The night of Sadie’s Mallory’s party, someone doesn’t make it home...

The mother of Riley Torres was the one to notice she wasn’t in her bed that Saturday morning. They tried to reason with themselves, they assumed she had just fallen asleep at a friend’s house, drunk or that she’d gone home with some boy, maybe. They got into contact with every friend, they posted on Facebook. Now, the whole weekend has passed and everyone’s heard that Riley is missing by Monday morning. People are whispering about it at school, sharing stories of themselves locking eyes with her at Sadie’s party, thinking something was off about her. They tell stories about seeing some strange people present at the Mallory party, some people who didn’t look quite right. It’s all bullshit and everyone knows it, but they buy into it anyway. This is the most awful thing that’s happened in Forks in a long time, but it’s also the most exciting. Something is actually happening. 

People are talking about search parties and the school is worried about what they should say or do to the students in this situation. Everyone’s got a theory or an assumption about what happened. 

Riley Torres has been missing for 2 days and that’s all everyone really knows for now. 

TASK ONE: your character’s personal party playlist 

EVENT ONE: house party (because, what else?)

The news spreads around during last period on Thursday, which is surprisingly early notice for parties in Forks. As it turns out, Sadie Mallory was just sorting out the final details as her parents pulled out of the driveway that morning for the first big house party since the school year began. After Brendan Narducci’s shitty attempt at a rager almost a month back, expectations are low, but the buzz grows after whispers of Sadie’s older brother being a) in town under the guise of house watching while their parents are gone and b) willing to supply a shitload of booze. Word gets around fast in a town as small as Forks and it’s even rumoured that kids from out of town, such as a couple from the private school a couple of towns over are even planning to attend. 

Friday night rolls around and no one’s surprised to find the Mallory house filled with sweaty, drunk teen bodies. Red cups seem to line every surface early into the night and cars crowd the woods that surround the large, two storey house. Music blasts through the living room and almost everyone from the junior and senior classes at Forks High are in attendance - a rare feat considering the social hierarchy that many of Sadie’s friends seek to viciously uphold. The gang finds themselves in the mix, separated but noticing each other in the crowd.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, COLLECTED BY ELOISE, HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE INFORMATION PAGE (meaning it is now known by all players):

the cullens were a strange and eccentric family. they wore a lot of khaki. they were possibly mormons. eloise has suggested they could have been a cult.

“Gosh that sounds… intense. And no one like… checked on it? Like, I’m honestly surprised that this wasn’t on the news, I mean — a private island? That’s… a lot.” She said, her brain going at about a hundred miles per second. There was so much to process — would she even remember it all? Mormons, khaki, honeymoon, disease, private island. Was that it? Did she forget something — and should she have set her phone to record all of this? No, that last part was too extreme. She’d probably get kicked out for recording anything. Eloise had so many questions, but she wasn’t entirely sure which ones were appropriate to ask during an interview (even though this wasn’t really a conventional interview). “Did you say khaki? What year was this again?” Eloise didn’t really know anyone who wore khaki anymore, let alone whole entire families of people who wore khaki. It sounded stupid, but she figured it would be worth mentioning to the rest of the group. “Mormons…” She repeated to herself, tone a little softer. Everything she knew about mormons came from that musical Nathalie told her about, and Eloise made a mental note to Google it later. “Are they like, a cult? Because I mean, the whole private island thing just screams cult.” She hoped she didn’t sound too judgmental, but it was so easy to just get caught up in rambling about this entire situation with Jessica. “But, um — I’m really sorry about all of that. I can’t imagine how difficult it must’ve been to uh… have that happen like, right after you graduate.” Her tone was sympathetic, and she offered Jessica a genuine smile. She really hoped that this interview was going well, because there seemed like heaps more she could be getting from her, and maybe even her husband.

It truly didn’t register to Jessica how insane half the things she was saying were until they left her mouth. Sure, a lot of it was public knowledge, but it was still crazy stuff for a town as small and quaint as Forks. Considering how young Eloise was when it all went down, it didn’t surprise her that the teen was clueless to all of it. It kind of felt good, getting to tell someone all of the thoughts she’d been having in the last decade about the whole thing. “No! They were so private about it, we got those details and we got nothing else. They had a private doctor and they like... flew her out to South America or something. Apparently nothing could be done, though cause like, obviously she died.” As long as it had been since this all happened, Jessica wasn’t really concerned about messing up any details. What did it matter, really if she got a couple things wrong or blew a few things out of proportion? She nodded, eyes wide as if ti show that she knew how weird it was too. “Khaki and a lot of white linen. It was 2006, like, it never looked right.” At the mention of a cult, she took a moment to blink, realising that this whole conversation had taken a turn that Mike wouldn’t be happy with her over. “Oh my god, no... I... I don’t think they were in a cult.” She chuckled nervously, shaking her head. “That’s crazy. A cult, in Forks? That in the open? And that selective...” Now, she just kind of felt offended if they were a cult. Was she really not special enough? She was fucking valedictorian for God’s sake. Shaking her head, she placed her hands down on the desk. “I really got carried away there, oh my gosh. Okay, we better get through these last interview questions or like, my husband will freak...” She continued on, finishing off the interview with Eloise grateful that they had found an employee that would truly appreciate her. 

/ END THREAD

Eloise kind of regretted committing herself to being available pretty much every day, though she had drawn the short straw — she needed to be at the store as often as possible. Gaining intel and being a good employee already sounded like such a chore, but she put on a bright smile anyway. “That sounds awesome, I’d be honoured to commit myself to working here.” She practically gushed, hoping that it wasn’t overkill. Jessica seemed enthusiastic, so Eloise figured she’d appreciate it. Her eyes were almost fixed on Jessica, hanging on to every word she was saying, and trying to commit it all to memory. “Yeah, it sounded like it really rocked the town, everyone said she was such a wonderful girl.” Remembering the sparse timeline the group had drawn up, Eloise tried to reconcile a wedding with Bella disappearing so close to her high school graduation. Shotgun wedding to compensate for a pregnancy was Eloise’s first (slightly judgmental) thought, but no way she was voicing it. “No, no — I’m happy to listen. I think it always helps to talk about this kind of thing… y’know, so people, uh… live on in our memories.”

Hah, this whole thing was a cakewalk for Jessica. She knew convincing Mike to let her do the interviewing would mean they had this in the bad. Sure, it was technically supposed to be so they could see if she was a good fit, but she was sure that Eloise was. She was rich, smart, polite... all qualities she was sure made a good employee and god they could use some of those. “That’s excellent, really!” She replied, equally as excited in her tone. She pursed her lips and nodded at her words in regards to Bella. “Yeah, totally... she was so sweet. Really quiet and um, y’know. kind.” She was pretty sure she was kind, anyway. Really she just kind of seemed like a pushover, a little too easy to manipulate. She’d comforted herself in thinking that maybe that was why Edward liked her. Or loved her, or whatever. As Eloise gave her the go ahead to keep talking, Jessica didn’t think twice before launching into it. “Okay, so, like... her death is really sad but also... y’know, strange? Sad and strange. Like, who contracts a disease on her honeymoon?” She scoffed. “Who goes to a private island on their honeymoon? I mean we knew his dad was loaded but that loaded? Like, my family doesn’t own a private island. Does your family own an island?” She asked and then her expression dropped. “Don’t answer that. Anyway I guess the whole thing always seemed really unhealthy to me, the whole relationship, how obsessed with each other they were. Her dad seemed to think it wasn’t anything, though and obviously considering who he was that meant we all kind of just let it be.” Her expression turned to one a little more serious now, her brows furrowing. “You know, I always thought those Cullens were weird, but we’re just not allowed to say that anymore cause someone died. I mean, they all wore khaki, for God’s sake, like all the time.”  

“And I have a super flexible schedule, too. Other than when I’m at school, I can be here whenever you need me!” Eloise said, an eager smile on her features. As ready as she was to grill her potential employer and report back to the group, she had to keep reminding herself that she actually needed to land this interview if their plan was going to be successful. “Honestly — that could’ve been taken yesterday.” Eloise was trying to be as nice as possible, but she was also being honest. Even years later, Jessica still seemed to look exactly like her senior prom pictures. Scanning the photo, her eyes zeroed in on a familiar face. Familiar due to how many creepy Google searches she’d done about the girl. Isabella Swan — El couldn’t believe her luck. She was prepared to hurl an onslaught of questions, but remembered she needed to handle this situation a little more delicately. “Is that… um — the old chief’s daughter? I was really little when I heard about what happened, I’m so sorry, I can’t imagine losing a friend like that.” Her voice lowered a little, and she mustered up a sympathetic smile.

“That’s always a plus! We have a sheet where you can fill out your hours, actually, I’ll let you do that like, at the end though.” Jessica decided, knowing that this interview wasn’t very typical. Mike had left her the normal interview questions, but she was pretty sure that Eloise didn’t want to answer what she plans to be doing in five years or what her greatest skills are. Instead, she liked talking with her like they were becoming friends instead of boss and employee. Plus, she was being so kind! And honest. She happily turned the photo back around, though her smile dropped somewhat at the mention of Bella, even if it wasn’t by name. “Oh... yeah, that was really sad. Gosh, I, uh, I didn’t know the kids in town even know about that, y’know? Cause it was like so tragic. It was really tough for all of us, especially since the day she got married was the last time we all saw her.” Jessica was a notorious gossip, it was easy to tell that much from the moment she opened her mouth, but even she knew she was getting carried away. Still, she was always hankering to tell her side of the story. “I’m sure you don’t wanna hear about all that, it’s like super depressing.” 

“Yeah, it’s my first job, I’m really interested in learning about responsibility — oh!” She exclaimed, a grin spreading across her features, “You went to Forks High? That’s awesome, I love it there.” Jackpot. Eloise couldn’t help the feeling of giddiness at the fact that she’d only been here for five minutes, but she already had information to report back to the rest of the group. Jessica Newton went to Forks High — she was bound to know Bella. She wracked her brain, trying to figure out an angle into this without seeming like a total creep and tanking the interview. “Wait, have I see your face? I swear there’s a photo of you in the halls. You were valedictorian of your year, right?” Eloise kept her tone light, unable to help but feel a little impressed at her own memory and detective skills.

“Okay, yes, totally, that’s like, obviously a really important part of this job.” Jessica had been in the middle of interrupting her when the other girl interrupted her and she stood up straighter, almost startled by her words. “Right? It’s a good school, I mean, unless you go private there aren’t a lot of other options but I hear they’ve done some really nice renovations.” She mused, her mind on her son and the conversations they’d already been having about where he would be going to school. The second Eloise mentioned the word ‘valedictorian’, a bright smile appeared on her face as she nodded eagerly, her mouth barely keeping up with her head. It was so rare she got recognised for that. “Oh my god, they still have that up there? That’s so embarrassing, wow...” She played at bashful and then tucked her hair behind her ear. “I still look the same, right? Wow, those were the days. That’s where I met my husband, actually. Well, obviously. We were high school sweethearts.” She turned a picture on the desk around that depicted the two of them at prom with a couple other people, including Bella Swan. 

Newton. This was probably Mike Newton’s wife, judging by the ring on her finger. She hoped that would be enough to satisfy her friends, this lady must have known Bella, at least through Mike. Maybe they both went to school with her. “Oh! Okay, sure!” Eloise leaned in for the hug, slightly alarmed (but also pleasantly surprised) by Jessica’s friendliness. She was kind of expecting some awkward, strict boss that she’d have to deal with. All of this was far from that. Following her into the office, Eloise took a seat on the other side of the desk. “It’s a lovely store, everything’s so… organised! You and Mr. Newton must be so proud.”

“We’re like, really cool around here... it’s super chill.” Jessica was pretty sure she’d heard one of her nieces say something like that once - super chill. It sounded a little ridiculous coming out of her mouth, though, so she quickly took a moment to roll her eyes at herself before she let her into the office, closing the door behind her and then keeping a hand on her stomach as she settled into what was usually her husband’s chair. “Oh, pfft, yeah... it’s pretty great. Great place to work, I can promise you that.” She let out a giggle that ended rather abruptly as she sat up a little straighter, trying to look more professional though she was already desperate for this girl’s approval. “Have a seat.” She picked up the resume and skimmed it again like she hadn’t almost committed it to memory. “This is your first job, right? And... you go to Forks high? We love that. I’m a Spartan too!”

Eloise was going to kill Andie. The last thing she wanted to do was get a job at this place — what if the rest of the squad was sending her into a lion’s den? This whole impending interview was nerve-wracking enough without worrying about potential cult activity. But thanks to her parents she was well-versed in people pleasing, and saying the right things at the right time, which Eloise figured was half the battle with a job interview. She managed to find the place easy enough, and the employee in the store directed her to the backroom. Stepping inside, El didn’t exactly expect to see a woman yelling on her phone, but she waited patiently, giving a polite smile when she was acknowledged. “Hi, yes — it’s nice to meet you!” She extended her hand to shake, hoping her nerves didn’t show.

God, Jessica was really hankering for that damn pickle, to the point that she’d forgotten the whole point of why she was at work when she’d insisted that during the pregnancy she really had to scale it back. Noah was with his grandparents, thank god, because it wasn’t like Mike could handle grocery shopping and watching their child. “I’m Jessica Newton! It’s so nice to meet you too!” Giving a bright and cheery smile to their potential employee, she put her phone down on the nearest surface and held her arms out. “Shaking hands? Girl, please, we do hugs!” She seemed to forget that her big belly made that a little difficult, but she went through with it anyway, before she turned and extended her arm out to the door of the office. “Right this way.” She said, before powering ahead to open the door before Eloise could. 

Newton’s Olympic Outfitters before Jessica Newton (nee Stanley) seemed to play an endless cycle of boring, irritating muzak created to send anyone with a taste in music insane. She’d put a stop to that, thankfully and now a perfectly curated mix of her personal top 50 played over the speakers at all times. Really, she was pretty certain she was the store’s best asset, which was why when she’d heard that Eloise Tran had brought in an application, she insisted that she hold the interviewing process. Her parents were rich, she had a squeaky clean reputation and they could always use someone like her in the store smiling at customers and bringing in her parents rich friends. 

Mike had already aged out of coolness after inheriting the store and becoming a father, but even one and a half kids in, Jessica was convinced teenagers still thought she was young and awesome. So, clearly, she needed to be doing this interview. 

It starts with the nine of them, cooped up in one corner of the local library...

It’s a Friday afternoon and most of them would usually prefer to be somewhere else, but there they all are, arranged haphazardly across desks and mismatched seats they’ve dragged from elsewhere. Andie has doled out tasks, mostly simple ones which require them to sift through public records. They’ve situated themselves close to that area of the library and far away from any stragglers or librarians that might be suspicious about whatever they’re doing. They wouldn’t really have an answer for one, if not the lie they keep letting leave their lips with polite smiles. It’s for a project. 

They don’t know what they’re actually doing, nor do they really know what they’re actually looking for. The general idea is to find anything... weird, but there’s a lot of meaningless news to comb through when you’re looking for the strange stuff, apparently. Plus, they’re working backwards, trying to sift back from Isabella’s Swan’s death in 2006. 

Again, Andie leads the pack. She has a mind for this kind of stuff and she’s been looking through the 2006 year book, trying to find... something, somewhere to start. It’s not until she stumbles upon a group picture that involves two familiar faces that she starts to put something together. Mike Newton, known around town as the second generation owner of Newton’s Olympic Outfitters was friends with Bella Swan. 

It’s the first key for information that doesn’t come from a parent. When she speaks up, discussion begins. They need to talk to him, but they don’t want to come across as weird and suspicious, even if he is known for liking to talk about his glory days. It’s a dumb idea, what they come up with. Ridiculous, even, but their resident brainiac is thinking back to the help wanted sign she’s seen out the window on her way to work when she comes up with a plan. 

One of them is going to be applying for a job, it seems, but how do they pick? 

They all have an excuse not to do it, things that jeep them busy. The fairest way is to put their names into something that’ll pick for them. So, fate decides...