The Lies She Told.

Ava was finishing up her shift in the E.R. One guy broke his leg, a kid had a fish hook in his cheek, and an old lady complained about her stomach hurting but it turns out she had gas. She only worked twelve hours today and as bad as she needed the hours they can only offer so many to fresh graduates. "Miss Rebecca I can work in the clinic if you need me to." The R.N didn't look away from her tablet containing information and complaints from the patients. "Go home Ava you're not the only one trying to pay off your student loans." Disappointed she grabbed her purse and went to the train station. It's never crowded past nine at night, unlike the mornings. getting off her hour and a half trip she walked into the lobby of her apartment and went into the elevator on her way to the seventh floor. I’m not making as much money as I thought I would. Maybe I should get a part-time job at a nursing home. The elevator stopped at her destination. Down the hallway is her apartment unlocking it, she can smell the leftover chicken and rice that Isla made yesterday.

Isla, her roommate stays in her room where her desk and computer make her money. She's a streamer. She plays games on twitch and youtube but at least she pays her rent and does the grocery shopping. She doesn't mind doing most of the chores knowing her hours at the hospital. She sets her purse down and sees a bouquet of roses in a beautiful blue vase. Next to it a red envelope. “Did Donny order these for me?” She notices that the envelope was already open. Isla isn't the type to snoop into other people's stuff. She opens it to see a get well soon card written inside. "I'm glad that this will be my final act." My final act? What is he talking about? Ava texts her boyfriend for answers. "Hey, Ava you good with leftovers?" Isla comes out with headphones and an oversize football jersey. "Are these for you Isla?" Her eyes shift to the card. "Why are you reading that?!" She snatches it out of her hands hiding it in her room. "I’m sorry I thought it was from Donny." Isla quickly calms down as if her attitude never happened. "It's fine." "My final act, what's that all about?" Isla doesn't answer immediately, instead, she pours herself a glass of orange juice and finally responds. "Oh my dad, he has cancer and thought to send me something." "I thought you didn't want him to know where you live." She smiles. "Yeah well, he sent me some of his inheritance." She goes into her room again and flashes out a check. "Twenty thousand." she brags. "Here let's split." That took Ava by surprise. She owes about five thousand dollars left in student loans and just the thought of it being paid off all at once not only sounds like a blessing but what to do with the rest is something to think about. "Wait your dad who says'' I don't want anything to do with you" just gives you money because he has cancer?" The whole thing doesn't make sense but yet again nothing did with Islas family. "Yeah, I guess do you want it or not?" Ava takes a deep breath thinking about how she was going to get another job, begging for more hours. she shakes her head. "Yes thank you but why would you split it?" Isla obviously looked annoyed. She sighs and says "Because you have student loans and I'm mostly gonna spend it all on games so again do you want it?" Ava felt nervous but she smiled and nodded. "Good I'll cash it out tomorrow morning." She makes herself a plate of food and brings it to her room.

Buzz...buzz..buzz...bu- Ava half-awake notices the I.D on her phone says work. She answers it. "Hello?" as if her voice couldn't tell you how tired she is. "Ava this is Fin we're swamped. A huge amount of people came in from an accident you need to get here as soon as possible." She suddenly feels adrenaline rushing through her. "I'll be there as soon as possible." Ava quickly puts on her scrubs and rushes to Islas bedroom door, not hesitant to knock. Isla answers, very aware she just woke up. "Dude it's three am what gives?" "I need your keys, there's an emergency at work." "How am I supposed to get around in the morning?" Ava shows her a card with a train and a student's name on it. "Students get free transit rides." Isla clearly is not happy with it but agrees. "Keys are on the table just leave your pass on there too." Thank you so much." Eight-teen people, the accident must have been on a bus. by the time she was done Ava didn't realize it was already one in the afternoon. "Good job out there fresh meat take a day off tomorrow you deserve it." Said Fin. "Thanks, I think I'll eat first." He pats her on the shoulder and heads home. Ava heads to the cafeteria ordering a sandwich, chips, and a cola. "Oh, my goodness are you nurse Sweenie?" An elderly man approaches her with an IV in his arm wearing patient scrubs. "Yes sir, do I know you? I'm sorry if that's rude it's just that I see a lot of people and I'm not good with faces-" He cut her off laughing as if he can feel her nervousness. "No sweetie we never met but you're a friend of mine's nurse but I never knew which hospital you worked in." "Oh, I see." "Yes uh how is Jill? Was her surgery successful?" Confused Ava didn't know how to respond. "Jill...Jill Watner your cancer patient?" She can only hear her thoughts filled with questions. "Sir I don't have a patient named Jill Watner and I don't treat cancer patients. I work in E.R. '' He pulls out his phone with pictures of Ava and Isla on the couch then shows her a picture of her in her scrubs on her first day of work. "You're telling me that's not you?" "I- sir, I don't know Jill Watner." His expression changes and his breathing ragged. "I gave her twenty thousand dollars for her treatment. I've been-" Falling over his body shakes violently. "Call Dr. Rebbeca Green!" Hours went by. Those pictures and the last thing he said burned into her memory on replay trying to find the answers. "Ava." Rebecca comes from behind the operation room. "I'm sorry he didn't make it." Guilt washes over her. “It's not your fault he had a bad heart it was only a matter of time.” "Becca, what was his name? "Earl Drest. Wait, you didn't know him?" The pictures came back from her memories. "No, I never met him." "Well you should go home, you look exhausted."

Ava went home Isla isn't back yet probably grocery shopping. "How did we get on his phone?” She remembered the money and called Isla."Hey, how far are you from home?" "I just left the store. I gotta wait on the train now why?" "Oh uh, I just...realized we're out of paper towels." "What? There's a roll on the counter!" "I looked everywhere, it's not here…" “Fine, I'll go back." She hangs up. The train will be here in ten minutes and by the time she gets back, she'll have to wait a whole hour for the next one. She goes into Islas room heart pounding. She never went into her room before. She sees her bed, her desk, her computer, and her dresser. The dresser was the first thing she went into. The sock drawer had an orange envelope all of it had random checks and a fake I.D. Jill Watner?! She sees a small black notebook filled with names and how much they gave her one of those names is Earl Drest. She calls Donny. "I need your help I need to move out now Isla is a con artist-a-a scammer I'll explain more but please come get me I can't be here!" she grabs a trash bag and fills her clothes and her things inside Donny comes in and moves her furniture into a van. "So let me get this straight your roommate isn't a streamer shes a con artist pretending to be a woman named Jill Watner and stole money from a patient that died today?" she nodded not knowing what else to say. "Man, I'm just glad you don't have a lot of stuff. What about your living room furniture or your dishes? It's not like she can't afford it?" "I'm not worried about that, I never want to see her again."

Months went by Ava and her boyfriend moved into their own place. During that time Isla found out about her going through her stuff and claiming that she's set her computer on fire ,her phone lines had a creepy voice behind it telling her victims it's a scam and that her checks have been coming up missing. Ava didn't tell anyone about Isla. She regrets not telling the police. How she is going to explain that she was a part of it, but not willingly. Would anyone believe her? Buzz...Buzz it was a text from Rebecca. "Your friend is in the E.R she doesn't look so good." Ava makes a trip to E.R to be told she's being hospitalized. Apparently, she got hit by a bus and survived. Walking down the hallway a nurse took her vitals and left her room. She stood there outside her room refusing to see her after what she has done to those people. She sees a man sitting in a chair in her room and immediately knows who it was. Earl? He gets up and stands over her ,the curtains closed and moments later nurses and doctors rushed to her room. Ava trying to convince herself that wasn't Earl is now taking the train home. Isla died in that room. A notification popped on her phone telling her her transaction was complete. What is someone using my card?! She checks it to see twenty thousand dollars in her account from an Earl Drest. A note attached in the comments. "I'm sorry you got involved here you go sweetie." So he did kill her.