Chapter 2: Private Number

When I got home at the end of the day I decided to take a short shower; I needed to calm myself. Of all the chances that Shawn would move from Minnesota to California, then go to the same school… Oh crap, I forgot that his dad and my mom had the same job, so he must have been relocated like her!

“Ugh!” I banged my head against the shower door.

I got out of the shower and slung a towel around my waist.

I walked into my room and changed into my PJs. I then checked my phone for the time and saw that I had gotten a text from a private number. Could people even do that with cell phones?

I opened the text and read: Private Number: “Hey, this is Jake’s number correct?”

I frowned. You normally say what your name is first when you start texting a new number. I was tempted to just ignore the text, but then I realized that they might be able to tell whether I opened their text or not; damn modern technology for that.

Jake: “Yes, this is Jake. Who r u?”

I put my phone down and started drying my hair. I jumped in surprise when my phone vibrated. The private number had texted again.

Private Number: “Oh cool, you texted back. Anyway, I’m a private number.”

Jake: “Great, now who’s the private number?”

I stared at my phone for a total of five minutes, but no answer. “What is wrong with people?” I muttered, heading to bed.

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RINGINGINGING! I slammed my fist onto my empty nightstand. “Ouch!” RINGINGINGING! I felt around my stand for a bit longer before I angrily shot up from my bed with determination to remove the sound.

RINGINGINGING! It was my ringtone! Why the hell did I pick such an annoying one!? I picked up my phone and looked at the caller. Private Number.

I pressed the button and yelled. “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU CALLING!? IT’S SEVE- Oh shit it’s seven.”

I heard someone chuckle in the background, then they hung up.

“Hello!?... Bitch.” I tossed my phone to the foot of the bed and got up. I guessed that I was'nt going to be late that day.

I walked quickly to my closet and decided that I would wear a blue hoodie, a red T-shirt, blue jeans, and red sneekers. Because mom had taken the car that morning, I had to walk to school.

After I left the house I took my phone from my pocket. I saw that I had another text from Private Number. Joy oh joy (note sarcasm).

Private Number: “Sorry about that. Just wanted to help you wake up~. You have bad methods for waking up in the morning.”

Jake: “How would you know my methods for waking up!? Anyway, tell me your name or I’ll block your number.”

The reply came almost immediately. Private Number: “Ha. You wouldn’t. Someone will die if you do… which reminds me, someone will die if you tell anyone about these texts too.”

I stared blankly at the text. What the hell?! They had to be bluffing. They were probably just some shit that wanted to get under my skin! Yeah! That was it!

Jake: “Oh haha. Nice try. I’ll tell whoever the hell I want to. And guess what? I will block u!” I searched my phone frantically for a way to block their texts as I walked down the road. I was interrupted by a text.

Private number: “lol, having problems? But now that ur trying, and r probably going to tell ur friends, I might as well kill this bitch anyway, I’ve really wanted to. Anyways, careful, if u don’t move ur ass you’ll be late to school (not that it will matter now). And just remember: if u don’t listen to what I say someone will die ;)”

I stopped dead in my tracks; what did this weirdo mean!?

Jake: “WHOA wait a minute!!!!!! I highly doubt ur actually serious, but don't even joke that that! And how do u know I'm not at school... U a stalker or something?” I thought that maybe this text would ward them off, or at least something!

I started my walk to school again, passing by cars stuck in morning traffic.

About twenty minutes later I was approaching the school. I walked into the parking lot then almost fell over; police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances were gathered around the building. My eyes widened in fear. No way. No fucking way. Maybe there was just a critical fight? A robbery? Drugs? A seizure? Anything but Private Number.

I numbly walked to one where I saw some students being counseled and questioned by the police. I overheard a disturbing conversation.

“And what exactly did you see?” An officer asked a girl.

“W-well… She, the secretary, was slumped over on… desk… pencil in neck… card in hand… I-I was just being sent there because of drugs! Maybe it was the drugs… yeah, the drugs… drugs…” The girl replied distraughtly.

“What did the card say?” The officer asked.

“I… I only got a glimpse, but…Private Number.”

Time seemed to slow. So it was them. But who was "them!?" I slowly backed away from the ambulances and caught some support from a post behind me.

“Weird as fuck huh? Shit. I should have just stayed in Minnesota; California’s obviously a crap-state.” A grave voice behind me said.

I flinched and whirled my head in their direction. Oh. Shitty-Shawn. Great. “Go away Shawn, I’m in no mood for you.”

Shawn crouched next to me with his hands in his pockets. “Pussy, I’m just bored and you’re here. I need to take out my anxiety on someone, right? Ahem: You are a pussy, shit, ass-hole, …”

I was going to yell at Shawn until I felt a vibration in my pocket. My hands shook as I took out my phone and my heart dropped when I saw Private Number’s text.

Private Number: “Sorry that I didn’t reply sooner Jake. As u can c, I had business to take care of. To address ur previous question, yes, I am a stalker, and yes, I know where u r right now, and everyday, and all the time (it's the way stalkers work ;). Just be happy that I’m not killing those retards you call ‘friends’, because exterminating them would be my biggest joy. Sadly, u like those shits and I won’t take away what u like. Anyways, don’t worry; unless u tell someone about me or get rid of ur phone, nothing will happen to anyone. This was just a warning shot; I knew that u didn’t like her anyway.”

No…nonononono. I did NOT want to be like one of those people in the movies who got a stalker and had their friends and family picked off one by one! And though it was true that I hated that secretary, I never wanted to kill her!

“Crap, hoe, ugly, a-hey!” Yelled Shitty-Shawn as I walked away. He started following me. “I’m not done insulting you yet!”

“Go fuck yourself!” I yelled in anger, speed walking back towards home. As I walked, I was bombarded with texts from my friends, whom were pretty freaked out about what happened.

As soon as I got home twenty minutes later I immediately turned on the news. I was pretty freaked out and needed confirmation from the media or something. I needed to know if this was real.

“Just an hour ago a woman was killed at Prest High School. The culprit has not been found and-” I shut the TV off; I had my confirmation.

I lay on the living room floor and stared up at my phone, which was on the glass coffee-table. I was dreading any and every text that would be sent to me. I wanted to throw that hell device away and forget about whoever was texting me. If that psycho didn’t say that they would kill more people if got rid of it, that phone would be under my mom’s prius. I was scared to touch it.

RINGINGINGINGINGING! “AUGH!” I yelled as my phone rang and landed on my face. I flung it away like it was a dangerous animal.

I grimaced when I saw that I had accepted the call by accident. I crouched on the floor and stared at the phone.

“… What, do I have to speak first or something?” Matt’s voice said.

I sighed in relief and picked up the phone. “Sorry Matt, I’m just kind of nervous.”

“What do you think that the killer will murder you by phone-call?” Matt chuckled.

“No! I don’t even know how that happened; I knew that people held grudges against Mrs. Flanny, but not THAT much of a grudge.”

“Yeah… anyway, everyone’s going to MD’s tonight, are you up to it?”

“Sure... But what’s ‘MD’? Medical Doctor?”

“Mc. Donalds, stupid.” Laughed Matt.

“I’ve never heard any-”

“Shut it! I’ll see you there.”

“At what-”

“Six!” Matt interrupted before hanging up.

I decided that I would watch TV to take my mind off things. I decided to watch Disney Chanel. Don’t judge, it’s cliche and will turn your mind into poo, which was what I was looking for at the moment.

I turned the crap off when mom came bursting in. “Sweetie! Are you alright! I heard about what happened and we are transferring schools NOW!” She rushed over to me and hugged me tight.

“I’m alright mom, but please, no new school. I already have friends who I want to keep.”

She looked me in the eye. Her eyes were full of conflict and argument, but she said: “Fine, fine… But please… just don’t go anywhere alone.”

I smiled at her. “Thanks mom.” I hugged her again before adding: “Sooo, can I go to MDs with my friends? I’ll be back before eight and I’ll use the car.”

Mom furrowed her eyebrows. “… Doctor of Medicine?... Oh no! Did someone come down with something!?”

“No. MD for Mc. Donalds.”

“Then say Mc. Ds if you must abbreviate it! Anyhow, if you want to go then I have to come with you. I’m not about to leave my baby home alone.”

I sighed. “Fine. Let’s go then, I said that I’d be there at six.” I rose off the couch and offered Mom a hand.

“Thank you hun.”

“HI JAKE!” Trent yelled when he saw my mom and I come through the doors of Mc. D’s. “AND JAKE’S MOM!” He added.

My friends seemed pretty unaffected by the murder; their attitudes hadn’t change whatsoever. Trudy and Matt were throwing french-fries at each other, and Celeste was trying to read a book despite Trent’s loud and oblivious chatter.

“…I’ll just sit over here with Trent’s and Trudy’s moms…” My mom said as she moved over to where Trent and Julys’ parents were.

“Hey guys.” I said as I sat down on an empty chair.

I was greeted by Trent. “Hi Jake! It’s crazy, what happened to Ms. Secretary! And I was in the building next door! I didn’t even hear a scream! Though I guess I was listening to music, but no one else heard anything either! Did you hear there was a calling card?! Do you think everyone in the faculty is being targeted!? I guess that’s not so bad, but I wouldn’t want them to die!? What do you think the motives are!? Do-” I silenced Trent’s ramble with my hand.

“I don’t know.” I replied to his ramble.

“I have some suspicions.” Celeste said quietly.

“Really?” I asked.

She nodded, closing her book. “I don’t think that it’s someone who just had it out for her, even if she was a bitch to kids. They would have probably not have left a calling card.”

“Then who would they be targeting?!” Trent asked in awe.

“I was thinking, perhaps the school itself? They could hate the school so much that they want it to be closed down. Or they might hate the faculty, leaving a calling card to make all of their potential victims scared and have them suffer. My last theory is that the killer did it for someone, to impress or intimidate them, having left a calling card that only they understand.” She explained.

“There are more options.” I said, just to remove the possibility that she would start elaborating on her last theory. “They could be a new serial killer; a psychotic, deranged, murderous serial killer.”

Celeste nodded. “Could be that too, there’s not enough proof yet to single out any theories.” She turned back to her book.

Afterward, we started talking about different subjects to get our minds off of the murder. Matt and Trudy joined us after an employee, who had finally had enough of their misuse of food, threatened them.

We had been talking casually for about an hour or so when Matt’s cell phone rang. “Hello?” He said.

There was a pause, and then Matt frowned. “But I don’t wanna!” There was a lot of yelling at the other end. “I don’t care that you have a hot date! I’m damn old enough to stay out late by myself!” More yelling on the other end caused Matt to frown in disappointment. “Fine! Just quit your bitchin’!” Matt hung up the phone.

“You leaving?” Trudy asked.

“Yeah, my mom doesn’t want me to go home alone and my bro has a date.” Matt sighed, getting up from the table and brushing fries off of his jeans. “I’ll see you guys later!” He waved as he exited the fast-food restaurant.

“Crud, it is getting late.” Celste said as she checked her watch.

I checked my phone clock to see what time it was. I really shouldn’t have. My eyes widened when I saw two texts and I immediately shut off my phone before I could read them; they could be from Private Number.

“Um, are you scared of your phone?” Trudy chuckled, having noticed my panicked reaction to my phone. How should I reply?

“Yeah, my phone is super scary, look at my boring, green phone case, it’s pretty threatening. Maybe I should add some stickers of sparkly kittens to make it even more intimidating.” I said sarcastically. “It’s just seriously late; I didn’t know that we were here for so long.”

“Yeah, we should probably get going.” Celeste sighed. Everyone nodded in agreement and stood to walk over to our mothers.

“Kay mom, we can go…” I stopped when I saw her slumped over the table. I grabbed her shoulders in a panic and started shaking her. “MOM!?” She was limp. No… no way! It must have been Private Number. They went after my mom!? Did I slip up and do something they didn’t like!? I thought I followed all the rules!

I felt my knees come out from under me. I just stared at my mother in horror. I could barely hear the voices around me until Trent screamed right in my ear. “SHE. IS. ASLEEP!” He slapped me. “SNAP. OUT. OF. IT!”

I caught his hand when he tried to slap me again. “Sorry.” I mumbled, feeling an immense wave of relief when my mother yawned and opened her eyes. What was wrong with me?

“God Jake, what’s wrong with you?” Trudy asked in concern.

I shook my head. “Nothing.” I lied, “the killing is just really scaring me I guess.”

My mom held my hand in comfort. “Don’t worry baby, I wont get hurt. I don’t even work at the school.”

That didn’t even matter; it wasn’t the school that the murderer was after.

Once Mom and I got home we decided to watch a really light-hearted movie to get our minds off of things. So we watched Snow White… the original… it wasn’t my idea. Every time Snow white opened her stupid mouth to say something I would cringe; her voice was too damn high pitched.

I wasn’t ever to fully focus on the movie though, thanks to the stupid creeper Private Number.

“Uuugh, sweetie, I think I’m going to bed; I have a meeting in the morning.”

“Then why did you decide to watch this movie so late at night?” I asked.

She shrugged and kissed my cheek; “Good night.” She then went up to her room. I followed her to go to mine.

Once I got to my room I turned on the light and went to my desk. I then carefully took my phone out and set it out on the desk.

Once I got enough courage I pressed the on button and went to my texts. The first one was from Matt, but the second one was from Private Number.

Private Number: “Ur eating at Mc. Donalds? Think about ur health! Also think about ur crappy company…”

…What was I so scared of exactly?

Jake: “Oh f u, I eat and do what I want.”

I only had to wait about ten seconds to get an answer. Private Number: “lol, only because I let u, if it was up to me u would eat organic and not hang out with those losers.”

Jake: “2 bad it’s not up to u!...and ew.”

Private Number: “lol ur adorable.”

I had no idea on how to answer to that, so I didn’t; I put my phone away, changed into sweats, and then went to bed.

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Yah, another chapter done. Finally getting to the cray-cray known as Private Number! who ends up being a super-stalker!

Soooo, I'll update even if I don't get comments (or readers lol), but comments are always encouraged and lovingly appreciated... and might get me to update faster '3'. (as well as readers XD)