The shadowy figure tiptoed as lightly as possible and dropped a crimson envelope onto the desk in Carter and Melissa's bedroom. It wasn't until 10 hours later that Carter found it. "Meli... what's this?" She asked holding the envelope up for her sister to see.
"I dunno what's it say?"
"It has our names on the front." She shrugged and opened the envelope to find a matching card inside. Two rope necklaces with their names printed in silver beads fell into her hand. Slowly, she opened the cardand read aloud. "Put these on and meet behind your house at 3 o'clock p.m."
Melissa raised an eyebrow. "Who's it from?"
"Doesn't say."
"Weird."
"Hey Taylor... There's an e-mail to the three of us here." Isaac turned around from Taylor's desk and called to him.
Taylor came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. "Who's it from?"
"It doesn't say. It just says to get our gifts from the mailbox and meet in the backyard at three."
"Yeah. And then the psycho killer chops off all of our heads, places them on a stick, and dances around the yard."
"Nah, Carter would never do that."
Taylor laughed. "Wanna bet?"
"So let's get this booger rollin." Zac clapped his gloved hands together and nodded his head.
Carter smiled and put her chin on his shoulder. "Chill babe. We still have no idea why we're here or what we're doing. There is no booger to roll."
Taylor sighed and sat down on a half frozen lawnchair. "I still say you're behind this whole thing, Carter."
Carter rolled her eyes. "Yes, Tay. I bought five necklaces and even sent myself a card."
"Wouldn't put it past you."
"Geez, you guys. Shut up already." Isaac slapped Taylor on the arm. "It's freaking cold and you're annoying me."
"Mah mah mah mah mah." Taylor whined, mocking his older brother.
"Wow. Very manly." Justine's voice answered.
The five of them jumped when the voice came from their entrance gate. Tanis, Justine, Jesse, Todd, Abby, and Bianca all stood there dressed warm and looking confused.
Jesse's thick black hair was pulled into a low ponytail. He wore all black to match. Tanis had on a pair of jeans and a thick grey, wool jacket. Her hair hung loose on her shoulders. Justine's hair was wavy and short. She looked like she didn't want to be there. Todd's hair was tipped with green dye and Abby's hair had purple streaks. Bianca was wearing a leopard print coat that almost reached her ankles.
"Hi Meli." Jesse smiled shyly.
"Hi."
Bianca smiled. "Ok so we all got these necklaces and notes. They said to come together to prove a point. So which one of you sent them?"
Carter shrugged. "None of us. We all got them too."
"So did we." Nique and Jade answered in unison andopened the gate to the backyard.
"Ok this is weird." Justine shook her head. "I got one for Gabi too. And I haven't talked to Nique and Jade in months."
Taylor looked down sheepishly. "Neither have I."
Melissa gave Justine a quick hug. "Long time no see."
Tanis shrugged. "And I hardly know any of you."
"That's the whole point." Everybody in the backyard turned to Isaac as he spoke.
"You mean... you did this?" Taylor asked, suprised.
"Well yeah. I had an accomplice though."
Taylor turned to Carter and glared.
"Dude don't look at me. And stop being such a dick before I knock your face off your head."
Everybody laughed. "So who helped you?" Zac asked, completely confused.
"I did." The back door opened and our walked a girl with long, light brown, wavy hair, that nobody had seen in a long time.
"Beth?!" Carter and Taylor's mouths dropped open as Beth hopped down the stairs and threw her arms around Isaac's shoulders. "Hiya."
Isaac smiled. "Howdy."
Tanis sighed and leaned on Justine. "Ok I don't know about you all, but I'm completely lost."
"Yeah, I don't know who that is." Justine turned to Nique and Jade and nodded.
"Everybody," Isaac began. "This is Beth."
Beth nodded. "And you all are... Nique, Justine, Jade, Tanis, Jesse, Todd, Abby, and Bianca. I've heard a lot about all of you." She smiled as she pointed them all off.
"And we're all standing here in the freezing cold because?" Justine asked.
"Because Beth and Ikey have lost their minds." Zac muttered.
Beth laughed. "Ok think about it. You guys don't know me, but I know who you are. Jesse, you've never met Nique or Jade before. Todd, Abby, Bianca, you have no idea who Tanis is. But they might know who you are, through association."
Everybody nodded slowly.
"We're all connected."
"Yup. She's gone mad." Zac nodded.
"Shut up, Zac." Beth laughed. "Tay, we met in the hospital when you were hurt really bad. I was getting papers arranged so I could move to Pennsylvania. When was the last time you e-mailed me?"
"Uhm. August?"
"Exactly. I met your family, fell in love with Isaac. We've been together for quite sometime now. None of you know that though. Isaac and I talk everyday online. He tells me about all of you and how everybody has pretty much lost touch." She waited for reactions, but when she got none, she continued. "Isaac, Taylor, and Zac, are connected to Melissa and Carter. Meli is longtime friends with Abby and Todd. Todd's sister Bianca jumped into the picture outa nowhere. Todd was with Gabi... I think... that part is all kinda hazy. Gabi is Justine's sister. Todd, Abby, and Bianca stopped talking to Meli and Carter after Gabi died."
Justine smiled when Beth said "died" instead of "slashed her wrists."
Zac jumped up. "Ok ok. This is fun. Tanis is friends with Justine now because she used to be best friends with Gabi. Justine and I went out. Carter and I are going out now. Carter used to be with Taylor. Taylor was with Melissa. Meli is friends with Nique and Jade, who used to be friends with Carter, but now they hate Carter."
Carter nodded. "Because Nique's brothers hate me because I was with Zac and Taylor and Nique was with Taylor secretly and Jade wants Taylor."
"I do not!"
Isaac nodded. "Yeah you do."
"Ok." Beth continued. "Now give me one GOOD reason why you all stopped communicating."
"Because Carter is a whore." Jade glared.
"I DID NOTHING!"
Beth rolled her eyes. "Jade, you and Carter coulda been great friends. But she was with Taylor and you really liked him. Is she still with Taylor?"
"No."
"Problem freakin solved." She sighed. "Now. Who wants to go next?"
Tanis raised her hand. "I don't know half of these people. But they sound really interesting and I'm willing to work on it."
Beth nodded. "Ok good. Now, Nique. Why are you such a loner?"
"Well, Jade and I never liked eachother."
"You never liked me." Jade sighed.
"Ok well we worked through that on our own. I guess... I'm kinda pissed off at Zac."
Zac dropped his jaw. "What did I do?!"
"Well, ever since you and Carter started going out again, you've kinda been too wrapped up to notice me."
"Ditto." Justine raised her hand.
Jade nodded. "Yeah I'm with them.
"Me too." Tanis raised her hand, also. "Zac's the one with the long hair right?"
Carter slapped the back of her hand across Tanis's stomach and laughed. "Ok how about this. Jade, Nique, Justine, if I let Zac go out and play with his friends more often, can we be friends again?"
They thought for a moment and nodded.
Isaac walked over and stood between the remaining people. "Ok... Meli, will you go out on a date with Jesse? He's too shy to ask you."
She nodded. "Of course. All he had to do was ask."
"Ok. Problem solved. Todd, do you solemnly swear to never stalk Carter again?"
"Yeah."
"Abby... stop being such a pot smoking whore and remember that Meli has always been there for you, and she misses you a lot."
Abby nodded and smiled. She put her arm around Meli's shoulder and gave her a quick hug.
Beth sighed. "Ok see, the scary thing is. This was way too easy. Most of you had petty crappy reasons for ending their friendships, and the rest are just lazy." She glared at Taylor. "The point of all this is, you have this amazing group of people that are connected through loose, long, crazy, but still the strongest of all threads I've ever seen. It's like some crazy whacked out teenager is writing a story. I envy all of you and you all take these friendships for granted." She watched as several of the girls twirled their necklaces around their fingers, the whole get together really sinking in. She didn't have to say much else before everybody agreed to try harder.
Beth herself had plans to stay in Tulsa until New Years Day. She was glad she came and met all these people Isaac had told her so much about. Everybody was so colorful, so different. But yet, they still melted together perfectly in that backyard, each connected by their own string.