To Tame a Wild Heart
Our Broken Hearts: Book 1
(This is only a "prototype", it is completely unedited. Thanks for reading!)
Prologue
The memory plays again and again, engraving itself into my mind. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I’m taking this to the grave.
“Alessia. Alessia? Alessia!” Her voice screams my name, but I ignore it. After what we -or she- did, she doesn’t deserve any of my attention.
“Alessia! Help, please!” she whimpered. It sounds wrong, too frantic and panicked, but I keep ignoring her. I start walking back to my dorm.
“Lesi, why don’t we check on her?” Sierra asks gently.
“Yeah, Sierra’s right. I know she made you do some pretty bad things, that you surprisingly did, but-” Ash’s voice cuts off as Theodore punches him on the arm. “OW. Geez, Theo. I get the idea.”
“Look, Alessia, it sounds genuine. Like she’s truly in pain or something. It sounds wrong.” Theo says, putting a hand on my shoulder.
Right on cue, a bloodcurdling scream cuts through the air. A gruesome splattering sound. And the sound of a large figure splashing into the lake. Then a laugh. The laugh. A laugh that caused shivers to climb up my spine, a laugh that will haunt my nightmares every night. Now it’s my turn to scream.
“El? Where are you? Elinore? Elinore, are you okay?” I call out, finally caving in. There was no answer to my call.
The sun started to set, and the forest became dark around me. The chirp of crickets started to sound around me, and I knew I had to check on her.
“Fine. Come on, I’m going to see if she’s still alive.” Though at that time it was a joke, it isn’t anymore. Who would have thought?
As I walked down the hill and to the dock of the lake, I prepared myself for a “Ha, you fell for it.” or “Idiot, you really thought I was dying?”. But that was not what I got. I wish I had been made fun of and embarrassed. Because what I saw was much worse. Much, much worse.
I saw a body. Elinore Colton’s body, to be exact. And the killer left a very interesting message written in the dirt beside her body.
ELINORE COLTON IS DEAD. WHO’S NEXT?
And I screamed.
Chapter 1
“Alessia, get up. It’s already six-thirty. We need to be down at the gym in thirty minutes.”
I jolt awake, the last shards of my dream fading into nothingness. Except, it wasn’t a dream. All of that happened just a week ago. Elinore Colton died a week ago, and it was my fault.
“What?” I replied groggily, opening my eyes to Sierra’s caramel hair hanging like a curtain framing her face. “Why do we need to be in the gym in thirty minutes?”
Sierra sighed and rolled her eyes. “Lesi, today is the day we see who’s moving up to the Elites Class! Aren’t you excited?” she replied, her eyes flashing from the weak sunlight filtering through my shades.
“Why does it matter? Someone died, and they still have the moving-up ceremony? It’s only been a week!” I grumbled, flipping up my comforter and getting out of bed.
“You don’t mean that. You were the most excited for the ceremony out of all of us.” Sierra smiled, but I could tell that it fell just a bit when I said the word “died”.
I brushed it off. “Are the boys awake yet?” I asked, looking towards the sliding door that separated me and Sierra’s side from Ash and Theo’s side. I avoid looking at the cold and empty bed next to mine that used to be hers. What’s the point when she wasn’t even our friend before it happened?
“Yeah, Ash and Theo already left to grab good seats. They’re waiting for us there. Come on, let’s go.” Sierra urges and pulls on my arm.
“K, coming. You can go first. I’ll be there soon.” I reassured her, giving her a gentle shove to the door.
“Um, okay. I’ll wait for you with the guys,” she said as the heavy metal door banged shut. Now that I was left alone with my thoughts, I could (unwillingly) continue thinking about Elinore. And about the murderer.
* * * * *
I scuffed my dark blue sneakers along the dirt road, dust flying everywhere. My wavy black hair was flying in the wind, blocking my eyes from seeing the path.
“Ugh. Stupid hair. Sienna better have a hair tie.” I muttered to myself as I moved my hair away so I could see where I was walking.
“Dang it. Wrong way.” I grumbled as I realized I was walking towards the one place I never wanted to go to again: the lake. It was as if my legs had a true mind of their own, moving my body unwillingly in the other direction.
But then I saw something. On campus, there was a giant billboard planted on the ground filled with random posters for clubs, events, dances, team practices, and more. But right now, the whole billboard was covered with something else. And I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with school events.
ELINORE COLTON HAD FOUR EX-BEST FRIENDS. THEY EACH HAD THEIR SECRETS TO RISE TO THE TOP. WHICH ONE KILLED HER?
A. THE ONE WHO BROUGHT OTHERS DOWN TO CLIMB UP THEMSELVES
B. THE ONE WHO HIDES A SECRET FROM THE GOVERNMENT
C. THE ONE WHO’S FIGHTING SKILLS ARE SOMETIMES TOO STRONG
D. THE ONE WHO DESTROYED A STUDENT’S LIFE FROM OF JEALOUSY
-ANONYMOUS
“What the . . . .” I breathed. “No, there’s no way this person knows about the . . . .”
I scrambled to pull out my phone. Click. I saved the picture and sent it into the group chat with record speed.
Alessia: Guys . . . . what is this?!?! Is this guy talking about us???
Already, the frantic texts start rolling in from my friends.
Sierra: . . . . 💀
Sierra: ALESSIA WHERE THE HECK DID YOU FIND THAT???
Alessia: It’s stapled onto the campus billboard. Answer my question: IS THAT US????
Ash: Ummm . . . . yeah I think it is 😳
Theo: The heck??? How does this dude know??
Alessia: IDK!!!
Sierra: Look, for now, you have to get to the ceremony it’s starting in 5 min hurry up!!!
Alessia: K, I’m coming
I took a deep breath and started running towards the gym. But the questions kept echoing in my head. Who is this? How do they know this about us? And why do they think one of us murdered Elinore?
* * * * *
“The five students that will be advancing to the Elite Classes this year are . . . . Stryker Tamson, Maya Liu, Hunter Liu, Ashen Trixen, and Elinore Colton.”
An awkward silence followed Principal Wensen’s statement until she realized her mistake.
“Er, I mean, not Elinore Colton, um, Mara Desremay. Mara Desremay is the fifth student. I apologize for the mistake.” she corrects awkwardly as the applause from the students starts coming in.
“Principal Wensen? I’m sorry, but I remember telling you that I did not want to participate in the Elites Class. I am perfectly content staying in Grade 5, thank you.” Ash, says in the politest tone he can muster.
Gasps of shock sound across the room and Principal Wensen looks taken back at the statement but nods.
“Yes, I remember Mr. Trixen. I’m sorry once again, students. The fourth student accepted into the Elites Class this year is Johnathan Calabri. Congratulations to those five.” As she clicks on the projector's second PowerPoint slide, something else comes up instead.
ELINORE COLTON HAD FOUR EX-BEST FRIENDS. THEY EACH HAD THEIR SECRETS TO RISE TO THE TOP. WHICH ONE KILLED HER?
ANSWER:
A. THE ONE WHO BROUGHT OTHERS DOWN TO CLIMB UP THEMSELVES.
SIERRA WISPER IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS ONE OF THE STEALTHIEST AND WELL-TRAINED STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL. BUT SOMETHING MANY PEOPLE DON’T KNOW IS HOW SHE GETS HER GRADES UP SO HIGH. SIERRA IS ALSO A COMPUTER/TECHNOLOGY MASTERMIND AND HAS SUCCESSFULLY HACKED INTO VARIOUS OF THE SCHOOL’S ONLINE PLATFORMS. SHE HAS EVEN CHANGED HER COMPETITION’S GRADES TO BOOST HER OWN.
DID SIERRA WISPER KILL ELINORE COLTON?
-ANONYMOUS