Jay:She was getting too serious, and I’m not really a commitment kind of guy.
I exhale. It’s true—he’s a fuckboy. But no matter his commitment habits, he deserves to know what’s going to happen to him. He deserves tolive.
Aleeza:Could someone you dated have wanted to hurt you?
He doesn’t answer for a while.
Jay:There was this Tumblr last year that said some shit about me. It was a long time ago, though.
Aleeza:Who even reads Tumblr anymore?
Jay:You’d be surprised.
Aleeza:What did it say about you?
Jay:Bunch of lies. Like I cheated on exams, bought assignments, and lied to get into the school. None of it’s true. I wouldn’t even think of cheating on my schoolwork. My aunt would come at me with a sandal if I did, and that shit hurts. My mom works at a law office, she got a law clerk to write a stern letter and had it taken down.
Aleeza:Who was behind it?
Jay:No clue at all. It was all over by March last year. Haven’t heard a peep about Birdwatcher since then.
Aleeza:Wait. That’s what Birdwatcher is?
Jay:That was the name of the Tumblr.
Aleeza:A couple of people have mentioned Birdwatcher to me, but they implied it’s a club of girls that you wronged. No one mentioned a Tumblr.
Jay:Weird. There wasn’t anything about girls or relationships in the Tumblr. Just accusing me of being shady at school.
This is very strange. Gracie and Amber impliedBirdwatcheris a current thing, not a thing from a year ago.
Aleeza:Maybe someone who hooked up with you resurrected it. And they’re also behind your disappearance. What was the account name?
He tells me, and I search for it on Tumblr, but it’s not there. I search for any mention of his name on the whole Tumblr site but find nothing.
Jay:Do you really think someone I hooked up with kidnapped me? A bit of online slander maybe, but this?
Aleeza:Can you think of someone else who might be out to get you?
He could have shady dealings that he’s not telling me about. He jumped to betting on sports so quickly—maybe he wronged a bookie or something? Or hell, maybe hedidbet on the sports scores I gave him, and the bookie was pissed that he won so much and went after him.
Jay:The black Corolla.
Aleeza:What?
Jay:Lately, like for the past month, I’ve been seeing a black Toyota Corolla a lot. I thought I was being paranoid, but I think it’s following me.
Aleeza:Did you report it to anyone?
Jay:No, like I said, I thought it was in my head. It’s a pretty common car. I mean, my mom drives a Corolla.
Aleeza:So does mine. Silver. Anyway, someone going after you isn’t the only theory.
Jay:What else do they think?
Aleeza:Suicide.
Jay:No, I’m not suicidal.
