Truth or Dare . . by P.J. Night Page A

you nearly saw me. When you ran out of your room I climbed in the window, ripped your top, and put that note in your drawer. I don’t know what happened to me. I’ve never done anything like that, never . It all got so out of hand. I’m so sorry, Abby. I’ll buy you a new top. I promise.”
    Abby was so shocked by all of Samantha’s confessionsthat she couldn’t think of a thing to say. Jake, though, didn’t have that problem at all. He glared at Samantha.
    â€œYou’re terrible,” he said, and the quiet anger in his words made them sound even harsher. “You go through Sara’s personal, private things, you follow people around, and you do all that terrible stuff to Abby? You break into her house and you destroy her shirt? You send those nasty, awful messages to scare her? What’s wrong with you?”
    â€œJake,” Abby spoke up, but he was too angry to stop now.
    â€œIf you didn’t look just like Sara, I never would have believed you were related to her,” he continued loudly. “You thought you could take over her life, but you were so wrong. You could never be as sweet and nice as Sara, and that was what really made her beautiful. That was the real reason why everybody liked her so much.”
    â€œJake, stop,” Abby said firmly.
    But Jake’s words hovered in the air even after he finished speaking, almost echoing off the gravestones around them. A single tear slipped down Samantha’s face as she nodded.
    â€œYou’re right,” Samantha said. “It’s all true, and I deserve it. I was so lonely—I can’t begin to tell you howlonely I was—it’s not an excuse, but it is an explanation, and I am so, so sorry. I wish I could go back in time and undo it all.”
    Abby thought suddenly of what it must have been like for Samantha—thousands of miles away from her home and family and friends, stuck in a dead girl’s room, surrounded by what remained of the dead girl’s life. It sounded like a nightmare. Abby wondered how she would have handled it. If it would have made her do things that were otherwise unthinkable.
    â€œHey,” Abby said as Samantha self-consciously wiped away another tear. “Listen, I forgive you. Try not to—don’t be upset. It’s over.”
    â€œAbby—,” Jake began.
    But Abby turned to him and cut him off before he could say anything else. “What do you think Sara would do right now? Wouldn’t she forgive Samantha, Jake?” she asked in a quiet voice, and in Jake’s eyes, Abby saw that he agreed.
    Abby gave Samantha a small, sincere smile. “Would you—would you like to hang out sometime?” she asked, with just a touch of hesitation. “I, um, might have a sleepover at my house next weekend. Do you want tocome? You could meet some of my friends, and my mom can talk to your aunt and uncle and make sure it’s okay for you to stay over. If you want.”
    Samantha’s eyes were bright with surprise. “R-really?” she asked.
    â€œWell, sure, why not?” Abby asked. “After all, you already know where I live.”
    There was a moment of silence, and suddenly Abby and Samantha laughed, just a little. Even Jake cracked a smile.
    â€œCome on,” Abby said with a last glance at Sara’s grave, so silent and cold in the moonlight. “Let’s get out of here.”

EPILOGUE
    Nearly a week later, Abby found herself back in her basement, surrounded by sleeping bags, a plate of double-chocolate brownies, and her best friends. But this time, there was a new face in the group: someone who looked a little familiar, sounded a little different, and was slowly, shyly, getting to know everyone.
    Samantha.
    â€œWhat do you guys think?” asked Chloe as she lugged her enormous makeup kit over to the table. “Makeover time?”
    â€œ Only if we’re absolutely, positively not going outside