I take advantage of the mess to leave the pillar I've hid behind for the last hour and make wide gestures with my arms to point Peri and Brix to the back exit. At first, they hesitate; however, knowing this is their only way to escape the relentless bullying that awaits them, they begrudgingly follow me.

Neither seems to recognize me. That's great news, at least for me. It means I can proceed with the next part of the plan. We find an empty restroom and hide there for ten whole minutes, at least until the mayhem in the halls has calmed down. As the allotted time passes, I slowly get out of my toilet, then knocks on a sink to signal it's time for the three of us to leave.

The halls are empty as I expected. We take our shoes off and tiptoe our way to the exit door. Nobody in sight. I slowly push it, allow Peri and Brix to leave and then join them, closing it quietly. One more sprint through the parking lot until we're out of the school perimeter.

After fifteen minutes of relentless running (and noticing both Peri and Brix have their belongings with them), we realize we're already several blocks away from the school. We put our shoes back on and turn to walking more slowly. Peri is panting, Brix gives confused looks at my direction. I don't take my sunglasses and beanies off yet.

Next, we find a diner one block away from my area. We take seats and I ask for a copy of the menu. When the lovely waitress serving us hands us the menu, I pass it to Brix, saying, "Feel free to choose what you want."

She already starts going through the dishes, while Peri is far more hesitant. "This has to be a trap. Who would even offer us dinner? No-one in the Club would do so. Only... Rieleigh. But, after what happened, she's history."

These words hurt. The Burden of Breaking Hearts did some really insane damage. It either showed my ex friends' true colors, or corrupted their minds. I only have one shot to find out. Now.

So, without revealing my identity, I give a generic answer. "A trap? Why so? I'm just trying to be nice to you. I couldn't stand that mob going after you like rabid dogs."

Brix takes her eyes off the menu for a moment to reply, "You put it this way, not us. Anyway, I really dig a super hot dog with fries and a Coke. What about you, Peri?"

"I'll go for the cheeseburger. Sides, same as you. And the Coke, of course." Peri turns to me with a grin. "What about you, mysterious girl?" I feel like she's taunting me a bit with her tone. Is she this close to catching me red handed?

I manage to avert attention from myself by choosing a different item from usual. I always go for fried chicken when I come here. However, tonight I decide to give the salmon burger a chance, just for the sake of trying something new. "Nice choice!" says the waitress, who has come back to take our orders.

As we wait for our food, Brix asks, "Why do you sound familiar?"

"Really? Do I?" I maintain my composure, as well as an enigmatic tone, confusing her and Peri even more. This is becoming a game-how dangerous it is will determine the outcome of my plan.

"Anyway, mysterious girl, don't you think it's time to tell us your name, at least?" I ponder my next move; I can't afford to be too reckless, or they'll run away while bombing me with insults.

So, I start taking off my beanie first. Peri compliments my hair. "Nice braid. It reminds me of how Rieleigh makes them. So good." I have a hard time keeping myself from blushing, but that's not enough to give myself away.

Before I can fully reveal myself, Brix' course has already arrived. The waitress warns Peri and me that we need to wait two more minutes for our burgers. I reassure her. "Thank you. I'm sure they'll be worth the wait."

Brix starts eating some fries, only for Peri to shoot daggers at her. The former justifies herself. "You know I hate when fries turn cold, Peri." She also scolds me for giggling. "And you, stop. For real. Cold fries are... not good..."

Her rant dies down as Peri and I ignore her whiney attitude. She keeps eating her fries and starts sipping her Coke, while the waitress is back with the cheeseburger for Peri and the salmon slider for me. "Have a nice meal!"

I smile at her. "Thank you so much!" I'm the slowest at eating, while Peri and Brix, who are much hungrier, dig in their meals and finish them in fifteen minutes at most. Since I'm far from being done and want to buy some time, I suggest ordering desserts. Brix is enthusiastic at the idea.

"Peri, do we go for the usual or try something new?" I think she's asking because of me going for the salmon burger, but I don't mind.

"I'll go for the usual. What about you, Brix?"

"I'll try the pancakes. I've craved them for, like, a month." Typical of Brix. She loves pancakes so much that it's unusual of hers to stay without having them in such a long span of time.

I close off the dessert order with a triple chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream. I originally meant to go for my usual apple pie, but the waitress has informed me that the diner has run out of it for the evening. I'm thankful for that-it gives me a chance of trying something different; moreover, I don't give myself away with an obvious choice.

I finish my slider and side under my ex friends' watchful eyes. Anyone else would find it weird to hang out with people they've fallen out with. Even though luring them in this diner is a strategy, I think there's something beyond tonight. Maybe it's the search for closure.

When the desserts arrive, we eat them in silence waiting for the bill. I pay the entire meal by myself despite protests from Brix. I insist on my position, though. "It's me who invited you, so the least I can do is paying for everyone."

Peri concludes. "She's right, Brix. Let's not object it, okay?"

Brix nods, after which we're ready to retrieve our stuff and leave the diner. Peri comments, "It has been a nice dinner, hasn't it?"

Brix agrees with her. "Yeah, we ate well and had a lot of fun." Her tone turns colder as she turns to me. "You have to reveal yourself, though, mysterious girl."

"You've kept us hanging all night long," adds Peri. Her timing is perfect. In my mind, I plan to reveal myself and then leave in the darkness.

Things, however, don't always go as planned and this is the perfect example. I slowly take my sunglasses off, only to be met with Peri and Brix' shocked faces. The former gasps. "Rieleigh?"

"It's been you all the time!" exclaims Brix. "How could you not tell us all the time?" I can feel a hint of disappointment in her voice. I don't know if the fracture can be recomposed just yet, but, at least, I've tried.

My answer is a whisper. "Yes, it was me. I know you hate me, so I did what I did-pulling you out of that stupid party wasn't an easy task."

"You can say that loud," points out Peri. "By the way, we both owe you an explanation. But not here, not now."

"That time will come soon. I'll wait." I wave them goodbye as our paths separate. If I want to move on with my next plan, I need them close. They know a lot more than they show.