes her at this point.

06-16-2011

They brought me to the police station for my statement. I told them everything I knew and, at the end, said, "Your sister says you're the ringleader of the operation." He gave a weird pause, and I started freaking out. I knew she was evil, but this is low. I could feel my face heat up and my heart pounding. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous walking in this all-white, intensely lit room, but I'm completely overwhelmed now. I didn't do anything. Surely, the cop knew this. He then chuckled and told me not to worry. That was cruel.

After hours of interrogation, I could leave, but when I walked outside to Aunt Lydia's car, Star and her mom passed by me- no glance, no emotion. My eyes followed her until the double doors closed. I felt tears leave my eyes but tried to remain fine when I entered the car. My aunt could see right through me, though. All she said was, "You look exhausted," in that voice- that calm and soothing voice- and that was all it took for me to start bawling. We stayed in the parking lot till I couldn't cry anymore, then she bought me ice cream.

06-18-2011

I’m not allowed to be in the house while they investigate. Nelly and her boyfriend are everywhere on the news. Nelly is saying that her boyfriend blackmailed her to kidnap kids with him. He, on the other hand, says she was obsessed with him, that SHE was the one that brought it up first. They're slowly uncovering what happened through Nelly's notebook. The notebook simply states the victim's schedule and means of kidnapping, with little doodles of her and her boyfriend in it, too. His testimony is starting to hold up. I don't know how she'll get out of this one. However, even if she did force him, which I doubt she did, he'd still have jail time for being an accessory. Mom came home to testify on Nelly’s behalf. However, she hasn’t come to see me yet, but I'm not surprised. Nelly was always her favorite. I hope I get to stay with Aunt Lydia. She wants to talk to me, unlike Star.

What's up with her anyway? She didn't even look at me when we saw each other at the police station. I haven't talked to her since we saw the kidnapping that day. We've been friends for five years. I know her mental state isn't the best. I'm just worried about her. At least, that's what I'm trying to tell myself. But really, I'm angry. It's like she abandoned me. I don't want to feel this way about her. I wish everything could go back to normal. She doesn't even have to apologize. I want my friend back.

06-19-2011

Star called me today. We talked for hours, it felt like. She apologized for ignoring me and told me about the mental turmoil she had been in since that day. I told her I understood, but it hurt when she did that. She apologized again. We stayed silent for a while, and then she said, "Are we good? I really miss my friend." I wanted to shout, "Of course, we're best friends," but I didn't say anything. Even though she apologized, my heart still hurts. She left me. I want to forget what she did, but it's hard. I told her I might need some time. She didn't seem to take this as a good thing because she started crying and saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," repeatedly. Maybe I should forgive her. I don't want her to go through any more anguish. I can deal with these emotions on my own. I told her not to worry, "We'll be back to where we were in no time." That was a lie, though.

08-23-2011, 2 months later

I'm starting my first day at my new school today. Since Mom is trying to shorten Nelly's sentence, I live with my aunt permanently now. I'm nervous but a bit excited. Maybe now, I'll have a normal, happy life. Star and I slowly stopped contacting each other, which is honestly for the best, and Nelly and her boyfriend got 20 years in prison. I wish they had life in prison, but I guess 20 years is okay. Aunt Lydia and I regularly watch crime shows every Friday, so maybe we'll see an episode about them soon. Andrea and the other girl they kidnapped are okay and back with their families. I'm glad nothing serious happened. I will miss my old school and friends a little, but I hope to make new friends and finally start my life with my new family.