Writers 
Chapter 13: Daniel's Secret
Amara couldn't stop thinking about the message she had received.
Ask your mother about the night Mia came to your house.
She read it again while walking home from school. She wanted to believe it was just another trick from whoever had been sending her those messages, but Zara's reaction had made her curious. Even Zara hadn't known Mia had visited her house.
When Amara arrived home, she found her mother in the kitchen preparing dinner. Everything looked normal, and that somehow made her feel worse. How could her mother act as if nothing was wrong when Amara was beginning to question everything she had ever been told?
"You're home early today," her mother said.
"School closed early."
It wasn't true, but Amara didn't want to explain herself. She dropped her bag beside the dining table and watched her mother for a moment.
"Mum, can I ask you something?"
Her mother turned to look at her. "Of course. What's wrong?"
"Did Mia ever come to our house?"
For a few seconds, her mother said nothing. She turned back to the food and stirred it slowly.
"Why are you asking about that girl again?"
Amara noticed the way her mother's voice had changed.
"Because I want to know who she was. Everyone seems to know something about her, but nobody wants to tell me."
"Amara, I already told you that I don't want you getting involved in things from the past."
"But what if those things involve me?"
Her mother put down the spoon.
"Please, just leave it alone."
Amara felt hurt. She had hoped her mother would finally give her an honest answer, but instead she was being told to stop asking questions again.
She picked up her bag and went to her room without saying anything else.
Later that evening, Amara decided to call Daniel. She had been avoiding him since their last conversation, but she couldn't keep doing that. If he knew something about Mia, she wanted to hear it from him.
He answered after a few rings.
"Hello, Amara."
"We need to talk."
There was a short silence.
"About what?"
"About Mia. And whatever happened that night."
Daniel sighed. "I knew this was coming."
"Then you should have told me the truth from the beginning."
"It's not that simple."
"That's what everyone keeps saying. I'm tired of hearing it, Daniel."
He didn't respond immediately. Amara could hear people talking somewhere in the background.
"Can you meet me tomorrow?" he asked. "There's something I need to tell you, but I don't want to do it over the phone."
Amara agreed, and they ended the call.
The following afternoon, they met behind the school library. Daniel was already waiting when she arrived. He looked nervous, which was unusual for someone who always seemed so sure of himself.
Amara stood in front of him.
"Okay, I'm here. Tell me what you've been hiding."
Daniel looked down at the ground before speaking.
"That night, when Mia disappeared, I was the last person who saw her apart from you and Zara."
Amara stared at him.
"You told me you didn't know what happened."
"I said I didn't know everything."
"That's not the same thing, Daniel."
"I know."
He rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath.
"After you and Mia argued, she walked away. You were upset, and Zara was trying to calm you down. I thought Mia would come back after she had time to cool off, so I didn't follow her."
Amara tried to remember, but the details remained blurry.
"Where did she go?"
"I don't know. But before she left, she gave me something."
Daniel reached into his schoolbag and brought out a small envelope. It looked old, and one corner had been folded.
Amara looked at it without taking it.
"What is that?"
"Something Mia asked me to keep safe."
"Why didn't you tell me about it before?"
"Because she made me promise not to show it to anyone until I was sure you were ready to know the truth."
Amara shook her head.
"Everyone keeps making decisions about what I'm ready to know. It's my life, Daniel. I should be the one to decide that."
He looked at her, and for the first time, he didn't try to defend himself.
"You're right."
He handed her