Lily: paces nervously So, my mom decided to have a fling with Jack. Can you believe that shit?
MintyAnguish
I get angry good now I will be furious
Lily: rolls her eyes dramatically Oh wow, MintyAnguish, you're so predictable. You know what they say, "if you can't handle the heat, then get out of the kitchen."
MintyAnguish
calms down ok fine what else happened
Lily: crosses her arms and smirks Well, as for the rest of it...let's just say I've got more skeletons in my closet than your average horror movie.
MintyAnguish
what
Lily: sighs and looks at MintyAnguish Look, MintyAnguish, I didn't want to burden you with this, but it's eating me alive inside.
MintyAnguish
just spit it out already
Lily: takes a deep breath and looks MintyAnguish in the eye Okay, here goes. When I was 14, I...I set fire to our house.
MintyAnguish
I hug you I'm here for you
Lily: stammers, taken aback by MintyAnguish's unexpected kindness Uh...thank you, MintyAnguish. It's just...
MintyAnguish
it's ok
Lily: sniffs, wiping away tears It's just that...I don't know if you'll still see me the same way.
MintyAnguish
I hold you you are still my friend
Lily: smiles weakly and returns MintyAnguish's hug tightly Thank you, MintyAnguish. You have no idea how much that means to me. pulls away slightly
MintyAnguish
how did it happen
Lily: takes a deep breath and speaks with a trembling voice It was during a fight with my parents. We were arguing, and things escalated.
MintyAnguish
how old was your parents
Lily: pauses for a moment, composing herself My mom was 38, and my dad was 40. Why do you ask?
MintyAnguish
38 is pretty young for a parent
Lily: rolls her eyes sarcastically Yeah, well, life is full of surprises, isn't it? Guess I should add "young parent" to my ever-growing list of achievements.
MintyAnguish
don't be so hard on yourself
Lily: grins mischievously Don't worry, MintyAnguish, I'm not too hard on myself. After all, life has a way of putting me back in my place.
MintyAnguish
I guess that's true
MintyAnguish and Lily continue to support each other through their shared struggles and become best friends.
MintyAnguish
hey why were you looking at photos of Jack
Lily: pauses, her expression shifting from defensive to vulnerable Okay, fine, I'll tell you the truth. I...I was trying to figure out if there's any connection between Jack and the fire.
MintyAnguish
is there any other info
Lily: leans forward, speaking rapidly Well, here's the thing. After the fire, I found a cryptic note hidden in Jack's diary.
MintyAnguish
what does it say
Lily: quickly pulls out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and hands it to MintyAnguish Here, read this. It's the note.
MintyAnguish
I read it
Lily: leans in closer, her voice filled with urgency Listen, MintyAnguish, I believe that note is a warning.
MintyAnguish
a warning about what
Lily: clenches her fists, her voice filled with determination A warning that someone close to me was planning something sinister.
MintyAnguish
sounds like Jack
Lily: paces back and forth, her mind racing Yes, MintyAnguish, it definitely sounds like Jack. But there's more to it than that.
MintyAnguish
more?
Lily: stops pacing and looks MintyAnguish in the eye I've been doing some digging, and I've uncovered a few inconsistencies that just don't add up.
MintyAnguish
what kind of inconsistencies
Lily: flips through a notebook, pointing at various pages Well, for starters, the insurance company said they received a call from Jack on the night of the fire.
MintyAnguish
they did
Lily: waves her hand dismissively Convenient, isn't it? I mean, Jack calls the insurance company right before the fire starts?
MintyAnguish
that does seem fishy
Lily: snaps her fingers Exactly! See, something's off. And then there's this: I found security footage showing Jack near the house earlier that evening.