Coupeville is the kind of small quiet town where everyone knows everyone and nothing ever stays a secret. You could walk around at night and not even think about it. But that was before the first body was found. Now every door is locked by 6pm and nobody dares to step outside once the sun goes down. I have not really thought much about this killer even though everyone else seems to be losing their minds over it. There is only one thing on my mind. Leon James.
I know it sounds stupid to care about a boy when there is a killer out there but I cannot help it. Leon James has been stuck in my head since freshman year. He is the most popular guy in school and everyone loves him. He is confident and always surrounded by people. I am the opposite. I sit alone most days and pretend it does not bother me. I live by myself in this tiny house on the edge of town and most people forget I exist. Leon would never look at a girl like me. At least that is what I always told myself. My friends keep pushing me to talk to him but every time I even think about it my stomach starts to hurt and I lose all my courage.
Today felt different though. After school I went to Katies house like I always do and she would not stop staring at me. She knew I wanted to ask him to the skating event this Friday. She kept telling me to just do it and for once I listened. We opened Instagram and my hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped my phone. I typed the message before I could talk myself out of it and the second I hit send I felt sick. Then he replied right away. I screamed and threw my phone across the room because I could not look at it. Katie grabbed it and her eyes went huge. He said he would love to go with me. He asked what time he should pick me up. I just sat there frozen. I could not believe it. I still do not know if he was serious. Is this some kind of joke? Or worse, is he setting me up?
All week I kept waiting for him to change his mind. I kept checking my phone like he would take it back or say he meant to text someone else. By Friday I felt sick from how nervous I was. I kept telling myself he would not talk to me. He would walk right past me like always. So when I heard someone say my name in the hallway I did not even turn around at first. I thought they were calling someone else. But then I heard it again and I looked over my shoulder and it was him. Leon James was standing right there looking straight at me. My whole body froze. He smiled and asked if we were still on for tonight. I panicked and said you know it and the second it came out of my mouth I wanted to disappear. I sounded so dumb. Who even says that. I hurried away so fast I almost tripped. All day I kept replaying that moment in my head and cringing every time.