Entry #9: IF ONE OF THEM IS DEAD

IF ONE OF THEM IS DEAD
YA Contemporary
52,000 Words

Pitch:

Melissa is in a living hell over the whispers about her vomiting mid-hookup last week. She wants revenge, and to get out of Valley Pines.

When her closeted, pot-dealing bestie Jack suggests they create an app based on school scandals, she’s game. On “Chaos” students can anonymously post rumors for points; the more points they get, the more buzz they can access.

Chaos goes viral. Then Melissa discovers Jack wants to use it to spread an illicit video of a teacher who knows he deals.  If Melissa agrees, a student’s reputation will be ruined – just like hers.

Melissa gets a conscience and pushes Jack to reconsider, but he snaps: he releases the video, blames Chaos on Melissa, and starts stalking the teacher. Melissa has to stop Jack. Or she’ll end up with handcuffs as a graduation present, looking at Valley Pines from behind bars instead of through a rearview mirror.

First Page:

In high school there are girls who are gods. They command everyone’s attention with a swish of their skirt, a pout of their lips, and a wink. My little sister Stephanie and her friends are those girls. Pay atte­­­ntion, they say. Look at me.

You don’t want to cross these girls when they’re angry. These girls will key your car, spit gum in your hair, and pour diet Coke in your locker. Only diet, they’re not like you, fatass.

I’m going to get revenge, because I know all of their secrets. I know everything. When you know things in high school it rattles you. You can feel it in your bones when you look at someone. It’s this shuffling sound in your ears that never goes away.

My phone bleeps. ‘1 new message’ flashes on the screen.

Anything interesting on the tangled web last night Birdie? 

Jack Stewart always calls me Birdie even though my name is Melissa. He says it’s because it’s good to have a little birdie tell you secrets.

Wait ‘til I tell you what I saw on the confessional. I text back.

Last night I was reading trumbullconfessional.com, an anonymous gossip site made by a couple of seniors from back when the Internet was still dial-up. Mostly it’s bullshit posts about people looking to find the latest party, or spread lies. But sometimes you hit confessional gold.