She opened another box and stared in dismay at a package of gluten-free, paleo-diet-approved, organic pet food, wondering if it was cool enough,
chic enough, and covetable enough to excite the spoiled VIPs the gift bags were destined for. Probably not, she decided, tossing it onto the pile of things that would end up in the break room for all the marketing department employees to fight over. As far as Layla was concerned, they could have them. She’d yet to see a single thing she actually wanted.
Already bored, she sliced into the next box, dove through several inches of packing popcorn, and gaped at the sight of the envelope with her name written in curlicue script with another card featuring a picture of a cartoon cat. Only this time in addition to the noose around its neck, it had suffered a gruesome shotgun blast to the head.
This is round two
I’m still waiting on you
So much is at stake
And this is no fake
I’m hoping my gift might make your day
And hopefully even convince you to play.
Layla frowned and studied the sheet of paper folded inside. One glance at the flowering vines and hearts trailing the margins, along with the large loopy scrawl, told her it was another of Madison’s photocopied diary entries.
She glanced all around, ensured no one was looking, and examined the box. Like the last time, it was addressed to her, though there was no sign of where it had come from.
After another look over her shoulder, she smoothed the paper flat on her lap and began to read.
March 19, 2012
So, I’m seriously considering keeping Dalton around even though the original plan was to dump him after a week. But the more I think about it, the more I’m starting to believe I should maybe hang in for a while longer and not be in such a big hurry to break up with him.
Reasons to keep him:
Now that he’s popular (thanks to me) everyone thinks he’s way cooler than he is, and that reflects well on me.
Dalton is cute and presentable and smart enough so that he doesn’t completely bore me or embarrass me.
Good kisser.
Easy to control = does whatever I tell him to do.
The parents approve.
Parental approval makes it easier to use Dalton as a cover for when I’m really hooking up with X, who they definitely wouldn’t approve of.
Being Dalton’s girlfriend is like playing a role, which is good practice for my future acting career.
Won’t be long before I get the hell out of here, so I may as well hang in there.
Reasons to dump him:
The whole thing is based on a lie.
Even though he’s a decent kisser, I’d rather be kissing X.
???
So, I guess it’s decided. Dalton stays.
At least for now anyway . . .
Layla set the note aside and clicked on her keyboard, unconsciously gnawing the inside of her cheek as she watched her Beautiful Idols landing page fill up the screen. Though her post about Aster’s arrest had been her last, a quick peek at the comments section revealed that people were still actively reading it, though their responses mostly bordered on deranged and illiterate.