"Lila, I need to talk to you," my best friend said as she came running up to me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Umm. Privately?" Her grey eyes glisten with tears threatening to spill out.

I grab her hand and pull her into the nearest bathroom with me. After locking the door behind us, I turn to face her.

"Talk to me," I say still holding her hand to comfort her.

"This was on my bed. I don't know what to do. You have to help me," she cries pulling a folded up sheet of paper from her stack of books.

I take the note after setting my own books to the side and look it over. The sky blue stationary has a lip mark on the outside that matches the one used as a signature.

"I know your secret you little fraud. You pretend you're someone special but you aren't. You're nothing. You're just here because daddy didn't want to deal with you and all of your bad habits. You don't deserve to be head girl. If you want to keep your position, then you'll have to either pay up a grand total of $1,500 or do all of my homework for me. You can't escape this." My eyes carefully scroll over the words several times making sure I didn't miss anything.

"Do you know who wrote this?" I ask.

Marcy just shakes her head, tears streaming down her face. I look back at the note examining the writing, the kiss, the paper.

"I think I do," I say shoving the note between my binders, grabbing my things, and marching out of the bathroom.

"Lila, wait!" She tells after me.

I stop, still seething, but turning to face my best friend.

"Please. You can't tell anyone. I can't get kicked out. My dad will..." she trails off.

"He won't lay a hand on you, Marcy. I promise. But I have to go tell the headmaster," I sigh.

She looks up at me confused.

"This isn't the first ominous note this person has sent," I say gritting my teeth and heading to the headmaster's office.

Upon my arrival to the headmaster's office, I quickly knock on the door. I hear a faint "come in" from the other side before I open it.

"Mr. Mackleroy, do you remember the issue I came to you with just last week?" I ask as he looks up from some papers on his desk.

"Yes I do. What about it?" He responds, sitting back and giving me his full attention.

"It's happened again. But it wasn't me that was targeted," I tell him, setting the note down in front of him.

He takes a moment to read it over before looking up at me once more.

"Who?"

"Marcy, sir. She didn't want me to tell anyone but I'd already come to you with my complaint and I thought the more evidence the better."

"You were correct to come to me. Though I don't believe we've figured out who is blackmailing you all."

"I do. It's Mackenna Harper, sir. She's the only one with access to mine and Marcy's room. She's also the only one in the school to use that specific stationary. It's her private stash hidden away in her footlocker normally reserved for letters back to her parents and such," I state.

"And just how exactly do you know this?"

"I, uh, I was good friends with her the last few years. We were close. Close enough to share our secrets. All three of us, I mean. Me, Marcy, and Mackenna. Something happened over summer break last year and she came back different. It, um, it didn't sit well with me or Marcy and so we ended the friendship. Sir," I say finally slumping down into the chair across from him.

"What about Katy Evans?" He asks.

"Oh. She was friends with Mackenna before Marcy and me. We don't know her that well. Why?"

"Nothing that concerns you. Head off to class and I'll take care of this. Thank you, Lila," he says pointing me to the door.

I nod, pick up my books, and walk out.

"What'd he say?" Marcy asks me fear painting every inch of her face.

"He'll take care of it. Let's go to class," I say just as an announcement comes over the loud speaker.

"Mackenna Harper to the headmaster's office. Mackenna Harper to the headmaster's office," the voice garbles.

"Mackenna?" Marcy whispers.

I simply smile pulling her along.