Lifeline

"Noah," Audrey almost yelled, struggling to keep up with him walking down the hallway. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "We need to talk . . . now."

Noah's face was filled with confusion, and Audrey knew that hers was filled with frustration and anger.

"Tell me what you know," Audrey demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.

"What? Audrey, what do you mean?" Noah asked, and Audrey narrowed her eyes at him.

"I got a call last night. From the asshole that's started this again. They said that you know something."
Audrey jammed her finger into Noah's chest as she spoke, feeling angrier by the second. How could he keep something from her?? How could he, with what's happened?

"Okay, okay, calm down. I don't know what you mean, but you need to chill out for a second and explain a little. They could be just doing this to set us against eachother. It wouldn't be the first time- unless you don't remember?"

Audrey clenched her jaw and looked at her shoes. Of course she remembered; there was no way she couldn't. She suddenly felt ashamed and she ran her hand through her hair. calm down she told herself.

"You're right- I just . . . I panicked. There's- just so much going on right now. I'm sorry," she said, and she meant it. She was relieved when Noah smiled weakly at her. There was a long silences and Noah wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Let's go to my house and talk," he said, and she let him lead her outside to the parking lot.

________________________________________

"Okay, so, they called you and the sounded the same as before??"

"Exactly the same Noah– just like Piper; just like Kieran." Audrey huffs, spinning circles in Noah's desk chair. She leaned her head back, her arms hanging off the sides of the chair. "I don't need know . . . It's weird . . . Whoever it is, they've got a bone to pick with Em and I– they're targeting us. Again.

"So wait, you said they sent a camera? Like a whole camera?" Noah asked. Audrey nodded, propping her feet up on his desk.

"Yeah," she answered, staring straight ahead. "Just dropped it on my doorstep. They were literally right there. I was so close to them."

"Hey," Noah said, turning to her. "Don't start beating yourself up about this. Especially since it just started. If you do that, it'll end up horribly."

He was right, of course– she didn't want a repeat of last time. She still couldn't look herself in the mirror without something in her head whispering "murderer." "Monster," it taunted, "You did this. It's your fault."

"Yeah, yeah. I know– I just . . . I don't know."

Noah moved to go sit on his bed, pushing Audrey's feet off of the edge of his desk as he went. She almost fell, but caught herself before her face slammed into the corner of the desk.

"I just can't think of who it could be," Noah said as he reached his bed. He sat down on the edge of it. "I mean, I couldn't before either– who could've guessed that? But, this time I don't even have any theories. There's nobody I suspect yet. Yet. There will be someone."

"I know there will be," Audrey pushed herself up and leaned back in the chair again. She turned so that she was facing him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"So about why I came in the first place," she said, narrowing her eyes slightly. He shrugged. "I can't think of anything that I know that you don't. Literally– nothing." Audrey somehow didn't believe him. She felt bad for not believing him, but she didn't nonetheless. His behavior seemed like he didn't want to even think about the question she had posed, and that didn't make her doubt any less.

"I'll be right back," Noah said. He stood and walked out the door, and Audrey took that as her chance. Opening all of the drawers in the desk one at a time, she shuffled through everything. There were notes for the podcast, old pictures, school papers, all sorts of things; but no sign of anything suspicious. Throughout all of the drawers, she didn't find anything. Shit. Noah was right, the creep was trying to turn them against eachother.

Audrey slammed the drawers closed and leaned back in the chair. How could she assume that Noah was lying like that? She was ashamed of herself. She knew perfectly well how it felt to be blamed for that kind of thing– she knew all too well. The feeling you get in the pit of yout stomach because you know you're not lying, but nobody believes you. No, she refused to do that to him. She wouldn't. Sighing, she stood up and moved to the door. She needed to get home– her dad would be waiting.

Opening the bedroom door, she was greeted by Noah standing there.

"Looking for something?" He asked. Audrey felt her face go red.

"No, no-" she started, but he interrupted her.

"I know you were looking through my desk, Audrey."

"Okay, yes, I was, but-"

"But nothing. You don't trust me, do you?"

"Noah, I didn't say that. I just-"

"No. No, Audrey. Just . . . Just go home."

Noah stepped aside, allowing Audrey to pass. Her face was hot, and she pushed past him without looking up from the ground. She got into her car, taking off her jacket and flinging it into the passenger seat. She felt awful. As she drove home, she tried desperately to think of some way to make this okay. She couldn't believe herself.

When she got home, she went straight to her room without speaking to her father. She had to call Emma; there was nobody else she wanted to speak to.

As the line rang, she held her breath. Audrey didn't know how this was going to go- she didn't know how anything was going to go, actually. The amount of danger they were all in was substantial, and it scared her. They weren't safe - again- and she wasn't helping that. Emma answered with a chipper,

"Hello?"

"Em," Audrey said, her voice already shaky. "Em, I . . . I need help, I need you to help me."

"Audrey, calm down, what is it? What's wrong?" Emma asked. Audrey took a deep breath.

"I blamed Noah- I . . . I destroyed his trust, and I don't know what to do."

"What? Audrey, you need to breathe. Talk to me. Slowly."

"I got a call yesterday," Audrey shifted on her bed and took another breath. "From this dick who's taunting us."

"Okay," Emma replied.

"He said that Noah knew something- I should've known that he was lying. Noah didn't know anything, Em, and I thought he did- I searched his desk, and he found me. He noticed– and I . . . I betrayed his trust, Emma. I don't know what to do."

"Okay, alright, Audrey, it'll be alright. You'll be fine. Noah's alright. Hey, he loves you– you know he does. You were scared. There's nothing wrong with being scared. He thought you were behind it last time–"

"Yeah, Emma, Because I was. In case you didn't remember, it was my fault that all of that happened."

"Audrey, no it wasn't. We've talked about this. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was. Emma, it was entirely my fault and-" she was interrupted by a tap on her window.

She looked over, and standing there was him. Her- her whoever it was. The asshole in the mask. Audrey stood and moved toward the window.

"Not this time, you prick," she said, and dropped her phone on the floor. She ripped open the window and reached out, but they grabbed her arm and twisted it. She groaned in pain, but stopped, standing still.

"What do you want?" She demanded through clenched teeth. She knew better than to be too loud, because her father was downstairs.

"Audrey, you know what I want: results. What did Noah tell you? Did you get your hint?" The voice was distorted even now– the voice changer must have been attached to the mask.

"Fuck off, I know you were lying. Noah doesn't know anything."

"He lied," the creep said, letting go of Audrey's arm. "Don't worry, I'll get you that information somehow. He doesn't have to tell you. You can't trust anyone, Audrey."

With that, they turned and walked away from the window. Audrey just stood there, completely frozen. What the hell was happening to them?