“YOU ARE NOT ALONE! YOU WERE BORN TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE!”
Across from them, Emily seemed to be ignored by the others, but she was secretly observing Alex. Tall, slim, and with red hair, he was striking. Handsome, curly hair framed his face. And his eyes – a gaze full of determination to change the world. And his fingers. She involuntarily imagined those fingers touching her face, then trailing down her shoulders.
Just then, Mike introduced her to Alex. “Alex, this is Emily. Emily, this is Alex.”
Their eyes met briefly.
“Nice to meet you,” Alex said, a slight smile playing on his lips.
“Hi,” Emily replied softly, her cheeks flushing slightly.
But Mike, oblivious to the unspoken connection, interrupted. “Right, well, it's 6 PM now. This mysterious stranger from the website should be showing up any minute.”
The three of them started calling out, “Anybody here? Hello?”
No answer came. Only silence. The apprehension grew.
“Maybe this is a joke after all,” one of the boys said, trying to lighten the mood with a weak smile.
But then, Emily noticed an envelope. It lay on a stone. Opening it, the teenagers read,
“SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP! OR SHE WILL DIE BECAUSE OF HER DIETING.”
Below the words was a photograph of … Jessica, lying on the floor near her locker at school. Further down the page, there were detailed instructions, outlining what each of them should do and say.
“Okay, this is getting serious,” Alex said, his voice firm. “Let’s read this carefully. We need to figure out what's going on.”
Chapter 6: The game starts
The next morning, Emily arrived at school and found Jessica. Her mission was simple: befriend Jessica.
“How hard can it be?” Emily thought.
But a nagging doubt lingered. The whole situation felt odd. What was this mysterious website? How could she possibly “save” Jessica if Jessica was determined to starve herself? Emily felt she'd be better off saving her own father from his alcoholism and her mother from his abuse. Her priority was to get into university and secure a well-paid job. That was the real challenge.
Just then, Jessica stumbled out of the school building. She was unsteady on her feet, her face pale. Other students almost knocked her over as they hurried past. It looked as though even a slight breeze could have toppled her.
“Hi there,” Emily began, flashing her most genuine smile. “You look perfect!”
Jessica looked up, startled.
“I'm a photographer,” Emily continued, smoothly reciting her pre-prepared lines. “I'm shooting a summer clothing collection for this season, and you'd be perfect. Your figure is ideal, and your face… well, all the boys will go crazy for you.”
Emily watched carefully, gauging the effect of her words. It was working. Jessica, who had looked like a ghostly apparition, was now a ghost with a faint blush on her cheeks.
“Boys will go crazy?” Jessica repeated, a glimmer of hope in her voice.
“Absolutely!” Emily affirmed. “But first, we need to grab some food. I'm as hungry as a wolf!”
Jessica hesitated. She was about to lie and say she'd already eaten, even though she hadn't had a proper meal since yesterday – or was it the day before? But Emily was insistent.
“Photoshoots are a long process,” Emily explained. “Not everyone can handle it. So, lunch first, then the shoot. And don't worry,” she added, her tone reassuring, “only healthy things. I wouldn't want to ruin my model's figure, would I?”
