The Secret Keepers of Westridge High

By Ella Williams

When Lily found a mysterious old phone with a message for Ethan Reeds, they teamed up and dived into a school-wide puzzle. Their quest? To solve the disappearance of their classmate, Chase Wallace. As they dug deeper, they unearthed secret societies and shocking school scandals. It was more than just a high school drama - it was a journey of discovery, friendship, and the courage to seek the truth. Join Lily and Ethan in this gripping tale as they unraveled the secrets buried within the halls of Westridge High.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 8, 2024
• ISBN: 9781304727886

Book preview

The Secret Keepers of Westridge High

Ella Williams

Joel & Grace Publishing

Copyright © 2024 Joel & Grace Publishing

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1-304-72788-6

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Epilogue

About The Author

Prologue

The night at Westridge High School was draped in a suspenseful silence, the opposite to the usual vibrancy that animated its halls. The sprawling campus, with its towering oaks and Gothic architecture, seemed to huddle under the weight of the darkening sky, as if bracing for a storm.

Inside, the detention room was a bubble of subdued light, holding within it a handful of students serving their time for the day's infractions. Among them was Lily Dawson, a typically diligent student who found herself caught in an unusual predicament – a scheduling mishap that had landed her in detention. Across the room, Ethan Reed, the school's celebrated soccer star, lounged with an air of nonchalance, his presence as conspicuous as his athletic prowess.

As the clock on the wall inched towards freedom, the only sounds were the occasional turning of a page, the tapping of a pencil, and the soft, rhythmic breathing of Mrs. Henderson, the supervising teacher, who seemed to have succumbed to the lulling quietude.

Suddenly, without warning, the room plunged into darkness. The faint hum of the fluorescent lights was replaced by a startled gasp that rippled through the room. The power outage was as unexpected as it was total, casting the school into an eerie, impenetrable blackness.

In the wake of the sudden darkness enveloping the detention room, the students began to whisper among themselves, their voices tinged with a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Can you see anything? whispered Lily Dawson, her voice barely above a breath as her eyes darted around, trying to pierce the all-encompassing blackness.

Not much. It's like we're suddenly in a different world, replied Ethan Reed from a few desks away, his usual confident tone replaced by a hint of uncertainty.

Is everyone okay? another student called out.

I think so. But why hasn't the power come back on yet? murmured another.

It's kind of creepy, isn't it? It feels like we're in some sort of mystery movie, Lily added, trying to inject a bit of levity into the situation, despite the uneasiness she felt.

Yeah, one where the detention room turns into a haunted house, Ethan joked back, his comment eliciting a few nervous laughs.

Shh, did you hear that? someone else suddenly hushed.

The whispers continued, each student grappling with the unexpected plunge into darkness, their conversation a blend of speculation, fear, and a faint sense of adventure at the unforeseen turn of their ordinary detention evening.

Stay calm, everyone, Mrs. Henderson's voice cut through the darkness, steady but tinged with a hint of unease. It's just a power outage. It should be back on in a few minutes.

But the darkness lingered, stubborn and unyielding. Outside, the wind began to howl, a mournful soundtrack to the unfolding drama. The windows rattled in their frames, as if shuddering at the touch of the cold night air.

In the thick of the darkness, Lily felt a twinge of apprehension. The familiar contours of the room seemed alien now, every creak and whisper magnified in the absence of light. Beside her, Ethan shifted in his seat, the scrape of his chair sounding unnaturally loud.

The power outage, mundane as it might have been under different circumstances, felt ominous in the solitude of detention, transforming the room into a stage for shadows and half-seen figures. It was as though the night itself had crept into the room, wrapping its secrets around the unsuspecting students.

Amidst the confusion, Lily, feeling her way cautiously in the dark, edged towards where she remembered her backpack was. Her hand brushed against the cool, smooth surface of the floorboards as she reached down, trying to locate her bag by touch.

As she moved her fingers along the ground, she felt something unexpected. There was a slight give in one of the floorboards, a subtle but noticeable unevenness. Curiosity piqued, Lily pressed down, and to her surprise, the board lifted slightly, revealing a small hidden compartment beneath.

Her heart skipped a beat as she carefully pried the loose board open. The darkness rendered her sight nearly useless, so she had to rely entirely on touch. Her fingers met with something rectangular and unexpectedly sleek - an old cell phone, its surface coated with a fine layer of dust, as if it hadn't been touched in years.

A mix of excitement and apprehension washed over Lily. She had always had a penchant for mysteries, and this felt like something straight out of the novels she devoured. With a glance over her shoulder to ensure no one was watching - not that they could see much in the darkness - she secreted the phone into her pocket.

Her mind raced with questions. Whose phone was this? Why was it hidden under a floorboard in the detention room? And perhaps most intriguingly, what secrets did it hold? As the whispers and nervous chatter continued around her, Lily felt a spark of adventurous spirit ignite within her.

Lily, her curiosity now a flame, slipped away from the others, finding a shadowed corner in the room. With bated breath, she pressed and held the power button on the old cell phone. To her amazement, the screen flickered to life, cutting through the darkness with its pale glow. The battery was surprisingly alive, a little icon blinking with just a sliver of charge left.

Her eyes widened as a notification on the screen caught her attention—an unread message, timestamped from exactly a year ago. It was addressed to someone named Ethan. Her heart raced as she opened the message, her fingers trembling slightly.

The message read: Ethan, I need your help. Please, it's urgent.

The simplicity of the words, coupled with their desperate plea, sent a chill down Lily's spine. Questions whirled in her mind like a storm. Was this message meant for Ethan Reed, the same Ethan who was now sitting in the darkness of the detention room with her? And what sort of help had been so urgent?

The room around her felt eerily still, as if time had paused in anticipation of her next move. She knew she had stumbled upon something significant, something potentially dangerous. The secrecy of the phone's hiding place, the urgency of the message – it all pointed to a mystery that was much larger than a simple forgotten phone.

Lily realized she was standing on the precipice of a decision. She could put the phone back, forget about the message, and return to the safety of her ordinary life. Or she could delve into this mystery, uncover the story behind this plea for help.

As the whispers and restlessness of the detention room continued around her, Lily felt a resolve harden within her. She couldn't ignore this. She needed to find out the truth, not just for her own curiosity but for whoever had left this message, so fraught with urgency and fear.

With a newfound determination, she pocketed the phone, already planning her next steps. She would need to talk to Ethan, but how to approach him, and would he even believe her?

Chapter 1

The next afternoon, Westridge High School's library was a haven of quiet activity. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow over the rows of bookshelves and the scattered tables occupied by students.

Lily walked in, her steps hesitant yet purposeful. She clutched the mysterious cell phone tightly in her bag, its presence a constant reminder of the secret she now carried. The library, usually a place of solace and study for her, felt different today, as if it too was holding its breath, waiting for the next chapter of the mystery to unfold.

Around her, the usual rhythm of the library hummed softly. A group of students huddled around a table in the far corner, their heads bent together over textbooks, whispering and laughing quietly. Occasionally, one would break away to retrieve a book from the shelves, their movements careful and hushed in respect of the sanctuary's unspoken rules.

In another corner, a solitary figure sat with headphones on, completely absorbed in the music or the podcast that separated them from the rest of the world. Nearby, a couple of younger students giggled over a shared graphic novel, their expressions animated and carefree.

The librarian, Mrs. Ellis, moved with a quiet efficiency among the bookshelves. Her eyes, sharp behind her glasses, missed nothing. She offered a gentle reminder to a student speaking too loudly on their phone, her tone firm yet kind.

Lily approached the archives section of the library, a less frequented area where the past of Westridge High was chronicled in dusty volumes and old newspaper clippings. The air here was thick with the scent of aged paper and the quiet weight of history.

As she sifted through the archives, her fingers delicately turning the yellowed pages, Lily's mind was a wave of thoughts. She was looking for any incident or notable event from a year ago, something that could shed light on the urgent message addressed to Ethan.

The archives were a treasure trove of the school's history – from triumphant sports victories to academic accolades. But Lily was searching for something darker, an anomaly in the school's proud narrative. She scanned through the pages, her eyes hunting for any clue, a report or a mention that stood out.

Her search led her to a stack of old school newspapers. There, tucked away on a page of small articles, was a brief mention of an incident – a sudden lockdown drill that had occurred approximately a year ago. The article was vague, citing only 'unspecified security concerns' as the reason. But Lily felt a tingle of intuition. Lockdown drills were routine, but the timing of this one seemed too coincidental.

She dug deeper, her focus narrowing. Flipping through more pages, she found a small column about a sudden resignation of a school staff member around the same time. The reasons were not detailed, but it added another layer of intrigue to the puzzle.

Lily's search through the archives had yielded little in terms of concrete information, but it had ignited a spark of curiosity that refused to be extinguished. Frustrated yet undeterred, she turned her attention to the collection of yearbooks lined up neatly on a nearby shelf.

Pulling out the yearbook from the previous year, Lily flipped through the pages, a visual journey through the recent history of Westridge High. There were pages filled with smiling faces, clubs, sports teams, and candid shots of school life – a mosaic of moments frozen in time.

As she turned the pages, her eyes were drawn to a particular photo – a yearbook picture of Ethan Reed. He was captured mid-laugh, his eyes bright with the kind of charisma that couldn't be contained within the confines of a photograph. Even in the still image, Ethan exuded an effortless charm that Lily knew was not just the result of photographic luck. He was someone who stood out, who was remembered.

Lily found herself studying the photo, wondering about the person behind the smile. What did Ethan know about the mysterious message on the cell phone? Was he connected to it in some way, or was it all just a strange coincidence?

Around Ethan's photo were pictures of his classmates, some of whom Lily recognized. She scanned their faces, looking for any sign of clue, but he was notably absent.

Tucking the yearbook back into its place, Lily gathered her belongings. She knew her next step was to talk to Ethan. With the yearbook image of his carefree smile etched in her mind, she stepped out of the library, the corridors of Westridge High echoing with the sounds of students heading home, oblivious to the undercurrent of mystery that was slowly unraveling within their midst.

Lily was so engrossed in her research that she hardly noticed the time passing. The sun's angle had shifted, casting longer shadows across the library floor. The low murmur of student activity had dwindled as the end of the school day approached.

That night, in the sanctuary of her room, Lily sat at her desk, the glow of her desk lamp casting a warm, solitary light. Outside, the world was quiet, save for the occasional whisper of the wind against her window. She was alone with her thoughts, a tumultuous sea that reflected the storm of emotions and questions swirling inside her.

Lily had always been cautious, preferring the predictable rhythm of her studies and the safe, familiar paths of her daily routine. Her world was one of order and logic, where surprises were few and risks were carefully calculated. But as she sat there, pondering the mystery that had unexpectedly fallen into her lap, she felt a stirring in her heart, a whisper of excitement that she couldn't ignore.

The potential risks of her investigation loomed large in her mind. She thought of the implications of delving deeper into the secrets of Westridge High, of uncovering truths that might be better left hidden. There were so many unknowns, so many shadows that could hold dangers she hadn't anticipated. What if her quest for answers put her in harm's way, or worse, endangered others?

Yet, alongside her fears, there was an undeniable thrill, a pulse of exhilaration at the thought of stepping into the unknown. For so long, Lily had craved something more, a break from the monotony, a chance to prove that she was capable of more than just good grades and perfect attendance. This mystery, with its layers and complexities, was a call to adventure, a siren song that she found herself helplessly drawn to.

Chapter 2

T he next day, as Westridge High buzzed with its usual frenzy of teenage life, Lily navigated the crowded hallways with a newfound sense of purpose. Tucked securely in her bag, the old cell phone felt like a secret key to a mystery only she was privy to. The school's lively chatter, the slamming of lockers, and the ubiquitous laughter formed the backdrop of a typical day, but for Lily, everything felt different, charged with an electric current of anticipation.

Her eyes scanned the sea of students, searching for one face in particular – Ethan Reed. It didn't take long to spot him, the center of gravity in a group that hung on his every word. Ethan's laughter echoed down the hallway, his charisma casting a wide net that seemed to pull people into his orbit. Surrounded by friends, he was the quintessential high school star: blonde with blue eyes, confident, popular, effortlessly cool.

Lily watched from a distance, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack a little tighter. The contrast between them couldn't be bigger. She was the girl who relished the quiet corners of the school, whose companions were often books and thoughts, who found solace in the ordered rows of the library. Ethan, on the other hand, was a creature of the spotlight, thriving in the