Cat Monroe
Tuesday, 5:36pm, September 11, 2025
Some people say I'm loud. I say I just refuse to whisper.
I grew up in a house where if you weren't loud, you weren't heard. So yeah, maybe I talk too much. Maybe I laugh too hard. But someone has to fill the silence.
And lately, our group has been filled with a lot of silence.
I noticed the shift weeks ago. Rosa got quieter. Maddie stopped showing up to lunch. Nathaniel—he started acting like he was the only one playing chess while the rest of us were still learning the rules. And Simon? Simon was a ghost.
But Elijah—he was still Elijah. Charming. Steady. Always trying to hold us together with that easy smile of his.
I didn't trust it.
Not because I didn't like him. I did. I just didn't believe him.
You see, people like Elijah? They're used to hiding things behind smiles. I know because I do it, too.
When he invited us to hang out Wednesday, I almost said no. I almost made up an excuse. But then I saw Rosa's face—lit up like she thought this meant something.
And Maddie looked scared. Actually scared.
So I said yes. Because someone had to watch. Someone had to see.
I've always been the storyteller. The one who spins things with flair and fire. But this story? This one's different.
Because for the first time, I'm not sure who the villain is.
And for the first time, I'm afraid the ending's already been written.
In blood.