You know me. Qibli. Adopted son of Mayor Thorn.
You may also know me as dead.
Believe me.
I didn't exactly kill myself.
13 others did.
And.
If you are listening to this because you received a package from some unknown person, you are one of them.
I made an exact copy of these tapes. I do not have them. Someone else does.
Someone else who will make sure you listened to the tapes.
And if you don't - yes, a dead person in blackmailing you right now - they will send them out to the whole world.
There are two rules:
1. Listen to them. To them all.
2. Pass them on. Or leave them in the park at 9 pm on a Wednesday, if you're the last person, person number 13.
Now. On to my story. Feel free to tell anyone your side of the story - I just won't be listening.
As you didn't listen to me. Welcome to your tape, Moonwatcher.
Winter would've dropped the Walkman if it wasn't in his pocket.
What did Moon do?! There was only one answer. Press play.
I thought I loved you. I really did. And so did you.
We both decided that we really were meant for each other.
And then came Winter, who also thought he loved you.
And suddenly, that pretty story about true love we made up didn't have me as the main character. You could... let me phrase this better... could not pick between a knight in shining armor.
I thought I was the one. I regarded Winter a rival - someone I could be friends with, but never best friends, as we both wanted a thing we could not split.
I'll assume Winter also thought he was the one, and you let us believe that.
Now that I figured out what I really felt, I wonder whether you did that on purpose.
Whether you wanted attention, or really truly loved us both, or even neither, you made this adventure up. Who could woo the princess would receive her hand.
And I tried. Oh, yes, I tried. My best.
And so did Winter.
Winter's eyes teared up.
I felt hate towards the one person who could've been my best friend - and maybe more.
You pushed us against each other, you made us believe we were enemies.
And it worked, Moon. There came a time when I truly thought I hated Winter.
And then you showed that it was all a game to you.
I saw you first, there, you know. Kissing that guy from the sophomore class. I think his name was Peregrine - it doesn't matter.
Sure, you broke up with him, and apologized to us, saying some crap along the lines of 'I couldn't pick, so I decided to pick neither.'
Yes but you didn't say anything.
You took my hopes, all my work, and said 'Why you so worked up, it's just a game."
Well, you didn't listen to what I said later.
If you want, I'll say it again. "Nobody told me it was a game."
Thank you, Moon, for stepping on my heart and walking away.
It was the thing that made me so much more vulnerable for everything that came next.
Winter fumbled with the now-silent Walkman. He yanked out the tape, and flipped it over.
Tape A, Side 2, I'm coming.