《Holt and Whitlock: The Accidental Deaths》


 Chapter One

    The music in the dance club nearly deafened Marianna, making her flinch and hesitate to enter. She was beginning to question her decision to come here tonight; she¡¯d thought it would be fun, trying something new like this ¡°safe¡± hotspot for teenagers, but now it was beginning to look like a bad idea.


    Lights of various colours flashed throughout the room as couples danced with each other. The song (one Marianna didn¡¯t recognize off the top of her head) was grating on her eardrums, seeming like it consisted of too loud music and a singer that screamed into the mic more than anything. Marianna cast a hesitant look at the dancers, wondering if some of them might be drunk. This club had a ¡°no alcohol¡± policy, although it didn¡¯t seem well-enforced. It wouldn¡¯t stop people from tossing back a few drinks before coming here.


    In fact, Marianna could see a few people drinking as they danced, drinks sloshing onto the floor. So much for discretion.


    Someone abruptly informed Marianna she had been lingering in the doorway too long; they shoved past her, launching her inside the club.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Marianna stuttered, blushing with embarrassment.


    Marianna made her way forward, finding herself stumbling as she knocked into people. The flashing lights and dancing people made it difficult to make out much, but from what she could see, the nightclub looked wild. There was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, spinning around as it reflected flashing lights of green, blue, purple and so on. Up ahead, she saw the DJ¡¯s station: a table of sorts with two large speakers on either side, vibrating with every beat of music. Behind the station, Marinna thought she saw a poster of Elvis hanging on the wall, alongside a few other people she couldn¡¯t place. The DJ himself had shoulder-length hair that swung around wildly with every bounce of his head. Marianna thought it was brown, but in the wild lighting, it was almost impossible to be sure.


    Speakers hung in every corner of the room, blasting music as loud as they could. One speaker, by the DJ¡¯s station, had streamers hanging from it, quivering with every blast of music.


    If Marianna squinted enough, she could see a door on one end of the room. She assumed it must lead to a restaurant of some sort.


    The floor was a bit sticky, she noted. People here definitely didn¡¯t care about health policies.


    Despite this, it looked like a fun place. Even if the songs seemed to include too many cuss words.


    Murmuring quiet apologies to the people she bumped into, Marianna continued, unsure as to what she planned to do in this over-crowded place, but deciding she would linger for at least a half an hour. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to find out the appeal of this place, she reasoned.


    As she edged forward with caution, Marianna caught sight of some people who looked like they could have been in the movie Dirty Dancing. Their dancing was much too¡­ up close, in Marianna¡¯s opinion. Marianna glanced away, feeling uncomfortable. It was because of her embarrassment that she was unprepared for another body to slam into her, causing her to fly into someone else.


    ¡°Whoa, hey,¡± the person said, placing masculine hands on her shoulders, steadying her. ¡°You all right?¡±


    Marianna blinked, bringing her cerulean eyes up to the stranger, and blushed once more. She did that way too often. ¡°Uh, yes,¡± she shouted in response, trying to be heard over the music. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you.¡± She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, trying to take in the boy¡ªor was he a man?¡ªbefore her in the flashing lights. He was attractive, she supposed. His hair was bizarre: dyed red, blue, purple, pink, and a few other colours she was having difficulty distinguishing in the dark room. The teen wore blood-red contacts that looked more suited for a Halloween costume and was wearing eyebrow piercing. He looked like the exact type of person who could be labelled as the ¡°bad boy¡± in a television show.


    The boy grinned, his white teeth flashing as he released her shoulders. ¡°Good,¡± he said. He jerked his head to a small group of people behind him. ¡°Wanna dance?¡±


    Peering past the boy, Marianna took in his friends. They looked harmless enough. The one girl was dressed like a Goth, with fishnet leggings and short black dress with long, see-through sleeves and a belt around the waist. The other three in the group wore either jeans and t-shirts or dresses. Marianna turned back to the boy with a small smile.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love to.¡±


    Why not? She¡¯d wanted to test her comfort zone tonight.


    They spent the next little while dancing so hard that Marianna¡¯s heart slammed against the bars of her ribcage. Sometimes, she would dance with the entire group at once, and other times they¡¯d pair off, mostly during the slow songs.


    Although Marianna would admit she was enjoying her time with the group, she wasn¡¯t feeling any spark with the boy with multicoloured hair, whose name, he told her was, Nixon. The same seemed to go with everyone else she had met tonight, though it didn¡¯t stop her from acknowledging someone¡¯s good looks from time to time.


    When the third slow song started to play over the speakers, Marianna took a step back and gave Nixon and his group a polite smile.


    ¡°I think I need a break now,¡± she yelled over the music. ¡°But thanks for the dances.¡±


    After shaking some hands and exchanging a goodbye with Nixon (who looked disappointed when she declined his phone number), Marianna walked off, trying to avoid bumping into people as she searched for refreshments. After being jostled around some, a table entered her field of vision, on which sat a large, clear bowl that looked like it contained punch. Sighing with relief, Marianna started to make her way over to the table when her eyes landed on the figure standing next to it.


    The girl¡¯s face was a mask of sheer boredom as she stared at nothing, her hand braced on the table. She had a full head of medium length black hair that fell down her back, a slight messy quality to it. She wore a simple long-sleeved black shirt with jeans and black ballet flats¨C¨Ca far cry from the dresses that most of the girls were wearing; including Marianna, who wore a simple blue dress. The girl was also pale. Like, seriously pale. Her skin tone kind of made Marianna think of a vampire.


    It occurred to Marianna that it would feel nice to run her fingers through that inky black hair. Would it be tangled? Would Marianna have to be gentle? And those cheekbones. The girl¡¯s complexion reminded Marianna of those marble statues she saw from time to time. She wanted to trace her fingers over those cheekbones, to see if they were as hard as they looked¨C¨C


    Okay, enough of that.


    But still, she couldn¡¯t make herself look away. Her heart sped up.


    As if the girl sensed she was being watched, she started scanning the crowd impassively, pausing as she spotted Marianna. An expression of mild curiosity replaced her look of boredom, and the pale girl cocked her head to the side, sweeping her gaze up and down Marianna in a way that felt a bit invasive.


    Bringing her eyes back up to Marianna¡¯s face¡ªstill too far away for Marianna to make out their colour¡ªthe no longer bored girl gave her a slight smile, her face becoming more warm and inviting. Marianna unwittingly smiled back, and that was the exact moment that someone bumped into her.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Marianna cried out, once again fighting the crowd to get to her destination. Maneuvering her way through the dancing bodies, Marianna soon found herself much closer to the refreshments, seeking the raven-haired girl next to the refreshments. Her heart fell when she saw a boy talking to the girl, looking as though he was trying to flirt with her. Her spirits lifted, however, when she saw the look on the girl¡¯s face: a mixture between disinterest and annoyance.


    Marianna couldn¡¯t help but watch with interest as the girl started talking. Her mouth moved rapidly, eyes darting up and down the boy in front of her. Within thirty seconds, the boy whipped around and stormed away from the pale girl, looking ticked off. Marianna wondered what she had said to him. Her eyes followed him for a moment before drifting back to the girl.


    Marianna discovered that the porcelain girl was once again watching her. The girl gave her another small smile and Marianna wasted no time in approaching her, noting as she got closer that the girl¡¯s eyes were blue. Not a dark, vivid shade of blue, but, like her complexion, pale. Almost like ice.


    ¡°Uh, hi,¡± Marianna greeted when she was standing in front of the girl. Her eyes had a certain all-knowing look to them as they gazed at Marianna.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said, smiling once more. She had to tilt her head down to look at Marianna, as she was about a head taller than her. Marianna found she liked that.


    ¡°Um,¡± Marianna continued, tucking her hair back. Struck by a sudden boldness, she asked, ¡°Would you like to dance?¡± Almost as soon as she asked, Marianna felt a pit form in her stomach. Had she asked too soon? Should she have introduced herself first? What if she didn¡¯t like girls that way? Oh crap, she hadn¡¯t thought about that. As Marianna opened her mouth to say¡­ Well, she didn¡¯t know what, the girl interrupted her.


    ¡°Yes, I would like that.¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Marianna breathed a small sigh of relief. After a moment¡¯s consideration, Marianna held out her hand, and the girl took it in her cool grip, leading her onto the dance floor. Almost immediately, the porcelain girl placed her hands on Marianna¡¯s hips. She waited for Marianna to place her hands on her shoulders before they started to sway with the music.


    The loud music inhibited the two girls from having any real conversation, but this didn¡¯t prevent them from having fun. When the slow song ended, a fast-paced one was played¡ªone where the singer sang inhumanly high. Marianna and her dancing partner laughed as they tried to keep up with the tempo, and failed. She laughed, glancing up at her partner time and again. At one point, the raven-haired girl leaned to mutter a quick warning in Marianna¡¯s ear, before grabbing her hand and spinning her around, golden tresses fanning. Once done spinning her, the girl pulled Marianna closer again, causing Marianna to stumble in her high heels, beaming.


    She stepped forward, placing her hands on the girl¡¯s shoulders as she leaned close. Marianna¡¯s heart raced as a bead of sweat trickled down the back of her neck. A giggle built in her throat, but she suppressed it.


    The girl almost seemed to smile. She¡¯d hardly away from Marianna in all the time they spent dancing, her gaze never allowing Marianna¡¯s heart to slow down.


    ¡°Where did you learn to dance?¡± Marianna shouted at her, leaning even closer so she could be heard better. The girl, too, leaned forward so that their foreheads were nearly touching.


    ¡°Nowhere,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m improvising.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re doing a good job,¡± Marianna said.


    A small crease formed between the girl¡¯s eyebrows. The two of them had barely talked since Marianna asked her to dance, and Marianna guessed that she was having difficulty hearing her.


    The girl hollered, ¡°Do you want to go outside? We¡¯ll be able to talk properly.¡±


    Marianna took a moment to consider.


    ¡°Good idea. But can we get a drink first? I¡¯m parched.¡±


    The girl gave a slight shake of her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s spiked.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna replied, blinking in bewilderment. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go, then.¡±


    The two tried to remain close to each other as they fought their way through the crowd, losing each other twice. When they finally reached the entryway, Marianna couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. While dancing with the girl¡ªwhose name she should learn soon¡ªhad been enjoyable, Marianna was now sporting a rather irritating headache and a parched throat. The coat area was, thankfully, its own separate room.


    As she located her jean jacket on one of the coat racks, Marianna introduced herself, saying, ¡°I¡¯m Marianna, by the way. Marianna Whitlock.¡±


    When she turned around, the pale girl was already putting on a black jacket. Upon hearing Marianna¡¯s introduction, she glanced up and said, ¡°Alna Holt. Nice to meet you.¡± She pronounced her name ¡°All-na.¡± With a faint upturn of her lips, the girl held out her hand. Smiling, Marianna shook it, returning the sentiment.


    The girl¨C¨CAlna¡ªheld the door open for Marianna as she stepped outside into the cool air. Stepping out herself, Alna walked a few paces away from the heavy metal door and sat on the cement sidewalk with her back against the grey wall. Marianna soon followed, but not before sparing a thought to her dress, which she hoped wouldn¡¯t get a permanent stain from sitting on the ground.


    There was a beat of silence between the two girls, in which Marianna surveyed the sky, trying to come up with a good conversation starter. It was dark out now, an indication that summer was, indeed, over. Scattered across the dark blue sky were some stars, shining boldly through all the artificial light cities generated. Marianna counted six, including one that shone particularly bright. Marianna was sure it had a name, but she couldn¡¯t think of it at the moment. She saw Alna looking at the stars with mild interest, and smiled.


    Just when she had decided to ask which school Alna went to, the girl in question spoke up.


    ¡°You¡¯re bisexual,¡± she observed, looking over at her. ¡°Although I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t told anyone yet. You hesitated before approaching me. This was partly because of the boy that was talking to me. You seem to have accepted your sexuality, but fear certain people finding out. Likely, you wouldn¡¯t have asked me to dance if you recognized anyone inside the club. I¡¯m going to go out on a limb and say you¡¯re afraid of coming out to your parents.¡±


    Marianna tensed. But of course, Alna was right. Eerily so. Marianna hadn¡¯t told anyone about her interest in both boys and girls, apart from the one girl she¡¯d once gone on a date with and the boyfriend who had dumped her a week after she¡¯d come out to him. That had happened during summer break.


    Alna seemed to notice the tension in Marianna¡¯s frame, as she continued, ¡°So, I¡¯m right, then: you haven¡¯t come out yet. Your parents wouldn¡¯t approve of your interest in girls.¡± She gave Marianna another sidelong look. ¡°But keeping yourself hidden affects you negatively. You¡¯re overly self-conscious, from what I have seen. Although that could also be part of your personality. Maybe a bit of both?¡± Alna looked Marianna up and down once again. ¡°Yes, that seems plausible. I would assume that it feels suffocating, though, to hide who you are.¡± She brought her gaze to Marianna¡¯s. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± Her eyes bored into Marianna¡¯s, making it impossible for her to look away.


    Before Marianna could say anything, Alna continued. ¡°You¡¯re not a malicious person. That much is obvious. You appear to be responsible, as was proven when you chose not to have a drink inside. You obviously like to dress up on occasion and care about your appearance. I would also assume that you care a great deal about what people think about you. This, frankly, is a waste of time.¡±


    After her little outburst, Alna fell silent, peering at Marianna warily out of the corner of her eye. Marianna herself couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. Alna¡¯s assumptions were so accurate that Marianna was almost willing to believe she was a mind reader. Shaking herself, Marianna looked at her with renewed interest. Her breaths came slow and calm, despite everything.


    ¡°How did you know I¡¯m bi?¡± she asked tentatively.


    ¡°You were dancing with a boy earlier; I caught a few glimpses of you. And while your being here with me indicates you were not all that interested in him, I saw you admiring his appearance. That, and I am quite certain you are attracted to me.¡± The smile Alna gave her was knowing, making Marianna¡¯s cheeks heat up. She surveyed the scant stars for a moment, before forcing herself to look at Alna again.


    Marianna started to say something, but at that moment, a small group of girls exited the club¡ªjudging by the way a few laughed a bit too loudly, Marianna assumed they were drunk¡ªand she fell silent. Once the girls piled into a truck, Marianna voiced her next question: ¡°Am I that obvious?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alna assured her, voice and face softening, kinder. ¡°I¡¯m good at noticing things.¡±


    Marianna stayed quiet for another moment, her mind turning over everything this virtual stranger had observed about her; how close they were to the truth. She couldn¡¯t recall ever meeting a person who could learn all that about her without Marianna telling them¨C¨Cat least, not without getting to know her better. To know Alna could see all that was disconcerting, and yet¡­ intriguing at the same time. She looked over at Alna once more, hoping the red in her cheeks wasn¡¯t too pronounced.


    This was all so overwhelming.


    And yet Marianna couldn¡¯t deny she was enjoying herself.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she asked. ¡°Sherlock Holmes?¡±


    For some reason, Alna looked pleased.


    ¡°No, although I appreciate the comparison.¡± She gave Marianna a smile that sent her heart thumping. ¡°I¡¯ve been a fan for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna said. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much about Sherlock Holmes. Only what people tell me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Alna hummed. She appeared to gaze off into the street, saying nothing. After a moment, she turned back to Marianna and asked, ¡°So, did I get it right?¡± Her eyes pierced into Marianna¡¯s, searching for answers.


    ¡°Most of it,¡± she admitted, lowering her gaze.


    Alna¡¯s head tilted, black hair falling over her shoulder. ¡°What did I get wrong?¡± she asked, sounding curious. She reminded Marianna a bit of a classmate she¡¯d had once, with her bright inquisitive eyes, always asking the teachers question after question. Wanting to learn everything.


    ¡°I have told someone about being bi,¡± Marianna answered. ¡°My boyfriend¡ªor, ex-boyfriend, Cael.¡± She paused before adding, ¡°He broke up with me about a week later.¡±


    Though this admission dimmed Marianna¡¯s mood a little, she didn¡¯t feel devastated, like she had when Cael first broke it off. She¡¯d moved on in their time apart. That, if nothing else, showed how ¡°serious¡± their relationship had been.


    Alna looked unimpressed. ¡°Well, that was stupid of him,¡± she commented, and Marianna couldn¡¯t help but smile at her blunt statement.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Marianna said. Alna gave a dismissive flick of her hand before the two lapsed into silence once more.


    Marianna wanted to question Alna some more about her strange talent but remembered that she hadn¡¯t checked the time in a while. Pulling her phone out of her jacket pocket, she couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed to see that it was almost eleven. Her mom would be here soon to pick her up. Marianna found herself wishing she had driven herself; maybe she could have stayed for a while longer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marianna apologized, bracing a hand against the stone wall behind her as she stood up, ¡°but I have to go soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Alna assured her, not sounding all that bothered as she, too, stood up. Marianna almost started to wonder if Alna was at all interested in her when she stepped closer, gently touching Marianna¡¯s elbow as she said, ¡°I find this difficult to believe, but I had fun tonight. I wasn¡¯t expecting that. Thanks for proving me wrong.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh,¡± Marianna stuttered, the traitorous blood rushing to her face. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡±


    She played with the sleeve of her jacket, eyes darting to Alna¡¯s pale lips. Would it be too soon to¡­


    As if reading her mind, Alna took a single step forward, placing a hand on Marianna¡¯s waist. She tilted her head down so that her lips were a mere inch from Marianna¡¯s, cool breath brushing them. Instinctively, Marianna shifted forward, waiting for the other girl¡¯s lips to touch hers, only to feel confused when Alna made no other move. They stayed like that, standing so close together that, if they had been wearing regular indoor clothes, they would have been able to feel each other¡¯s body heat. Finally, after standing like that for a good fifteen seconds, it dawned on Marianna that Alna was waiting for her to make the next move, and wasted no time closing the gap.


    The kiss was slow and gentle, unhurried. Marianna closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of Alna¡¯s lips against hers. She pushed herself onto the balls of her feet to deepen the kiss, hands settling onto Alna¡¯s shoulders. She felt Alna¡¯s hand leave her waist before finding its way into her medium length hair, soon joined by the other one.


    Marianna herself copied Alna¡¯s actions, grasping the raven tresses, becoming bolder when she felt Alna¡¯s grip tighten in her own hair. Their lips slid easily over each other, thanks to some long-lasting lip gloss Marianna had applied earlier. When Marianna became aware of her need for air, she pulled away from the taller girl to draw in a quick breath before diving in for more. Alna didn¡¯t seem to mind this one bit, as she placed her hands back on Marianna¡¯s waist, and pulled her even closer, if such a thing were even possible.


    So absorbed was she in their kiss that Marianna didn¡¯t even react when she heard a car engine. She attempted to press herself closer, feeling Alna¡¯s breath¡ªwarm now¡ªbrush her lips once more. Marianna moved her hands from Alna¡¯s hair to wrap them around her neck and¡ª


    ¡°Marianna?¡± called a familiar voice. Two sets of blue eyes shot open, turning to look at the owner of the voice.


    Oh, crap.

 Chapter Two

    Dead silence spiraled through the air, only broken by passing vehicles. Marianna¡¯s mom. Farren Whitlock, stood next to her grey truck, a hand resting on the open door, her wide hazel eyes fixed on the two girls. She opened her mouth, then closed it and swallowed hard, at a loss for words. Instead, she settled for staring blankly, eyes darting between her daughter and Alna, who Marianna was still embracing.


    Alna reacted first. She stepped away from Marianna and gave the older blonde woman a polite smile.


    ¡°You must be Ms. Whitlock,¡± she acknowledged smoothly, sounding unruffled by the entire situation. ¡°I¡¯m Alna Holt. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± She took a few steps toward Marianna¡¯s mom and offered her hand.


    For a moment, Mom hesitated, staring at Alna¡¯s hand in bewilderment. She was still in the professional black slacks and grey t-shirt from when she¡¯d gone out earlier. The only thing about her that looked relaxed was Mom¡¯s hair, which fell about her shoulders messily, having been wearing it in a ponytail for the entire day.


    Marianna¡¯s breath caught in her throat as she waited for¡­ However her mom would react to Alna. And then, for whatever reason, Mom decided taking the proffered hand would be the best course of action, and shook it, murmuring a quiet greeting. Her eyes soon slid back to Marianna, darting up and down her form, as if checking if she was all right.


    If her stomach twisted any more, Marianna swore she would vomit.


    Turning back to face the younger Whitlock, Alna gave Marianna another smile, this one sympathetic. ¡°Well,  I can honestly say that I had fun tonight, but I should be going. Have a good evening, Marianna. Ms. Whitlock.¡± With that simple adieu, Alna started to walk away.


    Marianna, getting over her state of shock, quickly grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Wait,¡± she gasped out, feeling her mom¡¯s gaze weighing on her. She didn¡¯t know what she planned to say to Alna. All Marianna knew was that she liked Alna, and if she didn¡¯t speak up now, she might never see her again. Now was her only chance. ¡°Can I call you sometime?¡± she blurted out, thankful that her mom was remaining silent for the moment. She already felt like she was going to have a heart attack as it was.


    At her words, Mom stepped forward, her voice hard as she said, ¡°Mary, that¡¯s not¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± Marianna said, her voice strangled. She looked over at her mom with wide, pleading eyes. ¡°Just¨C¨C We¡¯ll talk about this at home, okay. Please, just¨C¨Cgive me a sec.¡±


    Mom¡¯s lips pursed, her gaze burning as she looked at Marianna, and then at the door of the club. Marianna had no doubt that, if they were in a less public place, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to go off on her. As it was, there was no way of getting her to leave without potentially causing a scene.


    ¡°One minute.¡±


    Mom got into the truck, slamming the door with more force than Marianna had ever heard her use. She could feel her mom¡¯s eyes burning into her skull through the windshield.


    Alna, having watched the exchange in silence, looked away from the truck, her eyes focusing on Marianna. For a moment, her expression was unreadable. And then, her face softening once more, she instructed, ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    Marianna did so without hesitation. She grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket, typed in her passcode, and, once opening her contacts, handed it to Alna. As Alna made quick work entering her number, Marianna fiddled with her sleeve, casting nervous glances at her mom, whose expression had hardened, her lips pursed. Oh God, she felt very much like she was in the presence of a ticking time bomb. Going home was going to be unbearable.


    ¡°Here.¡± Alna interrupted her thoughts, handing Marianna¡¯s phone back to her. With another slight smile, Alna leaned closer to Marianna and said, ¡°Call me if you want to.¡±


    And then, with a last shared look with Marianna and a nod to her mom, Alna walked away.


    ***


    Alna waited at the curb by the dance club, resisting the urge to tap her fingers against her arm. She had called for a cab five minutes and forty-six seconds ago, and though it might not make much sense, she was anxious to get home. Being around large crowds of people was not her preference.


    Her attention snapped toward a black car driving nearby. If not for the white lettering on the driver¡¯s side, showing that it was a cab for hire, nothing would have distinguished it from any other vehicle on the street.


    Alna lifted a pale hand and waved at the sleek vehicle, which pulled up in front of her without preamble.


    ¡°Where to?¡± the man asked as Alna slid into the back seat. His voice was so gruff that Alna concluded he was a smoker. If that hadn¡¯t given him away, then the smell permeating the air would have. Alna tried not to make a face.


    ¡°Three eighty-seven, Velvet Lane,¡± Alna said, her voice impassive. She gazed out the window, watching buildings and cars zip by with no particular interest, her mind drifting back to the pretty girl she had met. Unwittingly, the corners of her lips turned up into a minuscule smile.


    ¡°Went to a party tonight, did you?¡± the cab driver asked as he stopped at a red light a few minutes later.


    Alna made a noncommittal sound.


    ¡°Have fun?¡± the man continued to prompt. Alna switched her attention to him. The man¡¯s clothes, from what she could see, were rumpled (likely, she assumed, from sitting in the cab all day). On the dashboard was a small figurine, humanoid in shape and wearing long, brown robes. Its eyes were large, round, and black. The figurine held a small sword, and its head bobbed with the continuous movement of the cab. Apart from the smell of smoke, there were no other personal touches to the vehicle.


    Alna could understand if the man was feeling starved of proper human interaction, but that didn¡¯t mean she was in the mood to engage in a long, personal conversation with a perfect stranger.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alna replied¡ªagain, noncommittally. The man attempted to ask her a few more questions before falling silent, realizing that Alna didn¡¯t plan to contribute much to the conversation.


    Finally allowed the time to think, Alna¡¯s thoughts drifted to the dance club she had departed, and a certain girl that had made the night seem worthwhile.


    When Alna went out tonight, she hadn¡¯t possessed the highest expectations. She¡¯d only decided to go to appease her parents, who had once again started to worry about her antisocial nature. The best case scenario, Alna thought, would be if she engaged in a brief hookup with a random stranger to stave off her boredom¨C¨Cwhich may or may not work. Worst-case scenario, she expected to be bored all night, and then go home. What she hadn¡¯t expected, however, was to meet someone she had a genuine interest in getting to know. Normally when Alna talked to people, she became disinterested in them after a short time, simply because their choice of conversation topics held no interest to her, and vice versa.


    Talking about things like the weather always seemed pointless. No amount of discussion would change it, so why spend hours obsessing about whether or not it would rain? However, with Marianna, things had been different. Alna found, much to her surprise, that she was honestly interested in talking to Marianna Whitlock, even though she was rather normal. It was illogical for Alna to have any interest in her, but, as Alna was discovering, human emotions were many things, but logical was not one of them.


    Alna was once again pulled out of her thoughts when the cab driver gruffly informed her they were at her parents¡¯ house. After paying the driver his fare, Alna  thanked him for driving her, and exited the vehicle, sparing no time to walk into her home. Spending time with Marianna earlier that night had been fun, but Alna now was feeling an oppressing need for some solitude.


    ¡°Hey, honey,¡± Victoria Holt greeted her daughter once she discarded her jacket and shoes. Alna paused in the entryway to the kitchen, trying not to display her lack of desire for chitchat on her face.


    ¡°Hi, Mom,¡± Alna replied. Her mother was a middle-aged woman in her late thirties, a doctor, and a mother of three. The lines on her face made Mom look her age, but by no means took away from her overall appearance, if her husband¡¯s appraisal was anything to go by. He was no fan of public displays of affection, but he treated her well and argued with her rarely. More than one of their few disputes had been about their only daughter. Alna knew that her parents loved her, but she also knew she could be a cause of stress for them. Having a child who was a genius¡ªher teachers used to say that, not Alna¨C¨Cwas difficult.


    ¡°How was it at the dance club?¡± Mom asked, grasping a mug of¡ªAlna cast a glance at it¡ªtea. Must have been a tiring day at work, then. Or, Alna thought wryly, she could have been attempting to stay awake until her daughter got home.


    ¡°It was fine,¡± Alna responded, keeping her answers short, just like with the cab driver. It wasn¡¯t that Alna had anything against her mother¨C¨Cshe needed time to herself at the moment. Being around large crowds of people had never been her idea of time well spent.


    Instead of getting the hint, Mom gestured to the seat across from her, and Alna sat down with a mental sigh.


    ¡°Are the boys asleep?¡± Alna asked, referring to her younger twin brothers, Colton and Evan. They were about six years younger than their sister, putting them at ten. Seeing as their father, Aiden, was of Black African heritage, Alna¡¯s brothers had dark skin and brown eyes. Alna herself had gotten her raven hair from her father, though no one was certain where her complexion came from. Probably a gene passed down from one of her ancestors.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± Mom said. ¡°Otherwise they¡¯ll be sleepwalking through school tomorrow.¡±


    Alna smiled a bit at that. Her brothers (especially Colton) never enjoyed going to bed early. There were times when they had stayed up well into the night, tricking their mother into thinking they were asleep wherever she went to check on them. They were good at that.


    ¡°I could check on them if you want.¡± No matter how good actors Colton and Evan were, there was little to nothing they could get past their sister. They knew this, and their parents knew it.


    ¡°That would be nice, hon, thank you,¡± Mom agreed, sounding grateful as she took another sip of tea. Taking in the conversational tone of her voice, Alna knew her mother was not done talking with her and remained seated.


    ¡°Busy day?¡± Alna asked.


    ¡°Yes, actually.¡± Mom set the mug down. It was white with a picture of a gravel road, trees enclosing it on either side, set during the fall. ¡°I did a surgery today.¡±


    Alna did a quick mental calculation of her mother¡¯s tone of voice. Light, casual; no pity or sadness. ¡°I take it the surgery went well.¡±


    For a moment, Mom¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Yes, it went well. I don¡¯t foresee any further complications.¡±


    Alna¡¯s lips twitched upward. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she said.


    Sometimes Mom¡¯s passion for her job could be infectious. She was a surgeon, although, unlike most surgeons, kept her work schedule at about forty hours a week, unless she was on call. This was uncommon. Mom, however, had negotiated with the hospital she worked with so she could be around to raise her children. Any work she took home with her tended to be conducted in her and Dad¡¯s bedroom.


    Mom had also never mastered the clinical detachment that was required in her profession. When one of her patients died, Mom always took it personally. Because of this, there were times when Mom would come home, looking devastated and heartbroken.


    Her lack of detachment caused her pain occasionally, but it was also what made her so good at her job. It allowed patients to feel as though they were in good hands.


    In the present moment, Mom hummed her agreement and took a sip of her strong tea. At least it wasn¡¯t coffee. She only ever drank strong coffee when she was tired and needed to stay awake. Not a very healthy practice, in Alna¡¯s opinion. Especially if she was forcing herself to stay up until Alna arrived at home.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said, standing up and giving her mother¡¯s hand a light pat, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on the boys.¡±


    ¡°Alna,¡± Mom called, stopping her in her tracks. She turned back to face her. ¡°Are you doing anything tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tutoring Chavelle O¡¯Connell at six, but not much otherwise.¡± Alna took in her mother¡¯s posture, trying to find hidden meanings in her tone of voice. It was casual. Almost too casual.


    ¡°You enjoy that, don¡¯t you?¡± Mom stalled.


    The corner of Alna¡¯s lip quirked up. ¡°I do. It gives me something to do, since I am not in school at the moment.¡± Until I go to college, she added silently to herself.


    Mom nodded. ¡°Well, you know I took tomorrow off?¡± she reminded Alna, her hands wrapped around the mug.


    ¡°Yes. What about it?¡± Alna asked. Mom wasn¡¯t as subtle as she liked to think. She¡¯d scheduled the day off two weeks in advance, citing that she deserved at least one day where she wasn¡¯t working, or on call. Considering how often she¡¯d been getting called into the hospital lately, Alna thought this was sensible. The calls had toned down somewhat over the last couple days, but even still, Mom looked a little worn, exhaustion lining her face and eyelids drooping down over brown eyes.


    A tired doctor was no help to anyone, thus making time off necessary. Alna would have advised her mother to take the day to relax and catch up on some much-needed sleep, but it looked as though that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Perhaps what she had planned would help her unwind, at the very least.


    Mom sipped her tea and gave Alna a warm smile. ¡°Nothing. We¡¯ll talk about it tomorrow.¡±


    Some quality time together, then. That was what she was looking for.


    Alna nodded her head  in acknowledgement, and, after casting one last searching look at her mother, said, ¡°Get some sleep, Mom,¡± and headed out of the kitchen.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Heading into the hallway toward the back, Alna bypassed three doors before reaching Colton¡¯s room. She opened the door just wide enough to see inside. Colton¡¯s glow-in-the-dark stars¡ªand other shapes; such as a tree, all of varying colours¡ªoffered little illumination, but Alna had little trouble locating her brother. Unlike the rest of his family, whose beds were pushed up against at least one wall, Colton preferred his bed in the dead center of his room. His excuse was that he could see the glowing shapes on his walls and ceiling better that way.


    Trying to see through the darkness, Alna peered at Colton¡¯s form under the green blanket, searching for any signs of unnatural breathing or stillness. From what Alna could tell, Colton¡¯s breathing was slow and even, showing that her younger brother was indeed asleep and wasn¡¯t pretending to do so. She could have been wrong, but Alna doubted it.


    Closing the door, Alna strode over to Evan¡¯s room and peered inside with the same care as she had with Colton. Evan¡¯s walls were taken up by movie and video game posters, some displaying movies he was too young to even be watching. Out of the two of them, Evan was the more disorganized twin, preferring to toss his dirty clothes on the floor until the next day, when he would put them in the laundry basket. He also liked to leave his schoolbag sitting at the foot of his bed. Something that proved to be a tripping hazard.


    After concluding that Evan, too, was fast asleep, Alna walked back toward the kitchen, where she informed her mother that the twins were fine, before heading down to the basement. Once downstairs, Alna wasted no time in getting into some comfortable sleeping clothes and brushing her teeth, eager to finally be able to relax by herself.


    When she finally laid down in her bed, her tired muscles were able to relax. Closing her eyes, Alna allowed herself to drift into her mind.


    ***


    Marianna¡¯s bedroom door remained open, just a crack, as she listened to her parents¡¯ argument taking place in the kitchen. Mom had remained silent on the drive home, offering nothing on what she thought of catching her daughter kissing another girl. The tense silence did nothing to help Marianna¡¯s already frayed nerves, and by the time they had gotten home, Marianna felt suffocated by her apprehension. Her worries¡ªthe ones she¡¯d been having ever since she realized she was interested in girls and boys¡ªproved to be justified. Hands shaking, Marianna swallowed around the lump in her throat.


    Once they were home, her mom urged her to sit in the kitchen and immediately sought her father, who followed her into the kitchen moments later. Never mind the fact that it was getting way too late to have life discussions, Marianna thought. Mom explained to her dad, Edward, what she had seen, and he, with genuine concern, asked if she was okay.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Dad,¡± she¡¯d told him. Well, ¡°fine¡± was a relative term in such a situation, but she was fine, except for her fear of her parents¡¯ reaction.


    Dad¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at that, obvious confusion on his face. ¡°Then why, exactly, were you kissing this girl?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Marianna trailed off. Wasn¡¯t it obvious? Marianna wasn¡¯t the type of person to kiss people at random. If she kissed someone, it was because she genuinely felt something for them.


    She could try to lie her way out of it, Marianna thought. Come up with some elaborate story that wouldn¡¯t lead to her coming out to her parents.


    Just the thought made her feel exhausted. Marianna had wanted to tell her parents of her romantic preferences before but had always wimped out, fearing their reactions. But in that moment, Marianna felt frazzled, and yes, backed into a corner. She pictured a wolf, back against a tree, its hackles raised as it snarled, sharp teeth snapping at the hunters. She felt a bit like that wolf.


    What plausible answer could she give, other than the truth?


    Marianna couldn¡¯t think of any. Some part of her didn¡¯t want to try to conceal it. Too much time daydreaming about this moment, trying to mentally prepare herself, wouldn¡¯t allow her to.


    Perhaps that was why she said what she did next.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s pretty, fun, interesting, and I like her.¡± Marianna paused, and then, gathering all the courage she could muster, she faced her parents head-on, even as her heart pounded and her mouth went dry. ¡°Dad, Mom,¡± she said. ¡°I like girls, and I like guys. I¡¯m bisexual.¡±


    After that, the interrogation (and there was no other word for it) started. Her parents tried to get her to ¡°talk¡± to them, asking her what had ¡°made¡± her like girls. They¡¯d asked Marianna if she had been hurt by a boy, and Marianna told them no. When her dad started to ask something about her and Cael¡¯s breakup, she quickly debunked the of him doing anything to her.


    The entire so-called discussion lasted an hour. Her parents seemed to come up with every stereotype under the sun¨C¨Casking if she was going through some type of rebellious stage, if they had made her feel neglected in some way, and was this her way of getting their attention? Marianna was half tempted to tell them that Alna was not the first girl she¡¯d kissed, and she certainly wasn¡¯t the only one she had ever been interested in. Why did they think she became so interested in some actresses?


    When she had finally been allowed to leave, Marianna escaped to her room. She spent the next fifteen minutes sitting next to her bedroom door, listening to her parents argue down the hall. Marianna listened as her parents speculated what could be wrong with her, and when the dreaded ¡°how do we fix this?¡± was finally vocalized, she let out a sob, the tears she had been holding back for over an hour finally getting the better of her.


    She¡¯d known¡ªshe¡¯d known this would be her parents¡¯ reaction if she came out. All the signs were there. But somehow, during her time with Alna, those worries had faded to the back of her mind.


    And now, here she was, listening to her parents¡¯ shouting match and their speculations. Her coming out could not have gone worse. Although Marianna admitted, even as tears wet her cheeks, she didn¡¯t regret kissing Alna. In all honesty, she was the most interesting person Marianna had met in a while.


    That still didn¡¯t make this any easier.


    Drying her cheeks with the back of her wrist, Marianna pulled her phone from her purse and scrolled to her contacts until she came across her friend Hikari¡¯s number. For a moment, Marianna hesitated, casting a glance at the digital clock next to her bed. It was almost one in the morning; much too late to be calling anyone. Hikari would be asleep.


    She turned her phone off, darkening the once bright screen.


    Just as she was about to put her phone away, Marianna paused and turned it on again, her picture of the Northern Lights appearing on her lock screen. Screw it, she needed to talk to someone right now, and her parents were definitely in no mood to listen to reason. Marianna clicked on Hikari¡¯s number, staring into the darkness of her room as she brought the phone to her ear. It rang six times before Hikari picked up.


    ¡°Mary, do you have any idea what time it is?¡± Hikari asked, voice thick with sleep. Marianna bit her lip.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry. I just¡ªI  needed to talk to someone.¡± Already she could feel fresh tears forming in her eyes.


    Hikari sounded a lot less tired as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Marianna said, reaching out her arm to push her door closed.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Hikari ordered, her tone earnest.


    Marianna sighed and told her everything.

 Chapter Three

    Alna wandered aimlessly through her mind, heading in no particular direction. Her current path took her through a field located outside of one of the few towns she had mentally constructed for reasons even she wasn¡¯t sure of. One would think that, given Alna¡¯s introverted nature that, in the recesses of her own mind, she would prefer to enjoy solitude. And she did. Sometimes, whilst disconnected from the regular world, Alna would take time in which she would not interact with another human being. Seeing as she was inside her thoughts, Alna had more control here than she did anywhere else. It was, all around, a rather welcome escape from the sometimes frustrating reality.


    Coming to a stop, Alna looked around. The field surrounding her was a wheat field like one might expect to find on a farm. Golden stalks of wheat swayed in the breeze coming from the east. The sky up above was a clear blue, only broken by the slightest wisp of a cloud here and there. There was a forest in the distance, shimmering in the sun. Truly, this was one of Alna¡¯s least detailed locations, and also one of the first she had ever made.


    She should add some wildlife, at the very least, Alna thought. It would make this entire scene more realistic. She¡¯d been neglecting this field until now.


    With barely any mental exertion, Alna summoned a couple of deers into the field and added a few birds. She even put a few moles into the field, despite their tendency to cause annoyance. Glancing around, Alna decided she was satisfied with this part of her mind for now, and continued to wander through¡ªand out of¡ªthe field, a part of her mental world that she generally left to its own devices.


    After some time, Alna decided she¡¯d had enough of wandering through the ¡°wilderness¡± and mentally transported herself to her personal clearing. This part of her mind was reserved for Alna to have time herself, without any interference from anyone, real or created by her. It was a simple clearing in the center of a forest, almost always kept in a phase of late night. Occasionally, if she felt like it, Alna might change the weather in this clearing. More often than not, she kept in a constant state of rich green grass, just long enough to sway in the breeze. The occasional flower stood out among the grass.


    Scattered across the dark blue sky were various stars, forming constellations Alna found enjoyable, including the Big and Little Dipper. A few dragonflies flew around, adding some life to an otherwise barren clearing.


    Trees surrounded the clearing on all sides. All were healthy and green, barring a few that had yellow and orange leaves, looking as though they were in the middle of fall.


    Lying down on the cool ground, Alna gazed up at the stars and arranged some of them into the Carina constellation before allowing her thoughts to drift. She jumped when a vision of Marianna appeared in the corner of her eye, and quickly regained control of her thoughts, banishing the image.


    Having Marianna show up in her clearing wasn¡¯t altogether unpleasant for Alna. When she had first fallen asleep, Alna summoned a lifelike version of the girl into her mind and considered interacting with it, before disposing of the dummy, realizing that doing so would be creepy. Any therapist would deem it unhealthy, she was sure. Not that anyone was ever fully aware of what went on in Alna¡¯s head. Trying to explain that she had literally built her own personal world inside her mind would be difficult for anyone to understand.


    Having banished the image of Marianna, Alna lay back down and continued to observe the starlit sky, occasionally rearranging them based on her desires. The moon itself was pushed well off to the side in this scene of hers, its silver glow visible over the treetops to Alna¡¯s right. She felt it might take away from the stars¡¯ simple beauty.


    Alna soon found herself lulled into a sense of security, observing the stars through half-lidded eyes with a hand braced behind her head. This meant that when Alna¡¯s alarm went off in the real world, Alna was more than a little annoyed at the shrill sound. The clearing started to blur around Alna as her body started to wake itself up, and soon Alna¡¯s eyes opened to take in the plain grey paint on her ceiling.


    One of the disadvantages of lucid dreaming, Alna found, was the fact that, occasionally, when she awoke, Alna would be paralyzed for a few minutes as her body worked to catch up with her mind. This meant that, on this day, Alna had to endure a good four minutes of her insufferable alarm. It was a loud, piercing sound that reminded Alna of a tornado siren. Every time she was forced to listen to the alarm, it grated on Alna¡¯s nerves like no other, but despite her intense dislike for it, Alna could admit that the siren did its job. It managed to penetrate through Alna¡¯s mental wall and get her out of bed on time. This didn¡¯t make Alna love the thing by any stretch of imagination.


    As soon as she regained movement in her body, Alna¡¯s arm shot out to her nightstand and grabbed her phone, making quick work to banish the siren. That done, Alna climbed out of her twin bed and did a few quick stretches, before grabbing some clothes and heading for the basement¡¯s bathroom.


    Little more than half an hour later, Alna stepped out of her steam-filled bathroom, wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and jeans, her hair damp and hanging about her shoulders. Once she had closed the oak door, Alna wasted no time in grabbing her book and heading upstairs, soon greeted by the sight of her mother making breakfast.


    Leaning against the doorway leading out of the basement, Alna allowed her book to dangle in her left hand as she observed her mother¡¯s posture. Her hair was in a messy bun, her feet bare as she flipped a pancake, still in her pajamas. She was humming to herself, an indicator of her serene nature today.


    ¡°Do you want help with anything?¡± Alna asked, startling Mom. The older of the two made a high-pitched sound in the back of her throat that reminded Alna of a mouse, spinning around and placing a hand on her chest, eyes wide.


    ¡°Alna,¡± she gasped, ¡°you startled me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alna said wryly,  ¡°I gathered that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to give me a heart attack one of these days,¡± Mom muttered to herself. To Alna, she said, ¡°No, I¡¯ve got it, honey, but thanks.¡±


    Alna nodded in response. She allowed her mother to give a quick ¡°good morning¡± hug before heading into the living room. After placing her copy of Agatha Christie¡¯s Why Didn¡¯t They Ask Evans? book next to her on the dark couch, Alna grabbed the television remote from the coffee table, turning it on to the news channel.


    The weatherman, Terrance Askeland, appeared on the previously darkened television. He was rather young-looking, in his early thirties and likely unmarried, seeing as Alna had never seen him wear a wedding ring, like some of the other hosts did. He kept his dark brown hair slicked to one side and always dressed in a dress shirt and tie. On holidays he liked to spice it up by wearing a decorative tie, such as the blue one with snowflakes Alna had seen him wear last year.


    Folding her legs underneath her, Alna leaned against the armrest and watched as Askeland assured everyone they would have sun for the next two days, before receiving a light drizzle on Wednesday.


    It was then that Evan appeared in the living room, black hair mussed from sleep. He was dressed, though, which meant he wouldn¡¯t have to rush out the door to get to school on time today.


    ¡°Hey, Allie,¡± Evan greeted, as he covered a yawn with his hand. Colton appeared behind him and tossed a hello at his sister before proceeding to the kitchen.


    ¡°Hey, Evan,¡± Alna replied. Evan walked over to the couch. Alna turned the television to mute.


    If one were to see Alna and her brothers standing next to each other, they would not be able to tell they were related. The twins took after their father in terms of looks, meaning they had black hair and dark skin. Although they did have their mother¡¯s eyes.


    Despite her aversion to spending too much time with people in general, Alna enjoyed her brothers¡¯ presence and could spend quite a bit of time with them without suffering from bouts of boredom.


    ¡°I have a question.¡± Evan sat next to Alna, almost knocking her book to the floor. He turned to face her, still looking rather tired. ¡°I got this assignment in science yesterday, but it¡¯s confusing. Can you help me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. But I¡¯m tutoring Chavelle O¡¯Connell tonight, so we¡¯ll have to get started as soon as you¡¯re back from school,¡± Alna said. She eyed Evan¡¯s hair for a moment before she reached out and attempted to smooth it down, only for the stubborn strands to shoot right back up. Evan batted her hand away.


    ¡°¡¯Kay,¡± he agreed with a frown. Alna knew without being told that her brother wasn¡¯t particularly happy with this arrangement. He never liked doing homework right after school.


    Once Evan had headed to the kitchen, Alna turned the volume on the television back up, and perked up when she caught sight of the title at the bottom of the screen: Car Crashes Escalate.


    ¡°As of the last two weeks,¡± Kitty Lars, the news anchor, announced loudly, ¡°the number of car crashes in Brigate has increased at an alarming rate. Statistics show that these numbers are unusual, as there have been a total of twenty-nine collisions. In a city like Brigate, car crashes typically average thirteen every two weeks, with the exception of the winter months... ''''


    Behind Lars, Alna could see a large crowd gathered around the crash site, although the vehicle itself was barely visible. The flashing police lights, on the other hand, were easy to spot.


    Alna found herself leaning forward, giving her full attention to the news report. When her father made his way into the kitchen a few minutes later, Alna greeted him with a distracted voice.


    Kitty Lars gave the viewers a brief list of some of the crashes¡¯ causes, which ranged from an apparent drunk driver to someone falling asleep behind the wheel.


    ¡°The most recent one,¡± Lars continued, ¡°a result of a vehicle malfunction.¡±


    Alna¡¯s eyebrows rose at the last one. A vehicle malfunction? It was not unheard of, but Alna couldn¡¯t remember a time when she had heard it reported firsthand, without coming across it on a newspaper or social media website. And, considering Alna¡¯s inability to forget even the smallest of details, that was saying something.


    Her expression turning thoughtful, Alna turned the television off and considered Kitty Lars¡¯s report. Twenty-three car crashes in two weeks. None of which, according to Lars, had left any survivors. Interesting. Alna would have to look into it.


    Later, though, she decided, when she heard Mom calling her to breakfast.


    Alna set her book on the coffee table before getting up to join her family in the kitchen.


    Breakfast was a quiet affair, as some of Alna¡¯s family (namely her father) were still waking up. Her father placed a light kiss on her forehead when she took a seat next to him. Alna allowed the gesture without complaint, not minding in the least. Alna may think long, drawn-out ¡°good mornings'''' were unnecessary, but that didn¡¯t mean she hated every display of affection her parents gave her.


    ¡°Okay, boys,¡± Dad spoke up when breakfast was consumed, leftover pancakes, bacon, and eggs transferred to the refrigerator, ¡°why don¡¯t you head out to the truck? I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes.¡±


    The two boys chirped their agreements before giving their mother and sister quick hugs, grabbing necessities, and heading to the garage. Dad grabbed some plates and put them in the dishwasher as he continued to help clean up.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°You two have anything planned for the day?¡± Alna¡¯s father asked as she wiped down the table.


    Alna didn¡¯t go to school, having graduated when she was younger, hence Dad¡¯s question. Now, at sixteen, she often found activities to occupy her time.


    She cast a sidelong glance at , having picked up on her overly casual attitude the night before when she asked Alna if she was busy today. If her assumptions were correct, Mom would ask her to do something together soon. Most likely together. Dad had given her the perfect opening.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Mom started to say, grabbing a towel and drying the table, ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d like to go shopping today, Alna. Some mother-daughter time?¡±


    Right in one, Alna thought dryly. The prospect of spending most of her day shopping wasn''t an appealing one¡ªshe found it tedious; not to mention she more or less had everything she needed¡ªbut Alna knew saying no was not an option. Not only would it sadden her mother, but Mom would also start feeling guilty, thinking she had done something wrong by her daughter. Having a child that you couldn¡¯t quite understand was difficult. Alna knew because she had experienced her parents¡¯ lack of understanding on more than one occasion. And it wasn¡¯t some teen angst thing, either; Alna¡¯s parents honestly didn¡¯t understand her at times. If they had, they wouldn¡¯t have tried to convince a younger Alna to watch children¡¯s shows¨C¨Csomething below her intellectual level.


    Despite this, Victoria and Aiden Holt were not bad parents. Quite the opposite, in fact. So, knowing it would ease her mother¡¯s worries about Alna¡¯s lack of social life for the time being, Alna replied, ¡°Sure. As long as I¡¯m back by the time the boys get home; Evan has an assignment he needs help with.¡±


    To her mild surprise, Alna, for one moment, considered telling her about Marianna. She dismissed the thought. No point in getting her parents¡¯ hopes up. Or having to deal with their intolerance, should it take that direction.


    Mom positively beamed at her.¡°Give me half an hour to get ready.¡± Pressing a quick kiss to her husband¡¯s lips, Mom floated out of the room on light feet, her jubilant nature palpable.


    When his wife disappeared around the corner, Dad pulled Alna in for another quick hug. ¡°You two ladies have fun,¡± he murmured near her ear.


    Alna returned his embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sure we will.¡±


    With that, he left.


    Once she had retrieved her purse, Alna headed back into the living room and grabbed her book, keeping herself entertained until her mother returned.


    It took Mom more than a half an hour before she was ready to leave (forty-one minutes, if one wanted to be specific), but Alna didn¡¯t mind. She rather enjoyed her book.


    When Mom appeared in the living room, clothed in a long-sleeved brown cotton shirt and jeans, damp hair in a bun and light makeup applied, she had a smile on her face. Obviously, she was looking forward to spending quality time together. Perhaps today would be more bearable than Alna thought, she mused. Being bored for a while wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing in the world, especially if it made her mother this happy.


    ¡°You ready to go?¡± Mom asked, car keys dangling from her fingers, a purse clasped to her side. She continued to look quite pleased.


    ¡°I am,¡± Alna replied, once again setting her book on the coffee table. She grabbed her black, faux leather purse¡ªsomething she didn¡¯t use often, but it had been a Christmas present from her parents.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, then,¡± Mom said.


    She was taking way too much satisfaction from this, Alna thought with faint amusement as she followed her mother out the front door.


    After a quiet drive to Rain View Mall, Alna and her mother stepped into the brightly lit food court. There were very few people in the food court in question, given the rather early hour and the fact that it was not the weekend. The people that were there stood in line to get their food or sat eating, looking tired.


    Upon asking where Alna wanted to go first, mother and daughter strolled to the bookstore, stopping at a jewelry store on the way. It was like most jewelry stores; there were nine different display cases, all rectangular in shape, with various types of jewelry on display. The lighting of the store was obviously planned so that the wares would glitter, immediately catching people¡¯s eye whether they liked it or not.


    Alna herself found all the shining gold and glittering diamonds pleasing to look at, but seeing as she was not one to add embellishments to her everyday wear, had no fantasies of buying anything.


    Despite this, Alna examined a necklace with a heart-shaped diamond hanging from a gold chain. She wondered if Marianna was a jewelry type of girl. She hadn¡¯t worn any at the club the night before, but that meant nothing. There could have been any number of reasons she wasn¡¯t wearing any jewelry last night.


    Once again, Alna wondered why the girl kept entering her mind. Except for the first one, she had never given any of her previous dalliances this much though. But that was because she had been ensuring her rash decision would have no repercussions. If the doctor Alna consulted with had called her parents, they never said anything.


    What was so different about Marianna? She was quite normal, yet even now, as Alna replayed their kiss, her lips curved into a smile. Her kiss had been soft, pleasant. Never had Alna felt the need to pull away.


    Now was not the time for fantasizing. Alna mentally shook herself and continued to wander around the store.


    ¡°This one¡¯s nice, don¡¯t you think?¡± Mom asked after a couple minutes of perusing, pointing at a glass case.


    Alna, looking up from the rings she had been observing (and losing interest in), walked over to her mother and followed her gaze, peering at the necklace she was referring to. It was the eternity symbol, hanging from a thin, gold chain. The pendant was made from gold with diamonds of varying colours decorating it. Most were white, but if one looked closer they could see the smaller, less eye-catching diamonds, their colours varying from pink, blue, red and purple. It had a certain charm, Alna admitted.


    ¡°Very nice,¡± she agreed.


    The price made Alna purse her lips. The gold and diamonds were real, then.


    Mom hummed her reaffirmation and continued to examine the necklace. But when a store clerk came over and asked if ¡°You ladies need help with anything?¡±


    Mom declined her offer, and she and Alna proceeded to the bookstore.


    Clothes shopping came after the books¨C¨Csomething Alna hadn¡¯t been looking forward to. She had everything she needed in that department. At least she¡¯d found some good reading material. The mystery novels she chose sounded rather interesting.


    When it came to trying on clothes, Alna only ever tried the black articles. Though some people may have perceived her to be so, Alna was not a Goth. It was, as far as she was concerned, the only practical shade, or colour, for her to wear. Almost everything else clashed unpleasantly with her skin tone.


    Despite this,  Alna allowed her mother to talk her into trying on a few coloured items, which, as she had known they would, did not suit her. After some time, Alna convinced Mom that no, Alna would not be getting anything that was not black, except for jeans. Which did not include jean jackets, she told Mom in no uncertain terms.


    After a brief argument about who would pay for Alna¡¯s clothes, the two made their way back to the food court and parted ways.


    Seeing as Alna wasn¡¯t fond of most fast-foods, she soon had a plastic tray loaded with a strawberry banana smoothie, a small salad, and some noodles that looked rather edible, despite their origin. Locating a table next to a large fish tank, Alna made her way over to it and sat down, observing the crowd as she waited for Mom. Her eyes darted toward a nearby blonde woman, but she quickly looked away. Alna forced her attention elsewhere, away from thoughts of Marianna.


    The boy a couple tables over was young, perhaps four or five. Given that he was currently with his mother in the mall, Alna was certain he had yet to start school. Unless, of course, he was skipping, but she doubted that was the case.


    A man sat down at another table. He was what one might describe as ¡°ruggedly handsome.¡± His appearance, while a bit unkempt, was neat enough to hide his clear love of drink. The man picked up the water bottle he had set on the table and drank deeply. Setting it down, the man wiped his mouth with a napkin and started eating. Alna¡¯s jaw locked. She tried not to judge people¡ªknowing what it was to be on the receiving end of someone¡¯s intolerance¡ªbut the fact that an alcoholic had showed up to a mall of all places irked her. It was so obvious, too. Surely she couldn¡¯t be the only one that took notice.


    Alna glanced around at the people going on with their lives and concluded that, sadly, she may very well have been the only one to notice the man¡¯s addiction. And the fact that he had brought a form of his poison with him. She considered contacting mall security.


    As if responding to some cue, Mom appeared, tray in hand, loaded with a chocolate milkshake and soup in a cardboard bowl.


    ¡°Well,¡± she began, taking a seat in a red, plastic chair across from Alna, ¡°that took longer than I wanted.¡± She sounded breathless.


    ¡°Something happened?¡± Alna asked, tearing her attention away from the alcoholic and focusing on Mom. Since her mother had joined her, Alna took a bite of her salad, the green leaves crunching in her mouth.


    ¡°My order got mixed up,¡± Mom explained as she opened up a packet of crackers and started to break them, allowing the pieces to fall into her soup. ¡°I had to wait a couple minutes longer than I normally would have.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Alna said, ¡°fast-food employees are human. They¡¯re allowed to make a mistake or two.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are,¡± Mom agreed, shooting her a sunny smile, like she seemed to be doing all day.


    Alna shot another look in the alcoholic¡¯s direction, who was making his way through a submarine sandwich. She once again considered reporting him, before reluctantly deciding not to. She didn¡¯t want to ruin her mother¡¯s mood, and there was a chance that whoever she spoke with would be sceptical. Teenagers were known to pull stupid stunts, after all. Perhaps security would figure it out themselves.


    Alna twirled some noodles onto her fork and took a bite. ¡°What do you have planned for us now?¡± She returned her gaze to Mom.


    ¡°I was thinking of doing some more shopping,¡± Mom answered. ¡°Are you okay with that?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Alna replied, hiding her lack of enthusiasm.


    They spent the next three hours doing just that, in which time Mom bought herself some makeup, and tried to get Alna to try on some dresses.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Alna said firmly as her mother held up baby blue dress.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Mom frowned, looking confused. ¡°You¡¯ve worn blue before.¡±


    ¡°Dark blue.¡±


    They¡¯d had the argument today already. When would Mom receive the message? Alna wondered.


    ¡°Everything you wear is dark,¡± Mom pointed out. ¡°Why not try something else?¡±


    ¡°Dark colours are the only thing that goes with my skin tone and hair colour,¡± Alna explained in exasperation. ¡°Everything else I wear is like trying to mix water and oil. You saw it earlier.¡±


    Mom sighed in frustration. ¡°Fine.¡± She returned the dress to its rightful place and searched for another few minutes, shoes causing friction against the dark brown carpet underfoot. ¡°How about this one?¡± She was now holding a strapless navy blue dress, with a tight waist that had a dark brown belt encircling it. Alna observed it for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll try it.¡±


    When she was done modeling the dress for Mom, Alna decided against getting it, still uncomfortable with the mismatched shades but allowed her mother to buy her a black dress of the same style.


    ***


    Alna braced her head on her hand as she watched Evan answer his science questions. As promised, when the boys had gotten home, Alna convinced her brother to do his homework with her before supper, much to his chagrin. If Evan had it his way, he would have waited until after supper to do his homework, but with Alna¡¯s plans to tutor Chavelle later, that wouldn¡¯t work.


    Alna wondered if Marianna had any siblings. She¡¯d never mentioned any last night.


    ¡°This part¡¯s super confusing,¡± Evan said, showing Alna his paper, breaking her out of the daze she¡¯d fallen in. She brought her attention to the question, which was asking what a meat eater was called. Evan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he added, ¡°I always get them mixed up.¡± He ran his pencil next to the words ¡°omnivore,¡± ¡°carnivore,¡± and ¡°herbivore.¡±


    ¡°Which one do you think it is?¡±


    If possible, Evan looked even more frustrated. ¡°I don¡¯t know! There¡¯s so many words that end in ¨Cvore.¡±


    Instead of responding to her brother¡¯s outburst, Alna asked, ¡°Do you have a piece of paper I can use?¡±


    Evan pulled a piece of lined paper out of his binder and handed it to her.


    ¡°All right,¡± Alna said. She pulled Evan¡¯s binder onto her crossed legs and placed the paper on top of it. After adjusting her position on his bed, Alna stole Evan¡¯s pencil and wrote ¡°herbivore,¡± ¡°carnivore,¡± and ¡°omnivore,¡± evenly spaced.


    ¡°For herbivore, all you have to do is look at the first part.¡± She circled ¡°herb¡± and wrote the words ¡°jasmine,¡± ¡°garlic¡± and ¡°lavender¡± next to it. ¡°Herbs come from plants, which means¡­¡± Alna trailed off and looked at her brother expectantly.


    Realization crossed Evan¡¯s face. ¡°So, herbivores eat plants?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Alna agreed. She wrote ¡°plants¡± down, and moved on to the next word. ¡°Now, carnivore. A point of reference for this one would be the word ¡®carnage.¡¯ It means that someone¡¯s killed a lot of people.¡± Alna wrote this down, and once again waited for her brother to catch on.


    ¡°Carnivores eat meat,¡± Evan all but exclaimed, looking excited. He grinned at Alna.


    Unable to resist his contagious attitude, Alna returned the smile. ¡°You¡¯re catching on,¡± she approved. Turning back to the piece of paper, Alna continued, ¡°Now, as for omnivore, I want you to think about a wood nymph. They¡ª¡°


    ¡°Omnivores eat both,¡± Evan interrupted her, a hint of relief in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Alan reached out to ruffle Evan¡¯s hair, unsurprised when he ducked away. ¡°Keep this,¡± she continued, handing the paper back to her brother, who placed it in his binder. ¡°And Evan? Perhaps you could avoid telling your teacher about the example I used for carnivores.¡± She wouldn¡¯t want anyone thinking she was trying to mess with her brothers¡¯ minds. People already thought she was strange as it was.


    ¡°Oh, right. Sure, Allie.¡± She hated that nickname. ¡°Thanks!¡± Without preamble, Evan bolted out of his room, presumably to join Dad and Colton in the living room.


    Alna shook her head with a smile and placed his belongings in his backpack.

 Chapter Four

    Marianna had to be one of the few people in high school who dreaded hearing the last bell, indicating that she could go home. As of the last few days, the tension in the Whitlock household proved unbearable for Marianna, meaning that she had been taking every opportunity to get away. It wasn¡¯t very brave of her, she knew, but she couldn¡¯t deal with the awkward silences¨C¨Cthe way her parents abruptly stopped talking whenever she walked in on one of their discussions.


    Sighing to herself, Marianna gathered her binder, textbook, and pencil case and walked out of the classroom, maneuvering in between the other students to avoid being jostled. As she walked through the brightly lit halls of Finley High, Marianna started to debate with herself if she should ask Hikari if she could stay over at her place for the weekend. Over the past couple of days, Hikari had been nothing but a godsend to Marianna, taking her coming out with ease¨C¨Ceven asking Marianna if she planned to ask Alna out once or twice. If it hadn¡¯t been for her, Marianna thought she¡¯d be driven insane.


    Finally approaching her locker, a smile appeared on Marianna¡¯s face as she spotted Hikari, backpack strapped to her back and an easy smile settled on her lips.


    ¡°Hey, Mary,¡± Hikari greeted as Marianna approached her. She was a Japanese girl with straight black hair and bangs and dark brown eyes that twinkled at Marianna. With her shapely figure clad in a purple v-neck shirt with flowers going down the left side, jeans lacking any hint of fading or rips, and her black ballet flats, Marianna thought she looked like those super-models displayed on the cover of women¡¯s magazines, petite as she was.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Marianna said, casting her a glance as she stuffed her books back into her locker. ¡°How did science go? Did Mr. Corday give everyone a hard time?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, what a nightmare,¡± Hikari groaned. She leaned her head against the locker and crossed her arms, face pinched in annoyance. ¡°A boy in my class got on his nerves, so Mr. Corday decided it¡¯d be a good idea to spend half the class complaining about a horrid student he had a few years back. He basically told everyone that our futures are screwed if we don¡¯t smarten up. Which I guess is sort of true, but it¡¯s like, I came here to learn, man, not listen to your problems.¡±


    Marianna smiled to herself, allowing Hikari to continue her griping as she stuffed a binder in her backpack. One thing she had come to love about Hikari as of the past few days was that, after Marianna told her about her sexuality, Hikari continued to treat Marianna the same way she always had. She even said she had sort of suspected it, which was a bit of a surprise. Although Marianna wasn¡¯t exactly discreet when she found someone attractive. She was surprised someone else hadn¡¯t figured it out, to be honest.


    As Hikari concluded her anti-Mr. Corday rant, Marianna closed her locker and the two girls started to walk alongside each other in relative silence.


    ¡°So,¡± Hikari ventured after a minute, leading them around a small cluster of girls. ¡°Do you¡ª¡°


    ¡°Hey, girls!¡± called a bright voice, and the two girls turned to see Kearstan Penderwick rushing to catch up with them. She was a small girl¡ªalthough an inch or so taller than Marianna¡ªwith hair that she preferred to dye bubblegum pink. She had a small, pert nose and some visible freckles on her cheeks, lightened by makeup. She was also one of the many people who Marianna hadn¡¯t come out to yet.


    ¡°Hey, Kear,¡± Marianna greeted.


    ¡°Hi,¡± was Hikari¡¯s pleasant but short greeting. She had a faint smile on her face that seemed to say ¡°you know I love you, but could you please go away?¡±


    Kearstan, not noticing this, continued. ¡°¡¯ Kay, so I was talking to Sadie earlier, and we thought it would be a great idea to have a sleepover this weekend. Y¡¯know, a movie, popcorn, the works,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Uh huh, yeah, that sounds great, Kear,¡± Hikari agreed, distracted. ¡°Could you tell me the details later? I need to talk to Mary.¡±


    Eyes flashing with confusion, Kearstan¡¯s gaze darted back and forth between her two friends. ¡°Uh, sure?¡± she replied, her pitch rising and turning her confused statement into a question. She cast another quick, bewildered look at Hikari and Marianna, before continuing, reluctantly, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, then.¡±


    ¡°¡¯ Kay,'''' Hikari agreed, placing a hand on Marianna¡¯s shoulder and steering her away. Kearstan¡¯s stare seemed to burn into their backs for a moment before disappearing.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Marianna asked, a bit breathless. She quickened her pace to keep up with the taller girl. Noticing this, Hikari slowed down a notch. She waited until they passed two boys who were playfully wrestling before saying anything.


    ¡°I wanted to ask if you plan on calling that girl you met the other day. What was her name again¡ªAlna?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you blew Kear off?¡± Marianna asked with faint disbelief. ¡°To ask me if I¡¯m going to call a girl I¡¯ve only met once?¡±


    Marianna could see the three sets of double doors ahead, leading out to the bus pickup. Hikari was obviously in no hurry because she stopped walking and turned to face her friend. Her back grazed the dark blue, floor-length lockers as Marianna halted as well.


    ¡°You like her, don¡¯t you? I mean, you said you asked for her phone number.¡±


    At that, Marianna felt a faint blush cover her cheeks. She glanced down.


    ¡°I think I do. I probably will call her, eventually,¡± she admitted. She looked back up. ¡°But I don¡¯t know if now¡¯s a good time to start dating. It was so awkward, staying at home yesterday. That¡¯s why we hung out.¡±


    ¡°I just want to make sure you¡¯re not going to ruin any chances just because your parents can¡¯t see two inches in front of their noses,¡± Hikari explained, expression soft.


    She gave Marianna¡¯s shoulder a light squeeze, and then headed to the exit, allowing Marianna to mull over her words.


    ***


    Around forty minutes later found Marianna being dropped off at a small park a block away from her house, along with three other high school students. Instead of immediately heading home as she would have on a normal day, Marianna stepped off the sidewalk and onto green grass, making her way to a bench on the outskirts of the playground equipment. Taking a seat, Marianna watched with a faint smile as three young children took turns spinning each other on the merry-go-round, laughing as they did so.


    Eyes half-closed from the sun''s heat, Marianna watched the children move to the monkey bars and then dropped her eyes to her lap as she pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket. She slid her thumb across the screen, a keyboard settling into place. Marianna typed in her four-digit passcode.


    When her background of the Northern Lights appeared, along with her various applications, Marianna clicked onto her contacts and scrolled down to Alna¡¯s number, thumb hovering over the ¡°call¡± button. Marianna could already feel her heart speeding up. She had never been very good at talking to her crushes, always blushing and stuttering whenever she did so. She had been no better with Cael. While he had been to ask Marianna out on the first date, Marianna figured she might as well work up enough courage to take the initiative at least a few times. Despite Marianna¡¯s obvious nervous energy, Cael agreed to a second and third date, and¨C¨Cwell, the rest was history.


    It was different with a girl, though, Marianna thought. She couldn¡¯t sit back and expect Alna to make the first move; especially considering how things had ended the other night.


    And so, breathing out slowly as she gathered her meager courage, Marianna pressed ¡°call.¡±


    Halfway through the second ring, the line was picked up, and Marianna licked her lips nervously as she heard Alna¡¯s voice on the other end.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Alna greeted. Marianna couldn¡¯t detect any real emotion in her voice.


    ¡°Uh, hi,¡± Marianna said. ¡°This is Alna, right?¡± Better to be certain than make a fool of herself.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°This is Marianna. From the dance club the other day?¡± Marianna added. She started to fiddle with the strap of her backpack.


    ¡°I remember.¡±


    ¡°Well, um,¡± Marianna continued, looking down at her lap. ¡°You said I could call you, right?¡± Without waiting for an answer, Marianna rushed on. ¡°So, I was kind of wondering if you¡¯d like to go out sometime?¡±


    Having finally gotten the point, Marianna bit her lip once more and waited for the other girl¡¯s reply.


    ¡°I would like that,¡± Alna agreed, the inflection in her voice much warmer than it had been a moment ago. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um,¡± Marianna stuttered, a bit startled. ¡°There¡¯s a caf¨¦ near my place that I enjoy. Would you like to meet there, say, Saturday at four? I can text you the location.¡±


    Marianna would have to make sure Kearstan¡¯s sleepover wouldn¡¯t interfere with her date plans, otherwise she might end up ditching her friends. And the last thing she wanted to be was ¡°that girl.¡±


    ¡°That sounds perfectly fine,¡± Alna said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you then.¡±


    For some reason, Marianna blushed. ¡°Yeah, see you then.¡± She paused. ¡°Uh, bye.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Marianna,¡± Alna bid, her voice smooth.


    And with that, the two girls hung up.


    Marianna lowered her phone to her lap, heart still beating wildly in her chest, and smiled at nothing in particular. That went well, she thought. At least she hadn¡¯t suffered from a heart attack.


    Placing her phone back in her pocket, Marianna shot one last look around the playground and stood up. Her heart finally started to slow down its tempo as she made her way home, and Marianna spent the entire walk focusing on the lighthearted feeling she had gotten after the phone call. Which wasn¡¯t very hard when she texted the location where her future date would take place to the very girl she would be meeting there.


    When Marianna stepped out of the sun and into her house, her faint smile dimmed until it disappeared altogether. The front door of her home led into the living room, its walls painted a light blue. Across from Marianna was a painting of a waterfall; the kind bought in a grocery store, but nice all the same. There were some family photos hanging on the walls, displaying a younger Marianna smiling at the camera. There was also a larger photo of Marianna and three cousins she rarely ever saw, sitting on the steps of a deck and grinning.


    The television was situated at the far right wall with a black couch resting in front of it, with two armchairs on either side of it.


    One of which her mom sat in.


    Almost immediately, Marianna¡¯s muscles tensed as the tension in the room rose to impossible heights. Her mom was staring at Marianna from the armchair she was sitting on, a book in her lap, her face unreadable.


    ¡°Hey, Mom,¡± Marianna said, shifting a little. Mom stared at her for another moment and then blinked once, slowly.


    ¡°Hello, honey,¡± she replied, sounding a bit strained. ¡°How was school?¡±


    ¡°It was fine.¡± Marianna sat down on the chair next to the door and took off her shoes. ¡°Ms. Reading made us take way too many notes in social studies today, but other than that, I had a pretty good day. I got to hang out with Hikari a bit.¡±


    When Marianna looked back up at her mom, Mom¡¯s lips disappeared into a thin line, suspicion filling her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she said, her tone suggesting it was anything but.


    Marianna sighed. ¡°Not like that, Mom. Hikari and I are friends. That¡¯s it.¡±


    Well, Marianna might have told other people that Hikari was more like a sister to her than anything, but now didn¡¯t seem like a good time to bring that up. And yes, once upon a time, Marianna might have harbored a minor crush on Hikari, but that hadn¡¯t lasted long.


    Mom didn¡¯t look appeased by Mariannar¡¯s attempt at reassurance, but she nodded once, stiffly, and forced a smile on her lips.


    ¡°Supper will be a bit late tonight, but there¡¯s something we want to talk to you about, okay?¡±


    Marianna¡¯s heart sank at that. She had a good guess what it was her parents wanted to ¡°talk¡± about. Nonetheless, she answered, ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± She stood up from the chair. ¡°Do you want any help with supper?¡± she added, gazing at the window on the other end of the room. It led to the backyard, where Marianna would do her homework from time to time.


    Mom gave her a faint, tense smile. ¡°No, I¡¯ve got it under control. You go relax; I¡¯ll get you when it¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    ¡°All right,¡± Marianna agreed, eyeing her mom. ¡°Let me know if you change your mind.


    Torturous exchange finally over, Marianna hurried to her room. Once she was upstairs and in her miniature safe haven, Marianna dropped her backpack on the ground and fell onto her bed. She threw an arm over her face and groaned.


    That was painful.


    After a moment, Marianna pulled out her phone and brought up Hikari¡¯s number. My parents find out I¡¯m bi, and now they think I¡¯m making out with any girl I¡¯ve ever hung out with, she texted. Marianna then placed her phone on her pillow, with its night sky pillowcase, and hopped off her bed, deciding to spend some time reading her book. By the time she had retrieved the novel from her backpack and returned to her bed, Hikari had already replied.


    Hang in there, Mary, she¡¯d texted. U can always come 2 my place if u need 2.


    I know. Thanks.


    Setting her phone down once more, Marianna opened her book and attempted to read. ¡°Attempted¡± being the operative word. Marianna¡¯s mind was too preoccupied to focus on the words in front of her. Closing the book and placing it onto her headboard, Marianna let her thoughts race away.


    The excitement for her date on Saturday returned. Marianna¡¯s lips worked their way into a smile just thinking about it. Alna was an intriguing girl and the prospect of getting to know her excited Marianna. The fact that she was pretty was nice, too.


    Marianna laid there for a good five minutes before she got up and knelt next to her bed, pulling open one of her drawers and rifling through her clothes deciding that now wasn¡¯t too early to give her outfit some thought.


    When her mom called her to supper over an hour later, Marianna¡¯s earlier apprehension returned. Rightfully so, as it turned out.


    ***


    On Saturday at three o''clock, Alna pulled on the new dress her mother bought her a few days ago and did up its buckle. Making her way into the bathroom, Alna grabbed a brush and attacked her hair until it was as smooth as possible, spraying it with water a few times to wrestle some tenacious strands into submission. When choosing her outfit, Alna considered that she was likely overdressed for a first date, but dismissed the idea. Alna knew for a fact that she had a genuine interest in Marianna and making an effort to look nice for their outing would not hurt anyone.


    Setting down the brush and turning around to double-check nothing had gotten on the dress, Alna smiled wryly. She was acting all too much like a stereotypical teenage girl.


    Well, she supposed, life can surprise you.


    After splashing some water on her face and drying off, Alna concluded that her appearance was presentable. She went back to her room to grab her purse and jacket and headed upstairs.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Mom marveled, looking Alna up and down when she entered the kitchen. ¡°You have plans for the evening?¡±


    Alna took a quick moment to consider the consequences of her next words and then replied, ¡°As a matter of fact, I am going on a date.¡±


    Mom¡¯s face lit up. No doubt she was happy to see her daughter taking an interest in people that weren¡¯t her family or tutoring clients. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± she asked, sounding excited. And then, her expression dimming into concern, she added, ¡°You should have let us meet him first.¡±


    Alna could already guess the doubts Mom was about to follow up with and sighed mentally.  She took a moment to assess her mother¡¯s state of mind. Mom¡¯s hair was messy, but that was normal for her at the end of a workday. She¡¯d changed out of her work clothes and was now wearing a pair of old, grey sweatpants and a black tank top. Barring the parental worry she was displaying, Mom gave off no signs that she was in any way upset. It must have been a good day at work. Which meant she would be in a reasonable frame of mind.


    Taking a step forward, Alna locked eyes with Mom¡¯s, injecting confidence into her voice as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Mom. We¡¯ll be in a public place (a caf¨¦) and thus far, my date has given me no reason to distrust them.¡± She decided not to mention that she¡¯d only met Marianna once.


    Mom considered that for a moment as the soup she was making started to boil on the stove. She turned away from Alna to stir it. When she turned back around, it was evident that she had come to a decision.


    ¡°I suppose I trust your judgement,¡± she announced, visibly relaxing and becoming curious once more. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡±


    And here it was, Alna thought. The moment of truth. Because there was no way she was going to date Marianna on the sly, deceiving her parents. She lied to them enough as it was. Beyond that, Alna had never once seen a hint that her parents would dislike her dating a girl. Their passing comments about gay peopple lacked any judgement.


    Not to mention, Marianna didn¡¯t deserve to be treated like a dirty secret.


    ¡°Her name,¡± Alna emphasized, ¡°is Marianna.¡±


    Alna assessed her mother¡¯s reaction. Her eyes widened, and the hand that was stirring the soup stopped moving. Mom¡¯s entire form stayed still for a good ten seconds, her emotions clearly displayed on her face. Surprise was the most prominent one for a moment, and then, slowly, it turned to acceptance. There was no hint of discomfort. No evidence that Alna¡¯s announcement made her uncomfortable.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Mom said. And then she smiled. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be back in time for supper?¡±


    Alna felt some tension melt from her shoulders. She never should have doubted her mother. ¡°I¡¯m not sure; don¡¯t bother waiting for me if I¡¯m late.¡±


    Mom tilted her head in acceptance, a faint smile on her lips. ¡°Sounds good. Have fun.¡±


    ¡°I believe I will,¡± Alna replied. She turned toward the front door, already pulling out her phone to call a cab. Once that was done, Alna called a quick goodbye to her brothers and headed outside. The cab arrived around ten minutes later.


    ¡°What can I do fer ya?¡± the cab driver asked when Alna slipped into the backseat. The driver was a woman who looked to be in her early to mid-forties. She had hung up an air freshener on her rearview mirror and there was a water bottle in her cup holder.


    ¡°To Amycate Caf¨¦, please,¡± Alna requested. She grabbed her seat belt and clicked it into place.


    ¡°Ya got it,¡± the woman replied with a distinct Southern accent. She must have moved here  recently, Alna observed. That, or she managed to avoid having her accent slip away one way or another.


    Much like she had a few days ago, Alna kept her eyes focused on the window as the cab driver started to take her to her destination. Alna noted that the sky had started to darken and that it was rather clear this evening. That was good; the last thing Alna needed was to get caught in the rain.


    Leaning her head more on her hand, Alna¡¯s eyes started to lose focus as she retreated into her mind, a warm wind washing across her mental form as she manifested near one of the towns she had built. She allowed her physical eyes to drift close, the image coming into sharper focus¡ª


    ¡°Fuck, seriously?¡± the cab driver bit out, causing Alna¡¯s eyes to snap open and refocus on reality. She felt the cab slow down as police cars came into view, their lights flashing red and blue. Alna sat up straighter, peering around the surrounding area with faint curiosity as she tried to figure out what the emergency was.


    ¡°This road¡¯s blocked,¡± the driver informed her as the cab slowed to a stop.


    Alna might have rolled her eyes at the driver for stating the obvious if the reason for the commotion hadn¡¯t caught her attention.


    She could hear the driver muttering to herself, reaching out to roll down her window as a policeman approached the vehicle. Alna listened to the brief exchange between the two adults, this time indulging in the urge to roll her eyes when the officer saw fit to point out that they would have to take an alternate route. Like that wasn¡¯t already palpable, she thought with exasperation as she eyed the yellow police tape.


    Alna¡¯s driver was thinking along the same line, as she snapped out an annoyed ¡°No shit, Sherlock.¡± Alna¡¯s lips twitched a bit at that.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re takin¡¯ the long way, kid,¡± the woman informed Alna apologetically once the policeman walked off. She reached for the gearshift.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Alna said, interrupting her action, ¡°I¡¯d like to get out here.¡±


    At that, the driver twisted around in her seat to frown at her passenger. Alna noted that, despite some age lines, the woman looked healthy, with rich strawberry blonde hair that fell about her shoulders in a silky sheet. ¡°Ya kiddin¡¯ me? We¡¯re only halfway there.¡±


    Alna didn¡¯t reply for a moment, doing a quick mental calculation. She cast a glance at the digital clock at the front of the car. If she allowed herself no more than five minutes to sate her curiosity, Alna was quite sure she could make it to the caf¨¦ in time¡ªas long as she walked fast. Or, the better option¡­


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you extra if you wait for me for a few minutes,¡± she bargained.


    The cabbie narrowed her eyes at Alna, and then, when someone honked at them, turned around and put the cab into reverse. ¡°Sure, kid, fine by me.¡±


    Once the cab was parked, Alna stepped outside into the cool fall air and approached the accident scene, where a crowd had already gathered. People and their morbid curiosity, Alna thought sardonically. Not that she had the right to judge on that one.


    After nudging people out of her way, Alna  found herself a view of the accident and peered at it with interest. A simple grey car sat half on, half of the road, its side pushed up against a lamp post, creating a dent that would be impossible to fix. From the side view Alna was receiving, she could see evidence of blood in the driver¡¯s window, along with some glass lying about. The windshield of the car was very nearly gone, scattered across the road in crystalline shards that might have been beautiful under different circumstances.


    There was a truck pressed against the back of the car, its owner having been¡ªpresumably¡ªtransferred to the ambulance. It was in much better shape than the car, sporting only a dent in the grill, and a partially broken windshield. Some of the glass had probably hit the survivor. The truck didn¡¯t look damaged enough for the driver to be dead. Injured, yes, but not dead.


    The siren continued to pierce the air, grating on her nerves as it seemed to bounce around her skull. It was rather obnoxious, she thought.


    Alna mentally shook her head when that thought entered her mind, telling herself not to be cold-hearted. Ignore it, she commanded herself, focus.


    Looking at the scene with an intensity that was probably unusual for a teenager¡ªand how could she be certain? She had never been a ¡°normal¡± teenager¡ªAlna concluded that, given the amount of blood, the person in the car was most likely dead. She wondered if some of the broken glass had struck them somewhere vital. Entirely possible.


    Alna shifted uneasily as her eyes ran over the two vehicles, taking in every detail. Something about the entire thing seemed¡­ off, somehow. Too deliberate. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to piece it together.


    An alarm went off on Alna¡¯s phone, startling her out of her reverie and telling Alna her five minutes were up. Taking her phone out of her jacket pocket, Alna turned away from the accident scene with some reluctance, stopping when she locked eyes with an elderly lady. She raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Can I help you, ma¡¯am?¡± Alna inquired with cool politeness. The woman gave her a disgruntled look.


    ¡°Teenagers these days,¡± she sniffed with distaste and no small amount of obnoxiousness. Almost immediately, Alna was annoyed. She¡¯d received this kind of judgement more than once in her life. ¡°Always up to no good,¡± the woman added.


    Alna¡¯s eyes narrowed. Her gaze flicked up and down the lady, taking in her gift shop bag. A glance at its contents revealed souvenirs nestled inside the plastic bag. Alna¡¯s eyes took in the pamphlet sticking out of the woman¡¯s purse and concluded that she was, without a doubt, a tourist. Although why someone would want to visit the island/country of Starla this time of year was beyond her.


    A second glance and Alna¡¯s gaze landed on a prescription for some pills, with some similar papers tucked behind it. Without giving herself away, Alna chanced a glance at the bottom of the woman¡¯s bag. Several pill bottles lay there, deceptively innocent with their bright orange colouring. Alna couldn¡¯t read the labels, but she knew no one needed that many prescriptions at one time. Not with the woman looking as healthy as she did. An addict, then.


    Alna¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you feel that way, ma¡¯am.¡± Alna paused as her eyes darted over the woman¡¯s form. ¡°Although you may want to deal with your pill addiction,¡± she quipped.


    That done, Alna turned away from the lady and stormed toward the waiting cab a couple of meters away from the scene.


    She had a date to get to.


    ***


    When Marianna entered Amycate Caf¨¦, her blue eyes darted throughout its interior, seeking her date. The caf¨¦ was like what anyone would expect a caf¨¦ to be: warm and inviting with bright lights hanging from the ceiling and light brown walls. All of the walls contained a decoration or picture of some kind, made to make visitors feel at home. One such picture depicted the Statue of Liberty, looking majestic in her green robes and pointy ground. For the sake of keeping up with the caf¨¦¡¯s theme, the torch in her hand had been replaced with a large cup of coffee, which even had some steam rising out of it.


    It was after her eyes had left the picture, landing on a table nearby, that Marianna spotted her date. Alna looked unaware of her surroundings as she leaned back in her brown, plastic chair, absorbed in something on her phone. She looked pretty, from what Marianna could see at this distance. The dress Alna was wearing was as black as her hair, hugging her curves rather nicely. Instead of the messy quality like the first time they had met, Alna hair was looking, while not exactly glossy, quite neat, falling about her sculpted shoulders in a tumble, with only a few strands of hair seeming out of place.


    Marianna took a steadying breath to calm her nerves, smoothed down her blue, v-neck shirt, and walked over.


    ¡°Alna?¡± Marianna said, voice soft. Alna¡¯s head snapped up so fast that Marianna wondered if she¡¯d given herself whiplash. Her eyes were wide and startled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marianna apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to startle you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite all right,¡± Alna assured her, voice impassive as she set down her phone. She stood up. ¡°It happens often.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna said, uncertain about what she was supposed to say. She glanced down in brief discomfort, noticing the brown belt wrapped around Alna¡¯s waist. Forcing herself to look back up, she glimpsed amusement in Alna¡¯s eyes.


    Marianna shifted a bit, uncertain of where to go from here, and cast a look at the caf¨¦¡¯s counters, where a small line had formed at the cash register.  ¡°Do you want to get something to drink or eat?¡± When she looked back at Alna, her lips were upturned the slightest bit.


    ¡°I would like that.¡±


    Alna gestured for Marianna to take the lead and followed her toward the display cases, phone and purse in hand.


    After a brief, light-hearted argument about who should pay for whom (Alna won), Marianna and Alna went back to their table, setting down their drinks and snacks. There was a beat of silence in which Alna sipped her tea, gaze fixed on nothing in particular. Seeing as she didn¡¯t appear to be starting up a conversation anytime soon, Marianna fiddled with her chocolate chip muffin, gaze darting between her date and the warm colours of the caf¨¦¡¯s interior. Looking back at her date, she said, ¡°You look nice.¡±


    Alna¡¯s gaze drifted to Marianna¡¯s face, and she gave a slight smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°You look fine yourself.¡±


    Which, of course, only made Marianna blush. Darn it, she thought as she turned her face away, trying to hide the rosy colour, why did she have to do that so often? And really, it wasn¡¯t as though Marianna¡¯s outfit was all that elaborate. After some thought, Marianna had settled for a sky blue, long-sleeved shirt that she knew complimented her eyes, and the only pair of skinny jeans she owned. They were uncomfortable, and as a result, Marianna wore them rarely. The only reason she wore them now was because she knew they made her legs look good, showing off a bit of ankle if she didn¡¯t wear too long socks. The jeans had earned Hikari¡¯s approval, which, considering her eye for fashion, meant something.


    Marianna muttered a quick thanks, ducking her head. She could feel Alna¡¯s eyes trained on her face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a difficult week,¡± Alna observed.


    Marianna turned startled blue eyes toward her.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡° she stuttered. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Because yes, the past week or so had been no picnic for Marianna. Dealing with her parents¡¯ lack of acceptance was proving to be almost too stressful for her to handle.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little red in the eyes,¡± Alna pointed out, causing Marianna¡¯s hand to fly to her face. ¡°Whether from lack of sleep or tears is impossible to tell. Of course, reddened eyes could also result from drug use, but I doubt that¡¯s the cause. You don¡¯t exhibit any of the signs beside the aforementioned. And, considering I was there when your mother caught us having a moment, it¡¯s safe to assume she¡¯s homophobic; that would be a legitimate cause for stress in one¡¯s life.¡± Alna paused, her eyes scanning Marianna up and down. ¡°There¡¯s a bit of tension in your posture, even now. You¡¯re probably not even aware of it.¡± At Alna¡¯s words, Marianna noticed the previously unconscious tension in her shoulders and tried to relax. ¡°There are subtle hints of bags under your eyes, although you tried to hide them with makeup. Not that you need makeup in the first place¡ªyou would look nice without it.¡± Cue the blush. Alna¡¯s lips twitched, amusement glinting in her eyes. ¡°Your eyes are half closed at times; another indicator of your weariness.¡±


    Alna fell silent for a moment, and then added, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me to stop, I probably won¡¯t.¡±


    Marianna, engrossed in Alna¡¯s rapid fire observations, was staggered at the abrupt change. ¡°Why would I tell you to stop?¡±


    Alna ran a finger around the plastic rim of the lid adorning her cardboard cup. ¡°Most people are uncomfortable when I list facts about them.¡±


    Marianna paused at that, considering Alna¡¯s words. ¡°I can see that,¡± she admitted. It felt a little invasive when Alna read Marianna¡­ Well, like a book. But she couldn¡¯t deny that it was fascinating at the same time¨C¨Cfor someone to be so aware of things other people looked over. To hear her explain how she knew such things? Well, that was even more interesting.  She said as much. ¡°It is kind of interesting, though.¡± Alna looked vaguely surprised at the admission; she stared at Marianna. ¡°Can you tell me more?¡± Marianna requested, her voice eager.


    Alna gave Marianna another thoughtful look, and then her gaze switched to a man sitting at a table nearby. ¡°That man,¡± Alna began, nodding her head to him, ¡°he¡¯s likely having an affair.¡±


    Marianna cast a quick look in the man¡¯s direction (balding hair, goatee, black sweater) and refocused on Alna. ¡°How so?¡± she asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a slight discolouration where his wedding band would go. This caf¨¦ is not well-known¨C¨Csmall enough that one could hide away here for such a purpose as an affair. You¡¯ll notice that the man is trying to hide his left hand from time to time.¡±


    As if on cue, the man¡¯s date, a woman with tan skin wearing a sophisticated white dress, reached for his hand, which he pulled back before replacing it with his right. Marianna frowned.


    ¡°Good catch.¡±


    When Marianna turned back to her date, Alna gave a slight shrug of your shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult to see if you know what to look for.¡± Was that a hint of a blush on her cheeks? Marianna noted with surprise. So, what, did people never compliment Alna on her deduction abilities?


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Marianna agreed, a bit hesitant. ¡°But about the punch the other night¡ªhow did you know it was spiked?¡±


    ¡°I tried some,¡± Alna admitted. ¡°I could taste traces of alcohol¡ªsubtle enough that plenty of people would not pick up on it, but I generally notice what others don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Marianna repeated with a smile, which Alna returned with a miniscule one of her own.


    The two allowed silence to reign between them once more as Marianna sipped at her hot chocolate, fiddling with its container. Alna seemed unbothered by anything and everything, sipping at her jasmine tea, eyes sweeping around the caf¨¦, landing on Marianna once in a while. Every time this happened, Marianna would give her a shy smile, which Alna returned.


    After a minute or two, Marianna felt her faint discomfort reach its peak and voiced the first thing that came to her mind. ¡°So, have you come out to your parents?¡±


    Alna once again refocused her attention on Marianna. She paused for a moment, eyes distant as she seemed to consider her answer. ¡°I suppose I have.¡±


    ¡°When was that?¡± Marianna inquired further before taking a sip of her hot chocolate.


    Alna turned on her phone and took a quick look at the time before replying, ¡°About an hour ago.¡±


    Marianna nearly choked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I told my mother I was going on a date with a girl,¡± Alna explained with an idle shrug of her shoulders.


    ¡°And you never said anything before?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    For a moment, Marianna stared at Alna in silence. Eventually, she asked, ¡°How did she take it?¡±


    ¡°Quite well, it seems,¡± Alna replied. ¡°Unless she¡¯s having a delayed reaction.¡±


    Marianna glanced toward the top of the light brown table, unable to quell the resentment she felt at her words. When Marianna told her parents she was going out tonight, they had just barely let her borrow the truck to get here¨C¨Cand that was because she lied to her parents, telling them she was meeting her (male) friend, Blaze, for coffee. Marianna had promised herself she wouldn¡¯t hide her sexuality anymore, but when facing her parents, she¡¯d wavered. She had a sneaking suspicion they hoped it was a date, or that Blaze would ¡°straighten her out¡± somehow.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± she muttered.


    There was a pause, in which time Marianna could feel the other girl¡¯s eyes on her. ¡°I suppose I am,¡± Alna acknowledged. When Marianna looked back up, Alna was looking at her with sympathy. ¡°Perhaps we should try to stick with some lighter topics.¡±


    Mariana nodded her head in agreement, eager to get away from the deep discussions this date had seemed to consist of so far. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±


    So they talked. Marianna asked Alna some questions about herself¡ªher favorite colour, television show, and so on. Alna gave her replies easily, and in turn, asked Marianna some questions of her own¡ªalthough she deduced the answers a couple of times before Marianna could form a reply. Oddly enough, she didn¡¯t mind Alna¡¯s observations too much; they were interesting to listen to.


    Marianna soon discovered how little she and Alna had in common. Alna¡¯s interests seemed to vary, but, as it turned out, she very much enjoyed reading mystery novels, classics, nonfiction, and some science fiction. Marianna, on the other hand, had never been particularly fond of these things, sans the mystery. She enjoyed reading a good mystery every once in a while.


    Despite her and Alna¡¯s obvious differences, Marianna remained relatively unperturbed. Opposites did attract, after all. The more Marianna talked to Alna, the more she wanted to keep going. To see if she could ever understand how her mind worked.


    No one had ever looked at her as Alna did. Her gaze was intense, giving Marianna her full attention. It made Marianna blush and smile at the same time. She didn¡¯t want to look away.


    It wasn¡¯t until a good fifteen or so minutes later that they drifted back to a more serious topic once more. One Marianna hadn¡¯t even seen coming.


    ¡°So, what school do you go to?¡± Marianna asked. She felt a flicker of confusion when Alna¡¯s eyes became wary.


    ¡°I¡­don''t exactly go to school.¡±


    Marianna felt her heart drop at that. Surely a girl as smart as her hadn¡¯t¡­ ¡°Did you drop out?¡± she asked, hoping it wasn¡¯t so.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Feeling relieved, Marianna considered Alna¡¯s response for a couple of seconds, and then ventured, ¡°Did you graduate early?¡±


    ¡°When I was thirteen, yes,¡± Alna said with a nod. She took a sip of her Earl Grey tea. ¡°Since then, I¡¯ve been supplementing my education with courses online; some from universities, even.¡± Dropping her gaze, Alna fiddled with the plastic lid of her tea. ¡°Learning has always been rather easy for me. And I have a ¡®mind like a steel trap,¡¯ as the saying goes. Meaning that, for me, memorizing information is impossible for me to avoid.¡± She gave Marianna a dry smile. ¡°One may think, given what I just told you, I would be quite certain of my career choice. As of now, however, I am still uncertain.¡±


    Marianna felt her lips twitch in amusement. ¡°I think it¡¯s normal not to know what you want to do for a career,¡± she offered. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re deciding on a job you¡¯ll probably be doing for at least thirty years.¡±


    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Alna agreed, sounding thoughtful. She was gazing at Marianna with a muted intensity, seeming to survey her reactions with curiosity.


    Hiding her vague embarrassment behind a sip of hot chocolate, Marianna cast her mind around for something to say. It was almost without conscious thought that she joked, ¡°So, are you going to tell me you¡¯re a famous surgeon now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alna denied, seeming to share Marianna¡¯s amusement, ¡°but my mother is, in fact, a surgeon herself.¡±


    That random fact seemed so out of place that it startled a laugh out of Marianna


    ***


    They ended their date with a soft kiss outside the caf¨¦ that left a fluttery feeling in Marianna¡¯s stomach. It was even better than last time, considering no one interrupted them. A couple of people did give them some strange looks but they were more or less ignored.


    Alna¡¯s hands lingered on her waist, seeming reluctant to pull away.


    As it soon turned out, saying their date had ¡°ended¡± became a relative term, as the moment Alna commented on heading home, Marianna suddenly had no desire to see her leave.  The fact that she might be able to avoid the awkwardness surrounding her house would be a bonus. She wasn¡¯t due to meet at Kearstan¡¯s place until seven-thirty, and the less time Marianna spent around her parents, the better.


    ¡°Do you need a ride home, or did you drive here?¡± Marianna asked, tilting her head up to get a better view of Alna¡¯s face. She hoped she didn¡¯t sound desperate. That would be embarrassing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t drive¡± was Alna¡¯s answer. Marianna blinked and mentally added that to the list of all the things she had learned about Alna this evening.


    ¡°Well, I could drive you, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Marianna suggested, some of her earlier shyness returning. She lightly gripped her elbows, trying to stave off the chilly night air.


    Alna paused once again, peering at Marianna¡ªshe wondered if this was going to become a normal occurrence with them¡ªand nodded. ¡°That would be nice, thank you.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s heart soared, and she smiled at Alna. ¡°I¡¯m parked right over here,¡± she said, gesturing with her right arm and moving toward her mom¡¯s truck.


    Part way there, Alna slipped her black jacket over Marianna¡¯s shoulders, rebuking any and all of her protests about Alna not having to do that. She didn¡¯t take it back until they were in the grey truck.


    Not much was said between the two girls as Marianna drove, as she instead chose to focus on her task. By the time they reached Velvet Lane, it was nearly six o¡¯ clock.


    Marianna found herself regarding Alna¡¯s house with interest. It was nothing remarkable, she supposed. It had a set of stairs leading up to a wooden door. There was a deck off to the left, situated in front of a window, with just enough room for a tiny round table and two chairs. A sidewalk split the front yard in half, which itself was quite small: very little grass to mow and no garden to speak of. Still, it looked like a nice place.


    ¡°Thank you for the drive,¡± Alna said, bringing Marianna¡¯s attention back to her. ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Marianna with a slight smile. She waited for Alna to do something¡ªkiss her, say goodbye or exit the truck, but she did none of these things. Instead, it was Alna¡¯s turn to look preoccupied.


    Eventually, she seemed to snap out of it, saying, ¡°Would you like to come inside?¡±


    To say Marianna was shocked would be an understatement. This date had already been the deepest and most intense one she had ever been on, and now Alna wanted her to (most likely) meet her family. This was moving much faster than she had expected it to.


    But Marianna couldn¡¯t deny the offer had some appeal to it, and so, she answered, almost without conscious thought, ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love to.¡±


    The faint upturn of Alna¡¯s lips was breathtaking, washing away any of Marianna¡¯s lingering doubts.


    After a short walk to the front door, Marianna found herself in the Holt house, glancing around with curiosity.


    ¡°Alna?¡± a feminine voice called from Marianna¡¯s right. ¡°How was your¡ª''''


    The woman in the entryway stopped short when she caught sight of Marianna, looking surprised by her presence. Alna¡¯s mom, as Marianna assumed her to be, was quite beautiful. She had some lines around her eyes, which were a dark shade of brown, while her hair was the colour of light chocolate. She had full cheeks; not quite plump, but not quite thin, either.


    A black man appeared over the woman¡¯s shoulder, his hair styled in a way that was almost boyish, with bangs sweeping over his forehead, but well-kept all the same. He appeared fit in a way that indicated he exercised but wasn¡¯t exactly a bodybuilder. His eyes were kind.


    Marianna could see where Alna got her dark hair from.


    ¡°Oh, hello,¡± the woman greeted, seeming to regain her composure. ¡°You must be¡ª¡° She paused, then continued, ¡°Marianna.¡± She held out a hand to Marianna, which she shook. ¡°I¡¯m Victoria. Alna¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Aiden. Her father,¡± the man added, allowing Marianna to shake his hand as well. His grip was rather firm, she couldn¡¯t help but note.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Marianna replied. She caught sight of two young boys over Mr. Holt¡¯s shoulder, both staring at her curiously. Mrs. Holt followed Marianna¡¯s gaze and smiled.


    ¡°Boys, come here,¡± she urged, holding out a hand for them. When the two boys approached, Mrs. Holt placed her hands on one''s shoulder, while the other boy, the less shy of the two, stepped right in front of Marianna and peered up at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the young boy asked brazenly. He looked rather like a miniature version of his father, down to the similar hairstyle, and the triangle shaped face.


    Marianna could hear Alna conversing with her father off to the side, asking how things had gone with his friends. She crouched down to get a better look at the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m Marianna,¡± she said kindly. ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡±


    The boy blinked once at her, eyes otherwise wide open and curious. ¡°Colton.¡± He turned his head to glance at his older sister, and then looked back at the shorter of the two girls. ¡°Are you Alna¡¯s friend?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Marianna confirmed. The other boy, obviously Colton¡¯s twin, edged forward to stand next to his brother. Marianna turned her attention to him. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± the boy murmured. His brown eyes darted to Alna, then back to Marianna. For reasons she didn¡¯t understand, he looked confused. ¡°You¡¯re Alna¡¯s friend?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Marianna said, confused herself.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m Evan,¡± the boy added quickly, and then darted back to his mom.


    Marianna, feeling like the circulation in her legs had been cut off by now, stood up. She caught Alna¡¯s gaze, the latter peering at her with interest.


    ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve all been introduced, I think Marianna and I will head downstairs.¡± Alna¡¯s gaze, which had turned to her family as she spoke, snapped back to her date. ¡°If that¡¯s all right with you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Marianna said.


    Mrs. Holt¡¯s face fell into a frown, her husband wearing a similar expression. Her eyes darted between the two girls before she seemed to come to some sort of decision. ¡°I want you to leave both doors open,¡± she ordered while Mr. Holt gave a slight nod of agreement.


    Marianna¡¯s brain froze at that. She missed Alna rolling her eyes like any typical teenager.


    ¡°We will, Mom.¡± She turned to face the girl at her side. ¡°Marianna?¡±


    Shaking herself out of it, Mariana said, ¡°Uh, yeah, sure,¡± all the while trying to come up with a way to tell Alna that they most definitely wouldn¡¯t be doing anything while they were alone. As it soon turned out, she didn¡¯t have to, because as Alna was leading Marianna to the basement, she stopped walking in the middle of the stairs and turned to face her.


    ¡°Marianna, I want you to know I don¡¯t expect anything from you. I wanted to go downstairs because I want to spend some time alone with you; that¡¯s it,¡± Alna explained seriously, her eyes intent and sincere.


    Marianna felt herself relax at that. ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± She followed Alna the rest of the way, feeling much more relaxed.


    When Marianna entered Alna¡¯s room, she would admit that she was surprised by the state of it. Alna¡¯s room fit the description of ¡°organized chaos¡± quite well. There were some shelves on the wall in which the door was placed, every one of them filled to the brim with paperbacks and hardcovers. Next to the bed¡ªwhich was pushed into a corner to Marianna¡¯s right¡ªthere was a desk with two books on it. A closer look revealed them to be the Bible and The Origin of Species: by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin. Both had pieces of paper between their pages, serving as bookmarks.


    Everything in Alna¡¯s room seemed to follow the dark colour theme¡ªthe blankets on the bed were black, the pillows grey, the walls were grey, too, with¡ª


    Marianna blinked.


    ¡°Alna, are those math equations on your wall?¡±


    Alna, to her credit, looked a bit embarrassed. ¡°They are,¡± she answered, tucking a strand of raven hair behind her ear. ¡°Seeing as I¡¯m not in school, I¡¯ve had to find other ways to mentally stimulate myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but on your wall?¡± Marianna asked in bewilderment, peering at the black ink that spanned at least halfway across the wall so far.


    ¡°It makes for an interesting decoration.¡±


    Marianna turned back toward the lithe girl, who was again watching her with something akin to interest on her face¡ªas if Marianna¡¯s reactions had some sort of value to her.


    In the end, Marianna decided making a big deal over something so trivial was pointless. She settled for saying, ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Alna¡¯s head tilted as her lips turned up. ¡°If you say so.¡±


    After that, Alna invited Marianna to sit with her on her bed. Despite what such a thing would imply, nothing ended up happening. Marianna drew one leg up and wrapped an arm around it, giving Alna a shy smile as she did so. She turned her gaze to the room, her eyes alighting on yet another book resting on one of the shelves: The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Marianna guessed, based on the title, that it was likely a mystery novel.


    ¡°Do you read a lot of mystery?¡± she asked, gesturing to the shelf. Of course, she knew from their earlier conversation that Alna liked reading mystery, but that didn¡¯t mean she read it all the time. For all she knew, Alna¡¯s courses took up any free time she might have.


    Alna looked to where she was pointing before refocusing on Marianna.


    ¡°Quite a bit, yes,¡± she admitted. ¡°I have read many classic mysteries, but nowhere near enough.¡± She gave Marianna a teasing look. ¡°It is on my bucket list to read as many classic mystery authors as I can before I die.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad goal,¡± Marianna said. She glanced back at the shelf, wondering if she should give some of the stories a try herself, and then mentally shook herself. She hadn¡¯t even known Alna that long, and already she was on her way to becoming smitten.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Marianna met Alna¡¯s piercing blue eyes, which were watching her curiously, and blushed.


    ¡°I think I have talked about myself enough tonight. Tell me more about you,¡± Alna requested.


    Marianna did just that. She told Alna about her high school classes; about the ones she enjoyed and the ones she disliked. During her rather lengthy rant about how much trouble Shakespeare gave her, they moved so that they were lying side by side on Alna¡¯s bed, facing each other. Alna¡¯s cheek rested on the palm of her hand, and despite Marianna talking of simple, everyday things, she never seemed to grow bored. In fact, the entire time Marianna was talking, Alna watched her with a faint smile on her lips.


    Sometime later, Marianna found herself stuttering to a stop as Alna sat up abruptly, moving so that she was sitting on the opposite side of the bed from Marianna. At Marianna¡¯s bewildered look as she sat up, Alna said simply, ¡°My mother¡¯s coming.¡±


    Sure enough, footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. Marianna tried to smooth down her hair, which had become unkempt, a couple of strands sticking out erratically.


    Mrs. Holt appeared in Alna¡¯s doorway, and, though her expression was inviting, she seemed to be checking on both girls, eyes darting between the two of them. Marianna had a good idea of what was going through her mind. She glanced down, fidgeting a bit.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Mrs. Holt said, eyes now on Marianna, ¡°I was wondering if you wanted something. Are you thirsty or anything?¡±


    Marianna made a point not to look at Alna as she responded, for fear she¡¯d blush and Mrs. Holt the wrong idea. ¡°Actually, I should get going,¡± she replied with reluctance, shifting off the bed, ¡°but thanks for having me.¡±


    If she left now, she¡¯d still have enough time to head home, get her stuff, and go to Kearstan¡¯s place later.


    Not that she wanted this date to end yet. Not at all.


    Mom nearly beamed at her, which was both a surprising and pleasant response. ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all; thank you for coming.¡±


    That out of the way, Marianna accepted Alna¡¯s offer to walk her to the door, and the three women headed back up the stairs, where Alna and Marianna were given enough privacy to share a quick goodbye kiss.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve had our first date,¡± Alna began as they pulled back, ¡°would you mind if I called you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯d love that, actually,¡± Marianna said, a hint of her earlier shyness returning once more. ¡°Is it okay if I do the same?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Alna assured her warmly, her cool mask now all but nonexistent.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Marianna said, playing with the sleeve of her shirt. ¡°See you later, then.¡±


    ¡°Have a good evening.¡±


    Marianna returned the sentiment before exiting the Holt house and heading home.

 Chapter Five

    The day after her date with Marianna, Alna wasted as little time as possible before she sat down in front of her laptop and turned it on. That didn¡¯t mean she always considered spending time with her family wasteful, but as of last night, Alna had been eager to finally sit down and do some research. Something about the crash site she¡¯d observed yesterday seemed off somehow, and Alna had to look into it.


    Tapping her fingers against her desk, Alna waited for the screen to load before entering her password, a long one that comprised both lower and uppercase letters, some random symbols, and numbers. One could never be too careful when trying to keep certain information hidden.


    Once logged in, Alna hacked into the Brigate Police Department¡¯s files and relaxed against the backrest of her chair as she began to browse through them.


    Evidence at the crime scene suggests that the victim suffered multiple stab wounds¡ª


    Alna scrolled past that, already knowing it wasn¡¯t what she was looking for.


    Marie Velton: Missing since¡ª


    Alna scrolled past that, too, and kept scrolling, occasionally exiting out and searching through more files. The speed at which she sifted through the files might have been too quick for some people, but Alna¡¯s brain worked faster than the average person¡¯s, as she¡¯d been shown throughout her life. This meant that she only had to scan a few sentences here and there before establishing it wasn¡¯t what she was looking for, and moving on.


    An impatient sigh escaped past Alna¡¯s pale lips as she continued her perusing. On a more normal day, she would have been content to search through the police files at her leisure, looking for something they appeared to be having difficulty with¨C¨Csomething Alna could help with. But today was not one of those days, and Alna wanted nothing more than to find out what they thought about last night¡¯s crash. She hoped they hadn¡¯t procrastinated; otherwise, she¡¯d have a lot less to work with.


    Alna heard footsteps descending the stairs. She quickly pulled up the internet and typed ¡°World War One.¡± She pulled up the first essay she saw and scrolled down a bit.


    A knock sounded on Alna¡¯s bedroom door twice before Dad opened it. Alna twisted around in her seat to face him.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Dad greeted her with a smile as he opened the door and walked inside. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Reading an essay,¡± Alna replied, gesturing to the computer screen. Dad, looking neat and professional in his black dress shirt and equally black slacks, peered past her shoulder.


    ¡°World War One, huh?¡± he observed. ¡°Seems a bit depressing.¡±


    Alna shrugged. ¡°There isn¡¯t much recorded history that is lighthearted and fun.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± Dad shifted his jacket from one hand to the other. ¡°Any plans for the day?¡±


    ¡°Reading,¡± Alna said. Her fingers tapped against her jean-clad leg twice before she quelled the movement. ¡°I might go to the library later.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great,¡± Dad commented. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll see that Marianna girl?¡±


    Alna¡¯s eyes flashed with amusement. ¡°Seeing as our first date took place yesterday, I doubt it. I wouldn¡¯t want to crowd her.¡± Not to mention that, if things went the way she wanted them to, Alna would be busy today.


    ¡°Right,¡± Dad said.  His smile was almost sheepish. Mom most definitely would have thought he looked cute, Alna mused to herself. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want that,¡± he continued. ¡°Anyway, before I get going, I wanted to let you know that Evan and Colton are planning to go to a friend¡¯s house today after school.¡±


    Alna already knew¡ªher brothers and parents had been discussing it over breakfast¡ªbut she refrained from pointing this out and settled for saying, ¡°All right. I hope work is pleasant for you.¡±


    ¡°Do you need any money for a cab?¡± Dad asked, hand drifting toward his back pocket.


    ¡°No, I should be fine, but thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Dad replied, his voice warm.


    Taking a couple of steps forward, Dad braced a hand on the back on Alna¡¯s chair as he leaned down to give her a quick peck on the forehead. ¡°Have a good day,¡± he said.


    Alna gave him a quick smile, seeing no real reason to wish her father a good day twice.


    She waited until she heard her father¡¯s footsteps on the top floor, before she turned back to her laptop, her back sore from having been in an unnatural position. Exiting out of the internet, Alna reopened the police files and began to search through them once more as she heard the front door close. She came across some files about a robbery in some gift shop¡ªno fatalities, but some idiot stole the money in a devil mask. If the police couldn¡¯t deal with something that simple, then she¡¯d feel a lot less safe in this city.


    It wasn¡¯t until at least a half an hour later that Alna¡¯s relentless searching paid off, and a brief file on the accident she¡¯d seen appeared. Leaning closer to the bright screen, Alna read with interest.


    Jed Conlan, 26-year-old white male.


    Suspected cause of death: vehicle collision.


    Victim is suspected to have suffered from a severe blow to the head, resulting in internal bleeding¡ªdeath instantaneous. Broken windshield resulted in some lacerations on the body.


    The file continued to list the details from the accident, the entire thing taking up little more than half a page. Once she had all the details implanted in her brain, Alna searched some more and came across an interview the police had conducted with the second victim, Celine Wilks. Unfortunately, there didn¡¯t appear to be any video footage of the interview available, which Alna found disappointing; being able to assess Wilks¡¯s reactions would have given her an advantage. But considering the interview had taken place in a hospital, she supposed it made sense that police hadn¡¯t taken a video; they had to respect the patients¡¯ privacy, after all. This did not, however, stop Alna from reading the interview.


    Wilks: I was driving to the grocery store, you know, and suddenly the vehicle in front of me went berserk. It was zigzagging randomly like the driver was drunk or something. Then it sort of did a three-sixty and slammed against a lamppost. I barely had time to hit the brakes before I hit it from behind.


    The interview made the entire accident seem straightforward: another drunk driver getting themselves killed. Given it was such a common occurrence, with a driver dying every fifty-two minutes, Alna half wondered why the press even bothered to write up articles about driving accidents anymore. And as Alna sat back once more, arms crossed, it occurred to her that this could be a simple accident. It exhibited some of the signs¡­


    But no, Alna thought with sudden vehemence, she couldn¡¯t leave it at that. The entire reason she started this illegal process a little less than two years ago had been to stave off the boredom that always seemed to linger around the corner; to give her something to do until she turned eighteen and went to college, as she¡¯d agreed with her parents. If she gave up on this case with such ease, then she might as well go back to her boredom.


    Sitting up straighter, Alna stretched, her mind beginning to speed up with renewed determination. Various plans on how to get into Wilks¡¯ hospital room flashed through her mind. Dressing up as a nurse or doctor was out of the question¡ªthe chances of her being able to find a realistic-looking outfit before Wilks was discharged from the hospital were slim to none. Not to mention that, given her age, there was no way she could even pass off as a doctor. Masquerading as a hospital employee would also be a clich¨¦, too, and Alna was fairly certain she was above that.


    She could try to make an appointment, she pondered. But no, there were too many ways that could go wrong. Her mother worked at this hospital and knew many of the employees there. Whoever was working at the front desk may know Mom and thus, recognize Alna over the phone. If they then talked to Mom, her cover would be forfeit. Next idea.


    Perhaps she could go into the emergency room. That seemed plausible, she mused, as long as she left before a doctor called on her. It could work. She¡¯d hold on to that idea.


    Or she could walk in and act like she knew what she was doing and where she was going. Wilks¡¯s injuries were not all that serious, so it seemed likely she would be allowed visitors. From what the police reports asserted, Wilks had suffered from a minor concussion and a sprained wrist; the doctors were keeping her there to make sure she was recovering properly. The fact that the interview had taken place so soon after the crash was evidence that Wilks was not harmed too extensively. Alna didn¡¯t doubt she¡¯d need therapy, though.


    Alna could also pretend to be a journalist, she pondered. Yes, that seemed like a good option.


    Method decided, Alna started to tap away at her computer, tending to the preparations for her scheme.


    Even as more details started to formulate in her mind, Alna felt the vague weight of apprehension settle in her stomach. Because Wallstone Hospital was the very place her mother worked at.


    She hoped the staff wouldn¡¯t get too suspicious. That would make things more complicated than they needed to be.


    ***


    The wig Alna was wearing was tacky and looked horrid. It was the colour of light mud, with bangs that made Alna¡¯s forehead itch. On more than one occasion, Alna had caught herself lifting her hand, intent on easing the annoyance. She would drop her hand, gritting her teeth to steel her resolve. Relieving the itch would only wear away at her makeup and leave red marks behind. Neither of which would help her current mission.


    The makeup, too, made Alna uncomfortable. She felt as if it had been baked on, making Alna¡¯s face feel dry. This very well could have been because Alna rarely bothered to wear makeup. Or because of its cheap quality. What else could one expect from dollar store products?


    Discomfort aside, the wig and makeup would help her remain anonymous. She had to focus on that.


    Alna stepped into Wallstone Hospital, the automatic doors opening to allow her entrance. Like with most hospitals, it was white in almost every aspect. White walls, floors, and ceiling. Some people had taken the time to add some decorations, thus preventing too much monotony. To Alna¡¯s right was a row of red-cushioned chairs, the shade of red reminding her of red velvet cakes. On the wall above those chairs hung a painting of a waterfall with a red and orange sunset.


    There was nothing about this hospital that made it significantly different from others. It didn¡¯t have any gift shops near its main entrance, but further in the building itself. Even the information desk that Alna was approaching was rather generic: a simple, rounded desk, with the word ¡°Information¡± on in front in large, plastic letters. There was a pot of flowers on top, but that was the only thing that added character to the information desk.


    Alna¡¯s eyes darted around the room, assessing, making sure there was no one around that would recognize her. Seeing no one closely associated with her, Alna patiently waited for the man in front of her to finish his business, pushing the annoying brown bangs back. When the man walked off, obviously unhappy to be here, Alna took a step forward.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Alna greeted, pasting a polite smile on her face as she brought forward all of her acting skills.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the nurse replied, giving her own polite but tired smile. She was a Scottish woman who looked to be in her forties, with her flaming red hair cut into a bob. ¡°May I help with something? Do you have an appointment?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alna said, ¡°I don¡¯t have an appointment, per se, but I could use some help.¡± She gave the nurse a look meant to be a mixture between embarrassed and shy. ¡°See, I work for the Wallstone News Department, and my boss heard about the accident that happened yesterday. He wanted me to interview Ms. Celine Wilks?¡± she finished, adding a questioning edge to her last sentence.


    The nurse¡ªSharon Kelly, according to her name tag¡ªlooked her up and down sceptically. ¡°You¡¯re a journalist?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Alna pretended to confirm with a nod of her head. ¡°It¡¯s kind of like this training-on-the-job thing so that I¡¯m ready to work full-time once I¡¯m out of high school.¡± She added a shrug at the end¡ªpeople seemed to do that sometimes when explaining something.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Still unconvinced, the nurse inquired how Alna had heard about the accident on such short notice.


    ¡°Word about that kind of thing gets around,¡± Alna explained with another shrug of her shoulders. ¡°People told their friends, who told one of my coworkers, who told my boss, who asked me to look into it.¡± Mentally, Alna winced at her last sentence. It sounded so immature and unnecessarily long. Then again, people did use such brash wording at times.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll need to see some credentials,¡± the receptionist informed her.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Alna agreed. She set her laptop bag on the ground and opened her purse. She pulled out a fake name tag she¡¯d come up with, handing it over. It had taken a good hour to create.


    Once Nurse Kelly had scrutinized Alna¡¯s fake ID, she handed the card back to the teen and told her she¡¯d have someone ask Ms. Wilks if she was up to having visitors. At that, Alna assured her that the interview didn¡¯t have to take place today¡ªwhich was true, but Alna preferred to meet Wilks as soon as possible.


    As Alna waited for someone to inform her of Wilks¡¯s decision, she sat down in a red-cushioned chair two seats away from a middle-aged woman. Picking up a magazine, Alna pretended to look interested in the celebrities it displayed and their various hairstyles and personal drama, all the while scanning her surroundings. Still no sign of her mother or someone that might recognize her through the makeup. Good. She moved her eyes back to the magazine, shifting her eyes left to right in a pretense of reading, glancing up every once in a while.


    A few minutes later, Nurse Kelly called Alna back up to the desk.


    ¡°Ms. Wilks has agreed to see you,¡± she said in a clipped, professional voice. ¡°She is located on floor two, room twenty-seven. Do you need someone to show you the way?¡±


    Alna suppressed an excited smile and forced her expression into one of politeness.


    ¡°No, thank you. I should be able to find it myself. But I appreciate your help,¡± Alna assured her. She moved aside so that a man standing behind her could speak with the nurse and went in search of the elevator. Considering Alna had been to this hospital before, finding the elevator took no effort at all, and soon Alna was riding up to the second floor¡ªand did they still use air freshener in here? It seemed pointless to Alna. There would always be a sick sensation in the air, no matter how people tried to hide it.


    Leaning her shoulder against the wall, Alna waited with no small amount of impatience for the elevator to reach the correct floor. A sidelong glance at her temporary companion revealed that the middle-aged man was one of the hospital¡¯s many patients, here because of leukemia. He was displaying a good portion of the signs: feverish, exhaustion, and various bruises and red spots on his arms.


    Face falling into a frown of vague sympathy, Alna considered offering to escort the man to wherever he was going.


    No, Alna decided. She was taking a big enough risk as it was. Taking a detour from her task would push her luck.


    Alna pushed herself off the wall when the elevator reached her destination, and cast the man a slight smile, offering an ¡°I hope you recover sufficiently¡± before exiting the box. When she stepped out into the stark white of the hallway, Alna glanced left and right, checking for familiar faces and orienting herself. Nurses, doctors, and patients made their way through the hallways, one nurse in ballet flats brushing past Alna as she stared at a clipboard.


    As Alna walked along, she spotted a small round table with a vase of fake flowers in it¡ªan obvious attempt to make this clinical place seem more welcoming. There were some paintings on the walls as well, depicting scenes meant to calm and relax. One showed an ocean with dolphins hovering above it, having shot out of the water. Another seemed to display two flames twining around each other to form the yin and yang symbol.


    Passing by the paintings, Alna stopped in front of the door that led to Wilks¡¯s room. She lowered her laptop bag to the floor and rapped three times.


    ¡°Come in,¡± called a muffled, feminine voice. Alna adjusted the strap of her purse so it was resting on her shoulder, before picking up her laptop and doing just that. Private room, Alna noted when she stepped inside. She must have some money on her.


    The woman on the bed turned the television off as soon as Alna entered. Wilks was thin, barring her slightly protruding stomach. She had chin-length dirty blonde hair, darker than Marianna¡¯s, with some purple streaks in it, and piercings in her earlobes, currently lacking any earrings. Above her left brow was a butterfly bandage, accompanied by some mild cuts on her face. A cast encased her left arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re the journalist, right?¡± Wilks inquired. Her eyes had slight bags under them. That, and the faint wrinkles in her forehead indicated the immense stress she was feeling.


    ¡°I am,¡± Alna confirmed with a nod. ¡°Ilene Dyson.¡± She offered her hand. Admittedly, Alna had a bit of fun coming up with her code name, but, as long as she played her cards right, she doubted it would hurt anything.


    ¡°Celine Wilks,¡± the young woman introduced herself, holding out her right hand for Alna to shake. Her smile was tentative and unsure. ¡°Sit down, if you¡¯d like,¡± Wilks added, nodding her head to a chair next to the bed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Alna lowered herself onto the chair and set down her bags. She grabbed a notebook and pen from her purse to keep up appearances. When Alna looked back up, Wilks was peering at her with a puzzled frown. Realizing she¡¯d been caught staring, Wilks¡¯s expression turned abashed.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she apologized. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡ªyou look kind of young to be a journalist.¡±


    Even though Alna would have preferred to get to the interview as soon as possible, she forced herself to be patient. ¡°I hear that often.¡±


    This was the most difficult part of acting for Alna¡ªthe talking. For the life of her, Alna could not seem to stop slipping into her old-fashioned style of speech, even if she¡¯d been planning to talk like an average teenager. Doing so seemed to take too much concentration, and Alna wondered if it was even worth the effort.


    After repeating the story she¡¯d given Nurse Kelly, and giving Wilks a moment to process it, Alna inquired if they could begin the interview.


    ¡°Oh, right, sure,¡± Wilks said, leaning against her white pillows. She gave her good hand wave as a signal to proceed. ¡°Have at it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alna began, opening her dollar store notebook and clicking her pen. Positioning it over the lined paper, she asked, ¡°Can you try to explain to me the events that occurred last evening?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Wilks said, rubbing her head. ¡°So, I was driving to a grocery store to pick some stuff up. Then literally out of nowhere this car started going fu¡ªtotally crazy. It zigzagged back and forth and then crashed into a lamppost. Driver must¡¯ve been drunk.¡±


    Yes, yes, I know that already, Alna thought. Although part of her appreciated Wilks¡¯s effort not to cuss in front of her (excessive swearing got on her nerves), Alna couldn¡¯t help the annoyance that rose at the lack of detail. She¡¯d come here hoping to get more information than the police reports offered, and so far, it looked like her trip may have been purposeless.


    After scribbling down Wilks¡¯s words, Alna looked back up. ¡°Is there anything else you remember? Anything at all?¡±


    Wilks sighed and pressed the heel of her hand into her forehead. ¡°I think I saw someone sort of¡­watching the accident,¡± she replied, voice tinged with uncertainty. Doubting the credibility of her own words, Alna observed.


    However, despite Wilks¡¯s dubious nature, her words perked Alna¡¯s interest, and she sat up straighter. ¡°Can you identify whether this person was male or female?¡±


    Alna¡¯s question only seemed to aggravate the patient, as she started rubbing at her forehead with more force. She could barely find it in herself to care; Alna needed this information.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. They might have been wearing black clothes. I don¡¯t fucking know!¡±


    Realizing that damage repair had to be done¡ªor risk being told to get out¡ªAlna nodded her head to a ¡°get well soon¡± card sitting on the table next to Wilks¡¯s bed. Going by the childish print of a purple flower on the front, Alna assumed it was from a parent. ¡°Nice card.¡±


    Lifting her head, Wilks glanced toward the card and smiled. ¡°Thanks. It¡¯s from my mom; I contacted her as soon as I could.¡±


    Right in one, Alna thought. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, how did she have time to get you one? The accident took place yesterday, did it not?¡±


    Alna¡¯s tactic seemed to work, as Wilks was much calmer than a moment ago. ¡°She was here most of the night¡ªwent off to buy the card to calm her nerves. I only managed to get her to go home this morning.¡±


    ¡°Understandable,¡± Alna acknowledged. ¡°A protective parent can be a true force of nature.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    There was a moment of silence in which Wilks attempted to calm herself even more. Alna, holding her pen and notebook, watched with a patient expression on her face. Expressing her own restless nature at the moment would only damage things further.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Wilks sounded much calmer. ¡°I do think there might have been someone watching the accident¡ªbut people do that anyway, you know?¡± As Alna wrote this down, Wilks¡¯s face scrunched up in concentration. ¡°I still don¡¯t know the gender, though, sorry. The entire thing happened pretty fast, anyway; I didn¡¯t even remember the person till you came here.¡± A shrug. ¡°Who knows, maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me or something.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Alna acknowledged without enthusiasm. The information Wilks had given her wasn¡¯t much to go on, but it was a start. It certainly piqued Alna¡¯s curiosity. Had anyone acted unusually at the accident scene? Alna was ashamed to admit that she didn¡¯t know. She¡¯d been much too preoccupied with getting to her date on time.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much all I can tell you,¡± Wilks said, sounding apologetic. ¡°I hope it¡¯s enough for your article.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure it will suffice,¡± Alna assured her, eyes taking on a distant look as her mind started to formulate more ideas and plans. It would be prudent to write a fake article of some sort, Alna mused. She wondered if she could get the newspaper company to publish it. It was worth looking into, she supposed, if for no other reason than to avoid suspicions about the journalist girl who showed up out of nowhere.


    Alna smiled at Wilks and said, ¡°I hope your recovery goes smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Wilks leaned back against her pillows, looking as if the interview had drained her. ¡°I hope you do well on your article.¡±


    ¡°As do I,¡± Alna replied, her tone mild as ideas continued to bounce around her head. She placed her notebook and pen in her purse and gathered both bags. She bid Wilks one last goodbye, skirting around any version of ¡°have a good day.¡± She didn¡¯t feel such a sentiment was appropriate for this situation.


    Wilks, however, didn¡¯t seem to share Alna¡¯s opinion, as she told Alna to ¡°have a good day¡± just as she was opening the door to leave. Alna turned back and voiced a quick ¡°you too¡± before exiting the room.


    The moment Alna approached the elevator for a second time, she was tempted to let loose a curse. Standing right there was Henriette Zweifel, one of Mom¡¯s co-workers. And it had been going so well until this point, Alna thought with annoyance. She considered turning around and taking the stairs, but decided against it. No need to risk the possibility of making Doctor Zweifel curious about her.


    To Alna, it felt like a scene out of a movie or book as she stepped inside the elevator alongside Doctor Zweifel. The air was thick with tension¡ªwhich the doctor was unaware of¡ªbut Alna forced her posture to remain relaxed and nonchalant. She glanced at Doctor Zweifel out of the corner of her eye a few times, trying to gauge if she recognized Alna. Despite this, Alna couldn¡¯t help the feeling of distaste that rose at the sight of the woman.


    Alna had never liked the doctor. Even if she was one of the more ¡°accepting¡± people of Alna¡¯s mental abilities, she always failed to take her seriously. The few times that Alna had snapped her observations at her, Doctor Zweifel seemed amused, as if she thought Alna was performing some trick for other people¡¯s enjoyment.


    Looking away from the annoying woman, Alna¡¯s jaw locked and her eyes hardened¡ªthe only outward signs of her discomfort. When the elevator doors opened a moment later, Alna was all too happy to leave the confined space. She surveyed Doctor Zweifel, who had exited before her.


    As far as Doctor Zweifel¡¯s clothes went, they didn¡¯t offer much information. They were what one would expect a doctor to wear, consisting of a well-kept, unembellished white coat and black dress pants. She wore no makeup, apart from some foundation, and her silky black hair up in a high bun. To Alna, all these details showed how closed-minded and boring she was.


    Doctor Zweifel was still walking next to Alna, her head turning to look at her with confusion. Alna pretended not to notice, all the while speeding up to reach the exit ahead of her more quickly.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Doctor Zweifel addressed Alna, who had managed to get a few paces ahead of her.


    Reluctantly, Alna turned to face the doctor, pasting a look of mild surprise on her face. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± Doctor Zweifel questioned, eyes flicking up and down Alna. Infuriating woman.


    ¡°Um, no, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Alna said with a slight shake of her head. It took all her willpower not to give the doctor a venomous look.


    Doctor Zweifel¡¯s eyes narrowed in concentration, obviously trying to figure out what about Alna was familiar to her. Didn¡¯t she have a job to devote her attention to?


    ¡°I could swear¡­¡± Doctor Zweifel muttered to herself. More loudly, she inquired, ¡°Have you ever been a patient here?¡±


    The temptation to edge toward the exit was almost impossible to resist. ¡°I don¡¯t believe so. Perhaps you¡¯re thinking of someone else?¡± Alna kept a sharp eye on Doctor Zweifel¡¯s face as she said this, searching for any realization.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Doctor Zweifel muttered, still eyeing Alna. Suddenly, something flashed in her eyes¡ªnot quite recognition, but close enough. ¡°You kind of look like¡ª¡°


    ¡°Oh!¡± Alna pretended to exclaim, pulling her phone out of her jacket pocket. ¡°Sorry. Text,¡± she explained, making a show of reading the nonexistent message before going through the motions of typing a reply. She glanced back up. ¡°I have somewhere to be, but it was nice meeting you, Doctor¡­¡± Alna allowed herself to trail off, pretending to read the name tag. ¡°Zweifel.¡± Alna offered one last, insincere smile before continuing out of the hospital.


    There were applications one could download on their phone that faked phone calls and text messages. She should get one.


    ***


    Alna hadn¡¯t meant to spend so much time in the library. After she¡¯d made her hasty escape from the hospital, Alna shucked her disguise and headed to Brigate Public Library. She¡¯d had every intention of walking in, grabbing a few books, and heading home to continue her research.


    But, as fate would have it, Alna had a certain passion for reading. Especially for mystery or educational books.


    Which was why, a half an hour later, Alna was still browsing the shelves, two books tucked under her arm, intending to pick up two more.


    She pulled yet another book off of its shelf, flipping it over to read the back before tucking Sense and Sensibility alongside her other choices. For a moment, her hand reached up to hover over a fantasy book Marianna was sure to enjoy. Shaking herself, Alna looked over at the clock placed at the end of the aisle. She blinked with vague surprise at how much time had passed without her knowledge. Frowning to herself, she picked up her bags and headed to the checkout counter, where a bearded man fiddled around on his flat screen computer.


    When Alna placed her selections on the counter, the man glanced up. ¡°Do you have your library card with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alna replied, placing her card onto the counter. She glanced up at the windows that made up the ceiling, giving her a view of a cloudless sky. Bringing her eyes back to the man, she took her books from him with a ¡°Thank you¡± and headed out of the library, resisting the urge to scan the shelves some more.


    She still had a lot of research to do.

 Chapter Six

    Marianna laughed as her back hit her bedspread, raising her arms to protect herself from the oncoming attack. Her actions soon proved useless when a pillow hit her in the face, her attacker sitting on top Marianna to prevent her from wriggling away.


    ¡°Surrender yet?¡± Hikari asked from her position above Marianna. She smacked Marianna across the face with her fluffy weapon once more to assert her dominance.


    Unable to form words through her giggling, Marianna shook her head in defiance, joyful tears filling blue eyes before she blinked them away.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you want to play it, huh?¡± Hikari remarked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°You¡¯ll ne¡ªnever win,¡± Marianna gasped out, attempting and failing to escape her captor.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Hikari grinned and held the pillow out threateningly. ¡°Well, then, time to teach you your place, mortal.¡± And then the attacks continued again, unrelenting and remorseless.


    Helplessly, Marianna¡¯s hand sought a weapon, only to turn up empty. How cruel Hikari was, attacking her friend out of nowhere. Marianna redoubled her defensive efforts, trying to escape. It wasn¡¯t until she caught sight of Hikari¡¯s exposed midriff that she saw the perfect opportunity to retaliate and took it.


    ¡°No!¡± Hikari cried when Marianna started to tickle her. On instinct, she tried to twist away, sending them both crashing to the floor. There was a moment of stunned silence. Then the door opened.


    ¡°I heard a loud noise. Are you girls all right?¡± asked a soft and kind voice. Karin, Hikari¡¯s mother peered at them with a mixture of bewilderment and concern.


    Pushing herself up onto her elbows, Hikari replied, ¡°Yes, Okaasan, we¡¯re fine. Got into a bit of a pillow fight.¡±


    Amusement glittered in Karin¡¯s eyes, and she gave them a fond smile. ¡°Try to be more careful.¡± She closed the door and left. Hikari turned to Marianna and beamed.


    ¡°Well, that was fun,¡± she commented, flopping back and allowing her hair to spread over her carpeted floor. Marianna laid back, too, casting a longing glance at the much more comfortable bed, with its fluffy comforter and even fluffier pillows. The floor just didn¡¯t cut it for her.


    There was a moment of thoughtful silence in which Marianna¡¯s eyes drifted around Hikari¡¯s room, landing on a poster that depicted a girl falling through a tornado, clocks, calendars, and items both new and old-fashioned caught up in the storm. On Hikari¡¯s headboard was a miniature version of a mannequin, which Hikari had dressed in a small green dress that looked like it was meant to be on a doll. Knowing Hikari, she very well could have made that little dress, simply for fun.


    All throughout the bedroom was evidence of Hikari¡¯s interests. Yet another poster displayed a woman walking down a runway in a sparkly blue dress, bejeweled hand resting on her hip as lights flashed behind her. Hikari had even hung some white Christmas lights from her ceiling, which served as her main source of light throughout the year.


    Hikari turned her head so she could look at Marianna. ¡°Feeling better?¡± she asked. Her eyes held a hint of worry.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marianna replied. ¡°Thanks. I needed that.¡±


    Hikari was referring to the incident that occurred earlier that day. Marianna had arrived at the table she and her friends normally ate at. Seeing as she was early, Marianna decided right then would be a good time to text Alna. Contacting her two days after their date wasn¡¯t too pushy, was it? She¡¯d decided it wasn¡¯t.


    Texting the girl turned out to be quite an interesting experience. Alna, Marianna discovered, had a certain dry wit about her that startled a laugh out of her once or twice. So absorbed had she been in their conversation, Marianna didn¡¯t even notice when Kearstan and a few other friends appeared. Marianna jumped in surprise before giving them a sheepish smile and telling Alna she would talk to her later.


    ¡°Ooh, I know that look,¡± Kearstan said, flicking a strand of pink hair away from her face with a mischievous grin. ¡°Who¡¯s the boy?¡± she¡¯d asked then, leaning forward eagerly. Hikari peered at her with concern, while Sadie, another one of their friends, played on her phone, looking as if she couldn¡¯t care less about the conversation. In her defense, Marianna¡¯s group talked about boys a little too often.


    Marianna wouldn¡¯t deny that her previously carefree mood whimpered at Kearstan¡¯s question. She wondered if there would ever come a time when people would cease to assume everyone was straight.


    ¡°Um.¡± Marianna hesitated. Then, making a quick decision, she¡¯d said, ¡°It¡¯s not a boy.¡± She waited to see if Kearstan would catch on. Unfortunately, life could never be that easy.


    ¡°Ah, come on,¡± Kearstan scolded, giving Marianna an amused look that said she wouldn¡¯t get away with it. ¡°You know that doesn¡¯t work on me¡ªyou only ever smile like that when a boy¡¯s involved.¡±


    At that moment, all Marianna could think about was how untrue that statement was. That, if Kearstan had been paying attention, she would have noticed Marianna¡¯s dreamy smile when talking about her female crushes.


    Face falling a moment later, Kearstan asked, ¡°Wait, it¡¯s not Cael, is it?¡± She gave Marianna a wide-eyed look.


    ¡°No.¡± Hardly. Though Marianna didn¡¯t know Alna too much yet (unless one counted the surprising amount of information she¡¯d offered on their date), she could say with confidence that she and Cael had very few similarities. And it had little to do with their genders.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a boy,¡± Marianna repeated. At that moment, another one of their friends, Blaze, sat down, any greeting he might have been planning to say dying on his lips as he watched the girls converse.


    Kearstan¡¯s expression turned confused at that, and she and Marianna engaged in a back and forth match. Marianna kept insisting that she wasn¡¯t texting a boy, while Kearstan kept asking what she meant, or insisting Marianna tell her already. Eventually, Marianna had gotten fed up with her friend¡¯s lack of understanding, and bluntly admitted, ¡°I was texting a girl.¡±


    Sadie, who had appeared to be ignoring everything around her until that point, looked up. Hikari continued to look worried, eyes darting between her two friends.


    Kearstan blinked at that, looking perplexed. ¡°Why would you¡­¡± She trailed off before her eyes widened in realization. ¡°You mean you¡¯re¡­¡± Kearstan¡¯s expression became a mixture of discomfort and alarm. ¡°Um, I¡ªI have to go,¡± she stuttered out before fleeing the table. Marianna wouldn¡¯t deny that Kearstan¡¯s rejection had cut her deep.


    Once the pink-haired girl made her hasty retreat, Marianna heard Hikari mutter what she assumed to be a very much unflattering insult. However, her attention was drawn to Sadie when she said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to know someone plays for my team.¡± Marianna couldn¡¯t say she was surprised, having seen Sadie checking out some girls on one or two occasions.


    Hikari, for her part, flung her head onto her folded arms at the admission, crying, ¡°Oh, God, everybody¡¯s been lying to me!¡± But the smile she gave them suggested she wasn¡¯t all that bothered.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Blaze commented a moment later, sipping his soda and pushing his brown hair back. Then, grinning at Marianna, he continued, ¡°Maybe we can double-date sometime.¡±


    And just like that, the earlier tension abated.


    Marianna frowned at the memory, trying to shake it off as she focused on what Hikari was saying.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°They might come around," Hikari said. She lay on the floor with her arms behind her head, looking relaxed.


    Marianna was not as comfortable. Deciding she¡¯d had enough lying on the floor, she moved to sit on Hikari¡¯s bed, the other girl following suit.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bet money on it.¡± Marianna fell silent for a moment. ¡°My parents want me to see a therapist.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Indignation sparked in Hikari¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± At Marianna¡¯s shrug, she groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead, eyes squeezed shut. ¡°Seriously, what is wrong with people?¡±


    ¡°Fear of things that are different?¡± Marianna offered. Hikari scoffed to herself, glaring at the dark blue wall of her room. The angry set of her jaw reminded Marianna of a warrior princess she¡¯d seen in a movie once.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Hikari muttered. And then, her eyes softening, she turned her gaze to Marianna and said, ¡°Do you want a coffee or hot chocolate? I think we both could use some.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marianna agreed with a nod of her head, getting up off the bed. ¡°Sounds like a good idea.¡±


    ***


    Later on that day, Marianna sat on her bed, trying to do her homework as she glanced at her phone every few seconds. She¡¯d been debating with herself if calling Alna and setting up a second date ever since she¡¯d headed home, but was uncertain if calling and texting her on the same day was all right or not. One would think that, having had a boyfriend not that long ago, she would have a grasp on the proper dating etiquette. Apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case. Sometimes she hated being shy.


    Switching her attention back to her textbook, Marianna chewed her lip as she read over one of the assigned questions, before writing down the number and flipping through her textbook for the answer. Once she found the correct answer, Marianna placed her finger on the page to keep her place and wrote out the information she needed. She was halfway through writing her second sentence when her phone went off, Alna¡¯s name appearing on the screen. It looked as though that decision was taken care of.


    ¡°Hey, Alna,¡± Marianna greeted once she¡¯d picked up the phone. She fiddled with the corner of a piece of lined paper.


    ¡°Hello, Marianna,¡± Alna said. Unlike the last time they talked, there appeared to be little to no trace of coldness in Alna¡¯s voice, which Marianna decided was a good thing. She sounded rather formal, though. ¡°How have you been these last few days?¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Marianna answered, being deliberately vague. The last thing she wanted right now was to discuss her problems with her crush. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been well.¡±


    Marianna could have sworn she detected the faintest trace of annoyance in Alna¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± she asked, face falling into a frown.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± A brief pause. ¡°I¡¯ve recently started my own personal project; it¡¯s proving to be a bit difficult.¡±


    ¡°What kind of project?¡± Marianna inquired with genuine curiosity as she leaned back against her pillows, staring up at her white ceiling. She heard some paper crinkle under her legs and adjusted her position to avoid damaging them too much.


    ¡°Research. I¡¯m writing an essay for an online competition.¡±


    Well, that was vague. Marianna frowned to herself, wondering at Alna¡¯s answer. What could be so important about this essay that she was choosing not to go into more detail? Mentally shaking herself, Marianna told herself that she and Alna had only met face to face twice. She didn¡¯t owe her anything.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°Sounds fun.¡± Marianna winced a bit at the questioning edge in her voice, hoping she hadn¡¯t offended the other girl.


    ¡°Not everyone would think so,¡± Alna commented, sounding wry and amused.


    ¡°Yeah, well,¡± Marianna said with a slight laugh. ¡°Not everyone likes writing essays; I sure don¡¯t.¡± Just the thought of it made her want to grimace. ¡°I¡¯m more of a poetry person myself.¡±


    ¡°You write poems?¡± Alna sounded intrigued. ¡°Interesting. Perhaps I could read one someday.¡±


    Marianna smiled, allowing herself a moment to enjoy Alna¡¯s comment and all it implied. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a professional or anything, but I do like to write from time to time. I wrote a few poems in English that I¡¯m pretty proud of.¡± Proud enough that she saved them on her phone.


    Alna hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°Anyway,¡± she said a moment later, ¡°I suppose I should get to the reason I called.¡± There was that slightly sophisticated language again.


    ¡°Yes, that would be a good start,¡± Marianna teased. She heard Alna give a quiet laugh.


    ¡°I rather enjoyed our first outing,¡± Alna explained. ¡°I thought we could have another one.¡± Marianna was fairly certain she wasn¡¯t imagining the hopeful edge in the other¡¯s voice. She beamed at the ceiling.


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± she agreed, hoping she wasn¡¯t somehow making a fool of herself by sounding too eager. ¡°Did you have anything in mind?¡± Marianna had chosen what to do for their first date; it was only fair that Alna decided on their second.


    ¡°Forgive me if I sound rather boring, but I was thinking we could go to a park. It would give us another opportunity to talk.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± Marianna said hastily. She thought about her schedule for the week. ¡°Um, I have to study for a test tomorrow, but would Wednesday work?¡±


    ¡°That sounds fine. We could meet at Henri Park at five, if that works for you,¡± Alna suggested. ¡°Do you know where that is?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Marianna said, already thinking of what she would wear. She had a purple dress that looked nice¡­


    Bringing herself back to the present, Marianna asked, ¡°So, anything new?¡±


    The two girls chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up.


    ***


    Marianna¡¯s head rested in her hands as she stared at the gravy-covered mashed potatoes on her plate. She¡¯d spent the last few minutes trying to force herself to eat the peas, chicken and potatoes on her plate, but only ended up mixing the food, too agitated to eat anything. And so she stared at the mess of creamy white, light brown, and green because she could not bring herself to look at either of her parents.


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking you to think about it, honey,¡± Mom prodded in a gentle voice.


    Oh, God, the misplaced concern was killing her. Absolutely killing her.


    Picking up her fork, Marianna kept her gaze fixed downward as she stabbed at a piece of chicken with more force than necessary. After mopping up some gravy and potatoes with it, Marianna placed the piece of chicken in her mouth, taking time to regain her composure. She took a sip of milk, the sound of her swallowing nearly echoing in the quiet room, and finally brought her gaze up to Mom and Dad.


    ¡°It¡¯s not happening,¡± she said. If there was a slight waver in her voice, her parents didn¡¯t seem to notice it.


    ¡°Honey.¡± Mom reached out to take Marianna¡¯s hand in her own. She looked so close to tears that Marianna allowed the contact, feeling the sudden desire to have her mother¡¯s arms around her.


    Until Mom added, ¡°You¡¯re sick. You need help.¡± She jerked her hand away.


    Her father sighed, setting down his utensils and rubbing his eyes tiredly, his thick eyebrows pinching together. ¡°You know it¡¯s not natural, Mary. Humans aren¡¯t built to¡±¨C¨Chere he sounded rather strangled¨C¨C¡°have¡­relations with the same gender. You know it¡¯s a sin.¡±


    Great. Now they were pulling that card.


    ¡°No,¡± Marianna bit out with more force and confidence than she would have with someone else. ¡°I don¡¯t know that. And I¡¯m not sick, either,¡± she added, turning to her mom. ¡°I¡¯m bisexual; seeing a therapist isn¡¯t going to change that.¡± This entire situation was starting to make Marianna feel like she was experiencing mood swings, or coming down from a high of some sort. Ten minutes ago Marianna had felt as if nothing could destroy her mood, and then dinner came.


    ¡°Dammit, Marianna,¡± Dad said, voice low and meant to intimidate. When her blue eyes flew toward him, Marianna saw with some apprehension that Dad¡¯s handsome, rugged face was taking on a red hue. He had picked up his fork and was gripping it so hard his knuckles turned white. Marianna half expected it to bend under the pressure. ¡°You¡¯re going to see a goddamn therapist.¡±


    He¡¯d used her full name, Marianna noted nervously. On a normal day, her parents shortened, not bothering to utter all four syllables. If they said her full name, it meant she was really in trouble.


    It was so wrong, how nervous she was around her parents at that moment. These were supposed to be the people she could go to for anything, who would always have her back, and instead, they were making her feel like an intruder in her own home. All because they thought she was committing some sort of sin.


    ¡°No, Dad, I¡¯m not,¡± Marianna said, doing her absolute best not to let her voice waver. That was the last thing she needed.


    No longer feeling hungry, Marianna stood up and forced herself to look directly at both of her parents. ¡°I have homework to do.¡± With that, she turned away from the two people who were supposed to support her; something they were failing at. She ignored both their calls¡ªMom¡¯s concerned, Dad¡¯s somewhere between furious and worried.


    Neither of them followed her.


    When Marianna entered her room, her mood deflated compared to what she had been feeling earlier, she resisted the strong urge to push her dresser up against the door. Instead, she settled for grabbing her phone and sitting on her bed.


    Do you want to have another sleepover soon? she texted Hikari. I¡¯m not sure how much time I can spend in this house.


    Hikari¡¯s response came almost two minutes later.


    Sure. Whatever u need.

 Chapter Seven

    Footfalls sounded on the pavement as Alna walked along Netley Street, one hand grasping her purse. Her head was held high, brown locks falling upon her shoulders as she gazed straight ahead. She attempted to make her expression casual and inconspicuous¨C¨Csomething that could be difficult. Especially when her mind was racing.


    A man passed by her in a well-pressed back suit, shoulders thrown back as he carried himself with an air of dignity. Alna glanced at him, details flashing through her mind. But observing strangers wasn¡¯t the reason she was here; at least, not random ones anyway.


    When Alna finally reached the house of the late Zander Lewis, she stopped to look at it for a moment as a couple more people walked by, trying to fix her face into an expression of morbid fascination. She wasn¡¯t sure how successful she was, although her reason for being here would be considered unusual by most people.


    The house itself was nothing special¡ªa two-storey building with wooden stairs leading to the deck out front, its exterior reddish brown with dark trimmings. As seemed typical for some houses, there were some flower beds along the foundation of the house, though grass seemed to be taking them over. From where Alna was standing, she could see two windows¡ªa large one that likely led to a living room, and a small one that probably looked into a bathroom.


    The house was innocuous. One would never know a man had died inside this house unless told so.


    Alna stood for another moment, looking at it.


    When the sound of footfalls faded a few minutes later (in which time a woman murmured a sympathetic ¡°The poor man¡± on her way by), Alna glanced around. A car was meandering its way down the street, forcing Alna to wait another moment before she could walk across the yard and approach the house. Once it was gone, she leaped into action.


    Veering off to the left, Alna approached the wooden fence that led to Lewis¡¯ back yard and fiddled with it for a moment. She grabbed the latch on the other side of the gate and swung it open. Alna closed it behind her, casting a wary look at the street; the last thing she needed right now was to be caught breaking into a recently deceased man¡¯s house.


    When Alna turned around to take in the backyard, her eyes immediately caught sight of a small window with a flimsy white curtain covering it from inside. She crouched down and observed, judging whether she would be able to squeeze through. She glanced between the window and her slim waist a few times, concluding that, while it would be a tight fit, she could make do. And with the fence acting as coverage, she could likely be able to get in without being seen. Now she had to see if she could get the thing open while leaving no obvious signs of her presence.


    Leaning forward, Alna¡¯s quiet breaths fogged the window as she searched for its lock, locating it in the center of the indoor windowsill. This window, Alna observed, was the type that one need only slide upward to open it. Which meant all Alna needed to do was remove the lock inside.


    Pulling a screwdriver and hammer from her purse, Alna inserted the flat end underneath the window, wiggling it around for a few seconds until she was satisfied that she had positioned it correctly. She hoped her quick research on the internet wouldn¡¯t let her down now. Ana grasped the hammer. This wasn¡¯t her first time breaking and entering, but she always had a niggling fear in the back of her mind that the methods she learned online would fail her.


    Alna whacked once at the rounded end of the screwdriver, freezing at the sound it made. She looked around, spotting a house toward the back end of her target with a window that was positioned perfectly to see her. Why hadn¡¯t she spotted it earlier? Getting ahead of yourself, are you, Miss Holt? Alna thought, chastising herself for her momentary lapse in judgement. She knew better than that. Alna studied the window for another moment, looking for any sign that someone might be peeking through it. Seeing none, she turned back to her task and hit the screwdriver a few more times, glancing around every once in a while. With grim satisfaction, she noted that the lock wiggled after five hits. When it popped and fell off a moment later, she smiled to herself.


    Glancing around once again, Alna placed her tools in her purse with shaking hands and eased the window open with slow, deliberate movements. That done, she stuck her head inside and took in what appeared to be a bedroom, searching for any signs of life. Alna hadn¡¯t seen any vehicles out front, but that didn¡¯t mean no one was here.


    When the house remained silent, Alna pulled back out and tossed her purse inside before inserting her legs into the opening, and edging herself downward. Her back was forced into an awkward angle, gravity pulling her body into a half arch. The window kept falling on her; the lock clattered to the floor. Her jacket and shirt rode up. Alna grimaced as she felt something dig into the ridges of her spine but continued until her feet hit the floor, and she could pull the rest of herself inside. That done, she adjusted her shirt, pursing her lips in distaste.


    As she crouched down, Alna noted of her surroundings while brushing stray hair from her still-horrid wig away from her face. She was in a bedroom¨C¨CAlna felt grateful that she hadn¡¯t landed on the bed, lest she leave a mark of her presence that could not be erased. The floor was hardwood. The bed was unmade, its large and fluffy pillows rumpled and dark sheets pushed halfway down as if Lewis had been in a hurry, or he had been too lazy to bother doing anything about it. The slippers, however, were positioned next to the bed, ready for their next use, leading Alna to believe the latter.


    Finding no evidence that Lewis kept his laptop in here, Alna swung her purse onto her shoulder and exited the bedroom. The police had confiscated the thing, leaving her to search through Lewis¡¯ house for any sign that someone besides its resident had been there lately.


    When Alna learned about the murder of Zander Lewis a few days ago, she was appalled and borderline disgusted with the police force¡¯s sheer stupidity. She would not apologize for it, either.


    The fact that they could write off Lewis¡¯s death as yet another accident almost made Alna¡¯s head spin. Lewis, as she learned from research, was diagnosed with a severe case of epilepsy years ago. When he came home a few nights previous, Lewis¡¯s laptop had chosen a most convenient moment to flash on with an alert of some type. Lewis went into a seizure and, according to the files, had died a mere half an hour later. How could anyone write that off as a simple accident? Alna thought. If Lewis¡¯s laptop alerting him was a regular occurrence, one would think he¡¯d keep the thing closed to avoid such a problem.


    As she crept through the silent house, an eerie sensation crept up on Alna. Not as if she was being watched, but as if she were in the middle of her own ghost story, intruding on a potentially haunted house. She knew that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Snap out of it, Holt, Alna ordered herself. You know better than that.


    Glancing left and right, Alna took in every detail of the house, looking for any indication that someone might have broken in. When she came across a framed picture of Lewis and another man kissing, she stopped walking and peered at it with mild surprise. Well, that was the final nail in the coffin, so to speak. Whatever the killer¡¯s motive was, they were not targeting any specific group.


    What was this person after?


    Shaking her head once, Alna proceeded through the house, stopping when she came across a carpeted living room. She removed her shoee, which were a size too big for her¨C¨Cin case she left footprints¡ªand proceeded inside. There were more pictures mounted on the wall, some depicting Lewis and his boyfriend, others Alna assumed were his family. One, in particular, caught her eye. It was a group photo that depicted not only Lewis himself, but his boyfriend, and three women and a man who looked to be his siblings. The group had their arms wrapped around each other, Lewis holding his boyfriend close while the group grinned at the camera.


    The pictures looked recent. Lewis¡¯s family must have been able to accept his romantic inclinations, then.


    Unwittingly, her mind turned to Marianna and the strain their relationship caused with her parents. Alna frowned.


    She stepped forward for a closer look, immediately noticing an error. Almost every one of Lewis¡¯s pictures were positioned perfectly straight on the wall¡ªall except one. It was a couple¡¯s photo of Lewis and his boyfriend, their arms wrapped around each as Lewis rested his head atop the other man¡¯s flaming red hair.


    The picture was off balance, barely even noticeable to the untrained eye, but off balance all the same. A discolouration in the light brown paint was visible to its right; a triangle that showed the corner of the picture¡¯s frame had rested there. It might have seemed like a long shot to most people, but all of Lewis¡¯s other photos were well cared for. His love for his family and boyfriend was apparent. And, even though it might not have been exactly appropriate, Alna smiled. Now that she had proof someone was here, she had a reason to keep looking into these so-called ¡°accidents.¡± But she couldn¡¯t leave yet; one could never gather too much evidence.


    Turning around, Alna paused, considered, then turned back and moved Lewis¡¯ picture back into place.


    After that, Alna examined Lewis''s house with care, looking for any more indications of a break-in. Searching the lock on the front door proved fruitless, as Alna was wary of exiting the house to observe it from the other end, so she went elsewhere. There was another bedroom that looked as if it was reserved for guests, a bathroom with a shower/bathtub that she didn¡¯t spend much time in, and a kitchen. Alna gave this room a little more attention than she had the previous one, opening cupboards with gloved hands, occasionally pulling out her phone to use its microscope application.


    The kitchen yielded nothing important, prompting Alna to go to the room she had left for last: the office.


    The room was nothing remarkable: generic grey walls with a few more family photos, black carpet¡ªlikely new¡ªthat was soft underfoot, and a desk with an empty space, where the laptop had once been. The only thing worthy of note about the office was that, unlike the rest of the house, it was much more disorganized. Along both walls were dressers, papers scattered on top of them. Even the carpet was rather cluttered.


    Alna walked forward, allowing her eyes to rake over the desk¡¯s wood stained surface. There were some scratches here and there, but none that looked out of place. The spot where the laptop used to be was darker, while the rest of the desktop was more faded from years of being in the sunlight.


    Seeing nothing of importance on top of the desk, Alna dropped to her hands and knees and crawled under it, nudging the chair out of her way as she did so. The lighting wasn¡¯t all that good, so once again, Alna pulled her phone out and turned on its flashlight, shining it around. There didn¡¯t seem to be much out of the ordinary, except for a small scratch near the back. Alna leaned closer, examining it. The scratch was short, precise, and not immediately noticeable unless one was looking carefully or caught sight of it. It also seemed a bit too deliberate to Alna, seeing as there appeared to be no other flaws on this part of the desk.


    Shifting backward a bit, Alna ran her hands along the carpet, grinning when the slightest hint of dirt appeared, the small chunks bouncing a bit as they were moved.


    Lewis, Alna observed earlier, wasn¡¯t someone who walked around the house in outdoor footwear. He kept all his footwear in a closet by the front door, and there had been no mud anywhere else in the house.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Alna said aloud. On instinct, she froze, listening for any sign that she was not alone, that someone might have heard her. She cursed her inability to keep her thoughts firmly inside her head at such a time as this.


    Time to go, Alna decided, backing up some more before standing up. She¡¯d gotten what she came for: confirmation that Lewis¡¯ death had been a murder, meaning there was a seventy-eight percent chance the other accidental deaths were also deliberate.


    Alna went through all the rooms she¡¯d been in after that, making sure she had left no evidence of her presence. She cleaned up some dried mud by the window she¡¯d come in through, placed the broken lock on the windowsill, and scanned for any stray hairs she might have shed¨C¨Cfrom her wig or otherwise. Once satisfied, she exited from the very window she¡¯d come in.


    Just as Alna was climbing out the window she entered through earlier, a vehicle pulled in front of the house, forcing Alna to escape through the back alley. There was nothing she could do about the broken lock. If anyone found it, they would likely conclude someone had been in the house. Not that that would be a horrible thing, as long as it didn¡¯t somehow lead back to her.


    She should discard the shoes and jacket, just to be safe.


    ***


    The Holt house was silent when Alna got home, it being a school and work day for her brothers and parents. Thinking of school unwittingly brought her thoughts to a certain blonde and the date they¡¯d had two days before. It was nice, talking to her again as they walked together in a park. Alna had been quite pleased to note that her interest in Marianna was still present; that she was more than a brief distraction from Alna¡¯s boredom.


    Realizing she had allowed herself to become distracted, Alna brought her mind to the present and hurried downstairs, where she turned on her laptop. Hacking into a computer that she had never come into physical contact with¡ªor seen¡ªwas difficult, to say the least. Never mind the fact that she had been doing it for almost two years. Sometimes Alna¡¯s boredom drove her to extremes to relieve it.


    Three hours later, Alna finally hacked into Lewis¡¯s computer, covering her tracks as she did. Without preamble, Alna searched through his information, eyebrows furrowing when she came across the generic message: Do laundry at eight.


    Alna stared at the message sceptically, making a mental note to go through police interviews later. Something wasn¡¯t right. With a little more research, Alna affirmed that Lewis wasn¡¯t the type of person to set alerts on his computer. Which made sense, if he had epilepsy. Not to mention Alna doubted many people even knew they could set alarms on their laptops. Alna herself hadn¡¯t known until she heard about Lewis¡¯s death a few days ago.


    Another fifteen minutes of searching revealed there to be a slight error in the computer¡¯s coding, and, digging down even deeper, Alna came across some protective measures. The exact thing she used when hacking to avoid anyone figuring out it was her. Another half an hour and Alna finally worked her way through the protections, revealing a metaphorical back door the hacker had used. It wasn¡¯t enough for Alna to track the person down, but it was the proof she needed that Lewis¡¯s death wasn¡¯t an accident.


    A delighted smile appeared on her lips.


    I¡¯ve got you now.

 Chapter Eight

    Marianna rang the doorbell to Alna¡¯s house, rocking back on her heels as she waited for an answer. Summer had abandoned the city of Brigate, leaving it in the chilly and colourful arms of fall. Even the deck she was standing on had some red and yellow leaves on it. She lifted her left foot, kicking one such leaf away for no particular reason. That done, Marianna tucked a strand of hair away from her face, trying not to shiver.


    When the door opened, Alna appeared, who smiled upon seeing her. Alna was looking as pretty as always, with her dark hair loose about her shoulders, only a bit messy. There was nothing about Alna¡¯s appearance that was overly eye-catching, but this didn¡¯t stop Marianna¡¯s mouth from going dry at the sight of her. She swallowed.


    ¡°Marianna. Hello,¡± Alna said, stepping back in silent invitation. Marianna took it, arms  clasped around her middle to ward off the chill. Alna must have noticed this because her eyes darted up and down Marianna¡¯s form before meeting her gaze.


    ¡°Can I get you anything?¡± Alna offered as she silently urged Marianna to give her jacket over. Alna was quick to hang it up.


    ¡°Um, no,¡± Marianna replied. ¡°I¡¯m all right. Thank you.¡±


    Alna peered thoughtfully at her for a moment¡ªa gesture Marianna was getting used to¡ªbefore saying, ¡°Well, I''m going to make myself some tea. You can have some as well if you want.¡±


    Blue eyes watched her, seeming curious for whatever reason. When Marianna agreed to this offer, a mischievous grin lit Alna¡¯s face for a moment before she turned and proceeded to the kitchen, which Mr. Holt was exiting. He gave Marianna a nod and a smile in greeting.


    After hovering for a moment, Marianna took a seat at the rectangular kitchen table, watching Alna fill a pot with water before placing it on a heater that plugged into an outlet. In the brief, comfortable silence, Marianna puzzled over the look Alna just gave her, trying to decipher its meaning. It wasn¡¯t until Alna crouched down and pulled some tea bags out of a cupboard that her eyes widened with realization.


    ¡°Alna?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Alna hummed, setting the tea bags next to the pot before grabbing some mugs from another cupboard.


    ¡°Did you trick me into accepting something to drink?¡± she asked, voice tinged with disbelief.


    Alna paused in the act of grabbing a tin of honey and turned to give Marianna yet another smile, arctic eyes glittering with amusement. ¡°Why, Ms. Whitlock, I would never.¡± The playful look in her eyes had carried over into her voice, destroying any illusion of innocence.


    ¡°Oh, my God,¡± Marianna laughed, shaking her head as her cheeks flushed¡ªfrom what, exactly, she wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°You completely played me right now. That¡¯s¡­¡± Marianna met Alna¡¯s entertained eyes and couldn¡¯t help but beam at her. ¡°I don¡¯t even know.¡±


    ¡°You looked cold,¡± Alna explained. And then, sounding pleased with herself, she added, ¡°It worked quite well, did it not?¡±


    ¡°It did.¡± Marianna relaxed against the back of her chair as she felt some of her tension drain away. This witty banter between them was a new development, but Marianna couldn¡¯t deny she was liking it so far. It was interesting, getting to see the playful side of a girl who was normally so impassive. At least around other people.


    From the living room, Marianna heard Mr. Holt give a soft laugh.


    ¡°How do you take your tea?¡± Alna turned around and leaned against the counter.


    ¡°Um, with some honey and ginger,¡± Marianna said. She scanned the selections Alna had put on display. ¡°Peppermint tea, please.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Alna turned around and grabbed two types of tea bags, dropping each into their respective mugs. ¡°Ginger and honey; an interesting combination.¡±


    Marianna fiddled with her purse, which was in her lap. ¡°I¡¯m sort of a sweet and spicy type girl; always have been.¡±


    Again that intrigued look crossed Alna¡¯s face. ¡°I never would have taken you to such opposing flavors. I suppose that shows even I can¡¯t see everything.¡±


    Once the water finished boiling, Alna and Marianna sat across from each other at the kitchen table, sipping their tea as they chatted. After about ten minutes, Mrs. Holt showed up with Alna¡¯s brothers, having returned from the playground. Evan seemed happy to see Marianna, though he only talked to her long enough to exchange a brief greeting before running off with Colton to play video games.


    Marianna once again found herself confused at the smile Mrs. Holt gave her. The looks she sent both herself and Alna seemed to go beyond simple acceptance of what Marianna hoped was a budding relationship. In fact, Marianna mused, Mrs. Holt always seemed to be happy to see her. She always made sure Marianna felt comfortable in the Holt house: asking Marianna how her day had been with genuine interest, and encouraging her to stay for supper on more than one occasion. It was nice, knowing she was welcome here, but baffling all the same.


    She waited until Mrs. Holt poured herself a cup of coffee and wandered over to the living room to join her husband before she dared say anything, keeping her voice low.


    ¡°Your mom seems to like me.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, she does,¡± Alna agreed. She seemed to have slipped back to her sophisticated speech and detached demeanor, staring past Marianna¡¯s shoulder. Marianna wondered if Alna even realized she was doing it.


    Marianna fell silent for a couple beats, waiting for the other girl to elaborate. When she did no such thing, Marianna prompted, ¡°Is there any reason for it?¡±


    Alna¡¯s gaze, which had seemed to be vacant for the past few minutes, immediately refocused on Marianna¡¯s face. A fond look appeared on her face as she took another sip of her lemon tea before replying.


    ¡°I think my parents are pleased that I¡¯m interacting with someone on a social level, of sorts. They don¡¯t have time to be prejudiced. Not that they are.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna said. She hesitated a bit before asking her next question, not wanting to sound like a priss. ¡°So, you¡¯re antisocial, then?¡± Going by everything Alna had told her on their first date, it made sense.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Very much so,¡± Alna confirmed before sipping her tea. ¡°Though I prefer introverted.¡±


    After cleaning up in the kitchen, Marianna and Alna retreated to the basement, heeding Mom¡¯s order to leave both doors open. Instead of heading to Alna¡¯s room like Marianna expected them to, Alna led her over to some armchairs in front of an electric fireplace. Above the fireplace, on a mantel, were three different pictures, each depicting one of the Holt children.


    Colton and Evan¡¯s must have been taken for a school yearbook; Alna¡¯s picture was from her graduation. Every time Marianna glimpsed this image, she was always a little bit startled to see someone so young dressed in graduation robes. Alna¡¯s expression in this picture was arranged into a careful, polite smile. Her dark hair hung about her shoulders in a glossy sheet, looking as though someone had straightened it beforehand. Alna grasped a rolled-up parchment, the black robes looking too big on her small frame.


    It was such an adorably awkward photo, that Marianna couldn¡¯t help grinning. Alna, noticing this, gave her a sarcastic look before turning on the fireplace. Almost instantly, yellow flames appeared within the fake woodpile, their tips blue.


    Marianna took a seat and the end of a plush red couch, while Alna sat in the armchair to her right.


    ¡°How¡¯s your project going?¡± Marianna asked after a moment of comfortable silence, looking away from the flickering flames.


    At Marianna¡¯s question, a genuine smile lit up Alna¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s going well,¡± she answered. ¡°I¡¯ve made some significant progress.¡±


    Marianna returned the smile. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± She hesitated a moment before inquiring, ¡°Can you tell me about it, or is it some top-secret thing?¡±


    Alna¡¯s expression turned attentive as she studied Marianna, eyes reading every telltale sign on Marianna¡¯s face. At least, that¡¯s what it seemed like to her.


    ¡°I suppose you could say that.¡± The hair that fell over her shoulder almost blended in with her long-sleeved black shirt. ¡°Whether or not I can tell you¡­ Perhaps I will. Sometime soon, even.¡± She muttered the last sentence, giving Marianna the impression that Alna had been directing it more at herself than at her. Marianna peered at her curiously.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said, ¡°if you want to tell me, I¡¯d love to hear about it. Especially if we¡¯re¡­¡±


    Here she paused, nibbling on the inside of her cheek as she glanced down. When she looked back up, Alna¡¯s eyes silently prompted her to continue.


    ¡°Would it be accurate to say we¡¯re dating?¡± Marianna questioned, then mentally berated herself. Of course, she and Alna were dating¡ªwhat else could someone call long kissing sessions and going on dates? Whether or not they were in an official relationship or not was another matter. Going by the faint upward twitch of Alna¡¯s lips, she¡¯d noticed the slip up as well, though she chose not to say anything about it.


    ¡°Exclusively or casually?¡±


    Alna¡¯s eyes could be very expressive sometimes, Marianna thought to herself. Right now, they expressed her amusement at the current situation, the ice in her gaze seeming to have softened.


    ¡°Exclusively.¡± Marianna fiddled with a loose string on the couch.


    ¡°That depends.¡± Alna, contrary to Marianna, seemed unperturbed by the situation as she lounged in her own armchair, legs folded underneath her. ¡°Would you like to be my girlfriend?¡± Her expression became more serious as she once again studied the other girl intently.


    Marianna felt her cheeks heat up, which, to her dismay over the course of her life, seemed to be her involuntary reaction to a wide variety of situations. ¡°I¡¯d like that very much.¡±


    At that, Alna unfolded herself from the armchair and approached Marianna, her entire frame seeming to tower over the still seated girl. Until she bent down and grabbed Marianna¡¯s hands, pulling her up so they could kiss, that is. Marianna wasted no time in wrapping her arms around Alna¡¯s neck, deepening the kiss.


    Alna¡¯s lips tasted like peppermint with a hint of almond from her tea earlier.


    When they pulled back, Marianna wouldn¡¯t deny that she felt disappointed by the loss of contact. And lightheaded. She blinked.


    ¡°Well,¡± Alna said, the corners of her eyes crinkling. ¡°I suppose we¡¯re girlfriends now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marianna mumbled. ¡°Hikari will be happy.¡± She pulled Alna back down, capturing her lips once more. She felt Alna chuckle into the kiss, but couldn¡¯t bring herself to care.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Alna said once Marianna pulled away to regain her air. She nudged Marianna aside, settling in next to her. ¡°I¡¯m glad you have someone in your life who¡¯s supportive.¡±


    Marianna, getting over her surprise at the change in position, laid her head on the Alna¡¯s shoulder, mumbling, ¡°Me too.¡± Alna rubbed her arm.


    There was another moment of comfortable silence, in which time Marianna realized the electric fireplace seemed to be capable of generating a fair bit of heat, making her drowsy. With her head resting on Alna¡¯s shoulder, the other girl¡¯s arm wrapped around her, Marianna felt the stress from the past couple weeks drain away. She wished she didn¡¯t have to go home at all tonight. She¡¯d be content to sit here with Alna until the next day.


    As appealing as the thought was, Marianna also knew it was unrealistic. Few parents would ever let their child spend the night with a significant other. Her father would burst a blood vessel if he found out she even thought of doing such a thing. That was a sobering thought.


    And so, with that in mind, Marianna decided sitting in complete silence all evening wasn¡¯t the best course of action. She said, ¡°Did you read that article in the last newspaper?¡± with her eyes half closed.


    Instead of the amusement Marianna expected, Alna¡¯s voice sounded neutral as she replied, ¡°There are many articles; I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to be more specific.¡±


    ¡°That one about the car crash. It was written by Irene¡ªno, Ilene something.¡±


    ¡°I read it.¡± Alna¡¯s voice was somewhere between impassive and conversational. Marianna wondered about that as she pushed herself up to look at Alna¡¯s face. ¡°I was pleased to hear the second driver was relatively unharmed.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness for that,¡± Marianna agreed with a nod of her head. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what the man¡¯s family is going through.¡±


    ¡°Neither can I,¡± Alna mused, turning to give Marianna her full attention. ¡°Few people would want to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Marianna agreed. She studied Alna for another moment before settling back against her shoulder, eyes once again alighting on Alna¡¯s graduation photo from high school. She looked back at the fire. The flames were mesmerizing.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Whether or not I will answer depends upon what the question is,¡± Alna remarked, sounding haughty. Marianna smiled again.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that, you seemed kind of¡­intense on our first date.¡± She looked up at Alna. ¡°You told me a lot about yourself¡ªmore than other people would. I was wondering why. I mean, I know I asked, but it wasn¡¯t like you had to answer.¡±


    Because Marianna was leaning against her, she noticed the brief tension in Alna¡¯s body, which dissipated just as quickly. There was a pause¡ªlonger than what seemed to normal for Alna¡ªbefore she replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I was testing you.¡± Alna sounded cautious. Marianna once more leaned away to get a better view of her face. ¡°Few people appreciate my listing details about them that I, for all intents and purposes, should not know.¡±


    ¡°You wanted to see if I¡¯d be scared off,¡± Marianna realized. Her chest tightened.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Marianna couldn¡¯t fight back the sympathy that rose at Alna¡¯s admission. She, too, knew what it was like to be seen as different, even before her ¡°secret¡± came to light. Perhaps she hadn¡¯t experienced it on the same level as Alna, but she had an inkling of what Alna must have struggled with in the past.


    Without thinking, Marianna grabbed Alna by the back of the neck, and pulled her in for another kiss.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said when they pulled back, settling against Alna¡¯s side once more. ¡°I think we¡¯ve established that won¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t be too sure. I¡¯m sure there are some things about me that even you would have difficulty accepting.¡±

 Chapter Nine

    ¡°Like this?¡± Chavelle O¡¯Connell asked, using her pencil to point at her final answer. The young girl¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed, her eyes anxious.


    Snapping out of her thoughts, many of which involved her current case Marianna, Alna pulled Chavelle¡¯s paper toward and scanned the math question:


    368+


    543


    ______


    911


    The sheet had various markings both along the margins and around each question, displaying how Chavelle had come up with each answer. In the past thirty-six minutes of their time together, Chavelle answered five of the twelve questions that were due in two days. The poor girl was, unfortunately, finding these conditions stressful, as math was her worst subject in school.


    ¡°Yes, Chavelle, that¡¯s exactly right,¡± Alna praised, reaching her hand around the girl¡¯s back to squeeze her shoulder. She couldn¡¯t help the small smile that appeared on her lips upon seeing the answer. How ironic that the teachers chose a question that resulted in the emergency contact number as the answer. For the second time since seeing the question, Alna wondered if there was any reason behind it.


    Rhys, Chavelle¡¯s father, cast a smile over his shoulder from the stove, where he stood making supper for his family.


    ¡°On to the next one now, if you please.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to?¡± Chavelle complained, widening bright emerald eyes at her. ¡°Can I please take a break?¡±


    Alna paused before answering, taking a moment to observe the girl. Chavelle¡¯s shoulders were tense under her purple shirt. That and the way she kept tugging on her red hair showed the strain the child was feeling. Her scrunched button nose showed her displeasure.


    ¡°Five minutes,¡± Alna relented.


    Relief filtered into Chavelle¡¯s eyes, and she gave Alna a beaming grin. ¡°¡¯ Kay, be right back,¡± she said and rushed off to what Alna presumed was the bathroom.


    Looking toward Rys¡ªwho¡¯d insisted she call him by his first name¡ªAlna asked, ¡°New recipe, Rys?¡±


    He was a man in his mid-forties, rather short, with dark auburn hair that could look purple in the right light.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Rys replied, stirring something in a pan that Alna couldn¡¯t see. It gave off an interesting aroma. ¡°Got home from work today and figured I had some time to myself, why not experiment a little?¡±


    Alna nodded her head in acknowledgment, seeing as he¡¯d turned slightly to face her. ¡°True enough. They say that one is never too old to try something new.¡±


    ¡°True that,¡± Rys said, making Alna wince internally. That sounded a bit too much like a teenager who was trying to act cool. ¡°What about you?¡± he continued, turning around fully to face Alna. ¡°Anything new going on with you?¡±


    Alna shook her head. ¡°Not particularly.¡± She wondered at people¡¯s pressing need to fill silence with idle chit chat. There was only so much she could stand before it became boring. Of course, she had been the one to start up a conversation this time around. She might as well bear with it. ¡°Although I downloaded an application on my phone that teaches German.¡±


    ¡°Huh.¡± Rhys turned back to the stove to stir whatever was in the pan. ¡°Learning a new language from an app¡ªsounds difficult.¡± At that, Rys paused for a moment. ¡°Though I suppose  it wouldn¡¯t be for someone like you.¡±


    Alna resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that. The way he had said that last sentence seemed to paint her as some phenomenon, or an oddity. Alna understood why some people saw her that way, but sometimes she wished people could refer to her intelligence without sounding like they found her strange.


    ¡°It is a little difficult,¡± Alna said politely, keeping her face blank. ¡°The act of remembering what I am taught is not an issue. But the actual speaking of a new language can be troublesome. Sometimes I have a hard time saying the vowels correctly.¡±


    Rhys hummed to show he was paying attention just as Chavelle bounded back into the kitchen. Scrambling onto her chair, she held out a piece of paper to Alna.


    ¡°I drew this for you,¡± she said, sounding pleased with herself.


    Smiling, Alna took the paper and examined it. Chavelle had drawn a messy and childish rendition of a superheroine known as Portola, a figure dressed in an outfit of blue and white. The only reason Alna could even distinguish this was because Alna knew for a fact Portola was Chavelle¡¯s favorite superheroine. The blue stick figure looked nothing like the character herself, with a circular head that was bigger than the body itself, and some messy drawing that seemed to show Portola was wearing her trademark bodysuit.


    In the picture, Portola seemed to be fighting a villain, although it was difficult to tell exactly who it was, seeing as the villain was a stick figure as well. The villain, such as it was, appeared to be shooting fire at Portola, but that was all Alna could figure out.


    ¡°Portola, I presume,¡± Alna observed, noting that Chavelle¡¯s eyes lit up when she got it right. ¡°Have you been watching her movies?¡±


    Chavelle nodded her head, curls bouncing with the force of her enthusiasm. ¡°And Dad¡¯s been reading me the book, too.¡±


    ¡°Has he, now?¡± Alna could hear the scepticism in her own voice. From what she understood, Portola¡¯s story wasn¡¯t one hundred percent child-friendly. ¡°Well, this is quite a lovely picture. Thank you, Chavelle.¡± Alna once again gave the small girl a squeeze on the shoulder, who beamed in response. ¡°But now we must get back to your homework.¡±


    Chavelle sighed at that, her face falling. She picked up her pencil and prepared to tackle more math.


    ***


    When Alna arrived home sometime later, she said a quick hello to her parents before retreating to the safety of her room and settled down in front of her laptop. To say this latest case was frustrating her would be a terrible insult. Despite having confirmed to herself that the latest ¡°accidents¡± were murders, Alna found she was barely making any progress in finding out who the killer could be. She¡¯d made a mental list of suspects, only to eliminate most of them when further research revealed the unlikelihood of their involvement. She had finally narrowed it down to three people and had every intention of learning more about them.


    Declan Taylor seemed promising. Six years ago he drugged a man known as Kace Oscar with a lethal amount of cocaine as an act of revenge for something or other; Alna didn¡¯t particularly care why. Taylor had put a considerable effort into making it look like Oscar overdosed, which, seeing as the man was known to take drugs in the past, Alna had to admit was smart. However, further investigation by the police had revealed that Oscar had recently been to drug rehab, and found no other evidence of his apparent relapse. Thus, a good two months later, Declan Taylor was arrested for murder, and put into Brigate Prison, only to be released a month before the accidental deaths had started.


    Now Alna had to meet Taylor in a public place, interview him without making him suspicious, and make sure she didn¡¯t endanger herself or anyone else in the process. Just that thought made Alna groan internally, her mental world darkening with clouds that mirrored her frustration. Breaking into Lewis¡¯ house had been much easier, even with the near miss when she¡¯d left.


    Sitting back in her chair, Alna stared at nothing in particular as she allowed her thoughts to race. Perhaps if she ¡°happened¡± to run into Taylor she could strike up a conversation with him. Right, because it was normal for a girl of sixteen to want to talk to a known killer, Alna thought with annoyance.


    However, she didn¡¯t doubt that some people would want to talk to the man¡ªwhat with their morbid curiosities. Given that, it wouldn¡¯t look too out of place for Alna to interview Taylor. The insensitive teenager with a morbid curiosity could work as her act.


    Now Alna had to find a public place Taylor frequented, find out the time, and head over there, hoping her research was right.


    She hated uncertainties such as this.


    After rolling her shoulders and stretching, Alna once more placed her hands over the keyboard of her laptop, preparing to immerse herself in research once more. An hour later, the ringing of her cell phone interrupted her. Annoyed, Alna picked up her phone, her expression softening when Marianna¡¯s name appeared on the screen. A slight smile appeared on her face as she pressed the ¡°accept call¡± button.


    ¡°Hello, Marianna,¡± Alna said, closing her laptop in case someone came downstairs.


    ¡°Alna, hey.¡± Alna noted with a touch of concern that there was a shaky edge to her voice. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well,¡± Alna replied in a measured voice. ¡°And you? How are you faring?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I guess.¡±


    Alna said nothing to that, waiting for her to elaborate. Marianna sighed. ¡°My parents are getting more and more difficult to be around, but what else is new?¡± She sounded bitter. Alna frowned.


    ¡°My mother meant what she said, you know. You¡¯re welcome here any time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice of her,¡± Marianna said, sounding dejected. Alna half-wondered if having a little discussion with Marianna¡¯s parents would be a breach in her privacy. Probably. She¡¯d set that thought aside for another day.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not why I called,¡± Marianna continued, changing the subject. ¡°How are you doing? Anything new happening?¡±


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    ¡°You mean in the two days since our last date?¡± Alna teased, unable to help herself.


    ¡°Um,¡± Marianna stuttered, and Alna could easily picture a pretty pink blush spreading across her cheeks. ¡°I mean¡ªtrying to make conversation, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I can tell,¡± Alna remarked. Before Marianna could say anything else, she added, ¡°How are things going in school?¡± From what Alna knew about Marianna so far, she was likely flustered right about now. No need to make her more uncomfortable.


    ¡°Fine. I have a test coming up in social studies, but I think I¡¯m prepared for it.¡±


    ¡°Do you enjoy social studies?¡± Alna asked as she allowed herself to slump against the back of her chair, settling in for what was looking to be a long conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my favorite class, but it¡¯s all right. I have a hard time with English, sometimes; Shakespeare¡¯s always hard.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Alna acknowledged. ¡°Have you been covering any history?¡±


    ¡°A bit. We did a review on how Henri Wallstone discovered Starla.¡± There was a brief pause on Marianna¡¯s end before Alna heard her give a quiet laugh. ¡°When I was a kid, I thought the name sounded like some kind of magical kingdom.¡±


    ¡°It does rather sound like something out of a fantasy novel,¡± Alna agreed. Really, how many countries were formed by a meteor hitting an island, thus leading to its discovery?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marianna said, sounding cheered. Alna felt rather pleased with herself, knowing she could help bring Marianna¡¯s spirits up.


    They talked for another half an hour, in which time the two girls made plans for yet another date. A movie, this time. They spent some time debating which one they should see before they agreed on The Curious Case of the Missing Princess¡ªa mystery and comedy. Alna was sceptical, but based on how interested Marianna seemed, she figured watching the film couldn¡¯t hurt. Especially when Marianna was trying hard to find something they could both enjoy.


    ¡°Would you mind if I invited some friends? Hikari would like to meet you and I have thr¡ªtwo other friends who also want to meet you.¡±


    Alna ignored the brief flare of disappointment. If she was going to commit herself to a relationship with Marianna, then she should meet the people important to her. She might not even find her friends boring, as she tended to with plenty of people she met. Alna would have to at least attempt to like them.


    ¡°Not at all. I would like to meet them. Let me know when a specific date and time is decided, will you?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Marianna agreed, and Alna could detect the smile in her voice. It took an edge off her apprehension. She hadn¡¯t missed the pause in Marianna¡¯s sentence when she¡¯d suggested inviting her friends. Clearly, her parents weren¡¯t the only people who were being unsupportive.


    When Marianna ended the conversation a few minutes later, Alna dived right back into her research, stopping only to have dinner with her family when Colton came downstairs to retrieve her.


    Researching Taylor was more difficult than Alna expected. Oh, sure, she knew the basics, but finding a place he frequented was proving to be quite the task. Considering he¡¯d only been out of prison for a month, it would be logical for him to be focusing on ¡°straightening out his life¡± instead of, say, spending time in tea shops. Or something. It wasn¡¯t making her life any easier, though.


    Which is why, by the time Alna found the information she needed, it was almost three in the morning. Seeing this, Alna felt a flicker of surprise, as she hadn¡¯t noticed time flying by, too absorbed in her work. Now that she had finally resurfaced from her little bubble, Alna noticed the drowsiness pulling at her eyelids, and her parched throat. It looked as though she hadn¡¯t heeded her mother¡¯s advice of ¡°Don¡¯t stay up too late, all right, hun?¡±


    Standing up, Alna arched her back, and let out a groan of discomfort as she worked out the stiffness in her muscles. Pins and needles shot through her left leg and Alna grimaced, shifting her stance. After waiting a moment for the sensation to recede somewhat, Alna turned and headed out of her room, intent on having a glass of water before she would succumb to sleep.


    Despite her body¡¯s complaints, Alna¡¯s research finally proved to be a success¡ªvery much worth the discomfort, in her opinion. Taylor, as it turned out, did have a bit of a safe haven. Evidently, he enjoyed visiting a bookstore on a semi-regular basis. Now all that was left was to visit it regularly until he showed up. And give her parents a plausible excuse for being out of the house so often. Considering she now had a girlfriend, Alna doubted that would be too difficult. The thought made her smile.


    Once back in her room, Alna wasted no time in putting on some night clothes and slipping into her bed.


    Before unconsciousness took over, Alna switched the alarm on her phone to eight-thirty. She¡¯d sleep in this time. She didn¡¯t have to be at the bookstore until noon, anyway.


    ***


    ¡°Back again?¡± asked Lassie Partman, the owner of the bookstore, Between the Pages.


    Alna had spent many hours in this store, reading books while waiting for Taylor to show up. It was a rather nice store, with a cushioned ledge by a window one could settle in, some couches positioned around a fireplace, and some store-owned tablets people could use to browse, buy, and download their ebooks with.


    Alna soon found she was disappointed that she¡¯d discovered the place under such dire circumstances. She may have to come back here sometime under more pleasant conditions.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Alna replied with a wry smile.


    Lassie gave her a playful grin, her one ear piercing swinging with the movement. ¡°Can¡¯t get enough of our books, can you?¡±


    ¡°You have an admirable selection,¡± Alna agreed, attempting to subtly glance behind herself, toward the door. The person who entered wasn¡¯t Taylor, so she refocused her attention on Lassie, who seemed unperturbed by Alna¡¯s peculiar nature; it slipped through her Ilene Dyson persona sometimes. Perhaps this was because Lassie herself was likely seen as odd at times.


    ¡°We do,¡± Lassie said. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t scared of damaging them, I¡¯d read half the books in this store. But there¡¯s always ebooks for that, right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Alna¡¯s polite expression became a bit strained. As much as she might like Lassie, Alna was there for a reason, and it wasn¡¯t to make idle chit chat. That, and she was wishing for some time to herself. Now, if Taylor were to show up, that would be another matter.


    After chatting for a few more minutes, Alna extracted herself from the conversation, retreating to the empty window seat. Pulling out her phone, she opened the picture Marianna sent her of a robin sitting next to her foot. I got off the bus and it just landed right next to me, she¡¯d written.


    Alna smiled and wrote, It must spend plenty of time in the city if it¡¯s so brave. Still, that is an interesting experience. School is going well? Knowing she was in class and wouldn¡¯t reply for some time, Alna opened the digital book she¡¯d bought yesterday and started to read, all the while keeping a subtle eye on the door.


    It wasn¡¯t until an hour later that Taylor entered the store, who Alna, half expecting him not to show up at all, almost ignored. However, the instant Alna recognized the man, her head snapped toward him, and she sat up straighter. Scolding herself for her impulsive action, Alna slumped back against the wall, taking a few minutes to observe Taylor over the top of her phone.


    Declan Taylor wasn¡¯t all that remarkable, regarding his appearance. He had red hair with hints of grey at his temples, accompanied by a beard trimmed rather haphazardly, leaving some patches longer than the rest. He wore what appeared to be second-hand clothes: a well-worn jean jacket with evidence of bleach stains, faded black pants, and sneakers. In his hand, he grasped a to-go cup from a coffee shop nearby.


    When Taylor¡¯s eyes landed on her, Alna allowed herself to look at him with open curiosity. Then, pretending embarrassment, she snapped her eyes back to her phone and tightened her hand around it. She thought she heard Taylor give an annoyed little sigh before he proceeded down one of the six aisles in the store.


    Once Taylor had turned his back to her, Alna allowed her eyes to wander over to him, searching for details. Judging by the state of his clothing, Alna was certain he must struggle with money. Something must have happened to it while he was in jail. But then, why would he come to a bookshop? Alna wondered. Most of the novels were quite expensive.


    Alna continued to observe Taylor. She watched as he settled down into an armchair near the fireplace, retrieving a tattered paperback from some secret pocket in his jacket. Well, that answered one question. She turned away, ceasing to look at Taylor directly for fear of being caught.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Alna noticed Lassie shift her hand closer to her cell phone. A glance around the shop revealed that no one else seemed concerned by Taylor¡¯s presence. It was interesting how the shop owner seemed well aware of the potential danger everyone was in, while the customers remained ignorant.


    Alna waited a few more minutes until a space was vacated next to Taylor. When the woman walked off, Alna turned her back to the bookshop¡¯s window and placed her feet on the floor. She allowed herself a quick stretch, keeping her movements deliberately languid and casual, as she continued to observe Taylor in her peripheral vision. He remained focused on his novel. All right then, it was time for him to take a quick break.


    Walking over to the couch, Alna lowered herself onto the bright cushion, the front of her legs immediately receiving the radiation from the fireplace, warming them. She once again opened up her digital book and read a couple of lines before looking up at Taylor, pasting a look of morbid fascination on her face. It wasn¡¯t too difficult.


    She did this a few more times, alternating between pretending to read and ¡°gaping¡± at Taylor. With satisfaction, Alna noted that he seemed to become more and more irritated with every one of her stares. When she fixed her gaze on him for almost a minute, he snapped.


    ¡°What?¡± Taylor growled, slamming his book down in his lap and glowering at her. ¡°There something you need?¡±


    Alna jumped and widened her eyes, doing her best to look startled.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized, pushing a brown strand of hair away from her face. She added a nervous lilt to her voice. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ You look familiar. Have we met before?¡±


    Taylor¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°No,¡± he deadpanned. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have.¡± The glare he gave her was venomous.


    ¡°Really? Huh. I could have sworn I¡¯ve seen you somewhere before.¡± Alna allowed her eyes to sweep up and down Taylor before pasting a look of shocked realization on her face.


    ¡°Wait, that crash earlier this month. Were you there? I could swear I saw you,¡± Alna questioned with faux curiosity. She observed Taylor¡¯s reaction to her inquiry, searching for anything that might give him away. His posture had become tense when she¡¯d asked her question, but not overly defensive.


    Taylor raised an eyebrow. Alna noted that he seemed to have no difficulty keeping eye contact. ¡°There¡¯ve been a lotta crashes lately, girl. Which one are you referring to?¡±


    Alna felt her temper flare at the mocking and condescending tone in his voice. She forced herself to calm down. ¡°The one that happened a little while ago. There was an article about it in Wallstone Weekly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t read the newspaper,¡± Taylor grumbled. ¡°But I heard about it on TV¡ªand I sure as hell wasn¡¯t there.¡± He glared at her. ¡°What¡¯s it to you, anyway?¡±


    Alna shrugged her shoulders. ¡°I was just curious, is all.¡± She pretended to hesitate, glancing around before leaning towards him and saying in a conspiratorial whisper, ¡°It¡¯s kind of weird, isn¡¯t it? All these crashes that have been happening?¡±


    There. Let him think she was onto him¡ªif he was even the one behind the murders.


    However, to Alna¡¯s mild disappointment, Taylor¡¯s composure gave no indication that he was the mastermind. He didn¡¯t look nervous¡ªhe wasn¡¯t sweating or fidgeting¡ªor defensive. Instead, he continued to look annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re implying, kid, and I don¡¯t care.¡± Flipping open his book once more, he gave Alna a long, irritated glare. ¡°Now, is there something else you need, or can I have some peace?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alna said, sitting back and giving the man a polite smile, ¡°that¡¯s all. Thanks. I apologize for disturbing you.¡±


    Getting up, Alna moved once more, settling down at one of the small tables situated to the left of the fireplace. Pulling out her phone, Alna once again continued to read as she observed Taylor. She ran through the brief interaction in her mind.


    As much as it disappointed her, when Taylor said he hadn¡¯t been at the crash site, his mannerisms seemed to show his sincerity. Even now, once Alna left him alone, Taylor went back to his novel, looking vexed by their conversation, but otherwise unaffected.


    Alna cast a look in Lassie¡¯s direction, noting how, despite the wary look on her face, she pulled her hand away from her phone and sat back in a chair, awaiting the next customer. Alna let out an annoyed sigh and pressed her thumb and forefinger into her eyes.


    Well, back to the drawing board.

 Chapter Ten

    Marianna pulled up in front of the Funai house, honking the horn once to alert Hikari of her arrival. Sitting back in her seat, Marianna adjusted the rearview mirror so she could double-check her appearance. Perhaps it was stupid, but Marianna found herself nervous about tonight. Which wasn¡¯t an unusual emotion for her, but this time it felt different. It was one thing to go on a date with a girl she liked; taking her out with her friends accompanying them was an entirely different story. The fact that her three closest friends would finally meet the girl she was now dating was rather daunting, Marianna found.


    Everything seemed to be in place, her newly curled hair and makeup no worse for wear. Satisfied, Marianna once again adjusted the mirror, putting it back in place. She looked toward the Funai house in time to see Hikari give her a little wave from the porch before bounding toward the truck.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Hikari greeted when she entered the vehicle, pulling the door closed behind her. She gave Marianna a reassuring grin. ¡°You ready for this?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marianna said as she started driving once more. And then, because the opportunity was too good to resist, she jested, ¡°Cute outfit.¡±


    Hikari was sporting a dark green leather jacket, along with a pair of jeans and blood-red high heels that must have been at least four inches high.


    Hearing the teasing lilt in Marianna¡¯s voice, Hikari pretended to shoot her friend an affronted look. ¡°Marianna Whitlock,¡± she chastised as they stopped at a red light, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I chose the perfect outfit for tonight¨C¨Cit¡¯s just being covered at the moment. It¡¯s too frickin¡¯ cold outside to go waltzing around in nothing but a t-shirt.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Marianna said, pressing her foot against the accelerator once the light turned green. She heard Hikari let out a faux annoyed breath, causing her smile to widen.


    ¡°Are we picking anyone else up?¡± Hikari asked after a moment of comfortable silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Marianna saw Hikari turn toward her.


    ¡°No.¡± Marianna watched a young man skirting the side of the road, stepping between some parked cars with an air of purpose. Was he going to jaywalk? She slowed down, just in case. ¡°Blaze is driving himself over, and I¡¯m not sure about Sadie.¡± She moved her foot to the brake as the young man cut in front of her.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Sadie say her parents were driving her or something?¡± Hikari asked after a moment of silence, having allowed Marianna to focus on her driving.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Marianna realized. ¡°Her mom, right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Hikari replied. ¡°What about this girlfriend of yours?¡±


    Here, Hikari¡¯s voice took on a curious edge. Ever since Marianna brought up this get-together, her friends had been quite interested in meeting Alna, who remained a bit of an enigma to them for the last little while. It wasn¡¯t like Marianna never talked about Alna, but until tonight, Marianna¡¯s friends had never seen or interacted with her new girlfriend. She didn¡¯t exactly have any pictures of the other girl yet.


    ¡°She¡¯s taking a cab,¡± Marianna answered. And then, suddenly remembering, she corrected, ¡°Actually, she said the city bus.¡± She allowed a beat of silence to fall between them before adding, ¡°Alna doesn¡¯t drive.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why?¡±


    ¡°Not sure yet.¡±


    Minutes later, Marianna was in the theater¡¯s parking lot, and she and Hikari stepped out. Shivering against the breeze, Marianna allowed her purse to hang off her shoulder as she wrapped her arms around herself.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re here yet,¡± Hikari commented as she rounded the vehicle. ¡°No, wait. Isn¡¯t that Sadie¡¯s mom¡¯s car?¡±


    Marianna followed the direction Hikari was pointing and spotted a red car that looked familiar.


    ¡°Looks like it,¡± she said. ¡°Come on.¡±


    The two girls headed off in the car¡¯s direction, halting when it stopped next to them. Sadie hopped out.


    ¡°Yeah, I will, Mom,¡± they heard Sadie say before she slammed the door shut. She gave Hikari and Marianna an embarrassed smile.  ¡°Parents, right?¡±


    Hikari laughed. ¡°Totally.¡± She started to say something else, but cut herself off, and shot Marianna a worried look. Sadie¡¯s expression soon mirrored Hikari¡¯s, as if they had both remembered something. Marianna blinked, perplexed.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, instinctively glancing down at herself to make sure nothing about her was amiss. Everything seemed fine. Sure, her light blue shirt and denim jacket weren¡¯t much protection against the wind, but that hardly seemed to warrant the looks her friends were giving her. So why were they¡­ Oh. She brought her gaze back up and gave them a reassuring smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me. We¡¯re here to have fun, right?¡± Marianna assured them. The two visibly relaxed.


    ¡°Right,¡± Hikari agreed in a cheerful voice. ¡°So let¡¯s get hoppin¡¯.¡±


    The three girls headed toward the theater. There was a pixelated sign right above the entryway, the entry itself consisting of four sets of glass doors. There were posters on each side of the entrance, each advertising a movie that would play shortly. To draw more attention, the posters were lit up from inside their plastic cases.


    When the entryway came into sight, Marianna¡¯s eyes flitted toward two familiar figures, who were standing inside the building¡¯s entrance. Well, it looked like Alna had already met Blaze.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s Blaze,¡± Sadie said, as if reading Marianna¡¯s mind. ¡°Who¡¯s he talking to? Is that Alma?¡±


    ¡°Alna,¡± Marianna corrected, another smile appearing unbidden on her face. ¡°And yes, it is.¡±


    Just then, Blaze¡¯s eyes hazel drifted over Alna¡¯s shoulder, and he lifted his hand in greeting, causing Alna to turn around and spot them, a jacket folded over her arm. Her expression warmed when she caught sight of Marianna. Blaze opened the door for them.


    He had dressed up a bit for the event, Marianna noted, eyeing Blaze¡¯s long-sleeved green sweater. He¡¯d combed his brown hair. It didn¡¯t even look sweaty from basketball practice.


    ¡°Hello, ladies,¡± Blaze pretended to greet them formally, a glint in his eyes. ¡°Lovely evening tonight, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Sadie rolled her eyes and slapped his arm good-naturedly.


    ¡°Oh, the abuse,¡± Blaze whined, rubbing his arm and giving Sadie a wounded puppy-dog look.


    This time it was Hikari¡¯s turn to roll her eyes and, after removing her jacket, she used it to hit Blaze as well. Marianna heard Alna chuckle. She turned to face her. Just as she was about to voice a greeting, Hikari interrupted her.


    ¡°So, do we get an introduction?¡± she asked with clear amusement. When Marianna turned back to her, she saw the Hikari grinning at her in a teasing manner. Or was it suggestive?


    Marianna tried not to appear flustered.


    ¡°Right,¡± she said, clearing her throat. ¡°Um, well, I guess you¡¯ve already met Blaze.¡± She gestured to the only boy in their little group.


    ¡°I have,¡± Alna agreed, casting Blaze an intrigued look. ¡°Blaze Silvers.¡±


    ¡°Alna was showing me her guessing skills,¡± Blaze added as he moved away from the door, allowing an older couple to walk past him. Marianna noted the annoyed look that flashed across Alna¡¯s face at the word ¡°guessing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool. Kinda creepy, but cool.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose that is one way of describing it,¡± Alna commented, her voice giving nothing away.


    There was a beat of silence.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Marianna continued awkwardly. ¡°This is Hikari and Sadie.¡± She gestured to them both.


    Tension broken, Sadie immediately stepped forward to shake Alna¡¯s hand, giving her a sunny look. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet someone who plays for my team.¡±


    ¡°Partially,¡± Alna said. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt the need to label myself.¡±


    Sadie shrugged her bare shoulders, having arrived at the theater in an off-the-shoulder pink, long-sleeved shirt. ¡°Well, even still.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m Hikari, but I guess you already know that,¡± announced Hikari as she, too, shook Alna¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet the girl Mary¡¯s so interested in. You¡¯ll have to show me your guessing skills sometime; they sound awesome. Is it true you¡¯ve already graduated high school?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Alna confirmed. ¡°And I just might show you my¡­guessing skills. But for now, it would be wise to proceed inside; the movie is starting soon.¡±


    After everyone agreed, the group entered the theater, Alna taking Marianna¡¯s hand. They slowed down, drifting behind the others. She gave Marianna a sideways smile. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hi,¡± Marianna replied as they got into line to buy tickets. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if they made you uncomfortable. They can be a bit¡­¡± Marianna trailed off, searching for the right word. She¡¯d  been planning to say ¡°eccentric,¡± but that didn¡¯t seem very accurate. She settled with ¡°much.¡±


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    They paused their discussion to buy tickets, which was when a playful argument ensued, as the salesperson watched on with annoyance.


    Marianna won, and, feeling pleased, paid for both her and Alna¡¯s ticket. Her friends each shot her smiles; Blaze¡¯s suggestive, Sadie¡¯s happy, and Hikari¡¯s mischievous. Marianna blushed and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind your friends,¡± Alna said in a mild voice as they followed the three to the snacks. ¡°Although,¡± she added, a tinge of annoyance entering her voice, ¡°I wish they would stop referring to my deducing as ¡®guessing.¡¯¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not where they got that idea,¡± Marianna said apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s no matter, I suppose.¡±


    Nothing more was said on that topic.


    ***


    Hikari sat in her seat in the theater, staring at the movie screen, wide-eyed. Sadie, ignoring the commercials for the moment, simply stared at Alna. ¡°Wow,¡± she mouthed at Marinna before focusing her attention up front.


    After grabbing their snacks and finally sitting down, the group realized they had some time before the movie started. And so, Hikari asked Alna to deduce her. Well, she continued to use ¡°guess,¡± but oh well.


    In response, Alna listed everything she could glean from their appearances, her observations coming out like a rapid fire. She¡¯d listed that Sadie was gay, still mostly closeted, but seemed to be thinking about coming out to other people. When Sadie asked how she could know such a thing, Alna replied, ¡°You keep looking at Marianna; not as if you¡¯re attracted to her, but with respect. Her finally coming out¨C¨Cwhether or not it was voluntary¨C¨Chas inspired you. Thus, it is my belief you are working up the courage to finally tell others; likely your parents or guardians.¡±


    Alna hadn¡¯t stopped there, either. She¡¯d then commented that Sadie was a swimmer (something about her stature and muscle build) and played the piano. ¡°Pianists rotate their hands in a certain fashion while playing. The habit seems to have carried over to your daily life.  Not to mention that the muscles in your hands are more developed than the average person¡¯s. You also spread your fingers at times; likely because you have to do so to play the piano.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s eyes had drifted to Sadie¡¯s hand, which was spread along her knee, fingers splayed more widely than the average person''s. She¡¯d never noticed before.


    At that point, the previews started, and someone shushed Alna, which earned them an impassive look. Settling back into her seat, Alna seemed content to wait for the movie to start. She¡¯d even popped a piece of popcorn into her mouth. But Hikari, unwilling to be left out,  leaned over Sadie, and demanded that Alna ¡°do her next.¡± She complied with ease.


    ¡°You seem to be a fashionista; I¡¯ve noticed you examining both mine and other people¡¯s appearances. You¡¯ve clearly put some effort into your appearance, and you adjust your clothing occasionally to make sure it¡¯s always in prime condition. Not to mention the way you looked at the lady at the beverages section. Her outfit was rather bland, I suppose. I could almost see you designing her a new outfit in your mind.¡±


    Alna had fallen silent after that, heeding to the angry shushing of yet another moviegoer, leaving Hikari, Sadie, and Blaze in awe. Her monologue had fascinated even Marianna, who¡¯d heard Alna¡¯s deductions on a few occasions. Alna¡¯s words opened her eyes to Sadie¡¯s situation in a new light, and she wondered if she should talk to her about coming out. Or let Sadie come to Marianna herself. She couldn''t decide.


    After Alna finished her deductions, Marianna took Alna¡¯s hand with her free one, watching her friends¡¯ reactions.


    It took a minute for Hikari to snap out of it, but when she did, she peered at Alna with a disturbed yet awed look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of becoming a clothes or costume designer of some sort when I graduate,¡± she offered.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡±


    Casting one more intrigued look at Marianna¡¯s girlfriend, Sadie and Hikari both turned to face the large screen. Marianna noticed Blaze flip off the annoyed woman before turning away, looking amused.


    Shaking her head, Marianna opened her packet of mini chocolate bars, dumping them into her bag of popcorn. Alna gave her a curious look before turning toward the screen which was now displaying the movie¡¯s title. Marianna grabbed a handful of popcorn, following suit.


    ***


    After the movie, Marianna soon found herself kidnapped by Sadie and Hikari and whisked away to the ladies¡¯ room for a ¡°chat.¡± She followed her two friends with reluctance (she was certain Alna was about to give her an after-movie kiss), casting an apologetic smile over her shoulder.


    The ladies¡¯ room was, predictably, full when the three girls entered, but Sadie and Hikari seemed unperturbed by this. They pulled Marianna into the largest available stall.


    ¡°Gals,¡± Marianna grumbled once they were locked inside, ¡°what¡¯s this about?¡±


    Forgive her if she was a little irritated about being deprived of a kiss from her gorgeous girlfriend. If such a thing was possible, Alna seemed to look especially good tonight. The spaghetti-strapped black shirt and jeans complimented her willowy figure, and her hair was nothing short of perfect.


    Marianna was looking forward to kissing her. So it was understandable that having Sadie shush her got on her nerves. Marianna let out a quiet huff, crossing her arms.


    During the next few minutes, Marianna¡¯s mind wandered back to the movie, her lips quirking up as she remembered the main character¡¯s sheer idiocy. More importantly, she wondered if she¡¯d still be able to get that kiss from Alna.


    Marianna was pulled out of her thoughts when the restroom appeared to have finally emptied. Hikari and Sadie were both peering at her with worried frowns.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, some anxiety leaking into her words. She tried to figure out what could have happened between the time they arrived at the theater and now to make her friends so worried, but drew a blank.


    Hikari swallowed. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± She looked over at Sadie for help.


    Sadie bit her lip and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°Alna seemed to know a lot about us,¡± she began, her voice cautious.


    Marianna looked back and forth between her friends, unable to understand what their problem was. ¡°Yes, I know. I told you about her, uh, talent.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t think it would be that specific,¡± Hikari hedged, reaching up to twist a lock of hair around her finger.


    Her earlier annoyance returning, Marianna snapped, ¡°If you have something to say, can you please just say it? We all have to go home sometime, you know.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Hikari said, hesitating.


    ¡°Are you sure Alna isn¡¯t like a stalker or something?¡± Sadie finally blurted out, looking regretful afterward.


    All thoughts in Marianna¡¯s head came to a screeching halt at that, and she dropped her arms to her side. Her first instinct was to deny her friends¡¯ assumption, to jump to her girlfriend¡¯s defense, but, after a moment of consideration, she tamped down the urge. When she thought about it from Sadie and Hikari¡¯s perspective, she had to admit she saw where they were coming from.


    ¡°Gals,¡± Marianna began, her voice soft, ¡°I appreciate your concern, but Alna¡¯s not a stalker. She¡¯s been nothing but good to me. You saw that.¡± Seeing her friends¡¯ continued skepticism, she added, ¡°I¡¯ve met her family; they told me it¡¯s true Alna graduated high school, and I¡¯ve even seen her diploma. Believe me, I¡¯ve had some doubts, too, but she¡¯s trustworthy. She is.¡±


    Marianna looked between her friends¡¯ faces anxiously, needing them to support her and Alna¡¯s relationship. Two people Marianna once hoped against hope would support her unconditionally had proved her wrong weeks ago; she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be able to handle it if she lost her friends¡¯ support.


    Both girls seemed to search Marianna¡¯s face before Hikari (who¡¯d known Marianna the longest) relaxed. ¡°All right,¡± she said, nodding once. ¡°I believe you.¡± Sadie, seeming unconvinced, gave her a sharp look. Seeing this, Hikari asked, ¡°What? Mary¡¯s smart. Do you think she¡¯d go out with someone who might hurt her?¡±


    Sadie looked down and muttered Cael¡¯s name under breath, voice filled with spite. Not long after she¡¯d come out to her friends, Marianna clued her friends in on the conditions of her and Cael¡¯s break-up. Since then, Blaze, Sadie, and Hikari harbored a distinct dislike for her former boyfriend. Sadie, Marianna realized, must take it a bit personally, seeing as she had yet to come out to anyone but her close-knit group. That didn¡¯t mean the jab, intentional or not, didn¡¯t make her ache a bit.


    ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± Hikari said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She shot Sadie a warning look.


    Marianna swallowed the lump that appeared in her throat. It looked like Cael¡¯s complete lack of acceptance still hadn¡¯t healed completely. ¡°I see your point, and I promise to be careful. But I think we should head back; we¡¯ve left Alna and Blaze alone for long enough.¡±


    It was with a much heavier heart that Marianna brushed past her friends, heading out of the ladies¡¯ room. However, the moment Alna came into view, Marianna¡¯s spirits lifted, and she approached her and Blaze, who were standing in front of a movie poster. Blaze seemed to be telling Alna about the movie. Marianna may or may not have taken the brief window of opportunity to admire Alna from behind.


    ¡°Do you like Star Wars, Alna?¡± Marianna asked, regarding the poster. Blaze jumped and spun around, startled. Alna seemed unruffled as she turned as well .


    ¡°It has its charms,¡± Alna acknowledged. ¡°Although I wouldn¡¯t call myself a fan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to watch it again sometime,¡± Marianna said, trying to diffuse the tension. Alna was, no doubt, picking up on it.


    Before anyone else could get a word in, Blaze complained, ¡°What took you three so long? You were in there for almost fifteen minutes.¡± Looking disgruntled, he shot them all a glare.


    ¡°Oh, you know.¡± Sadie waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Just girl stuff.¡±


    That was generally their go-to answer when they wanted to get boys to stop prying. Nine times out of ten, it seemed to be effective. Like now, as Blaze made a face and started to head for the exit of the theater, muttering something about needing to get more guy friends. Sadie, Hikari, and Marianna shared a laugh, Alna joining in with a soft chuckle of her own.


    ¡°Okay, people,¡± Hikari announced after she recovered, straightening her posture. ¡°We should get going before Blaze spontaneously combusts.¡±


    ¡°That would be a darn shame,¡± Sadie agreed. As the group followed Blaze¡¯s path, she added in a mysterious whisper, ¡°Or would it?¡±


    ¡°Dun dun dun,¡± Hikari added.


    Marianna pressed her face into Alna¡¯s shoulder, trying failing  to contain her laughter. The earlier discomfort was all but forgotten. Alna wrapped an arm around her.


    After some brief goodbyes in the parking lot, Marianna, Hikari, and Alna (after Marianna talked her into accepting a ride) entered Marianna¡¯s mother¡¯s car. Hikari gave up her seat up front and decided to instead sit in the back, but not before throwing Marianna a wink. Her earlier concerns, it appeared, were alleviated. Marianna dropped Hikari off first, telling her she''d see her on Monday.


    ¡°We should go Halloween costume shopping soon,¡± Hikari suggested, lingering by the driver¡¯s window. Eyes drifting over Marianna¡¯s shoulder, she said to Alna, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come if you¡¯re interested.¡±


    Alna gave her a smile somewhere between polite and serene. ¡°Thank you; I shall consider it.¡±


    Twenty minutes later found Marianna and Alna parked in front of the Holt house. When they pulled away from their goodbye kiss, Marianna noticed a contemplative yet torn look in Alna¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Marianna¡­¡± Alna said, then cut herself off. She glanced away from Marianna, her face becoming tense.


    ¡°Alna, is something wrong?¡± Marianna placed a hand on Alna¡¯s arm.


    Alna brought her gaze back to her girlfriend and parted her lips as if about to say something. Seeming to reconsider, she closed her mouth and swallowed, uncharacteristically nervous. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important at the moment,¡± she replied with forced nonchalance. Marianna wondered when she had gotten better at reading the generally impassive girl. ¡°I will see you later.¡± She leaned in for another kiss.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± Marianna agreed with reluctance after they¡¯d finished their kiss, still trying to figure out what Alna had been about to say. ¡°Have a good evening.¡±


    Alna gave her a soft smile. ¡°You too,¡± she returned before exiting the truck. Marianna watched her walk up the brief pathway, stopping once she¡¯d reached the top of the small deck. She turned and waved.


    Marianna, in a sudden burst of cheekiness, blew a kiss at Alna, which she, playing along, pretended to catch. With one more small wave, Marianna backed out from where she had parked and drove off, beaming so hard her cheeks hurt.

 Chapter Eleven

    Once again, Alna was heading off to ¡°interview¡± a potential suspect for what was proving to be one of the most annoying projects she had ever taken on. Bailey Quinton was turning out to be quite the shady figure, and difficult to track down. Even with her fairly generous computer skills, it had taken Alna nearly a week to find the man, and a couple more days to locate a place he might enjoy visiting. Never mind trying to get his contact information. She¡¯d given up on that, for the moment.


    To Alna, it seemed obvious that Quinton was trying to drop off the radar. Not that she blamed him. Being dubbed a serial killer after taking part in the murder of at least fourteen people, sentenced to twenty-five years in prison, and released into society would likely turn anyone into a recluse.


    However, if Alna had been part of the Brigate Police Department, she would have already tracked down the criminal and hauled him in for questioning. His methods of killing in the past were fairly crafty; he¡¯d poisoned one man over the course of two months until he¡¯d eventually died of a heart attack. The only reason the police figured out what he had done was because he had gotten a bit too confident, and visited one of his victims in her hospital bed to gloat. She¡¯d heard the entire thing, living only long enough to inform the police of what Quinton said to her before passing away.


    Without warning, Alna was suddenly brought harshly back to her present when someone slammed hard into her, causing her to stumble backward a couple of steps. She blinked a few times in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, God,¡± a woman exclaimed, looking contrite. She reached out a hand to steady Alna, which she reluctantly allowed. ¡°Here, let me get that.¡± The woman crouched down and grabbed Alna¡¯s¨C¨Cor, rather, Ilene¡¯s¨C¨Cpurse and handed it to her, looking abashed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alna said.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± the woman asked, twisting her hands nervously. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt you or anything, did I?¡±


    Attempting to make her voice light and friendly, Alna replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. In truth, I should be the one apologizing. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to where I was going.¡± That part, at least, wasn¡¯t a lie; this wasn¡¯t the first time Alna¡¯s inability to remain in the present caused her to bump into someone, and it wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    Instinctively, Alna¡¯s eyes swept up and down the woman¡¯s form, reading the story that her clothing displayed. There was some fur on her left sleeve, indicating she had been around a cat or dog recently. She wore a necklace with a large blue pendant hanging from the chain, and her rings¨C¨Csome genuine, others fake¨C¨Cseemed to indicate a well-off financial status. Her vivid red hair was twisted into an elegant bun, and, aside from the fur, the woman¡¯s overall appearance was pressed and professional. Even her nails seemed to be in near perfect condition and her eyeliner seemed to match almost to a tee for each of her eyes. A perfectionist, then.


    ¡°Well, all right. If you¡¯re sure,¡± the woman continued, sounding hesitant.


    Now Alna was beginning to get annoyed. It was one thing to apologize for bumping into someone, but was dragging it out necessary? Honestly, sometimes Alna didn¡¯t understand people.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Alna confirmed, keeping her expression polite. ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    Without giving the woman a chance to hold her up again, Alna skirted around the redhead and quickened her pace ever so slightly, effectively ending their interaction.


    A few minutes later, Alna arrived in St. Gloria Park, which was named after the wife of the man who founded Starla. It was a rather peaceful place, on a good day. There were paths and sidewalks for people to meander along, a water park and playground for the kids, and a small man-made pond for catch-and-release fishing. Alna had spent little time here, considering how far it was from her house, but spending time here waiting for Quinton to show up at some point was no real hardship. As long as she didn¡¯t get too cold and could keep herself entertained.


    It was also close to Marianna¡¯s house. Alna briefly entertained stopping by her girlfriend¡¯s house if today turned out to be a failure, but dismissed the thought. That would lead to too many complications, and Alna wasn¡¯t ready to tell Marianna what she did in her spare time. Not to mention her parents wouldn¡¯t appreciate Alna¡¯s presence.


    ¡°Afternoon,¡± a man greeted as Alna walked past him, giving her a slight nod.


    Alna nodded back and returned the greeting, soon returning to scanning the park for any sign of Quinton. There was a small cluster of trees next to the pond, which Alna knew for a fact hid a bench from prying eyes. Perhaps she should head back that way and check if the bench was occupied. A man like Quinton would likely go to the spot that afforded more privacy.


    A few minutes later found Alna sitting on a bench near the pond, monitoring the more remote spots available, one with a bench. To avoid looking like a stalker, she glanced around the park every once in a while. During warmer weather, the bench was well hidden, what with the many leaves offering sufficient cover. In fall, however, with the trees¡¯ leaves scattering across the ground, Alna could see the bench without trouble. All she had to do was angle her head so she could peer through the branches.


    The bench was as empty as it had been nine minutes ago. Alna looked back at the pond, watching as it rippled in the gentle wind.


    It was only a few minutes later, as Alna was getting up to make a lap around the park, that her eyes landed on a passing figure who resembled the pictures of Quinton she¡¯d found: same height and stocky build, same sandy hair colour. Was it him, though?


    Alna slipped off of the bench, some orange and yellow leaves dancing about her feet as she stepped onto a sidewalk and followed the man from a safe distance. He was walking away from her, toward one of the four exits of the park, giving her a  frustrating view of his back. Much as Alna prided herself on her observational skills, even she was having difficulty distinguishing if it was Quinton or not.


    Quickening her pace, Alna sought to catch up with the man, scenarios for what she¡¯d say (whether or not it turned out to be Quinton) popping into her head. When she had gained a good five feet on him, a woman called out to the man, causing him to turn and give Alna a glimpse of his features. It wasn¡¯t Quinton. Oh, well, Alna thought with a mental sigh, it had been stupid chasing after him like that anyway.


    Pulling her phone out of her purse, Alna pretended to be busy texting someone as she headed back to the bench, attempting to stave off possible suspicion or curiosity her chase might have garnered.


    And it was then that a flash of blonde hair appeared in her peripheral vision. Her stomach clenched as a familiar voice said, ¡°Alna?¡±


    For a moment, Alna froze, the metaphor of ¡°her heart leaping to her throat¡± coming to mind. Heart pounding against her ribcage, Alna, under the guise of Ilene Dyson, turned to face her girlfriend, pasting a confused smile on her face.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± she asked, glancing around as if searching for the person in question. Bringing her gaze back to Marianna, she continued, ¡°You must have me confused for someone else.¡± Alna¡¯s chest tightened a bit. She didn¡¯t want to deceive Marianna, but this hadn¡¯t been how she¡¯d pictured revealing the truth of her extracurricular activities.


    Any hope of escaping their impending confrontation, however, vanished when Marianna¡¯s eyes hardened, anger replacing the bewildered confusion.


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    ¡°Alna,¡± Marianna said in a voice filled with uncharacteristic anger. She took a step forward. ¡°I know it¡¯s you. Stop playing games.¡± With that, her hand shot up and reached for the wig, before Alna grasped her wrist.


    ¡°Not here,¡± she said. And then, her voice taking on a pleading edge, she added, ¡°Please.¡±


    Shock flashed in Marianna¡¯s sky-blue eyes. The shock quickly turned to a frown, and Marianna gave a curt nod. ¡°Come on.¡± She pulled out of Alna¡¯s grip, only to catch Alna¡¯s wrist in her hand as if to prevent her from making an escape attempt.


    As if Alna would try something so stupid. She was in enough hot water as it was.


    The walk was short and soon Alna was being pulled into a public restroom near the water park. It was the type that was designed for only one person to use at a time. Alna was half tempted to point out that they would get interrupted before long. She didn¡¯t. Instead, she studied Marianna¡¯s tense posture with apprehension that, for once, she didn¡¯t even bother to hide.


    There were some subtle bags under Marianna¡¯s eyes; the tensions were still high in her family. But Alna already knew that. Judging by her flushed state¨C¨Cnot from embarrassment, but anger¨C¨CAlna guessed that she had recently gotten into a fight with her parents. Or it could have to do with the fact that her girlfriend tried to lie to her. But she had seemed a bit flushed, even before.


    This was not boding well for her. Not at all.


    Sighing, her arms crossed, Marianna tore her eyes from Alna¡¯s, eyeing the ground as her feet shifted.


    Alna remained still, waiting for her to speak.


    Marianna looked up after a moment, as if sensing that Alna¡¯s nervous attention. She reached up, snatching the wig from Alna¡¯s head, causing her loose ponytail to fall out. Marianna eyed the wig with a frown, the confusion still present.


    ¡°Do you want to tell me why you¡¯re at a park, dressed in some disguise?¡± And Alna could hear the words she wasn¡¯t saying, the true reason for her angert: Why did you try to deceive me?


    ¡°It¡¯s¨C¨C¡± Alna started to say, only to stop when her voice came out choked, the nervous lump in her throat returning. Swallowing, she tried again. ¡°It¡¯s for¡­¡± What was she supposed to say? That it was for her case? That was hardly accurate. ¡°My project,¡± she settled on.


    Realizing her shoulders were curling inward defensively, Alna straightened her posture.


    Once again, the bewilderment returned, and Marianna dropped her gaze, studying the wig with creased eyebrows. ¡°Your project? What proj¡­¡± She trailed off and Alna fancied she could almost see her brain working, going over conversations she and Alna had over the past weeks, putting the pieces together. ¡°You were very vague about it,¡± she muttered, more to herself than Alna, it seemed. She looked back up. ¡°About a week ago, you mentioned that you passed by a crash site on the way to the caf¨¦ for our first date.¡±


    Even though it had been more of a statement than a question, Alna nodded her head, confirming this. She hadn¡¯t meant to tell Marianna that but decided to anyway, seeing no harm in it. The continued ¡°accidents¡± had come up, and Alna mentioned it in passing, not knowing that little tidbit of information would come back to bite her.


    Marianna stared at some point past her shoulder. After fifteen seconds, her eyes met Alna¡¯s, and she could see the hesitant realization in them.


    ¡°Alna?¡± Marianna asked in a slow voice. ¡°The accidents that have been happening. Are you¡­investigating them?¡± She sounded bewildered.


    Swallowing, Alna could feel her mask fall back into place as she schooled her features, hiding her nervousness and dread. She nodded.


    Marianna blinked once. ¡°Huh,¡± she said and, once again, broke eye contact with Alna. For a moment, she was still, staring at the dirty floor of the restroom. And then, becoming restless, she started to pace, twisting a lock of golden hair around her finger. A minute of this passed by before someone knocked at the door, asking to use the restroom. Without preamble, Marianna grabbed Alna¡¯s hand and led her back outside, ignoring the looks they received.


    Alna followed meekly along as Marianna dragged to the bench Alna had been keeping track of earlier, her back tense. This part of the park was more or less deserted, barring some birds that had not yet departed for the upcoming winter. These birds hopped around, pecking for bugs and chittering to each other.


    Marianna led Alna over to the bench. Once there, she whipped around, glaring at Alna with fiery blue eyes until Alna sat down.


    It felt as though there was a rock lodged in her throat. Alna was not at all used to feeling this nervous.


    After tossing the wig onto the bench, Marianna leveled Alna with one more steely look. Alna to instinctively straightened. There were words on the tip of her tongue (explanations, apologies, deductions), but she forced herself to hold them back. Now was not the time.


    Marianna resumed pacing, remaining silent as she did so. Alna watched her warily, various scenarios flashing through her mind.


    She wouldn¡¯t blame Marianna if she broke up with her. Alna had lied to her, after all. Marianna had every right to be angry.


    If only she¡¯d told her sooner, Alna thought, watching Marianna continue to pace. That way, she wouldn¡¯t have been caught like an utter idiot, and risked ruining the first true relationship she had ever been in.


    After a few minutes, Marianna stilled and turned to face Alna, arms crossed. Alna had to tilt her head back to look at her.


    ¡°So,¡± Marianna said, her voice flat. ¡°You¡¯ve been, what, trying to play detective? Looking into those accidents?¡±


    If it had been under different circumstances, if it had been someone else, Alna might have been offended at the ¡°playing detective¡± bit. As it happened, however, she nodded once, unwilling to say anything yet should she only accomplish to dig herself a deeper hole.


    Marianna¡¯s gaze sharpened and Alna realized she was scared; scared that Marianna would break up with her, or tell someone about what Alna was up to. Having Marianna break off their relationship seemed to be the most daunting prospect, as of right now. She was becoming sentimental.


    She pushed that thought away. Now was not the time to dwell on it.


    ¡°How long has this been going on?¡± Marianna demanded, her jaw clenching.


    Alna had to resist the urge to lean away from Marianna¡¯s ire, unable to pull on her impassive mask, no matter how much she wanted to. ¡°I started working on this particular case¡±¨C¨CMarianna¡¯s glare sharpened¨C¨C¡±soon after our first date.¡±


    ¡°And why did you lie to me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly something you reveal on a first date,¡± Alna said with a hint of sarcasm. She faltered when Marianna continued to glower. Ducking her head a bit, Alna peered up at her and said, ¡°I have my reasons, although I doubt you would find any of them sufficient.¡±


    Marianna gave her an insincere smile. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, I guess.¡±


    Alna shifted uncomfortably.


    With a sigh, Marianna sat on the bench next to Alna, her head dropping back so she was looking at the sky. As a white butterfly flew in front of them, Marianna let out a bitter, pained chuckle.


    ¡°This is unbelievable. First, my parents find out I¡¯m bisexual, and now they don¡¯t trust me at all. And then it turns out the girl I¡¯ve been going against my parents for doesn¡¯t trust me, either.¡±


    Alna always thought the idea that someone¡¯s words could hurt the heart was superstitious nonsense, only found in books and movies. But at that moment, she could have sworn her chest felt tighter. For the entirety of their relationship so far, Alna had seen how the Whitlocks¡¯ prejudice had affected Marianna, and now here she was, adding on to that pain.


    ¡°Marianna¨C¨C¡± She was cut off by a glare. Alna gritted her teeth, forcing herself to be silent.


    She watched as Marianna dropped her head into her hands, all the while resisting the urge to reach out. Instead, she surveyed their surroundings without interest. A robin pecked at the ground, its feathers glossy and unruffled.


    Minutes went by.


    Marianna lifted her head with a sigh, giving Alna a tired look. Almost as soon as her eyes met Alna¡¯s, Marianna glanced away, seeming unable to look at her. Alna pressed her hands together, berating herself for not telling Marianna sooner.


    ¡°I need to go,¡± Marianna said, staring at the robin. ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t deal with this right now.¡±


    Alna swallowed. ¡°Of course.¡±


    Marianna looked over at her with a frown. She stood up, turning to face Alna with crossed arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m still mad,¡± she told her, eyeing the ground. ¡°But I¡¯ll, um, call you or something. When I¡¯m ready.¡±


    With a careful nod, Alna said, ¡°Take as much time as you need.¡±


    That earned her a brief glance before Marianna once again focused on the ground.


    ¡°See you,¡± she mumbled, turning to leave.


    As much as she wanted to, Alna didn¡¯t chase after her.

 Chapter Twelve

    It took two days before Marianna calmed down enough to call Alna.


    She sat on her bed, phone dangling in her hand as she nibbled on her lip. Really, she shouldn¡¯t be so nervous about calling her own girlfriend, but considering what she was about to get herself into, Marianna felt that it was justified.


    Pursing her lips, Marianna stood up, tossing her phone on her bed. She turned around, smoothing down the wrinkles in her bedspread for lack of anything better to do. She fluffed her pillows for good measure, well aware that she was stalling.


    That done, Marianna straightened up, arms crossed as she eyed the phone now sitting on her bed, looking so innocent in its purple case with the sparkles that Marianna thought represented stars. She picked it up.


    After finding Alna¡¯s number in her contacts, Marianna hesitated once again. Her jaw clenched and she gripped her phone more tightly.


    Here goes nothing, she thought, pressing ¡°call.¡±


    Lifting the phone to her ear, Marianna directed her gaze to the poster hanging above her bed. It was a poem by a man known as William Wordsworth, titled ¡°Daffodils.¡± Being someone who dabbled in poetry herself, Marianna had taken a liking to it and decided she wanted it on her wall. The version she had printed imitated an old piece of parchment, all four edges curling with age, and a few fake ink stains here and there. The writing¨C¨C


    God, she was nervous.


    ¡°Marianna,¡± Alna greeted when she picked up. Despite her carefully controlled tone of voice, Marianna thought she sounded wary.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Marianna said, wondering if she should have invited Alna somewhere so they could have this conversation in person. Needing to focus her gaze on something, Marianna read her poster poem, barely even processing the words. ¡°How are you?¡±


    Really? That was the best she could come up with after stewing for two days?


    ¡°I¡¯m well,¡± Alna replied. After a moment, she added, sounding hesitant, ¡°Can I help you with something?¡±


    Marianna tried to picture Alna, sitting on her bed, gripping her phone, her face set into an apprehensive frown.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Silence. Alna said nothing, and Marianna realized how that had sounded. ¡°I¡¯m not breaking up with you,¡± she added hastily.


    ¡°I see.¡± Despite the formality of Alna¡¯s words, Marianna was certain she heard a soft exhalation of relief on the other side of the line.


    ¡°What I mean,¡± Marianna began, sitting on her bed, ¡°is I think I get why you lied to me.¡± She smoothed down another wrinkle in her blanket. ¡°I¡¯m not happy about it, but I understand.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to tell you,¡± Alna said, cutting off her next words. ¡°I almost did, but it¡¯s¡­ difficult for me.¡±


    The excuse was lame and they both knew it. Despite herself, Marianna smiled a bit.


    And then her mind latched onto Alna¡¯s words, making sense of them.


    ¡°After the movie, right?¡± she asked, staring down at her bedroom floor. It needed a vacuum, she thought. ¡°That¡¯s when you wanted to tell me.¡±


    Alna¡¯s voice was self-deprecating as she said, ¡°That is not the only time I¡¯ve wanted to tell you, but it was the one time I almost did.¡±


    Marianna felt a flash of annoyance but forced herself to push it away. She had to admit that wouldn''t have been the best moment for such a revelation. Besides, she hadn¡¯t called to take out her (slowly dwindling) anger on Alna.


    It was time to get to the point.


    And so, breathing in slowly, she said, ¡°Okay, then. How can I help?¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Alna sounded baffled


    Stifling a giggle, she clarified, ¡°With the¡±¨C¨Cshe cast a wary look at her door and lowered her voice¨C¨C¡°investigation thing. How can I help?¡±


    More silence.


    ¡°You want to help me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a question, but Marianna answered anyway. ¡°I do.¡±


    A pause. And then, ¡°You know, I pictured this scenario, but I wasn¡¯t certain it would come to fruition.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Marianna said with a grin, glancing toward her bedroom window. There was an orange leaf stuck to it. ¡°Good for you, because I¡¯m helping whether you like it or not.¡±


    ***


    Marianna had to admit she was a little nervous. All right, so ¡°a little¡± was a gross understatement, but given the situation she would soon walk into, Marianna thought she was entitled to be apprehensive. Not that Alna was forcing her to interview Emile Cope¡¯s parole officer. It had been Marianna¡¯s idea.


    Marianna thought the officer must have her work cut out for her, working with a former murderer who had only recently been let out of prison on good behaviour. According to Alna, he had been put away eight years ago after murdering his former friend after a skirmish, staging it as a drug overdose. As Alna later found out, that hadn¡¯t been his first murder.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already interviewed, what, three people, right?¡± Marianna had reasoned when they were still at Alna¡¯s house. A couple of days before, Alna finally tracked down Bailey Quinton, saying later it was ¡°almost a complete waste of time. That man¡¯s not the killer. At least not this time around. Taylor showed much more promise.¡±


    At Alna¡¯s nod, Marianna continued, ¡°Well, what if people start to recognize Ilene Dyson? I mean, it could happen. So, I could take your place for this interview. Then there¡¯s a smaller chance of someone getting suspicious.¡± When she¡¯d told Alna she wanted to help, she¡¯d meant it. Even if Alna seemed reluctant to let her do so.


    And that was how Marianna found herself in a fast-food restaurant, waiting for the parole officer known as Harlow Ashworth.


    Marianna looked around, too restless to focus on anything for long. Besides various ice cream displays, the North Pole followed the pattern of any other: tables with booths lining the walls, their large windows that overlooked the parking lot. There were less comfortable tables in the center of the room, which didn¡¯t deter people from sitting in them one bit. The plastic chairs, Marianna always found, should only be sat on when wearing pants or long shorts. Otherwise, it was too cold.


    It was then, as Marianna was looking at a large advertisement of a banana split, that Alna spoke up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this if you¡¯re not comfortable with it,¡± she told her for the umpteenth time. Marianna turned to her face with a smile that was a mixture of reassuring, indulgent, and annoyed.


    ¡°Alna,¡± Marianna said in a gentle voice, ¡°I like you, but you¡¯re starting to sound like a broken record.¡±


    A brief look of amusement flashed across her girlfriend¡¯s face. ¡°I suppose I am, aren¡¯t I?¡± she mused. Her features settled into a more serious expression. ¡°I want to be certain you¡¯re sure about this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Marianna teased, reaching out to give Alna¡¯s knee a little shove. ¡°You can¡¯t read it in my body language or something?¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Alna assured her. ¡°But I also know you could change your mind.¡±


    This time, Marianna squeezed Alna¡¯s hand, intending to reassure her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Holt, I¡¯m all in,¡± she joked


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    Alna searched Marianna¡¯s face before her lips curled upwards. ¡°Indeed you are, Miss Whitlock.¡±


    Sitting back in her seat, Marianna cast another glance toward the entryway of the North Pole, a fast-food restaurant that was known for its ice cream. After another long explanation from Alna about her less than legal activities and a lengthy discussion, Marianna had finally convinced Alna that she wanted to help; that she wasn¡¯t making a spur-of-the-moment decision.


    ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± Alna announced, fixing her gaze on the parking lot. Marianna glanced to her right and noticed a strawberry blonde haired woman approaching the restaurant. Ms. Ashworth was dressed to the nines, wearing a black blazer that was only halfway buttoned up, revealing the white shirt she was wearing underneath. Her hair was gathered into a tight, professional bun that looked painful, her head ducked against the wind that had been attacking Brigate since this morning. With her black slacks and high heels, Marianna thought Ms. Ashworth looked more like a lawyer than a parole officer.


    Was this some kind of standard dress code, or the way Ms. Ashworth always dressed? Marianna wondered.


    She felt Alna brush a kiss over her cheek before she pulled her hand away. Marianna turned as she stood up. Alna¡¯s expression was serious. ¡°Keep a clear head and you¡¯ll be fine¡± were her last words of advice before Alna walked off, getting in line to place an order at the front counter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay nearby,¡± Alna said a half an hour earlier, as they went over some last-minute plans. ¡°Within hearing distance, if I can. But either way, record the conversation and take notes. Watch her reactions, see if anything makes her uncomfortable. If she tries to ask you personal questions, redirect the conversation to Cope. And don¡¯t let her get even an inkling of the real reason you¡¯re speaking with her.¡±


    Keeping this in mind, Marianna squared her shoulders and plastered on a polite smile, standing up to greet Harlow Ashworth.


    ¡°Ms. Ashworth?¡± Marianna asked as she approached the woman, who had just entered through the glass doors. A slight hesitation in her voice was the only sign of the nervousness she was feeling.


    Ms. Ashworth¡¯s gaze snapped toward Marianna, and a warm look appeared on her face.  Oddly enough, despite Ms. Ashworth appearing no older than forty, the look reminded her of a kind, grandmotherly figure.


    ¡°Marianna Whitlock, right?¡± the woman asked, offering a hand for Marianna to shake. She did so, trying to hide her uneasiness.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she replied. ¡°Thank you so much for meeting me; you have no idea how many people have turned me down for an interview.¡± Great, now it sounded like she was gushing. She should probably dial it down a notch. It was hard to resist the urge to cast her gaze around in search of Alna.


    Ms. Ashworth gave a slight laugh. ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m always up for trying to convince people to join law enforcement or something of the like. God knows you can never have too many police officers. Or parole officers, for that matter.¡± Here, she gave Marianna a sly smile. She made a vague gesture toward the front counter. ¡°Are you hungry? We could eat something while we talk.¡±


    Marianna agreed, and they both got in line. Alna was already at the counter, waiting for her order. She cast Marianna a discrete, reassuring look over her shoulder before looking away. Marianna felt herself relax, if only a bit.


    A little over five minutes later, Marianna sat down across from Ms. Ashworth, setting her Double Chocolate Brain Freeze (as the company liked to call them) in front of her, alongside a piece of lined paper and a pen. As she carefully pulled her phone out and started recording, Marianna cast a discrete glance at Alna, who appeared uninterested in her and Ms. Ashworth. She sat at a table to their left, facing them, but keeping her gaze focused on nothing in particular as she played with her plastic straw. However, as if noticing Marianna¡¯s gazed, she met her eyes, smiled, then looked away.


    The exchange lasted mere seconds, but it settled Marianna¡¯s nerves somewhat. She turned her attention back to Ms. Ashworth, who took a bite of her own Brain Freeze.


    ¡°Right.¡± Marianna pulled a list of questions toward her. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, have you been paying much attention to the news lately?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± Ms. Ashworth said, looking puzzled. When Marianna suggested that she question Ms. Ashworth with the excuse of doing some research for school (or college and career options), Alna had been wary. But, after some discussion, Marianna finally convinced her she could pull it off. Now she needed to follow through.


    ¡°Well, you might have noticed that the number of accidents happening is uncommon.¡± Marianna tucked some hair behind her ear. Don¡¯t stall, she told herself. It wouldn¡¯t help anything. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that they¡¯re deliberate attacks?¡±


    A contemplative look fell over Ms. Ashworth¡¯s features. ¡°I suppose it is.¡± She cast another confused look at Marianna. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, how is this relevant to your project?¡±


    Marianna forced an easy smile onto her face, her heart rate picking up its tempo. ¡°I¡¯m trying out my observational skills. Some students at my school are doing ¡®A Day in the Life¡¯ type of thing, and I thought it¡¯d be cool to try my own detecting.¡± She shrugged her shoulders.


    Ms. Ashworth let out a slight chuckle. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re leaning more toward being a detective than a parole officer.¡±


    Marianna tried to adjust the phone next to her leg, hoping everything was recording properly. Out of the corner of her eye, Alna gave no indication she even knew the two women existed.


    Marianna tilted her head in a casual manner, licking some vanilla ice cream filled with chocolate chunks off the back of her spoon. ¡°It¡¯s a job I¡¯m considering,¡± she pretended to admit. She attempted to flash a sheepish smile, which was easy to pull off, considering she was already a bundle of nerves as it was.


    Ms. Ashworth looked amused at Marianna¡¯s expense, although she didn¡¯t comment on it. ¡°So, deliberate attacks, huh?¡± She took another bite of her ice cream. ¡°Have you taken this to the police?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Marianna said. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s just a theory, and the police would probably think I¡¯m pulling a prank or something.¡± Marianna¡¯s heart, which had calmed down in the past few minutes, sped up once more. Was she being indiscreet? This was much more difficult than television made it seem.


    Glancing down at the piece of paper, Marianna scanned the inquiries she and Alna had composed together. She decided against asking about Emile Cope¡¯s possible involvement just yet, lest she started looking shady.


    That thought almost made her smile. Never in a million years had Marianna expected to find herself in this situation.


    ¡°So, if I did want to become a parole officer, how would I go about that?¡±


    For the next couple minutes, Marianna listened as Ms. Ashworth went into detail about getting a degree in college, background checks to make sure the potential officer had a clean slate, a training program and so on. She seemed very passionate about her job, as she soon went on to talk about some people she helped rehabilitate. Ms. Ashworth didn¡¯t offer any names, but she told Marianna of how she had helped a drug dealer around her age turn his life around.


    ¡°And I can¡¯t tell you how proud I was, to finally see him finally get his life back on track,¡± Ms. Ashworth said with clear enthusiasm, her eyes lighting up. For a moment, her mind seemed elsewhere as she glanced off to the side. Ms. Ashworth shifted her phone away from a small puddle of water that had splashed onto the table when she¡¯d gestured too broadly with a bottle of water in hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten off topic, haven¡¯t I?¡± she asked, sounding apologetic.


    Considering Ms. Ashworth had spent a good ten minutes talking about a client that had no real significance as to why she was here, Marianna agreed. But she couldn¡¯t say that. Instead, she assured Ms. Ashworth, ¡°It¡¯s all right; it was interesting to listen to. Might even give me some street smarts.¡±


    Ms. Ashworth gave a slight smile at Marianna¡¯s poor attempt at a joke before asking if she had any more questions.


    ¡°Well, this might sound weird,¡± Marianna downplayed. ¡°But I was doing some research online some time ago, and I came across an article about Emile Cope. The one about how he, um¡­¡±


    Murdered five people by drugging them before they got into their vehicle, causing various crashes. Not to mention he¡¯d given an older lady a heart attack. She¡¯d died before the ambulance could reach her place.


    The methods, as Alna said, were too similar to ignore.


    ¡°It kind of got me thinking¡­¡± Marianna continued. Unconsciously, she licked her lips. ¡°Do you think it could be possible that Mr. Cope could have anything to do with the accidents that have been happening lately?¡± When Ms. Ashworth looked taken aback, Marianna rushed to add, ¡°I was just curious. Trying to test out my detective skills more, I guess.¡±


    Ms. Ashworth furrowed her eyebrows. The glint that appeared in her eyes was¡­ Not angry, exactly, but annoyed. Defensive?


    ¡°Normally, I would refrain from speaking of my client in such an open manner,¡± Ms. Ashworth said lowly. Marianna resisted the urge to squirm. ¡°But I¡¯ll have you know that, since his release, Mr. Cope has made great progress in becoming a better citizen. His rehabilitation has gone quite smoothly and I¡¯m very proud of him.¡± She leveled Marianna with a steely glare. ¡°You should think things through before throwing around accusations like that.¡±


    Marianna suddenly felt guilty. She half wished she could disappear into the floor. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she mumbled, feeling the telltale warmth creep into her cheeks. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    After that, there was a noticeable tension between her and Ms. Ashworth. Their interview ended a few minutes later when Ms. Ashworth coolly informed Marinna she had somewhere to be. Marianna managed to ask her one more question¨C¨Cwhether or not she could meet Mr. Cope in person¨C¨Cbefore they said their goodbyes. Her request was denied, but she and Alna had known it was a long shot anyway.


    When Ms. Ashworth finally made her leave, she left Marianna sitting in stunned silence. And then, slowly, a sense of accomplishment flared up. She smiled to herself with satisfaction. That, Marianna decided, had been the single most bizarre thing she¡¯d ever done. And a part of her had enjoyed it.


    Alna must have felt she had done a good job as well because not long after Ms. Ashworth¡¯s vehicle pulled out of the parking lot, she slipped into the booth beside her. Marianna received a quick peck on the cheek for her efforts.


    ¡°You did well, Marianna,¡± Alna praised, her breath tickling Marianna¡¯s ear. ¡°I must say I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    When Marianna turned her head to meet her girlfriend¡¯s gaze, she noted Alna¡¯s eyes seemed to hold respect. Pride, even. Marianna felt her sense of accomplishment grow.


    ¡°Well, that was fun, I think,¡± she grinned. Alna, having dropped her mask of indifference, peered at her with eyes that glittered merrily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought there was a certain rush to it,¡± Alna agreed. She captured Marianna¡¯s lips in a kiss that lasted a few seconds, her arm around her waist. ¡°Now let¡¯s go back to my place so I can go over the evidence.¡±

 Chapter Thirteen

    For the umpteenth time since she caught Alna in her Ilene Dyson disguise, Marianna sat on Alna¡¯s bed, legs crossed, as Alna clicked away at her laptop, trying to come up with yet more information on Emile Cope. After listening to Marianna¡¯s poorly recorded interview with some earphones, Alna had commented that Ms. Ashworth¡¯s clear defensive nature regarding Mr. Cope, while not completely out of place, was at least noteworthy. Since then, she¡¯d been trying to dig up any possible evidence linking Mr. Cope to the murders, with minimal results.


    This was shown when Alna leaned against the back of her chair, letting out an annoyed sigh.


    ¡°Nothing?¡± Marianna asked sympathetically.


    ¡°Not a thing,¡± Alna said. She turned to face Marianna, tired and annoyed. ¡°It took me hours just to find some decent information about Cope. My initial assumption was that someone must be deliberately hiding him, and yet I can find no evidence of that, either.¡±


    Marianna was tempted to ask how one would know how to look for such evidence, but refrained. Instead, she went with, ¡°Well, have you found anything new? Anything at all?¡± If television and books were anything to go by, Marianna was certain any scrap of information could be useful. Gripping her pencil loosely, Marianna gave Alna her full attention.


    Alna rubbed her forehead, scowling. ¡°Nothing of importance.¡±


    At that, she cast a wry look at the notebook in Marianna¡¯s hand. Over the past couple of days, Marianna started taking notes on everything they learned regarding the murders. When Marianna settled herself on Alna¡¯s bed, notebook in hand, Alna had given her a strange look, then turned to her laptop, muttering something to herself. Before Marianna could question Alna, her girlfriend told her to take precautions to ensure that her notes were not discovered. Her words, not Marianna¡¯s.


    ¡°All right.¡± Marianna lowered her pen and pulled out her phone to check the time. Seven o¡¯clock. Her parents wanted her home by eight, seeing as it was a school night. Actually, they would have preferred she didn¡¯t leave the house at all, but that was only because of their recent discovery. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for a break.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± Alna agreed with palpable reluctance, exiting out of everything and logging off. Apparently, she had decided that disagreeing with Marianna on this was pointless. Considering Marianna snapped the laptop closed on her just yesterday when Alna rebuked her attempts to get her to hydrate, she thought it was a wise move. She smiled to herself.


    ¡°My mother will likely check on us shortly, anyway.¡± Alna shifted off the chair while Marianna ducked her head, hair forming a curtain around her face. When she glanced back up, Alna looked faintly amused. She offered a hand to assist Marianna to her feet, which she accepted.


    Once in the kitchen, the two girls encountered Mr. Holt¨C¨Cor Aiden, as he kept telling Marianna to call him¨C¨Csitting at the kitchen table, hard at work. There were papers spread over the surface of the table, containing information that Marianna couldn¡¯t quite see from her position. Mr. Holt looked up from his phone, which he had been typing away at.


    ¡°What are you girls up to?¡± he asked kindly.


    Although the question was innocent, Marianna wondered if it held an underlying meaning. It was a parent¡¯s responsibility to wonder what their children got up to, after all. Especially when they were alone with a boyfriend or girlfriend. And Alna¡¯s parents were far from ignorant, despite the many things Alna kept from them.


    Alna seemed unruffled by Mr. Holt¡¯s possible suspicions.  ¡°Change in scenery,¡± she said. She approached the cabinets, pulling out a white mug decorated with golden swirls. ¡°Would you like anything to drink, Marianna?¡±


    Marianna started a bit at that because she had been thinking of suggesting that Alna drink something. She herself got thirsty if she drank nothing within three hours.


    ¡°Some juice, please,¡± she replied. ¡°If you have any.¡±


    As Alna filled the metal teapot with water, Marianna took a seat across from Mr. Holt, noticing the complicated array of numbers on his papers. Mr. Holt cast a glance between them.


    ¡°Would you like me to leave you two alone?¡± he offered, already reaching out to gather up his things.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Marianna said, reaching out a hand as if to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t let us kick you out. You¡¯re fine.¡±


    To reaffirm her statement, Marianna gave him a small smile. Marianna liked Alna¡¯s father. He was kind to her and didn¡¯t seem to have any problem with her being Alna¡¯s girlfriend. They¡¯d even had a few pleasant conversations.


    Mr. Holt gave Marianna a thoughtful look before settling back down. Noticing the glance Marianna cast at his papers, he said, ¡°Bank stuff¡± with a vague gesture. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised how much work I end up taking home with me.¡±


    Mr. Holt worked at a bank in Brigate. In fact, she was fairly certain one of her uncles went to it. This wasn¡¯t the first time Marianna had seen him doing homework, so to speak. She¡¯d simply never asked, for fear of being nosy.


    ¡°Many jobs require people to put in extra time,¡± Alna said as she placed a glass of what Marianna assumed was cranberry juice on the table.


    The look Mr. Holt shot his daughter was filled with such fondness that Marianna felt a pang in her chest. When was the last time her own parents looked at her that way? Not for weeks, it seemed.


    ¡°So, Mary,¡± Mr. Holt said while Alna settled into a chair beside her, waiting for the water to boil. ¡°Have any plans for Halloween?¡± From the living room, Marianna could detect the sounds of gunfire emitting from the television. She wasn¡¯t sure if the twins were playing a video game or watching something, but either way, it sounded rather violent.


    ¡°Not much,¡± Marianna replied, taking a sip of her juice. ¡°My friends and I were thinking of going to a party, but we haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± Remembering something, Marianna turned to Alna, who looked like she was only half paying attention to them. ¡°That reminds me. Alna, my friends and I were thinking of going costume shopping this weekend. Would you like to come?¡±


    Alna turned to face her. She paused, looking thoughtful. ¡°Your friend did invite me. I suppose it couldn¡¯t hurt,¡± she said in a mild voice.


    The metal teapot whistled at that moment, alerting everyone that the water was finished boiling. Alna got up and fixed herself some tea while Mr. Holt gave Marianna a look she couldn¡¯t identify. If she had to guess, she would say he looked¡­ Pleased? Weird.


    A minute later, Alna sat back down, removing her phone from her pocket and setting it on the table. She took a sip of her tea, Marianna mimicking her with her juice.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mom tonight?¡± Marianna asked, remembering she hadn¡¯t seen Mrs. Holt at all since she arrived.


    ¡°She got called in,¡± Alna replied, with an air that suggested her mind was elsewhere. Stuck on their ¡°detective work,¡± no doubt. Marianna never knew what to call it. ¡°And then she had to perform emergency surgery. There¡¯s a good chance she won¡¯t be home for hours yet.¡±


    ¡°I hope it turns out all right,¡± Marianna said. Alna flashed her a wry smile that caused Marianna¡¯s heart to pick up its tempo.


    ¡°I hope she gets home at a decent time,¡± Mr. Holt piped in with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°I hate it when she runs herself ragged.¡± The amount of concern in his voice warmed Marianna¡¯s heart. She took another sip of juice to hide her smile.


    ¡°I quite agree,¡± Alna said without inflection.


    Marianna glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and reached over to place her hand atop Alna¡¯s, giving it a slight squeeze. Alna looked over at her, eyes softening. A series of gunfire was heard from the living room, and Alna frowned in its direction. Mr. Holt, too, seemed unsettled, as he pushed his chair back, muttering something about checking on the boys. He left the papers scattered across the table.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t think they should be exposed to too much violence yet, even if it is fictional.¡± Alna sipped her tea, staring straight ahead. ¡°I can¡¯t say I disagree.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Marianna leaned against the back of her chair.


    It was that moment that one of Alna¡¯s knees brushed against Marianna¡¯s leg, causing her pulse to quicken yet again. Which was ridiculous, considering they¡¯d known each other for some time now, the past three weeks spent as a couple.


    ¡°Marianna?¡± Alna asked, and Marianna blushed when she realized she must have missed something Alna had said.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she apologized. ¡°Guess I spaced out for a moment. What were you saying?¡±


    Alna eyed her thoughtfully. ¡°Nothing of particular importance. I was saying¨C¨C¡± Alna¡¯s phone let out a beep, cutting her off. Alna gave it a disinterested look, then stilled, reaching out and grabbing the mobile device. Marianna spotted the word ¡°news¡± on the screen before it was Alna turned it away from her. Alna got alerts about news articles. It didn¡¯t surprise Marianna much, considering what she did in her spare time. In the living room, Marianna heard the video game/movie turn off, one of the twins complaining as Mr. Holt tried to settle them down.


    Marianna peered at her girlfriend¡¯s face, noticing the perturbed look she wasn¡¯t even trying to mask.


    ¡°Alna? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Alna looked up at her grimly.


    ¡°Celine Wilks is dead.¡±


    ***


    Marianna twisted a lock of hair around her finger, surveying her surroundings. Behind her, Alna was silent as she worked at the lock of Celine Wilks¡¯s house. Marianna had meant it when she¡¯d come to the decision to accept Alna, but that didn¡¯t stop a weight from settling in her stomach. A sick feeling that told her what she was doing was wrong.


    Once again, she reminded herself they were doing it for a good reason, even if their methods were questionable.


    ¡°Are you almost done?¡± Marianna asked, keeping her voice low. She felt like a fugitive.


    It¡¯s for a good reason.


    ¡°This method of breaking in is sketchy,¡± Alna said, sounding annoyed. Marianna heard a soft rattle as Alna worked the plastic card between the door and its frame. ¡°It takes some time. Or perhaps I¡¯m not skilled at it. Either way, I would have much preferred a window.¡±


    Swallowing hard, Marianna joked weakly, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure if Ms. Wilks was alive, she¡¯d apologize for not having any convenient windows you could break into.¡±


    Alna let out a quiet huff at that.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said after another minute of tense waiting. Marianna felt tense, anyway. Alna seemed at ease with the entire situation. ¡°I¡¯ve got it; we¡¯re in.¡±


    ¡°Thank God,¡± Marianna breathed out. Casting one last quick look at the back alley, Marianna turned and rushed in after Alna. Turquoise curtains fluttered in her wake.


    Once inside, Alna slid her purse off her arm and opened it, pulling out a carbon monoxide detector, which she turned on. It didn¡¯t look all that different from a smoke detector: white and round in shape, with a light that would presumably flash red when it detected carbon monoxide. In fact, when Alna first presented it, Marianna was bewildered, mistaking it for a smoke detector.


    Marianna fixed her gaze on it, waiting for a high-pitched wailing to emit, but nothing happened. There were no alarming sounds in the house, either. Alna pursed her lips.


    ¡°We should be safe now. If you get a headache or experience any other symptoms, let me know immediately.¡± She leveled Marianna with a hard, steely look¨C¨Csomething Marianna couldn¡¯t remember having directed at her before. Alna sure knew how to get her point across. Marianna swallowed a lump that appeared in her throat and nodded.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Right,¡± Alna affirmed. She glanced down at the detector with a frown before holding it out to Marianna. ¡°If you would hold onto this, I¡¯d like to keep it with us at all times. For safety.¡±


    Marianna took the detector without complaint, holding it against her sternum.


    ¡°Now,¡± Alna announced, and Marianna couldn¡¯t help but wince at the volume of her voice. Alna seemed confident that they were alone in this house. Marianna wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡°Keep your eyes open for anything that seems even strange or out of place. And try to avoid leaving any traces of your presence.¡±


    As if to reinforce her orders, Alna bent down and removed her shoes, leaving them on a purple mat decorated with green swirls. Marianna did the same, scanning the patch of floor she had been standing on for any traces of mud or debris. She brushed some dried mud onto the mat with a gloved hand. When she straightened back up, Alna had already crossed the kitchen they¡¯d entered and was busy examining the stove.


    Marianna forced herself to look away from the evidence of a destroyed life, if only for the moment. She walked over to Alna, her socked feet whispering across the floor. There was a miniature picture on Celine¡¯s black fridge of the woman herself, young and beautiful and unaware of the fate that awaited her. There was a man in the photo, kissing her on the cheek.


    Despite herself, Marianna couldn¡¯t help but think of the devastation Celine¡¯s boyfriend must be feeling. To know he had escaped death because he had been gone the night she¡¯d been poisoned¡­


    Marianna gave herself a mental shake, focusing on Alna, who continued to examine the stove.


    ¡°This does not appear to be a gaslit stove,¡± Alna said. Whether to herself or Marianna, she wasn¡¯t sure.¡°It¡¯s unlikely this released the carbon monoxide.¡±


    Yet, despite her doubts, Alna lifted one of the metal spirals from its nest, leaning forward to examine the source of heat as much as she could without taking the device apart. After a moment, she set the spiral back down, eyebrows pulling together. The detector remained silent.


    Next, Alna examined the oven but was quick to dismiss that. Marianna followed in silence as Alna went to the living room next, scanning everything carefully, pulling the metal door of the fireplace open to peer inside. She dismissed that, too, but not before sticking her head inside, gathering her black tresses with one hand.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Alna hummed, sitting back on her heels. Marianna saw her eye one of the air vents in the hardwood floor.


    While Alna lifted the plastic cage of the vent, Marianna examined her surroundings, an unbidden shiver making its way up her spine. Nothing seemed suspicious to her, although being in the house of a dead woman was¡­ Well, sinister was one way of putting it. That seemed like an understatement, though. Marianna ran her eyes along the grey walls, followed the length of the brown couch, and stopped when something caught her eye. She stepped closer, kneeling so she could get a better look.


    ¡°Marianna?¡± Alna¡¯s voice sounded behind her. ¡°Have you found something?"


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Marianna replied, her answer sounding more like a question itself. She felt more than saw Alna appear behind her and shivered again, for an entirely different reason.


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Alna breathed, her breath brushing the back of Marianna¡¯s head. ¡°This is wonderful.¡± She, too, peered at the single strand of cherry hair, resting half underneath the couch. Given its location, the hair was partially immersed in dust, which Marianna couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle her nose at.


    Alna reached from behind Marianna, as if to grasp it, but drew back. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring anything to store it in.¡±


    Marianna could hear the self-reproach in her voice. She blinked once, not understanding how taking a single strand of hair with them would help anything. It wasn¡¯t like they had any equipment to identify its DNA or something.


    Still, she said, ¡°Wait here.¡±


    She put down the detector and pushed herself into a standing position as Alna moved out of her way. Marianna walked back into the kitchen they had departed minutes before and grabbed a tissue from a box depicting white dots meant to be stars she¡¯d spotted earlier. She doubted Celine¡¯s boyfriend would notice one was missing. Especially in his state of grief. Marianna frowned a bit at that last thought as Alna came back into view.


    ¡°Use this,¡± she suggested, handing the tissue to Alna, who accepted it with reluctance. Noticing this, Marianna added, ¡°I doubt he¡¯d notice the difference.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± Alna admitted. ¡°I prefer to be extremely cautious in delicate circumstances such as this.¡±


    As Alna crouched down once more, pinching the strand between two fingers, Marianna couldn¡¯t resist the urge to attempt another weak joke. ¡°Well, I doubt there¡¯s anyone who would notice something like that. Except maybe you.¡± She picked up the detector.


    Straightening up and placing the tissue in her purse, Alna gave Marianna a wry smile. ¡°Believe it or not, even I would find myself hard-pressed to notice such a small detail.¡± And then, almost as an afterthought, Alna added, ¡°Dear Whitlock.¡±


    Marianna gave Alna a surprised look at the sudden nickname but wasted no time in trailing after her girlfriend as Alna peered out the window of the front door, and checked the back, making sure no one had arrived at the house. When she confirmed that they were safe, Alna grasped Marianna¡¯s hand in an absent-minded gesture, and led her to the hallway located not ten feet from the living room.


    Alna crouched down, Marianna following suit. Alna examined yet another air vent, this one a large, metal vent mounted on the wall. ¡°I wonder¡­¡±


    The position she was in was becoming uncomfortable, so, as Alna opened her purse and pulled out a screwdriver, Marianna shifted into a kneeling position. She watched Alna intently, who was holding the screwdriver next to one of the four screws and giving the screw a thoughtful look.


    Marianna was no expert, but she could see that the screwdriver was too big to do the job. She wondered if Alna had any kind of backup.


    ¡°The screwdriver is incompatible, but I suppose I shall have to make do,¡± Alna explained, answering Marianna¡¯s unvoiced question. Even from her position at Alna¡¯s right, Marianna could see the troubled look crossing her girlfriend¡¯s face. ¡°I abhor leaving scratches behind, but I suppose I shall have to simply use caution.¡± Despite her reluctance, Alna set about her task with haste, eyebrows furrowing with concentration.


    ¡°Well, you know what they say about desperate times,¡± Marianna said¨C¨Chopefully in a helpful manner.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Alna set to work. Marianna leaned forward to get a better view, watching Alna manipulate the screwdriver. When the first screw had been removed with minimal scratch marks left behind, Alna asked Marianna to check for any potential arrivals again. Marianna set down the carbon monoxide detector and went to do so. After peering out the windows as discreetly as possible, Marianna returned with the report that they were still safe.


    Alna nodded, already halfway through the second screw. Judging by how slow Alna was working, the task must have been proving to be difficult, as the screwdriver was at least two times too big for this specific task.


    A few minutes passed in silence¨C¨CAlna wincing and grimacing with every scratch she left behind¨C¨Cbefore Alna removed the final screw. Marianna, having been holding the vent up,  lowered it to the floor, little particles of dust shooting into the air. Alna studied the vent with care.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s tampered with this recently,¡± Alna observed out loud, and Marianna was certain this time that it was for her benefit. Alna ran a black-gloved finger along the slanted bars, gathering a small amount of dust on the tip. ¡°You can tell because¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Because if it hadn¡¯t been, there¡¯d be more dust, right?¡± Marianna interrupted. Alna¡¯s head came up, and Marianna met her eyes, which had a pleased glint in them.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± she confirmed. Breaking her gaze from Marianna¡¯s, Alna leaned forward to peer into the vent, black hair falling over her shoulders. ¡°Here it is,¡± Alna breathed a moment later. She reached for something inside the vent, and pulled out a moment later, cradling a small stove with a propane bottle attached to it. The stove was the kind that someone might take on a camping trip. It was small and silver, with two burners on top that would produce flames when lit. Whoever had put it in Celine¡¯s vent would have had to first get inside without being seen, take the vent covering off, start the stove with burning themselves or causing something even more disastrous¡­ All taking place while Celine was asleep in her bed.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Marianna said, thoroughly disturbed. ¡°Someone sure went through a lot of trouble to pull this off.¡±


    ¡°It appears so.¡± Alna continued to examine the propane bottle as if it were of particular importance.


    Marianna shifted, feeling uneasy as she eyed the bottle. ¡°So, it¡¯s empty, right? We¡¯re safe?¡±


    ¡°If it were not, the detector would have gone off by now,¡± Alna replied, giving the detector a pointed look, which was resting on the floor.  Marianna¡¯s face flushed a bit.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Setting down the propane bottle and stove, Alna peered into the vent once more, and then lifted the covering. ¡°If you would hold this for me, please. I must put this back on.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Marianna agreed, holding the covering steady as Alna started to, with difficulty, screw it back in place. This task took longer than its predecessor, and by the time the vent covering was back in place, a good ten minutes had gone by. Judging by her pinched expression, Alna was aware of this.


    ¡°We should clean up, and then get out of here,¡± Alna said once the covering was sitting snug in its place. She placed the screwdriver in her purse and removed the propane bottle from the stove. And then, gesturing to the stove, she asked, ¡°Would you mind carrying this? I may examine it before I dispose of it.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Marianna agreed in a faint voice. She¡¯d been able to push away the unsettled feeling this place gave her for a little while, but now that she wasn¡¯t focused on watching Alna or checking that they were safe, she felt another shiver run up her spine.


    The two girls went through the rooms they¡¯d been in, cleaning up after themselves, and removing any signs of their presence. That done, they made haste to grab their items and proceed to the back door where Alna peered through the curtains to make sure the coast was clear.


    ¡°A man is walking his dog in the back alley,¡± Alna said in a soft voice. ¡°If you would check the front, please, I would like to know if we are still safe.¡±


    Marianna did so, going to the front door and peering outside, balancing the stove and detector on one arm. A few vehicles drove by, disturbing some orange and yellow leaves resting on the road as they did so. This was one of the more homey parts of the city, consisting of regular houses instead of flats or apartment buildings. Much like where Marianna lived.


    A girl with pigtails rode by on her bike, but there appeared to be no sign of Celine¡¯s boyfriend. Thank God for that.


    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± Marianna reported as she reentered the kitchen, approaching Alna from behind.


    ¡°Indeed, we are.¡± Alna eased the curtains open, leaving the house as they¡¯d found it. ¡°And we are leaving.¡±


    And so they did. Marianna and Alna exited through the way they entered, keeping a careful eye out for anyone who might spot them. There was a heart-stopping moment that occurred when Alna yanked Marianna to one side of the garage, just in time to avoid being spotted by a man across the back alley. Alna was frowning in concentration, and when the man pulled out what looked like a cigarette, Alna let out a huff of annoyance. As the man brought the cigarette to his lips, Alna looked at their surroundings, no doubt calculating how they could leave Celine¡¯s backyard without being spotted.


    Marianna forced herself to slow down her previously quickened breathing, trying to force herself to stay calm. She shifted a bit, clutching the stove and detector. She felt too exposed out here, too vulnerable. Especially with this thing in her hands, with its metal surface reflecting the sunlight.


    Marianna¡¯s attention refocused when Alna readjusted her grip on Marianna¡¯s elbow and eased her along the side of the garage. The man disappeared from view as they left the corner, and soon they reached the other corner. The man was still outside, smoke swirling up into the air. Thankfully, Marianna couldn¡¯t see anyone else.


    ¡°Come,¡± Alna murmured right next to Marianna¡¯s ear, her voice little more than a breath. Marianna snapped her eyes to Alna¡¯s face and gave her a small nod to convey her acknowledgment.


    Alna¡¯s hand never released Marianna¡¯s elbow as she turned away from her girlfriend, easing them toward the front yard. They all but slid along the fence, and for one, wild moment, Marianna felt very much like she had departed from her own, normal world and had instead entered a spy movie. She bit back a hysterical giggle that tried to force itself past her lips.


    Marianna hadn¡¯t even realized that, at some point, she¡¯d stopped breathing, opting instead to hold her breath. By the time they walked across the front yard and were starting down a sidewalk, Marianna¡¯s lungs were screaming at her. She let her breath out in a rush, finally releasing the nervous giggles she had been holding back. Alna turned curious blue eyes on her.


    ¡°Well,¡± Marianna said, with a smile that must have appeared a bit unstable. ¡°That was¡­scary, but kind of fun.¡±


    Alna continued peering at her curiously, seeming unconcerned with watching where she was going. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought so,¡± she replied, sounding thoughtful. ¡°It¡¯s invigorating, in a way.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Marianna agreed. Despite her nerves over the entire thing, Marianna had to admit that something about the entire experience had been exciting. Almost fun. Of course, it would take Mariana until after the fact to appreciate it. The interview with Ms. Ashworth was different. It was risky, yes, but not as much as breaking into someone¡¯s house was.


    Marianna smiled at nothing in particular, her heart rate calming down. She moved the stove and detector to one arm, and squeezed Alna¡¯s hand, leaning her head against her shoulder as they walked on, lapsing into a brief, comfortable silence.


    It wasn¡¯t until about five minutes later, as they were waiting at a bus stop, that Marianna said anything.


    ¡°So,¡± she started, ¡°what do we¨C¨C¡± She was cut off when Alna used her grip on Marianna¡¯s hand to swing her around, a hand cradling Marianna¡¯s neck as Alna pulled her in for a deep kiss. Marianna, startled but not put off, quickly responded, returning the kiss. By the time Alna pulled back, Marianna felt a little lightheaded, though whether it was from lack of oxygen or the intensity of the kiss, she couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alna said with a little, cheeky grin. ¡°I believe I interrupted you. What were you saying?¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± Marianna mumbled, feeling dazed as she gripped her cargo tightly. ¡°I was going to ask what we do now.¡± She blinked a few times as she attempted to remove her brain from the blender it had been shoved into. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    Beaming once more, Alna cupped Marianna¡¯s cheek. ¡°I could tell you were nervous earlier, forced out of your comfort zone. And yet, you persevered. You found some evidence that, while it complicates things, may very well prove helpful.¡± She brushed another kiss across Marianna¡¯s lips, too quick for her to even think about reciprocating. ¡°I¡¯m impressed with how you handled yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well.¡± She felt the telltale warmth on her cheeks. ¡°You did a good job, too. You¡¯re really good at this whole detecting thing.¡±


    A glint appeared in Alna¡¯s eyes. ¡°Dear Whitlock, I do thank you.¡±


    And they shared one last, sweet kiss before pulling away from each other, waiting for the city bus to arrive.


    They spent the ride back to Alna¡¯s place in silence, broken only by idle conversations of the people around them, and some music serving as background noise. Marianna, deciding to indulge herself, reached out for Alna¡¯s hand and grasped it. Alna allowed this with ease, their hands remaining atop Marianna¡¯s thigh for the rest of the ride.

 Chapter Fourteen

    ¡°Well, that was a bust,¡± Marianna said as she and Alna exited their fourth hardware store of the night.


    Alna didn¡¯t answer immediately. As she stepped away from the glass door to allow a couple entrance, she pulled the propane tank from her bag, examining it with a frown. Barring a small hammer stamped to the bottom in black ink, there was nothing about the tank that distinguished it from any other. It was small, green, with a large sticker wrapped around it showing which company it had been sold from. By rights, she shouldn¡¯t have even been carrying it around the way she was, as the label warned of the tank¡¯s flammable nature.


    If Alna wanted to find out which store had sold it, however, she needed a point of reference, and sometimes taking a picture wasn¡¯t sufficient. Besides, she had made sure it was empty before packing it, in the safest way she could think. When she had used the camping stove taken from Wilks¡¯s house, she had been unable to cook the bacon she had used as her test subjects. Thus, she had concluded the tank was empty. She placed the tank in a plastic bag as an extra precaution.


    ¡°It was a long shot to begin with,¡± Alna said, beginning to walk down the sidewalk. She felt Marianna grip her elbow, pulling her to one side. Glancing up, Alna saw a family dressed up for Halloween walking past her, who, in her absent-mindedness, she had almost walked into. She glanced over at Marianna. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As a result of a shopping trip with Marianna¡¯s friends a few days ago, both Alna and Marianna were sporting costumes. Having taken Hikari¡¯s idea to do a couple¡¯s theme, Alna wore an improvised Sherlock Holmes costume. She wore a brown deerstalker with its ear flaps tied on top with a piece of string so they wouldn¡¯t irritate her. Paired with the deerstalker, Alna had donned a light brown trench coat.


    Alna felt rather ridiculous, but considering how much their coordinated costumes made Marianna happy, she couldn¡¯t complain.


    Although it made their current investigation, such as it was, much more ironic.


    In the present, Alna pulled her phone out of her coat¡¯s oversized pocket, doing a quick search. After a moment, she looked at Marianna. ¡°There is one more hardware store three blocks from here. Would you mind checking that out before we quit for the night?¡±


    Marianna frowned in response, pulling her phone out of the pocket of her green tweed jacket. ¡°The party doesn¡¯t start for another two hours, so I¡¯m good to keep going.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Alna said, placing the tank back in her purse. Taking Marianna¡¯s hand, she started to lead them to the next hardware store.


    Passing by a couple dressed as salt and pepper shakers, Alna and Marianna stopped at a street corner, waiting for the light on the opposite end to indicate they could cross. A good number of people crossed anyway, cutting off someone driving a large, black truck. The trucker honked, and when Alna glanced over at him, she saw the man (a mechanic, it looked like) gesturing angrily.


    The light changed, and they crossed the road, avoiding bumping into people.


    ¡°Hey, Alna?¡± Marianna asked. Alna turned to look at her. A good portion of Marianna¡¯s face was cast in shadow, but even still she looked no less beautiful than she had when she first put her costume on. She had paired her tweed jacket with a brown, clip-on tie, with some lines of red added in. On top of that, she wore dark green trousers but had worn her runners, finding dress shoes uncomfortable. She¡¯d put her hair up in a loose ponytail, a black plastic band holding the golden strands in place.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Alna replied, meeting Marianna¡¯s eyes before redirecting her gaze ahead of them.


    She saw Marianna look over at a couple walking past them, dressed as Cleopatra and Batman. Looking back at Alna, she inquired, with some hesitation, ¡°I was just wondering.¡± She paused. ¡°Have you ever seen a dead body?¡±


    Alna turned her gaze to Marianna once more, frowning a bit.


    ¡°It¡¯s just,¡± Marianna continued, cheeks colouring a bit underneath her foundation. ¡°You¡¯ve been this whole thing¡±¨C¨Cshe made a vague gesture with her left hand¨C¨C¡± for, what, two years now?¡±


    Alna didn¡¯t reply immediately, examining their surroundings out of habit more than anything else.


    ¡°Have I ever seen a body?¡± Alna clarified as if there hadn¡¯t been a pause in their conversation. ¡°I have, although not in the context you¡¯re referring to. At least, not up close.¡± She gave Marianna a wry look. ¡°Police are not too keen on letting the public view the bodies in their morgue. That hasn¡¯t stopped me from viewing the pictures they take, however.¡±


    Alna could hear the amusement in Marianna¡¯s voice as she said, ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Choosing not to respond to that last comment, Alna continued, ¡°If you wish to know if I¡¯ve ever seen a body up close, then yes, I have.¡± They stopped at yet another crosswalk. To Alna¡¯s left, a cluster of teenage girls stood together, leaning on each other and giggling drunkenly. ¡°My great-grandfather,¡± she continued. ¡°It was an open-casket funeral.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Marianna said, voice sincere.


    Alna glanced off to the side. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    A white glowing sign appeared up ahead as they crossed the street. Alna said, ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± ending the conversation.


    Mick¡¯s Hardware wasn¡¯t what one would call classy. As she entered behind Marianna, Alna surveyed it. This store was cleaner than some of the other stores she and Marianna had visited tonight. The maroon floor looked to have been polished recently, as it reflected the bright lights hanging from the ceiling. To encourage people to buy as many things as possible, a display of hammers, wrenches, and drills were positioned five feet away from the entrance.


    Conveniently, the shelves to Alna¡¯s right contained exactly what she and Marianna were looking for: propane tanks, alongside roasting sticks and various other items a camper may require.


    Alna tugged on Marianna¡¯s hand, leading her towards the shelves in question. She extracted the plastic-wrapped propane tank from her bag, holding it out to Marianna, who accepted it with no small amount of confusion. Down the aisle, a man dressed as Frankenstein¡¯s monster browsed the shelves.


    ¡°Use this as a reference while I look at the tanks,¡± Alna said in a low voice. And then, catching herself, added, ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    The sunny smile Marianna gave her showed she didn¡¯t. Quite the opposite. Her willingness to help made something in Alna ache a bit¨C¨Cshe dare not say her heart. That was ridiculous.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± Marianna turned to examine the ones on the shelf with a puckered brow. Alna thought she looked cute.


    She turned away, picking up a tank.


    It didn¡¯t take her long to figure out that, after all their walking around, they had finally found the right store. The propane tank in Alna¡¯s hand was identical to the one taken from Wilks¡¯s in every way. From the size of the tank, to the shade of green, there was no doubt the same manufacturer made this one as the tank used to end Wilks¡¯s life. Alna peered at the bottom of the tank. There. A stamp of a hammer in black ink.


    ¡°Looks like we''re in the right place,¡± Marianna said, just as Alna was about to voice the same thought.


    Alna nodded. ¡°I believe we are.¡±


    Setting down the tank, Alna captured Marianna¡¯s hand. Tangling their fingers together, Alna led her to a shelf opposite the one they were standing next to. Peering at the end of the aisle, Alna concluded that she and Marianna were about as alone as they could get. It was rather convenient that the store wasn¡¯t too busy this time of night. And that, according to a sign Alna had seen on the glass door, it stayed open later on certain holidays.


    She turned to Marinna, ducking her head so she could talk to her more quietly. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to do this interview by myself.¡±


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    Marianna¡¯s brows drew together, displaying her dissatisfaction. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have said this earlier?¡±


    Before Alna could say anything more, a woman entered the aisle, picking up a small shovel to examine it. Alna stepped away from Marianna, guiding her away from the woman. They stopped next to a birdcage with a canary in it, which appeared to be the store¡¯s pet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Alna apologized. ¡°I intended for us to do this together.¡± Spotting a camera mounted above them on the wall, Alna angled her body so it wouldn¡¯t see what she was saying. One could never be too careful. ¡°But there are not that many people here right now. One person asking strange questions is one thing, but two¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weirder,¡± Marianna finished for her. She pursed her lips, not looking particularly satisfied. Alna watched her carefully. When Marianna blew out a frustrated breath, Alna felt a twinge of guilt.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Marianna said. ¡°Do what you have to.¡± As the canary chittered, its white feathers puffing, Marianna gave Alna the tank and made a jerky motion with her hands, miming something Alna didn¡¯t understand. ¡°I¡¯ll take notes on whatever you learn later.¡±


    That¡¯s what the gesture meant. Alna squeezed Marianna¡¯s hand in another, silent apology. She wanted to kiss her, but didn¡¯t dare bring that attention to themselves. Not now.


    Marianna¡¯s eyes softened, although she continued to look annoyed.


    With one last shared look, Alna approached the cashier¡¯s desk, located at the back of the store.


    She had to wait in line, which was to be expected. That didn¡¯t stop Alna from being annoyed. However, Alna reasoned with herself, it wasn¡¯t as though she and Marianna were in much of a hurry. If Alna could wrap up the conversation in ten minutes, there would still be enough time to get Marianna to her party.


    For a moment, Alna considered going to the party with Marianna. It might make up for irritating her. She discarded the idea. Large groups of people were rarely Alna¡¯s idea of fun, and if this party was anything like the dance club she¡¯d met Marianna at, Alna would either be irritated by the loud noises and smothering body heat or ¡°bored out of her skull,¡± as the saying went.


    If Marianna continued to be unhappy, Alna would find another way to make it up to her.


    Thankfully, the boy in front of her (no older than seventeen, responsible for his age, going by his watch and neat hair) finished with his purchase. Alna stepped forward, coming to stand in front of the girl manning her cash register. She arranged her face into a polite expression, watching as the girl tried to mask her obvious boredom with a cheerful facade meant to trick patrons into thinking she loved working here.


    ¡°Hi!¡± the girl greeted Alna. Her bicoloured eyes (blue-brown) darted to Alna¡¯s hands as Alna placed the tank in front of her. She reached for it. ¡°Is that everything for you?¡±


    She was already scanning the propane tank before Alna could get a word in. Alna resisted the urge to sigh.


    ¡°Actually,¡± Alna cut in, reaching out a hand to stop her from saying anything more. ¡°I have some questions if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    The salesgirl (Bridgit, according to her nametag) gave her a cheerful nod that looked painfully fake. ¡°Of course. Do you need help finding anything?¡±


    This hadn¡¯t been her first choice for a job, Alna observed.


    ¡°In a sense.¡± Alna gestured to the propane tank, which Bridgit still grasped between hands adorned with two rings each. Those must go against the dress code. Considering it was Halloween, she could probably get away with it without facing too many repercussions.


    ¡°Someone else bought this tank not too long ago, you see.¡± This gained a frown from Bridgit, who began to inspect the tank. She lifted it, realizing for the first time how empty it was. Her eyebrows drew together in obvious confusion. ¡°I wanted to ask,¡± Alna continued, bringing Bridgit¡¯s bicoloured eyes back to her, ¡°if you have any idea who bought this one.¡±


    Bridgit¡¯s purple eyebrows rose at that. She looked rather like a punk teenager, with a black skull and crossbones shirt, and spiked choker with bracelets to match.


    And she was looking at Alna as if she had the single most outrageous question she had ever heard. To be fair, it was a rather stupid question, and in truth, Alna doubted her chances of getting a satisfactory answer. Still, the girl could at least attempt professional courtesy, could she not?


    Although, given that Bridgit likely had some kind of criminal history, such a thing may be difficult for her.


    With an ironic twist of her lips that told Alna this girl was mocking her, Bridgit said, with barely restrained humor, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know the answer to that.¡± And then, with a jerk of her head toward the other salesperson: ¡°Jian¡¯s here more than I am, though.¡±


    Alna didn¡¯t doubt that; the scars on Bridgit¡¯s hands showed she¡¯d been in a knife fight at one point or another. She was no expert, but she would guess the scars were about a year old. Perhaps this job had been set up by her parents or probation officer to teach her responsibility.


    ¡°Hey, Jian,¡± Bridgit tossed over her shoulder before Alna could approach the boy himself. ¡°Someone needs you.¡±


    ¡°One sec.¡± The boy in question handed a man his change. Two other people were waiting in line on Jian¡¯s side of the till, so Alna moved out of the way, allowing the people lined behind her to pay for their items.


    Seeing as she now had a moment, Alna tossed her gaze around the store in search of Marianna. The girl in question wasn¡¯t far at all. She was standing at the end of one shelf, examining the tea displayed there. Interesting how tea, of all things, was right next to electric drills.


    The boy, Jian, approached her, bringing her attention to him. Unlike his coworker, Jian was dressed in a more professional manner, even wearing a light blue apron with the store¡¯s logo stitched into the upper left-hand corner. He was Chinese with inky black hair that brushed his forehead, not one strand out of place. His Halloween costume consisted of some simple black eyeliner and scarlet contacts that gave him a demonic look. Apart from that, Jian wore a simple, striped t-shirt under his apron.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± Jian asked, his tone both polite and distant. Unlike Bridgit, he didn¡¯t appear bored. Rather, he seemed content with his job.


    Alna pasted a sheepish look on her face, sliding the propane tank over the counter. ¡°Bit of a stupid question,¡± she began, ¡°but would you have any idea who bought this tank? I¡¯m doing this scavenger hunt, you see. Some idiot thought it would be a great idea to get us tracking stuff all over the place.¡±


    Jian was professional enough not to look too sceptical. Still, Alna could tell from the quick twitch in his cheek that he thought her ridiculous. He didn¡¯t comment, though, and instead took the tank from her. He walked back to his side of the counter, making a vague gesture that told Alna to follow him.


    Alna did. Much like Bridgit had done, he scanned the tank and then did some research on the rather bulky computer. Alna resisted the urge to tap her fingers, not wanting to show how impatient she was becoming.


    It took less than a minute for Jian to answer her, although Alna¡¯s impatience insisted that it must have taken longer than that.


    ¡°You have to understand,¡± Jian began, looking back at her, ¡°we have tons of customers in here every day, and we don¡¯t exactly ask for all of their names.¡±


    Alna forced herself to nod in acknowledgment, keeping her face devoid of any emotion. This clearly unnerved Jian because returned his eyes to the computer, chapped lips pressed together.


    ¡°But I am here almost every day, so I might be able to help you.¡± He pulled out a small pile of pink sticky notes and a pen. Bending down, Jian wrote some brief descriptions. Alna tried to read the notes without being too obvious about it; the ability to read upside down came in handy sometimes.


    Middle-aged man, maybe forty. Brown hair.


    Woman, thirty-something. Red hair.


    Woman. Black hair.


    Jian wrote a few more brief descriptions before handing the paper to Alna. He looked bewildered. Alna didn¡¯t blame him. This was rather unconventional.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky this isn¡¯t a big-name store, otherwise I doubt anyone would have been able to help with your hunt.¡± There was an edge of disbelief in Jian¡¯s voice. He didn¡¯t believe her story. In truth, a scavenger hunt was far from Alna¡¯s best cover story, but in this situation, there was a limited amount of stories she could use to convince someone to give her the information she wanted. At least it had appeared to pay off. She hadn¡¯t been expecting to get names; and this was a start.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right,¡± Alna agreed, accepting the paper. She picked up the propane tank as well, placing it in her bag. ¡°Thank you so much. You¡¯ve been very helpful.¡±


    ¡°Just doing my job, miss,¡± Jian told her with the barest hint of sarcasm. ¡°Happy Halloween.¡±


    ¡°To you as well.¡±


    That said, Alna folded the pink piece of paper and slipped it into the pocket of her jacket, turning on her heel to search for Marianna. Her girlfriend hadn¡¯t gone far. She was now standing much closer to the checkout, next to a rack of miniature statues designed to be Halloween decorations. She held one in her hands, examining it with what seemed to be genuine interest.


    Alna crept up behind her, wrapping her arms around Marianna¡¯s waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. Marianna tensed for a moment before relaxing when she realized it was Alna. She held up the statue so that Alna could see it better. It was a figure of a vampire sitting on a rock, wearing a black dress that covered the rock almost completely, exposing her legs. Her back was arched, mouth wide open to expose bloody fangs as she seemed to shriek at the sky, dark hair wild and untamed as it tumbled down her back.


    ¡°I think this is supposed to be Carmilla,¡± Marianna explained.  Either she had gotten over her earlier ire, or was choosing not to voice it at the moment. ¡°You know, from that lesbian horror book. Have you ever read it?¡±


    ¡°I have not.¡± Alna tightened her hold on Marianna. ¡°Although I have heard of it.¡±


    Marianna set the statue down next to a replica of the Statue of Liberty with its features twisted into a snarl. ¡°I have. I used to enjoy reading gay and lesbian books. Still do. I think it made me feel less repressed.¡±


    Marianna fell silent. Alna tried to think of something comforting to say. She came up with many phrases meant to soothe, but none that did not sound fake or clich¨¦.


    She settled for, ¡°Let¡¯s get you to your party, shall we?¡±


    Marianna leaned back against her. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen

    Marianna felt a bit guilty for leaving Alna behind for the party last night, but she couldn¡¯t deny she¡¯d had fun. After leaving the party, Hikari had convinced Marianna to drive them to a candy store¨C¨Cminus Blaze, who¡¯d gone to take his date home. Not that Marianna had taken much convincing.


    There, the three friends had bought a grocery bag¡¯s worth of treats, and retreated to Sadie¡¯s house with their prizes and promptly stuffed themselves while watching a horror movie Sadie swore by. The movie scared Hikari and Marianna so much, they¡¯d barely been able to catch any sleep at all. Sadie (the traitor) was unbothered by the entire thing and dared to fall asleep mere minutes after the movie ended, which, according to Hikari, was ¡°so not fair.¡±


    And that was how Marianna found herself clambering out of her parents¡¯ truck at nearly eleven-thirty on Sunday morning, her deadened brain having been forced awake by two cups of sugary coffee.


    Marianna squinted reproachfully at the cheery sunlight as it assaulted her eyes, more stumbling than walking up to the front door of her house. Having a sleepover last night hadn¡¯t been anyone¡¯s plan, meaning Marianna was still wearing her costume from yesterday and was sporting a severe case of bedhead.


    I probably look drunk, Marianna thought with an internal laugh as she rifled around her purse for her house key. Sticking the key in the lock, Marianna let herself into her house, eyes narrowed against the bright light that insisted on assaulting her. Once inside, Marianna collapsed into the chair next to the door and fumbled with her shoes until they were successfully removed.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Marianna called into the quiet.


    There was no reply, except for the sound of one the air vents turning on to circulate warm air through the house. Marianna straightened, running her gaze over the living room without any real comprehension.


    Every curtain in the living room was open, making Marianna want to squeeze her eye.


    She didn¡¯t, though. Marianna walked to the center of the living room, trying to make her brain work.


    It was then she remembered her mother was at church, and her father was likely with her. That, or he was hanging out with his buddies. Honestly, she was a bit surprised neither of her parents was there, lying in wait to interrogate her or something. She wouldn¡¯t have put it past her father to stay at home for that exact reason.


    Marianna¡¯s mild confusion abated when she found a note in the kitchen, informing her that Dad had been called into work; he was an electrician, so that made sense. It also asked her to call or text one of her parents when she got home. Marianna didn¡¯t even try to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. If she¡¯d thought her parents were strict before, it didn¡¯t hold a candle to how they¡¯d been since finding out about her orientation.


    Still, she sent a quick text to both her parents, telling them that she was home and was going to take a nap. Which was true, but if it dissuaded Mom and Dad from asking unnecessary questions, that would be a nice side effect.


    Removing her Halloween coat, Marianna made her way to her bedroom, the effects of the coffee she¡¯d had earlier starting to wear off. Once in her room, Marianna shimmied out of her clothes and selected a pair of grey sweat pants and an old, worn black t-shirt with the words ¡°Morning sucks¡± printed on the front. Already Marianna felt more comfortable, and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.


    That done, Marianna played some relaxing music on her phone, hoping to keep last night¡¯s horror movie far from her mind. She crawled into bed, pulling her galaxy blanket over herself. The soft strains of a piano had her asleep in under two minutes.


    ***


    Marianna woke up sometime later, rolling over to peer at her clock with half-lidded eyes. Five o''clock. She¡¯d been asleep for a little over six hours. Not that it felt like enough, Marianna thought as she shifted back onto her back, eyes fixing on her ceiling. It was plain and white. Marianna wondered if putting a poster there would be a good idea; something to look at when she woke up. A picture of a waterfall, for instance.


    Eyes drifting shut, Marianna considered going back to sleep. However, as she rolled onto her other side, something brushed her arm. Blinking blearily, Marianna lifted her blanket to discover her phone charger resting on the mattress, the white of the charger obvious against her purple and blue sheets.


    To someone else, such a thing might not have been a big deal. It took Marianna¡¯s sleep-addled brain a moment to process the significance.


    Marianna always kept her charger on the headboard of her bed, unless she was taking it somewhere with her or charging her phone. There had been some incidents in the past when she¡¯d misplaced the darn thing. After this happened four or five times (twice in which she¡¯d given up and bought a new one), Marianna resolved to keep her charger in one place at all times. It was effective, too. Since then, she hadn¡¯t lost it for over a year and a half.


    Its being out of place meant one of two things: either Marianna somehow moved it yesterday without realizing it (which was unlikely) or someone had been in her room. And she had a good idea of who it could have been.


    Any lingering exhaustion fled altogether as Marianna shot out of her bed and stormed to the kitchen, ignoring the chill that hit her body as she left the safety of her bed. Her parents were sitting at the kitchen table across from each other, eating supper. Dad¡¯s eyes, so similar to Marianna¡¯s own, seemed to assess her much like Alna¡¯s searching gaze. Except, from him, it felt much more invasive.


    The sight of her parents doing something so normal after they had violated her privacy incensed Marianna even more.


    ¡°Mary¨C¨C¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Were you in my room?¡± Marianna snapped, her arms crossing over her chest as she glared at them. Her sleep-rumpled appearance ruined the effect, but Marianna didn¡¯t care. She needed answers.


    Both Mom and Dad¡¯s faces closed off almost simultaneously. There was a brief pause in which Marianna¡¯s vision nearly went red.


    ¡°Well, what else did you expect us to do, Marianna?¡± Dad all but growled, hand tightening around his fork.


    Again with her full name. Marianna wished they wouldn¡¯t do that¨C¨Csay her full name as reproach. She quite liked it.


    ¡°What do I¨C¨C¡± Marianna¡¯s cheeks flushed, her eyes narrowing. ¡°What I expect is for you to respect my privacy,¡± she lashed out. One hand reached up and pushed itself through her tangled hair. ¡°What were you even doing in there?¡± She was fairly certain she knew their reasons for entering her room, but as Marianna pressed her fingertips to her forehead to try and regain some of her composure, she figured she¡¯d give them the benefit of doubt.


    ¡°Marianna,¡± Mom began, standing up and holding her hands out in a placating manner, ¡°we¡¯re both worried about you. We were just¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Going through my things,¡± Marianna finished for her. The look on her parents¡¯ faces was enough to confirm her suspicions. ¡°God, Mom, seriously?¡± Marianna pinched the skin between her eyes and allowed her eyelids to slide shut, trying to stay calm.


    ¡°Well,¡± Dad said, ¡°if you¡¯d agree to see a therapist, we wouldn¡¯t be having this problem.¡±


    ¡°The problem being me liking boys and¡±¨C¨Cshe put deliberate emphasis on ¡°and¡±¨C¨C¡±girls.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. Marianna didn¡¯t miss the way her mother¡¯s mouth tightened at the words. She drew in a breath, feeling calmer now, but no less indignant.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you a thousand times; I¡¯m not going to see a therapist because there¡¯s nothing wrong with me. I¡¯m not sick,¡± she added when Mom opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not rebelling, I¡¯m not going through a phase, and nothing made me ¡®this way.¡¯¡± Not that they believed that. ¡°I¡¯m dating Alna because I like her. Because I enjoy spending time with her. There¡¯s nothing sinister about it.¡±


    Mom sighed and pressed a hand to her face as if Marianna was the one acting unreasonable. She wanted to scream. ¡°Honey.¡± God, Marianna could not deal with that affectionate nickname. Not now. Not when they were talking about this. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking clearly.¡±


    All right, Marianna admitted, she had a point there. Her anger was scrambling her brain, not to mention making her act unlike her regular self. But after weeks of being treated like a basket case, of barely being able to breathe in a certain way without earning sharp looks, Marianna was certain she was reaching the end of her tether.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with me.¡± Marianna heard an edge of resignation in her voice. And then, her anger bubbling back to the surface: ¡°And if you can¡¯t see that, then I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    Dad¡¯s face started to turn a startling shade of fuschia. ¡°Marianna Whit¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this now,¡± Marianna cut him off, holding her hands out. Her anger simmered, coming close to boiling over. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± Or Hikari or Sadie¡¯s house, she thought.


    Marianna knew it was a cowardly move, but she¡¯d never been the type of person who liked to drag out an argument. If she¡¯d had it her way, things with her parents would have been fixed weeks ago.


    When Marianna heard a set of footsteps following, she redirected her course from her bedroom to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Leaning against it, Marianna dropped her head into her hands, trying to ignore the sting of tears in her eyes. Her feet flexed, instinctively recoiling from the cold bathroom floor. A knock sounded behind her. Mom¡¯s voice called her name, but Marianna paid no attention to her. Instead, she straightened up and faced the porcelain sink, turning the tap to release a steady stream of water. After staring at it for a moment, Marianna opened a drawer and pulled out some dental floss. She allowed her raging thoughts to take a backseat as she went through the mechanical motions of flossing and brushing her teeth, soon moving onto her hair. Mom eventually gave up on getting her attention. Marianna heard her footsteps retreat.


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    Once her hair was free of tangles, Marianna surveyed the hint of bags under her eyes. She looked completely worn out, she thought, glaring at her haggard reflection. And the day had started so well, too. Groaning to herself, Marianna ducked her head and splashed some frigid water on her face.


    After taking a long, hot shower, Marianna walked back to her room, feeling much more clear-headed than earlier. Going over to her closet, Marianna selected some casual day clothes: a long since faded blue shirt,and a pair of jeans with a gaping hole in the knee from a time she¡¯d slipped and fell on ice. She eyed her bedroom door, half expecting one of her parents to enter in an attempt to continue their earlier ¡°discussion.¡±


    Snatching her purse off the floor, Marianna pulled her phone out, its screen immediately lighting up to inform her that she had received two texts since noon. Both from Alna.


    How was your night? the first one read. And then, sent almost an hour later: Research results are not improving. That one was from two hours ago. No other messages or calls followed. Alna must have realized Marianna wasn¡¯t likely to get back to her anytime soon.


    Knowing that Alna was thinking about her brought a smile to Marianna¡¯s face.


    Instead of replying to the texts, Marianna opened up her contacts and scrolled down until she found her girlfriend¡¯s number, and clicked ¡°call.¡± As it rang, she arranged her pillows against the headboard and leaned against them. She played with a loose string in her jean leg, eyeing the dust motes floating in the sunshine.


    ¡°Marianna,¡± Alna greeted three rings in. Marianna smiled.


    ¡°Hey, Alna.¡± She slid further down her pillows. ¡°How are you? Busy night?¡±


    ¡°Most definitely,¡± Alna said, a hint of bitterness in her voice. Marianna frowned in sympathy.


    ¡°Still nothing?¡±


    ¡°Other than what we learned from Jian, not a whisper,¡± Alna muttered sullenly. She paused. ¡°I¡¯ve been taking a break. I don¡¯t want to overwork my brain.¡±


    Marianna laughed. ¡°Somehow I doubt such a thing is possible.¡±


    ¡°Oh, believe me, it is very possible. It happens about twice a month if I¡¯m not overdoing it as I have been recently.¡±


    ¡°Well, what time did you go to sleep last night?¡± Marianna asked with concern, eyebrows furrowing. And then, ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite all right,¡± Alna assured her. ¡°I went to sleep at five twenty-three.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Marianna exclaimed, jerking upright. She stared at her white door for lack of anything better. ¡°Alna, that¡¯s crazy.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Alna agreed. ¡°But when I focus my attention on something, time becomes meaningless.¡±


    Marianna groaned, settling back against her pillows. Talking about late nights was making her eyelids droop. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t exactly judge.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Marianna took that simple syllable as an invitation, and soon she was launching into a detailed description of her night. She left very little out, hinting at how much candy she and her friends had eaten, and complaining about the movie Sadie made them watch. When she got to the part about her parents¡¯ searching through her room, Marianna¡¯s earlier anger returned with a vengeance. Soon her voice was rising several octaves before she checked herself and lowered it. By the time Marianna finished, a good ten to fifteen minutes had passed, and there was silence on the other end of the line. It stretched on so long that Marianna pulled her phone away from her ear to make sure the call hadn¡¯t disconnected somehow. Confirming that it hadn¡¯t, Marianna brought the phone back to her ear.


    ¡°Alna?¡± she asked, half wondering if the other girl had put down the phone somewhere while she ranted. Not that Marianna could blame her if she¡¯d done so.


    ¡°So...bad day, then?¡±


    The question, having come from nowhere, surprised a laugh out of Marianna. ¡°That¡¯s one way of putting it, yeah,¡± she agreed. ¡°But I thought you hated it when people stated the obvious.¡±


    ¡°It can be acceptable under certain circumstances'''' was Alna¡¯s only response. Marianna¡¯s lips twitched up on their own accord. They fell a moment later as a frown settled on Marianna features.


    ¡°I mean,¡± she said with a sigh, head falling back so she could stare at her ceiling, ¡°what were they expecting to find? Porn?¡±


    Just saying the word made her cheeks heat up. Alna¡¯s next words only caused them to flush even more.


    ¡°It is very possible.¡± Before Marianna could get a word in, she continued, ¡°From their perspective, you have been hiding a part of yourself for years. Something they consider to be harmful. They may think you have¡­indulged over the years.¡±


    For a moment, Marianna was at a loss for what to say. ¡°I¡­¡± She pressed a hand to her face, half-wishing she¡¯d explode to save her from having this conversation. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t even make it through the more intimate scenes in books without having to skip them, for crying out loud.


    Removing one of her pillows from behind her back, Marianna pressed it to her face, not knowing if she was trying to tone down the heat in her cheeks or smother herself.


    ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t find that surprising,¡± Alna said. She sounded entertained. ¡°But from what you have told me, your parents are seeing you in a different light these days. Which is ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Marianna muttered, lowering the pillow. Alna hummed.


    ¡°Anyway, what have you been up to? I mean, besides research.¡± Her attempt to change the subject was painful in how palpable it was, but Alna gave no reaction and instead went with it.


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m doing some math at the moment; I might watch a show of some sort later.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s lips twitched up. ¡°You¡¯re writing more math on your wall? I bet your mother loves that.¡± The last time Marianna had been in Alna¡¯s room, the equation almost reached the corner of her wall.


    ¡°She¡¯s not fond of it, no, but it is my room. I shall do what I please.¡±


    Marianna sighed fondly. ¡°Oh, Alna, whatever will I do with you?¡±


    ¡°That is up for you to decide,¡± Alna said. ¡°Although I hope it involves going on another date with me because I believe it is high time we attempt to do something normal, for once.¡±


    Marianna didn¡¯t even try to hold back the laughter that bubbled up inside her, and if she had been standing she would have bent in half from the sheer force of her giggles. Maybe it was stress or maybe it was the random suggestion, but either way, laughing felt nice.


    She wiped some tears from her eyes, still grinning.


    ¡°Sure, sounds great.¡±


    ***


    The next day, at about seven in the morning, Marianna arrived at St. Gloria Park and hopped off the bus. Gripping her purse and a small paper bag with donuts in it, Marianna started up one of the paved paths, eyes sweeping over the expanse of grass laid out before her. This park didn¡¯t have a pond like some did, and made up for that fact with a children''s playground, coloured mostly blue and red. The playground was every young child¡¯s dream. It seemed to have almost every playground equipment possible, from swings to a merry-go-round, and tire swings. There was even a dance floor, of sorts, consisting of white cement inlaid with various pieces of broken glass. The effect was mesmerizing, as the sun glinted off every individual piece of glass, making it look rather like one large, glittering rainbow from the right angle.


    Marianna found herself wishing such a thing had existed at the playgrounds she used to play on.


    It was next to this very dance floor that Alna sat, clad in black as usual, her back facing the floor. She waved at Marianna, her dark clothes a startling contrast to the merry rainbow twinkling behind her.


    Marianna approached, dodging around a woman walking her small, excitable dog, whose pink tongue hung out as it panted happily.


    Leaves crinkling underfoot, Marianna walked over to the picnic table Alna was sitting at, which had seen better days.


    ¡°Just curious,¡± Marianna said in place of a greeting a moment later, taking a seat on the wooden bench. It was a bit damp from the light rain last night. ¡°Do you ever wear anything that isn¡¯t black?¡± She placed the paper bag on the picnic table as Alna handed her a breakfast sandwich with eggs and bacon in it. A cup of hot chocolate, accompanied by three sugar packets and a shaker of cinnamon was next. Marianna couldn¡¯t help but feel touched for Alna¡¯s consideration of her sweet and spicy tastes.


    ¡°Of course I do.¡± Alna accepted the chocolate, cream-filled donut Marianna passed to her. ¡°Occasionally. I¡¯ve found that black fits best with my complexion.¡±


    Okay, she had a point there, Marianna admitted to herself as she sprinkled some sugar into her medium hot chocolate. Alna was quite pale, but she didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°Good point.¡± Marianna sprinkled a healthy dose of cinnamon into her hot chocolate before giving it a quick stir and taking a sip. Resisting the urge to sigh at the warmth sliding down her throat, she asked, ¡°So, any new developments?¡±


    Alna¡¯s expression turned immediately frustrated, and it didn¡¯t require one to be a genius to see the tension in her posture. Alna finished chewing and swallowing a bite of her breakfast sandwich before answering. ¡°No.¡± She took a pull from the smoothie she¡¯d gotten for herself. ¡°Although I forced myself to get a proper night¡¯s sleep last night, so I did less research than I could have.¡±


    Marianna couldn¡¯t deny that the killer¡¯s lack of action was troubling, but she also couldn¡¯t help feeling glad Alna was taking better care of herself. She stalled by taking a bite and sip of her breakfast items respectively, eyeing a red light reflected onto her hand from the dance floor. She didn¡¯t want to sound demeaning, but¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re not a cop, Alna, so, technically, catching criminals isn¡¯t your job. I don¡¯t think anybody will blame you if you take a bit of a break.¡±


    Alna sighed but, thankfully, didn¡¯t look at all offended. ¡°I¡¯m well aware,¡± she said, her voice flat. Neither of them spoke for a moment.


    It wasn¡¯t until Marianna started on her chai spice donut, powdered sugar sticking to her fingers, that Alna piped up. ¡°I started doing it because I was bored.¡±


    Marianna ducked her head as she chuckled. One of the many things Marianna had learned while she¡¯d known Alna was that her girlfriend was prone to excessive bouts of boredom if she couldn¡¯t find something to entertain her; something enjoyable or intellectually challenging. With Alna, those two often seemed to go hand in hand.


    ¡°That sounds like you,¡± she admitted. After pausing a moment, Marianna teased, ¡°Do you think you might have EBS?¡± She looked up in time to catch Alna¡¯s bewildered look.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Excessive Boredom Syndrome,¡± Marianna elaborated, watching the corners of Alna¡¯s eyes crinkle with amusement.


    ¡°How long did it take you to come up with that one?¡± she asked sarcastically. Marianna¡¯s cheeks heated up a bit.


    ¡°Just came up with it now,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Thought so,¡± Alna replied. As if to reassure her, Alna gave Marianna¡¯s hand a brief squeeze. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right, though. I do seem to have EBS.¡±


    They switched to lighter topics after that, with both girls keeping a careful eye on the time so that Marianna wouldn¡¯t be late for school. Which is what they ended up talking about.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been a big fan of social studies,¡± Marianna admitted. ¡°I mean, I know history and politics are important to learn, but it¡¯s never been my thing.¡± By this point, both had finished their sandwiches and donuts, leaving Marianna to loosely clasp her to-go cup between her hands.


    Alna looked thoughtful. ¡°Do you find it challenging?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± Marianna admitted. ¡°Sometimes it seems like they give us too many dates to remember. I mean,¡± she continued, ¡°I know the basics of the history: about the meteorite hitting the island, Henri Wallstone finding and naming it Starla because of that, but other things are more difficult to remember.¡±


    Alna nodded along with Marianna¡¯s words. ¡°I understand,¡± she said with sincerity.


    Marianna looked at her in amusement. ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You have a photographic memory.¡± Alna had told her as much not long after they¡¯d started working together to find the murderer.


    Alna cocked her head in acknowledgment, making no move to rebuke her.

 Chapter Sixteen

    It was obvious that Marianna wasn¡¯t listening to Alna¡¯s chatter, but she didn¡¯t allow this to deter her.


    As she walked around the kitchen, grabbing flour, chocolate chips and other various ingredients for the cookies she planned to make, Alna kept talking, hoping that it would lessen Marianna¡¯s mood. If only a little.


    ¡°The amount of symbolism in the book is rather astonishing, to some,¡± she said, dumping some flour into a large plastic bowl. She looked over her shoulder to where Marianna was sitting at the kitchen table, forlornly scrolling through some online pictures on her phone. Turning back around, Alna continued, ¡°I think it¡¯s overdone to the point of being redundant.¡± She mixed ingredients, already feeling the oppressive boredom press down upon her. Even still, Alna was determined to get through it. Marianna deserved to have something nice done for her.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Marianna muttered, still not paying Alna any mind.


    Not even turning around, Alna voiced an affirmative and began a commentary on an article she had read months ago. With her photographic memory, Alna could have recited it from beginning to end, but she knew for a fact that Marianna would have no interest in that. Not that she was interested in anything Alna had said since she showed up, but she hoped that her rambling would offer Marianna some distraction, if nothing else.


    At least Marianna was no longer sobbing in Alna¡¯s arms. Alna could only recall two other occasions in her life when she had felt such burning anger. She¡¯d wanted to storm to the Whitlock house and unleash a torrent of her most harsh, most brutal observations¨C¨Cwanted to use her words to rip Marianna¡¯s parents to threads.


    But that would only complicate Marianna¡¯s life further. And so Alna resolved to help Marianna in a less disruptive way. Thus, baking.


    Closing the oven, Alna turned around. The sight of her distressed girlfriend sent an irrational surge of anger through Alna, making her jaw clench. She took a moment to compose herself. When she was sure her face had settled into a mask of calm, Alna went over to the kitchen table, taking a seat across from Marianna. She touched her wrist gently.


    Marianna, who was looking more mentally present, looked at the oven interest.  ¡°What kind of cookies are you making, again?¡±


    ¡°Chocolate chip with cinnamon,¡± Alna reminded her, not even minding the repetition of the question. Marianna was much calmer now, and that was all that mattered. Although there was still a sheen of tears in her eyes, Marianna no longer looked as though she was suffering from both a mental and emotional breakdown, but looked to be recovering from the aftereffects.


    With an exhausted smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes, Marianna said, ¡°Sounds good.¡± She closed her eyes, cradling her cheek with her hand as she sighed. ¡°They hate me,¡± she announced, her voice so forlorn and resigned that Alna, for all that she could be callous, could almost swear she felt something inside her twinge in sympathy.


    Alna was well aware of her bias, but with her cheeks red from weeping, her eyes clouded with pain, Marianna looked beautiful in a way that was so utterly tragic. She hated it. Marianna was much better off laughing and joking with her friends. It didn¡¯t matter that the Whitlocks were her parents. They had no right to make her upset.


    Still, Alna was not one to mince her words. Not even with her girlfriend.


    ¡°They hate what you are,¡± Alna said, low and gentle. From what Marianna had said, her parents were not overly religious, but that didn¡¯t stop them from using the Bible as a way of telling Marianna she was ¡°wrong.¡± What it boiled down to, however, was ¡°it¡¯s not natural.¡±


    Pressing her fingers more firmly to Marianna¡¯s wrist, Alna cast her mind about. She tried to think of something to distract Marianna. Alna could think of several subjects, but only one she wanted to discuss.


    Now was as good a time as any. Marianna seemed to enjoy their investigations on some level; this would help take her mind off things.


    Leaning over the table, Alna cupped Marianna¡¯s elbow. Marianna, who had once again grown sullen, lifted her weary gaze to meet Alna¡¯s.


    ¡°I have another lead for us,¡± Alna said, keeping her voice quiet so Dad couldn¡¯t hear her from the living room.


    Marianna¡¯s shadowed eyes lightened ever so slightly, her pink lips turning up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say so?¡±


    ***


    Alna stepped off the city bus, turning around in time to see Marianna do the same. Unlike yesterday, Marianna was looking much more cheerful, although there was an air of melancholy hanging around her like a rain cloud.


    She must have had another spat with her parents since leaving Alna¡¯s house last night. Marianna had shown up at their agreed time with slumped shoulders and a face full of makeup meant to hide the slight bags under her eyes and give her a more lighthearted appearance.


    Alna, despite not being convinced by this charade, chose not to comment, allowing Marianna to hold onto the illusion of being fine. It seemed to be what she needed at the moment, and Alna could respect that.


    And so, when Marianna stepped off the bus, Alna offered her hand, which Marianna accepted readily.


    As she led Marianna toward Daysie Smith¡¯s house, the fall wind tugging at their hair, Alna leaned over and murmured, ¡°Have I told you that you look beautiful today?¡±


    Marianna shot her a cheeky look, looking more cheerful. ¡°No. But I like hearing it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not becoming vain, are you, dear Whitlock?¡± Alna asked with no real heat. She flashed Marianna a quick grin to ensure that she wouldn¡¯t take her words too seriously.


    This earned her a mock affronted look, the dejection beginning to recede in Marianna¡¯s gaze. ¡°I would never, Miss Holt.¡±


    Alna rolled her eyes, tugging on Marianna¡¯s hand.


    As the two girls finished crossing a street, Marianna looked at their surroundings. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been to this part of the city before.¡±


    Alna took stock of their surroundings more out of instinct than any need to refresh her memory. Unlike Marianna, Alna had been here before. Twice. Mom¡¯s desire to take her to the playground here was once baffling to Alna. From what Alna observed at the time, Mom had wanted to try something new, which, considering how bored she could get these days, Alna understood much better.


    ¡°I have,¡± Alna admitted. Marianna gave her an interested look; Alna gave her a quick answer. Marianna nodded in response to this, the slight upturn of her lips showing she found the story both amusing and cute. Alna didn¡¯t think the story all that adorable, although, from an analytical perspective, she could understand why one (especially someone as impassioned as Marianna) would think so.


    Instead of reacting to Marianna¡¯s smile, Alna looked ahead, assessing their surroundings out of habit.


    A homeless man leaned against a tree planted in a small dirt patch in the sidewalk. Going by the way he twitched and jerked, he was obviously in the throes of a nightmare. He wore a toque that looked like it was once green, but with the amount of dirt covering the thing, it was difficult to tell. The rest of his clothes weren¡¯t in much better condition, consisting of a long brown jacket that resembled a trench coat. Dust covered the coat, one elbow worn down to nothing more than a gaping hole. There was a flash of white, indicating the man had bandaged himself at some point.


    Before she knew it, Alna had stopped walking altogether, earning her a bewildered look from Marianna. Opening her purse, Alna pushed a screwdriver out of the way and retrieved her wallet.


    Marianna watched in silence as Alna removed a five-dollar bill from her wallet and crouched down. She tucked it into the man¡¯s hand, knowing he would notice it when he woke up.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    When Alna stood up and retook her hand, Marianna said nothing for some time. Instead, she kept giving Alna sidelong looks, a slight curve on her lips that Alna chose not to acknowledge.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    True to Alna¡¯s words, Daysie Smith¡¯s house appeared up ahead mere moments later. There was nothing spectacular about it, other than it being smaller than average. It was a simple cream colour with a light brown roof, which had a couple of orange and yellow leaves resting on it. Leading up to the front door was a walkway made of various flat grey rocks of varying sizes and shades embedded into the ground.


    The house looked empty, but in this case, that meant nothing. From what Alna had learned through her research, Daysie Smith was rather a wild card in all areas of her life. Not only had she disguised her husband¡¯s murder as alcohol poisoning, but now that she was out of prison, Smith didn¡¯t seem capable of holding a permanent job. This was, in part, related to the fact that most places weren¡¯t too keen on hiring a former criminal (and a killer, no less), but from what Alna gleaned, any position Smith was hired for was temporary.


    If someone asked Alna her (inexpert) opinion, she would surmise that Smith had ADHD.


    Not that it excused murder.


    Very few things did.


    Alna slowed her pace as she and Marianna walked past the house; there were too many people around to stop altogether.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Marianna leaned closer to Alna. ¡°Just break in again?¡±


    Alna¡¯s lips thinned as she resisted the urge to snap at Marianna to keep her voice down. She hadn¡¯t been talking all that loud. They had, however, earned a dirty look from an elderly man, who was glowering at their interlocked hands as though they somehow offended him.


    After glancing around once more to make sure no one was listening to them, Alna said, in a low voice, ¡°That is exactly what the plan is. As long as we can confirm no one is in the house.¡±


    They had stopped walking by now, having passed Smith¡¯s house. Two girls standing in the middle of a sidewalk conversing with each other was hardly the strangest sight, but it still made Alna uncomfortable. The only reason Alna had managed to uphold her illegal activities was because she took every precaution she could. Doing anything that could be seen as odd didn¡¯t sit well with her.


    Paranoid, Miss Holt, Alna scolded herself.


    Alna looked back toward the house. There were more people around that she would have liked, making slipping into Smith¡¯s house much more of a task. However, Alna didn¡¯t like visiting a place more than once, if she could avoid it. She would have to find them a way in.


    Squeezing Marianna¡¯s hand to recapture her attention, Alna waited until Marianna gave her an inquisitive look before continuing. ¡°We¡¯ll have to improvise this time,¡± Alna said. She allowed the distaste to flow into her tone, making Marianna¡¯s lips twitch as the small crowd of people milled around them. ¡°Follow my lead?¡±


    ¡°Definitely, Miss Holt¡± was Marianna¡¯s only response.


    Alna might have kissed her if she hadn¡¯t wanted to bring attention to themselves.


    Leading Marianna back toward the house, Alna swung their hands between them, which she knew took Marianna by surprise. She didn¡¯t comment.


    Her gaze trailed over their surroundings without a flicker of interest. For a street primarily meant for living in, this place was rather busy. Sure, that could have to do with the fact that Brigate was a rather large city, but even Alna¡¯s street was quieter than this on the weekends.


    As a woman jogged past them in sweats and a t-shirt¨C¨Cmuscled arms, even breathing, steady yet fast page; regularly active¨C¨CAlna spotted what she was looking for. Between two houses, a short sidewalk led to a back alley. She tugged on Marianna¡¯s hand.


    They walked between two houses of generic style. One was creamy white, giving off the impression that it could use a new coat of paint, as the white was leaning more toward a sickening yellow.


    Alna pulled Marianna along, the smooth sidewalk soon giving way to a back alley, gravel crunching underfoot as the two girls took a sharp right. It was not at all difficult for Alna to locate Smith¡¯s house yet again. Hers was the third house from the entrance to the back alley, impossible to overlook.


    There were fewer people in the back alley, which was a relief. With the number of people hanging around this street, Alna had half a mind to turn around and head home. It was a rather foolish thing to attempt a break-in with so many people around.


    Still, Alna had no true way of knowing when this street would be less busy.


    Alna once again took in their surroundings. Two young children bounced on a trampoline one house down from Smith¡¯s, and a woman was barbecuing something (chicken, it smelled like) on a grill on her deck. It would be tricky, but not impossible to slip past her gaze unnoticed.


    Saying nothing, Alna lengthened her stride, approaching Smith¡¯s backyard. Rather inconveniently, there was no fence at the back, offering the two girls very little obscurity.


    There was, however, a camper: white with the words ¡°Shooting Star¡± peeling off in curls of blue paint. It was rather small, only big enough to fit one person. The front and back were rounded, giving the camper an egg-like shape.


    Alna hastened to lead them over to the camper, hearing Marianna¡¯s breathing speed up with nerves. They crouched down next to the camper, the browning grass of Smith¡¯s lawn glistening from the light rain last night. Smith¡¯s back door was only one hundred meters away, but even that distance was a risk. There were too many people about, and Alna once again felt unease course through her. She kept her exterior composed, unwilling to show how nervous she was.


    Casting a glance over her shoulder, Alna noted with no small amount of relief that the woman from earlier had left her grill and retreated inside. But now there was a man letting his dog outside, bending down as he clipped a leash to the canine¡¯s collar. The fence in his backyard was tall, but if he looked over it, he would undoubtedly be able to see Alna and Marianna.


    Alna turned back to Smith¡¯s back door, keeping her hand resting on the small of Marianna¡¯s back. She pushed away the constant stream of stupid, stupid, stupid going through her head, and leaned closer to Marianna.


    ¡°Go. Now.¡± She gave Marianna a light shove.


    Marianna¡¯s hesitation lasted a few short seconds. She made her quickly across Smith¡¯s lawn, but not too quickly. Soon she was by an empty flower bed, appearing nervous as she slipped out of Alna¡¯s sight. Smith¡¯s back deck was large, with an outdoor recliner and a small, rounded table that looked the right size to hold a vase. Besides that, it was empty, leaving much of the wooden boards uncovered, their colour fading in the sunlight.


    Alna took one last look around and then strode over to Marianna. She did what she could to avoid the windows of Smith¡¯s house, which was easy. There was a large window situated to the right of the back door, but it was covered with white blinds to keep the sunlight out, which was blinding today. Unlike Marianna, Alna kept her pace somewhat slow, trying to both be inconspicuous and appear casual, should someone spot them.


    None too soon, Alna reached Marianna and knelt next to her once more, feeling the dampness of the ground on her knees. She didn¡¯t waste any time talking, and instead snatched Marianna¡¯s hand, leading her alongside the house. They were now hidden between a fence that separated Smith¡¯s neighbors from her own house, and the house itself. A cool shade fell over the two girls as Alna¡¯s eyes landed on a small window. That would be their point of entrance. Alna unzipped the purse hanging at her side, moving toward the window as she pulled out¨C¨C


    It was already open. Just a crack. Enough to let some fresh air in.


    But that wasn¡¯t what concerned her. No, what truly caught Alna¡¯s attention was the voice floating from the window.


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect¨C¨C¡± a masculine voice began. Alna couldn¡¯t make out the rest, no matter how much she strained her ears.


    Marianna¡¯s hand touched her wrist. Whether she was reassuring herself or trying to warn Alna of the presence of people in the building, Alna wasn¡¯t sure. Either way, she took this as an opportunity to pull Marianna closer to the window, crouching down when they were a safe distance. One could never be too careful.


    ¡°If I recall correctly,¡± said a feminine voice, much more clear, ¡°we had an agreement. You do what I tell you, I stay (how did you put it?) the hell away from your family.¡±


    Marianna gave Alna¡¯s shoulder a gentle but insistent shake. When Alna reluctantly looked at her, Marianna mouthed, ¡°Ms. Smith?¡± Alna gave her the barest of nods, only a bit doubtful of her answer. She turned back, trying to block out all unimportant sounds as she listened in.


    ¡°¨C¨Ccan¡¯t expect me to get that much,¡± the man repeated, sounding distressed.


    Alna couldn¡¯t see anyone in the house, but she imagined the man was likely pacing. She unzipped her purse, pulling out her phone. As she set it to record, Alna had the fleeting wish that she had access to a better recording system¨C¨Csomething more clear to send to the Brigate Crime Hotline. Alas, Alna did not have the money for such equipment, leaving her with her phone.


    ¡°Why not?¡± The woman sounded bored. She must be Smith. That would make the most sense. ¡°I gave you a week and I need that money. I¡¯ve got things to do.¡±


    Blackmail? What a crude, efficient method. Alna frowned. She couldn¡¯t see Marianna¡¯s face, crouched behind her as she was, but Alna imagined she was doing the same.


    ¡°But¨C¨C¡± the man began, only to be cut off. Or, perhaps, the distance was muffling his voice. Alna couldn¡¯t tell.


    Smith¡¯s voice was crystal clear. One would think Smith would keep her window closed for such a private conversation, but it was possible she¡¯d forgotten to do so.


    ¡°Do I need to remind you,¡± Smith said, her voice low and filled with a tinge of anger, ¡°just what happened to dear Jack when he refused to pay up?¡±


    Smith continued to speak, but Alna had ceased listening, her mind latching onto that one name.


    Jack. As in, Jack Neal? He was one of the many victims that had died because of a tragic accident. Electrocution, this time.


    Could it be a mere coincidence? Alna doubted that.


    Marianna turned wide blue eyes at her and Alna smiled grimly.


    It looked as though they had found their killer.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Marianna could feel Alna tense just before a voice rang out.


    ¡°Hey!¡± It sounded like a man. ¡°What are you two doing?¡±


    The voice sounded close enough to be in Ms. Smith¡¯s backyard. Almost immediately, Marianna¡¯s pulse skyrocketed, her eyes widening. On instinct, she stood and whipped around to face the voice. Oh, crap. There was indeed a man standing in Ms. Smith¡¯s backyard, his weathered face settled into a deep scowl. If possible, Alna became even more tense. Marianna thought she might have cursed; she was certain she heard the word ¡°stupid¡± at one point.


    Alna stood up, obstructing Marianna¡¯s view as she stood in front of her. Marianna shifted to the side so she could see the man before them.


    ¡°Um,¡± Alna began, sounding nervous in a way Marianna could only recall her sounding on one other occasion. Was it real or was Alna acting again? ¡°We were just¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Damn kids,¡± the man said, his scowl only deepening. ¡°Can¡¯t you leave people in peace?¡±


    The man couldn¡¯t have been over forty, with tanned skin and a shaved head. Going by his near bulging biceps, Marianna felt it was safe to assume this man was either a bodybuilder or did a lot of heavy lifting.


    And he was glaring at her and Alna as though he had caught them committing some heinous crime. Marianna felt a shiver go down her spine.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry, sir.¡± Alna¡¯s voice sounded meek. That was new. Manipulative, withdrawn, kind, aloof, and beautiful were all words Marianna would attribute to Alna.


    Meek? Submissive? Those were two words that Marianna, in the short time she¡¯d known her, had never applied to Alna. She must be acting.


    It was that last thought that spurred Marianna to action. Stepping around Alna, Marianna clasped her hands in front of her as she said, ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks¨C¨C¡±


    Marianna had no idea what she planned to say. How could she explain why two teenage girls were trespassing on someone¡¯s property? There was no plausible explanation she could come with that didn¡¯t make them look bad.


    She didn¡¯t have to, anyway. It was at that moment she heard being opened and mere moments later, Ms. Smith herself appeared, looking bewildered as she looked between the man and her and Alna. A bit wildly, Marianna thought her hair looked like fire.


    ¡°Ethan?¡± Ms. Smith asked, choosing to address who she was familiar with. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    The man who she¡¯d been threatening mere minutes ago was nowhere to be seen, Marianna noted with some concern. Had Ms. Smith done something to him? They would have heard something if that was the case. Right?


    Marianna tuned out as the man (Ethan) explained that he had noticed ¡°these two hooligans¡± trespassing on her lawn. Ms. Smith didn¡¯t look like a killer. She was almost the exact opposite of what Marianna would expect a killer to look like. From the way she couldn¡¯t seem to keep still (shifting her weight and playing with a lock of hair), Ms. Smith didn¡¯t have¡­ What was it? The confidence? The charisma? Either way, she didn¡¯t seem to have the demeanor of a murderer.


    ¡°Would you like me to call the cops for you?¡± Ethan finished, sending another spike of fear through Marianna.


    It was then that Ms. Smith truly looked at them. She surveyed Alna and Marianna, hands twisting as she did so. There was a dent between her eyebrows, and she looked either contemplative or confused. Marianna wasn¡¯t sure which.


    A light breeze in the air blew Ms. Smith¡¯s shawl behind her, the grey fabric with pink swirls fluttering. Besides that, Ms. Smith wore a simple pair of jeans and black flip-flops. She grabbed one corner of the shawl, playing with it in what seemed to be an absent-minded gesture. Her eyes darted to the partially open window, and Marinna could practically see the gears working in her mind, wondering if they had heard anything. She turned back to Ethan.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be necessary.¡± Some of her hair blew into her face. Ms. Smith tucked it back. ¡°You know how teenagers are these days; always getting into trouble.¡± This last part was said in a light, cheerful voice.


    And then, like the flick of a switch, the slight smile Ms. Smith had been wearing widened, showing more pearly white teeth. She reminded Marianna of a shark. Unwillingly, Marianna¡¯s mind went to the movie Jaws, which she had watched with her friends, once.


    ¡°What were you doing in my yard, anyway?¡± Ms. Smith asked. Her voice practically dripped sugar, but the underlying threat was obvious to anyone who paid attention.


    Did this man know? Marianna wondered. Did he know that Ms. Smith had a history of violence? All the therapy she¡¯d gone through?


    That she had almost beaten a girl to death in high school, and somehow convinced people (for a time) that the poor girl had fallen down the stairs?


    Out of the corner of her eye, Marianna saw Alna¡¯s jaw tighten.


    Ethan either didn¡¯t hear the threat, or he chose to ignore it, because he stood his ground without flinching. ¡°Just thought I¡¯d come over and check on things. Make sure you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Despite her nerves at the situation, Marianna could feel her eyebrows rise. That was either very kind of Ethan or boldly inconsiderate.


    The switch flipped again, and Ms. Smith¡¯s became rigid, all traces of good humor gone.


    ¡°Well,¡± Ms. Smith began, still fidgeting, ¡°as you can see, I¡¯m fine. Kindly get off my property.¡± As if to emphasize her point, Ms. Smith¡¯s hands stilled for a moment, before she resumed her fidgeting.


    A strange moment passed. Ethan and Ms. Smith locked eyes. Marianna wasn¡¯t sure what passed between the adults at that moment, but she knew it was nothing good. Whatever occurred, it resulted in Ethan turning to leave, looking none too happy as he muttered to himself.


    Ms. Smith watched him go. Marianna shifted closer to Alna.


    It was then that Ms. Smith gave them her full attention. Alna stiffened at that, although it was only noticeable to someone standing right next to her. For one, wild moment, Marianna wondered if they could get away with making a run for it. But of course, that wouldn¡¯t work.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Alna took a step forward, still sounding anxious as she said, ¡°We¡¯re sorry we troubled you, miss.¡± Alna swiped her hands on her jeans, and Marianna found herself admiring Alna¡¯s ability to step into any role she chose.


    Her nerves still hadn¡¯t calmed down. There was a prickle of sweat on the back of her neck.


    The look Ms. Smith gave Alna was somewhere between thoughtful and unfocused, as if her mind was on something else. She crossed her arms, strands of red hair blowing into her face. Ms. Smith pushed them away before crossing her arms again.


    ¡°My neighbor,¡± Ms. Smith said, a flicker of annoyance passing over her face, ¡°has a point, though. What are you doing in my yard?¡±


    Once more, she looked over at the open window, leaving Marianna to wonder if the man she had been talking to was, indeed, dead.


    Perhaps Marianna was being paranoid. There hadn¡¯t been that much of a time gap between Ethan showing up and Ms. Smith coming outside. Besides, why would she kill someone in her own house? That didn¡¯t seem to fit.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it looks,¡± Marianna jumped in. She nearly flinched under Ms. Smith¡¯s searching look but restrained herself. ¡°My cat escaped about a half-hour ago, and with all the traffic around, I was worried he¡¯d get hurt. My¡±¨C¨Chere, she got a little tongue-tied, uncertain what to call Alna¨C¨C¡±friend has been helping me, and we¡¯ve sort of been chasing him all over.¡±


    Alna gave no visible reaction, other than to nod along, leaving Marianna to wonder if she approved of the explanation or not.


    Ms. Smith frowned. The wind had picked up in the last couple of minutes, pressing her shawl against her front, offering a faint outline of slender hips.


    ¡°Really.¡± Ms. Smith didn¡¯t sound like she believed them. ¡°And you weren¡¯t here to, I don¡¯t know, spray paint my house?¡±


    This time, instead of looking at the window, she glared at some point on the exterior of the house. Marianna looked over, noticing for the first time the faint traces of blue peeking out under the white paint. It looked as though Ms. Smith had tried to paint over it but hadn¡¯t quite hidden whatever had been there previously.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Alna said, sounding scandalized. She was wearing an expression of complete bewilderment, wide eyes and all. Her voice turned earnest. ¡°We really were chasing a cat, miss.¡± At that, Alna directed her eyes to the fence to their left, which showed signs of age in the scratches, with its colourless appearance, and the way it seemed to lean towards its owner¡¯s yard. If it leaned any further, it would start pulling out of the ground soon. ¡°Looks like he got away again, though.¡± A dent appeared between Alna¡¯s brows at that, making her look worried and disappointed at the same time.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Ms. Smith sounded sympathetic. She stepped forward, peering at the fence as if searching for this mystical cat. Turning back to her and Alna, looking genuine in her worry, Ms. Smith said, ¡°I could always call my neighbors; ask if they¡¯ve seen anything?¡±


    A killer who cared about animals? Wasn¡¯t that a bit of a paradox? Unless she was as good at acting as Alna.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Alna said. The usually cool, smooth tone she used with some people was all but nonexistent at the moment, which rattled Marianna a bit. She was beginning to feel like a third wheel in some bizarre non-date.


    ¡°He¡¯s my responsibility, anyway,¡± Marianna butted in, pasting a sheepish look on her face. ¡°But we appreciate the offer.¡±


    Ms. Smith didn¡¯t look convinced. Her eyes narrowed, revealing the glittery gold eyeshadow on her lids that Marianna hadn¡¯t noticed before. It sparkled in the sunlight, and for one terrifying moment, Marianna was convinced Ms. Smith knew their real reason for being in her yard. How could she not? The timing, their placement, was too convenient for anything else. Ms. Smith would be right to suspect¨C¨C


    Alna pinched her on the wrist. Not enough to cause Marianna any real pain, but enough to calm her down. To focus her attention.


    ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± Ms. Smith sounded reluctant. She began twisting a vivid red strand around her finger, continuing to eye her and Alna with uncertainty.


    Marianna forced a pleasant look on her face. ¡°I am¨C¨Cwell, we are,¡± she replied. ¡°But thank you.¡±


    Once more, Ms. Smith¡¯s constant fidgeting seemed to still, if only for a moment. And then she flashed them a quick, sympathetic smile. ¡°Well, then, good luck to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alna said, her voice calm.


    With that over, the girls passed Ms. Smith, who stepped aside to let them go, still watching them carefully. They headed for the back alley, a few fallen leaves crunching underfoot.


    Thank God that was over, Marianna thought as they stepped onto the gravel. She could have sworn she¡¯d almost had a heart¨C¨C


    ¡°Before you go,¡± Ms. Smith¡¯s voice called from behind them.


    Marianna¡¯s heart thudded against her ribcage. She fought to keep herself composed as she and Alna turned around. She couldn¡¯t recall being this nervous around Harlow Ashworth. However, that ¡°investigation¡± had been under much more controlled circumstances. And Marianna hadn¡¯t been talking to a killer that time.


    Now that she was standing out in the open, Ms. Smith¡¯s hair was blowing around wildly, reminding Marianna of a flickering flame. The woman in question tried to push the hair away from her face, only for it to whip into her eyes once more. Holding the fiery locks back with two hands, Ms. Smith squinted at them through the wind. Leaves ranging from brown, green, and orange blew past her worn sneakers.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask for your names?¡± Ms. Smith asked. Marianna was surprised her voice didn¡¯t get lost in the wind. ¡°It seems only fair.¡± Ms. Smith offered a smile that looked sheepish. ¡°Considering you did trespass on my lawn.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s heart sped up but she composed herself. She and Alna had discussed this.


    ¡°Ilene Dyson.¡± Alna didn¡¯t miss a beat.


    Quickly jumping in, before the silence could stretch on for too long, she added, ¡°Scarlett Noble.¡±


    Ms. Smith gave them a grin as dazzling as it was terrifying. ¡°Daysie Smith. Try not to get into more trouble, okay?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll try,¡± Alna promised, an edge of humor in her voice.


    Finally, they left, and Marianna found she could breathe much more easily. Neither girl talked as they walked back down the back alley. The children from earlier were still jumping on the trampoline, seeming unbothered by the wind.


    By the time they reached the sidewalk they had taken initially, the wind, thankfully, had not picked up any more, nor had it gone down. The strands of hair that had escaped Alna¡¯s hat were looking a bit frizzy. Alna, either not noticing or not caring, continued to look ahead, her face as hard as the porcelain Marianna liked to compare it to.


    ¡°That was stupid of me,¡± Alna said. She¡¯d grabbed Marianna¡¯s hand a couple of minutes ago, meaning Marianna could feel how tense she was. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have let us be seen like that.¡±


    Marianna looked over at Alna. She waited until a woman in a crop top had rushed past them, arms clasped over her bare stomach.


    ¡°If I remember right, you did everything you could to make sure no one saw us go into Ms. Smith¡¯s backyard.¡± She tried to stop at the bus stop they had been dropped off at, but Alna kept tugging her along. Ironically, that was when a bus pulled up and a group of four people stood up to board.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the next spot.¡±


    Alna fell silent for a moment, her expression softening into thoughtfulness. When she sped up, strides lengthening, Marianna tugged on her hand, reminding Alna of her shorter legs. Alna slowed down.


    ¡°Do you think Ms. Smith will try anything?¡± She pushed some escaped strands of hair out of her face. Around them, leaves blew along the ground, a group of them creating a small tornado of orange, yellow, and brown.


    ¡°She might,¡± Alna admitted, giving Marianna a sidelong look as if making sure she was all right. ¡°It is likely the man she was talking to will be dead in a few weeks. Perhaps sooner, if we do nothing.¡± It was then she reached into the pocket of her old, worn leather jacket, extracting her phone. A slight smirk adorned her lips. ¡°Luckily, I recorded a good portion of that conversation. Before the wind got bad, that is.¡±


    Marianna could feel herself smiling as well. ¡°Time to end this?¡± she asked hopefully. This time, when her heart sped up, it was not from nerves, but from excitement. They¡¯d done in, she thought. She and Alna had found out who the person behind the ¡°accidental deaths¡± was and were going to make sure the police were made aware. Marianna didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever felt as elated as she did now.


    With a pleased nod, Alna said, ¡°I believe it is.¡±

 Chapter Eighteen

    On Wednesday, Marianna walked into Mr. McCarthy¡¯s classroom, her lunch in her hands. Hikari and Sadie trailed after¨C¨Cthe former seeming, for all intents and purposes, utterly comfortable with her surroundings, while Sadie continued to look nervous.


    The discovery that Daysie Smith was the killer had no groundbreaking effect on either girls¡¯ lives, other than making Marianna feel good about herself. The actual arrest of Ms. Smith two days after their discovery was underwhelming. Alna told her this was normal. Her exact words were something like, ¡°What were you expecting? A high-stakes gunfight? A confrontation with a long, villainous monologue?¡± She¡¯d given Marianna a teasing smile, soft enough not to be demeaning. ¡°What I do is not so glamorous. I will, however, attempt to find another case for us. If you¡¯re willing to assist me, of course.¡±


    Marianna agreed. Honestly, helping Alna ¡°catch¡± Daysie Smith was one of the most exciting things she¡¯d done in her entire life. As a result, Alna now spent many hours of the day hacking into the security cameras of various stores throughout the city. A new challenge, she called it. Marianna didn¡¯t pretend to understand liking such a thing, but evidently, it was difficult enough to keep Alna entertained. That was good enough for her.


    ¡°Hey, look,¡± Jaxon (a boy who was a grade above Marianna) said brightly, dropping his feet to the floor from where they had been resting on his desk. ¡°New person.¡± Eyes outlined with the delicate application of black eyeliner studied Sadie curiously. Hale, a transgendered boy, with inky black hair who always wore a skull earring, only gave them a quick, bored look, before looking back to his phone.


    Mr. McCarthy, along with a few students, welcomed Sadie to the club, which seemed to relax her. That out of the way, Marianna and her friends each found places to sit, starting on their respective lunches.


    The decision to join the Gay/Straight Alliance at her school had been one of Marianna¡¯s better ideas. It was therapeutic, in a way. She could mention her girlfriend in front of this small group of people and didn¡¯t have to fear strange looks or ridicule. Hikari, upon hearing where Marianna intended to spend her Wednesday lunches, immediately offered to come along, suggesting she could be the ¡°straight supporter.¡± It had taken more time to convince Sadie, who was half afraid and being found out, it seemed. However, Marianna and Hikari had continued to invite Sadie to the club, trying to encourage her to go without making her feel pressured. On the fourth week, she finally agreed.


    Which was why Sadie now sat in one of the many uncomfortable plastic chairs in Mr. McCarthy¡¯s classroom, picking the gold polish off of her thumbnail.


    Hikari noticed. With a roll of her eyes, she snatched Sadie¡¯s hand, clasping it between her palms. ¡°That¡¯s enough of that, young lady,¡± Hikari ordered, her voice balanced between teasing and comforting.


    In response, Sadie yanked her hand back and smacked Hikari on the arm, earning a grin in response.


    That this classroom was used for the Gay/Straight Alliance was apparent. Never mind that there was a sign outside proclaiming such, but Mr. McCarthy had shown his support in other ways. Hanging above the desk he was sitting at was a poster proclaiming ¡°Love is love¡± with a rainbow serving as the background. Besides that, there was the flag Sadie had been looking at, and a print of a stick figure on a swing, the sky behind it coloured pink, purple, and blue¨C¨Cthe colours associated with bisexuals. It had the caption ¡°I swing both ways.¡±


    Another member, Pebble, spoke up.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Pebble drawled, lounging in her chair with legs kicked wide, an arm dangling over the back. Her bob cut was dyed a light blue, unlike the dark lilac it was before. ¡°Any news?¡± Her dangling arm came up, one hand cradling her cheek as fake nails caught the light.


    There was an awkward silence, as was normal for the group. Marianna looked around the room, half hoping someone else would speak up. She didn¡¯t hate drawing attention to herself, per se, but would it hurt Jaxon or Hale to say something? Or Mr. McCarthy, for that matter. He was the leader of this club, after all.


    More silence.


    Concluding that no one else was planning to say anything, she piped up. ¡°Not news.¡± She shifted a bit uncomfortably when at least five pairs of eyes landed on her. ¡°But I have a topic of discussion. I just¡­I don¡¯t get why LGBT+ romance books can¡¯t be kept in the romance section of bookstores. It¡¯d be much easier.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s comment had the desired effect, and most of the group launched into a thoughtful discussion on the logic behind the ¡°genres¡± being separated. Sadie, getting over her initial shyness, even admitted how frustrating it could be, trying to find a ¡°non-straight¡± romance.


    ¡°I swear, sometimes it¡¯s like trying to find a very specific star in the sky when the entire sky¡¯s filled with them. It¡¯s easier these days. But I can¡¯t just walk into a library and find the book or movie I want. Sometimes it takes me, like, a half-hour of searching.¡± Here Sadie paused and cast an apologetic look at Marianna. ¡°Wow, I went completely off topic, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°A bit,¡± Hikari teased, nudging her. ¡°But it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Sadie smiled sheepishly.


    In the end, everyone had mixed opinions about the genre topic. Marianna wished stores put LGBT+ romances in the romance section, while Sadie seemed to disagree. Hikari had mixed feelings, and Pebble didn¡¯t care either way. Even after the conversation ended up being seemingly pointless, Marianna didn¡¯t view the club as a waste of time. Being around a group of people who wouldn¡¯t judge her for having a girlfriend melted some weight from her shoulders and she headed back to class feeling lighter.


    ¡°Now we just have to convince Blaze to come,¡± Hikari commented as the three girls made their way to their respective lockers.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Sadie agreed, using her phone as a mirror as she applied some pink gloss to her lips. ¡°If you can convince him to skip basketball practice for once.¡± She rolled her eyes, and the trio chuckled.


    School went by at a normal pace after that, neither flying by nor dragging. By the time Marianna left the school over an hour after the day ended, having stayed behind with Sadie to watch Blaze¡¯s practice basketball game, she had some math homework to do, and science homework that she was dreading.


    When she got off at the bus stop near Alna¡¯s house after five, Marianna double-checked that she had enough money for the bus she would need to take home later and shot her parents a quick text. She didn¡¯t even know why she bothered. Considering how much time she spent at the Holt house these days, there was little wonder about where she would be. No matter how much her parents disapproved.


    ¡°Mary, hey,¡± Mr. Holt greeted when he opened the door for Marianna moments later. Mr. Holt must have just gotten back from work recently, as he was still wearing a professional black dress shirt. He was also in the middle of cooking supper because Marianna was certain she could smell onions. The towel in his hand was also another indicator.


    ¡°Alna¡¯s not here at the moment,¡± Mr. Holt continued as he stepped back to allow Marianna entrance. ¡°She¡¯s at the library.¡±


    Marianna doubted that. More likely, Alna was off hacking into more cameras or doing something else to stimulate herself.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Marianna paused uncertainly. ¡°I could always come back¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Mr. Holt said, cutting her off. At his suggestion, Marianna slipped off her denim jacket and handed it to him. ¡°She should be back soon, and if she isn¡¯t, you can always text her.¡±


    ¡°All right, thank you.¡±


    Marianna hung up her coat and trailed after Aiden into the kitchen. She declined the offer of something to drink, but said she would consider staying for supper later. She took a seat at the kitchen table, realizing that retreating to Alna¡¯s room without her present likely wouldn¡¯t be a smart idea.


    Then again, going to Alna¡¯s room with Alna probably didn¡¯t give the best impression, either. Marianna resolved not to overthink it and settled her light purple backpack, faded from time spent in the sun, in her lap.


    ¡°Do you mind if I get started on my homework? It¡¯ll give me something to do while I wait for Alna.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Mr. Holt assured her, waving his hand vaguely. ¡°Go right ahead.¡±


    As Marianna retrieved her binder, pencil case, and textbook, one of Alna¡¯s brothers (she could never tell them apart) wandered in.


    ¡°Dad, when¡¯s supper gonna be ready?¡± he asked.


    Marianna flipped through her textbook until she found page two hundred and twenty-one.


    Mr. Holt sighed. ¡°At about six; unless we wait for your mother.¡±


    ¡°How late is she gonna be?¡± the twin asked, sounding annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Sorry, kid.¡±


    The twin sighed, sounding resigned. ¡°Hey, Mary,¡± he greeted, the annoyance not quite gone.


    Marianna turned to him with a smile. ¡°Hi¡­¡± She trailed off, uncertain. Luckily, he solved that problem.


    ¡°Colton,¡± the boy reminded her. Marianna wondered how Alna never seemed to have any problem telling the two apart. Even her parents tripped up sometimes.


    ¡°Hi, Colton,¡± Marianna greeted. ¡°What have you been up to? Did you have a good day at school?¡±


    ¡°It was okay,¡± Colton replied noncommittally. ¡°We started learning about rocks today,¡± he continued, his eyes lighting up.


    Marianna knew she should have started on her homework by now, but she liked Alna¡¯s brothers, and found she couldn¡¯t resist indulging Colton a bit. ¡°Oh? That sounds interesting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really cool.¡± Colton scrambled onto a chair next to Marianna¡¯s, and she resisted the urge to reach out a hand to steady him. ¡°Did you know there¡¯s these shiny rocks made from lava?¡± he asked, brown eyes wide with his new discovery.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Marianna told him, deciding a little white lie couldn¡¯t hurt anything. She thought she saw Mr. Holt trying to stifle a smile at the stove. It was difficult to tell with his face turned away, though. ¡°That sounds cool.¡± Marianna leaned her cheek into her hand as she prepared for a lengthy conversation.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Colton nodded with enthusiasm. ¡°They¡¯re called obi¡­obi-something.¡± Colton¡¯s eyebrows drew together.


    ¡°Obsidian?¡± Marianna asked before she could even think of stopping herself. Now that the topic had come up, Marianna could vaguely recall learning about rocks in elementary school. And she¡¯d heard about obsidian in a museum before.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Colton confirmed, perking up. ¡°How¡¯d you know that?¡±


    Kids, Marianna thought with fondness. Always wanting to show other people how smart they are. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just remembered it from somewhere.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so cool,¡± Colton said, his voice brimming with excitement.


    That was all the warning Marianna received before the younger boy launched into a long-winded explanation about how ¡°volcano rocks¡± were made. Colton tripped over himself a few times, forgetting certain word pronunciations, but gave off the impression that he could go on talking for quite a while. It reminded Marianna of Alna a little¨C¨Chow she could launch into full-blown monologues if presented with the right topic. And could talk to someone who cared to hear about her deductions.


    Eventually, though, Mr. Holt coaxed his son out of the kitchen, saying he needed to give Marianna a chance to do her homework. Colton didn¡¯t look too happy about this but obliged, and Marianna finally started on her math homework.


    Five minutes later, the front door opened for the second time. A moment later, Alna appeared in the kitchen entrance, her typical impassive mask softening a bit when she spotted Marinna. She walked over, bending down to give Marianna a quick peck on the lips in greeting. Mr. Holt turned back to the stove.


    Marianna was already gathering up her stuff as Alna took a seat, setting a book on the table, and her bag on the floor. However, as Marianna reached for one of her papers, Alna snatched it off the table and looked it over while Mariana stared at her in bewilderment.


    ¡°Hello, Dad,¡± Alna said, sounding distracted as she examined Marianna¡¯s homework.


    ¡°Hey, hon,¡± Mr. Holt greeted her, turning around and leaning against the counter. ¡°Find anything good at the library?¡±


    In response, Alna pushed her book close to the edge of the table so he could glimpse the cover. Marianna glanced at the title: The Woman in White. She wondered if Alna was a fast reader, or if she liked to read more than one book at once. She could have sworn she had seen bookmarks in at least three different books in her room at some point.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Going by how much time Alna put into their ¡°case,¡± Marianna felt safe voting on the latter.


    Mr. Holt picked the book up.


    ¡°This math is rather simple, in my opinion,¡± Alna said, handing the sheet of paper back. ¡°You seem to be doing rather well.¡±


    Marianna wasn¡¯t sure what to make of those two comments put together. That didn¡¯t stop a slight flush from appearing¨C¨Calthough it was much less pronounced than normal.


    ¡°Math isn¡¯t so bad.¡± She almost added, As long as I remember the formulas, and have a calculator, but decided not to. ¡°It¡¯s science that gives me trouble.¡±


    Alna gave her a thoughtful look. ¡°Perhaps I could assist you. Did you bring any work with you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± Marianna tucked her math textbook back into her backpack but made no move to retrieve anything else. Straightening back up, Marianna met Alna¡¯s pale blue eyes, trying to convey a silent message. Alna must have received it because she pushed her chair back and stood up.


    ¡°Looks like a good read,¡± Mr. Holt commented, handing Alna her book back. His free hand was stirring the soup on the stove, and Marianna admired his ability to multitask.


    ¡°Indeed, it does,¡± Alna agreed. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to reading it.¡±


    That said, Alna informed her father that she and Marianna would be downstairs for the next little while, and followed her down the stairway.


    ¡°Any new cases?¡± Marianna asked as she and Alna entered her bedroom. She tried not to sound too eager.


    Alna sighed. ¡°Nothing.¡± She placed her bag down next to the desk and crouched down to retrieve her laptop.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna said, unable to mask her disappointment. She felt more than a little guilty for  wanting a case for them to solve. It wasn¡¯t as though she wished harm on people. But solving the ¡°accidental deaths¡± with Alna¡­ Well, it felt significant. Even if she never got to tell anyone about her part in Ms. Smith¡¯s arrest.


    It was a good thing Ms. Smith was arrested before trying to do something to her and Alna. That had been a concern.


    Presently, Alna shot her a brief smile as she stowed the simple black bag in her closet. Marianna wondered how she had explained its presence when she announced she was going to the library. She supposed it looked like an oversized purse to some people.


    ¡°Of course, it is a good thing,¡± Alna admitted as she settled down next to Marianna, ¡°that I am not finding anything of truly dire circumstances. It means fewer people are being harmed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marianna agreed, shifting so that her back rested against Alna¡¯s wall. A quick glance upward revealed that the equations above her head were even longer than last time.


    In the comfortable silence that followed, Marianna took a moment to observe Alna. There were hints of bags under her eyes: faint, grey semi-circles that were almost unnoticeable unless one was looking for them.


    Alna¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t appear bloodshot, but there was a certain heaviness to them born from exhaustion. There was also a tightness to her mouth that displayed her frustration.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been eating, right?¡± Marianna asked, both needing to know the answer and not wanting to overstep boundaries. Surely, now that Ms. Smith was in jail, Alna could relax a little. Even as she thought it, Marianna doubted such a thing would happen. At the very least, Alna could start taking better care of herself, though.


    Alna seemed to relax at that.


    ¡°I have been rather neglectful of my basic needs.¡± She watched Marianna¡¯s reaction carefully.


    ¡°Alna,¡± Marianna sighed, eyes squeezing shut in frustration. She knew Alna wasn¡¯t forgetting to eat or drink, per se. She¡¯d told Marianna about her eidetic memory. Still, Alna had a frustrating habit of neglecting her own basic needs.


    ¡°I shall eat a sufficient dinner in less than an hour,¡± Alna assured her. She paused before adding, ¡°I picked up a small snack on my way home.¡±


    That last comment made up Marianna¡¯s mind to take up Aiden on his offer to stay for dinner, if for no other reason than to make sure Alna made good on her promise. She didn¡¯t want to become a controlling or overbearing girlfriend, but it seemed like Alna needed prompting from an outside source occasionally. Since Marianna was the only one aware of what Alna did in her free time, it might as well be her.


    Marianna intended to voice her decision to stay for dinner, only to be beaten by Alna, who said, ¡°Let me see your science homework.¡±


    She gave Alna a blank look. Alna sure knew how to leave her reeling when she changed subjects without warning. ¡°You were serious about that?¡±


    Alna¡¯s signature wry look settled onto her features. ¡°Yes, I was. If you think you could use some assistance, then I¡¯m willing to help you.¡±


    Marianna eyed her sceptically. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to do more research or something?¡±


    A displeased look crossed Alna¡¯s face. ¡°I have spent a good portion of my day hacking into security cameras. Even I need a break at times.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Marianna agreed, bending to open the backpack she had dropped on Alna¡¯s floor. She wasn¡¯t sure if tutoring her girlfriend counted as a break, but she¡¯d take it.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking physics,¡± Marianna explained as she flipped through her textbook. ¡°The math part of it is okay, but sometimes I have a hard time with the terminology and the relationships between things.¡±


    Alna nodded her head in understanding, and pulled the textbook into her lap, starting to scan it as Marianna opened her binder. Marianna observed her out of the corner of her eye.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll understand all of this?¡± She felt bad for asking, but she had a legitimate reason. ¡°I mean,¡± she added, ¡°have you ever taken physics?¡±


    ¡°I did when I was still in high school,¡± Alna replied, flipping a page. ¡°There is a distinct possibility that I will be able to assist you.¡±


    Marianna looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, taking in the subtle signs of weariness¨C¨Cwhich, now that she thought about it, had become much more visible once they were alone.


    ¡°Okay. But after, you need to rest.¡±


    ***


    It wasn¡¯t until the next day (Thursday) that anything noteworthy happened. Marianna was sitting in Ms. Reading¡¯s social studies class, drifting somewhere between giving into her boredom and paying attention, when her phone vibrated. The movement was so unexpected that Marianna jumped a little.


    People tended not to text her during class time, seeing as her friends were responsible enough not to do so, and Alna valued education too much to ever dare interrupt Marianna¡¯s learning. Marianna¡¯s parents had texted her few times in the past few weeks, but that had been to ensure she was in class.


    Blaze cast a sidelong look at Marianna as she slid her hand into the pocket of her jeans, soon extracting her phone. He raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint appearing in his eyes before turning back to the front of the class. As Ms. Reading turned toward the PowerPoint she was showing the class, Marianna looked down at her phone, pushing the home button.


    The message was from Alna, short but conveying a sense of urgency: I need you to come to my place ASAP. Bring the truck.


    Marianna shot another look at Ms. Reading, checking to make sure that the teacher wasn¡¯t looking in her direction. She wasn¡¯t. Probably because she wouldn¡¯t be expecting Marianna, who was a respectful student, to be texting in her class.


    Without thinking too much about it, Marianna typed a reply, asking if this was important enough to be skipping school, before pausing. Of course this was important. In the short time she¡¯d known her, Marianna had never pegged Alna as being dramatic. If Alna was texting her now, when she knew Marianna was in class, then it would have to be about something important.


    She deleted the message before sending a different one: Coming. Have to pick up the truck first. Be there in a half-hour, tops.


    Wasting no time, Marianna straightened up in her seat and stretched her arm high, waiting for Ms. Reading to acknowledge her. If she didn¡¯t within the next thirty seconds, Marianna told herself, she¡¯d leave the room regardless.


    Luckily, Ms. Reading noticed her, and turned to Marianna with a ¡°Yes, Marianna?¡±


    ¡°May I go to the washroom?¡± Marianna asked, making sure she used ¡°may¡± instead of ¡°can¡± or ¡°could.¡± Just in case Ms. Reading decided to get picky.


    The teacher¡¯s lips thinned with obvious displeasure. However, despite her chagrin, Ms. Reading gave her permission, and Marianna shot out of her desk, soon exiting the classroom in record time.


    Marianna resisted the urge to break out into a flat-out sprint. The last thing she needed right now was to get roadblocked for running in school hallways.


    Having chosen her course deliberately, Marianna stopped at her locker to grab her wallet. She thanked God she took it so she could buy lunch from the cafeteria today.


    By the time Marianna was outside the school, standing in the cool fall air, she had already called for a cab and was waiting for it as she resisted the urge to pace.


    Ten minutes later Marianna was in the back of the cab, being driven to an auto repair shop. The truck Marianna normally drove had been taken there yesterday to get a minor problem with the engine repaired. Mom noticed the slight issue when she was driving it the other day and had taken it in to get fixed.


    Marianna drummed her fingers against her knee. When the cab driver announced they had arrived, she paid with her debit card, shoving the device at the poor man once done.


    It took her less than ten minutes to pay for and retrieve the truck. By the time Marianna pulled in front of the Holt house, a little over fifty minutes had passed, and Alna was standing on the front deck.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯m late,¡± Marianna said in a rush as Alna climbed into the passenger seat. ¡°The cab took longer than I expected it to, and¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no matter.¡± Alna sounded irritated. Instead of putting on her seatbelt upon sitting down, Alna placed her laptop on her lap and opened it. ¡°I want to show you what we¡¯re dealing with.¡±


    Marianna had been meaning to ask what this was about, or something like: Shouldn¡¯t we be hurrying right now?


    She stifled her questions and leaned over to peer at the screen as Alna brought up security footage. The location shown was a business street, evidenced by the shops on the side of the road, and the people milling about.


    Spotting the woman was easy, what with her vivid red hair that reminded Marianna of Ms. Smith¡¯s. Marianna couldn¡¯t see her face, but Mr. Cope was unmistakable. Marianna had only seen his photo a few times, but his face stayed in her memory. He was a white man, with a small scar on his jaw that Alna thought might be from a previous knife fight. Mr. Cope appeared healthy, if a bit too thin, which Alna said was likely a result of a smoking habit. His hair was brown.


    Forcing herself to look away from Mr. Cope, Marianna turned her attention to the red-haired woman. ¡°Is that¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Smith,¡± Alna interrupted.


    Her face was hard, reminding Marianna of a statue, except for the way Alna¡¯s jaw seemed to clench and then relax for a fraction of a second, betraying her agitation. She pulled up an image of a woman who was not Daysie Smith. This woman seemed to have a lighter skin tone compared to Ms. Smith and more freckles. When Marianna thought about it, she couldn¡¯t recall Ms. Smith having any freckles at all. Not only that, but she looked younger: about thirty, with only a few age lines showing on her youthful face. Alna had pulled up this picture on the police files, but this was not a mug shot, as she had expected. For one, the woman was smiling, gazing at the camera with a playful smirk as she sat on some wooden steps leading to a white door.


    ¡°Evie Hearst,¡± Alna said, switching back to the security camera, the footage still paused. ¡°I, quite literally, ran into her on my way to interview Baily Quinton.¡± She gave Marianna a significant look. ¡°The day you saw me in my disguise.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna said, staring at the computer screen. And then, ¡°Oh.¡± She leaned forward, noting that the sun had more or less disappeared behind the clouds. ¡°Her hair is the right colour for the strand I found in Ms. Wilks¡¯s place.¡± Ms. Smith¡¯s hair seemed, to Marianna, to look like the colour of cherries. So did Evie Hearst¡¯s.


    Marianna¡¯s head was spinning. She gave Alna a wild look.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alna said, impatient. She handed Marianna a worn, folded piece of white paper. The list Jian had given Alna Halloween night. Marianna hadn¡¯t even known she¡¯d kept it.


    ¡°And that boy, Jian, wrote that a woman with red hair had bought a propane tank,¡± Alna explained. Despite the matter-of-fact way she said it, Marianna thought she detected a note of exasperation in Alna¡¯s voice. She got the impression it was aimed at Alna herself.


    ¡°Now,¡± Alna announced, tapping a key on her laptop. ¡°If you would.¡± She started the video up again.


    Marianna watched in silence as Ms. Hearst stopped on the sidewalk to talk to Mr. Cope. Alna fast-forwarded through most of the conversation and eventually paused it.


    ¡°I want you to watch Cope¡¯s right hand here,¡± Alna ordered, casting a brief, sidelong look at Marianna. She chose not to answer and instead focused all her attention on the footage.


    ¡°See here.¡± Alna pointed at the screen, Mr. Cope was resting his hand on Ms. Hearst¡¯s elbow. ¡°Cope intends for this to seem like a friendly gesture. But if you watch carefully¡­¡±


    Marianna listened to Alna¡¯s narration with half an ear, using it as background information as Mr. Cope¡¯s right hand disappeared from the camera¡¯s view. Presumably to reach inside of Ms. Hearst¡¯s purse.


    He was reaching for her EpiPen, which treated allergic reactions, Alna explained. Evie Hearst was deathly allergic to peanuts. Ironically, the same day Ms. Smith had been arrested, Ms. Hearst had somehow ingested some peanuts from a muffin at a caf¨¦. By the time the ambulance had arrived, she¡¯d been dead.


    ¡°So Mr. Cope and Ms. Hearst were working together, and he killed her. We were wrong about Ms. Smith,¡± Marianna said, an odd sensation washing over her as she sat back. She felt dizzy and exhilarated at the same time. Of course, Alna had done most of the ¡°detecting¡± over the past three or so weeks. But knowing that they¡¯d found the real killer¡­ Well, she didn¡¯t know how it felt. Marianna would have to think about that later.


    ¡°Daysie Smith is no less a killer, even if she was not the one we were looking for,¡± Alna said, probably thinking of the death of Mason Davis, who had died by ¡°accidentally¡± electrocuting himself in his own home. This had happened the day after their talk with Ms. Smith.


    ¡°I believe it is time to end this,¡± Alna added, her voice subdued.


    Snapping out of her stupor, Marianna muttered a quick ¡°Right¡± and checked her surroundings before pulling onto the road. She still had so many questions (like why Mr. Cope would kill his partner), but that could wait until later.


    The two fell into relative silence after that, broken only by Alna¡¯s voice as she directed Marinna to a payphone. According to Alna, the Brigate Crime Hotline allowed its callers anonymity, but Alna had once admitted to being a little paranoid. Thus, the payphone.


    As they drove on, the silence became tense¨C¨Cat least for Marianna. She ended up breaking it with: ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alna turn to face her. ¡°You may. You don¡¯t need to ask for my permission.¡±


    ¡°Why did you wait for me after you found the footage?¡± Marianna asked, peering at the light up ahead and hoping it would stay green. ¡°I mean, why didn¡¯t you call the hotline as soon as you saw it?¡±


    Alna was quiet for a moment. Marianna could almost feel the glacial eyes fixed on her face.


    ¡°Call it maudlin,¡± Alna responded after a moment, ¡°but I want you to be there.¡± Another brief pause, then: ¡°You and I have been working on this together for weeks; I thought we should end it together.¡±


    Marianna wasn¡¯t embarrassed to admit that Alna¡¯s admission warmed her, and she could have sworn her heart fluttered. A wide smile appeared on her face as they arrived in an older-looking part of the city. Which made sense, she supposed, if they were looking for an out-of-date payphone.


    As Alna continued to talk again, Marianna only half-listened, focusing on her driving.


    ¡°It makes sense, of course. Murders like the ones we¡¯ve been seeing lately would be fairly difficult to pull off alone. I will have to¨C¨C¡±


    Alna stopped abruptly, and as Marianna drove slowly by a seedy-looking gas station, a payphone coming into view, she risked a glance at her girlfriend. She looked stricken.


    ¡°Marianna,¡± Alna said in a strained voice. ¡°I have made a terrible miscalculation.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Alna?¡± Marianna asked, alarmed. ¡°What¨C¨C¡±


    And suddenly the wheel jerked, sending the car to the right, toward the gas station.


    ¡°Marianna!¡± Alna called in alarm as the truck sped up against her violation. She felt a weight against her side as Alna grasped the wheel.


    ¡°It¡¯s not working!¡± Marianna yelped, trying to turn the wheel, to pump the brake, do something. ¡°I can¡¯t control it!¡±


    Her blood roared in her ears. The building got closer. Everything blurred.


    Alna shouted something, her voice high with panic.


    The building loomed even closer.


    And then¨C¨C


    Nothing.

 Chapter Nineteen

    Alna came to slowly¨C¨Csomething she was rather unaccustomed to. The first thing she registered, before even opening her eyes, was gameplay music¨C¨Coriginating from a phone, it seemed. The second thing she noticed was a sharp pain in her leg, the feeling foreign and invasive in its origin. The scent of smoke reached her, making Alna¡¯s nose twitch.


    Opening her eyes, Alna¡¯s heart almost stopped as she turned her head to check on Marianna. The other girl was slumped against her airbag, a cut above her eyebrow weeping crimson blood. Her face looked relaxed, eyelashes resting against her cheeks. But she was breathing, Alna noted with relief, taking in the way Marianna¡¯s chest moved with every breath. The most concerning thing was Marianna¡¯s left arm. Somehow, a piece of jagged metal had curved inward enough to jam itself into the shoulder area, pulling Marianna¡¯s arm back at an awkward angle.


    From this angle, it was difficult to see much more, but what she could see was far from encouraging. The arm of the blue, long-sleeved sweater Marianna was wearing was already becoming stained with blood, making its way toward her exposed collarbone.


    Alna¡¯s stomach lurched. Marianna couldn¡¯t receive a permanent injury. She couldn¡¯t. Alna would never forgive herself.


    It was with great difficulty that Alna pulled her gaze away from Marianna long enough to survey the rest of the truck. Looking down at the dashboard, Alna spotted Marianna¡¯s dark purple purse, which had landed near her thigh. Alna¡¯s laptop bag was still at her feet.


    Alna could almost feel the piercing gaze drilling into her.


    ¡°Oh, yay,¡±  a feminine voice exclaimed to Alna¡¯s right. As she turned toward the source of the voice, Alna was only vaguely surprised to come face to face with Harlow Ashworth; otherwise known as Emile Cope¡¯s parole officer.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± Ashworth continued, beaming at her as she leaned down to look at Alna. ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯ve been out for, like, ten minutes.¡± The woman had the audacity to sound put out by this, even pouting a bit. ¡°We thought we were gonna have to¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Thank fucking God,¡± a male voice interrupted in a growl. The smile slid from Ashworth¡¯s face, her jaw tightening and lips pursing. Her expression wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place on a lioness. ¡°I thought we were gonna have to wait for an hour or something.¡± Emile Cope appeared from behind some empty shelves, looking annoyed as he attempted to wipe the dust off his jacket. From behind, Alna heard Marianna groan.


    Without warning, Ashworth straightened and whipped around, striding toward Cope with purpose. Her hand cracked across his face with enough force to snap his head to the side.


    As Alna assessed their surroundings, Ashworth said, ¡°Do. Not. Interrupt me. Ever. Capisce?¡±


    They were in the gas station she saw earlier. There was a large, gaping hole where the truck had barrelled in, leaving behind a small pile of debris, although it was unlikely anyone would care that much. With the dust that covered every shelf in sight, it was apparent this gas station hadn¡¯t been used in years. Old pop and beer cans lay around the station, gathering dust.


    ¡°Whoa, okay. Jeesh, calm down, woman.¡±


    Alna looked at her leg, leaning enough to see past the airbag. A piece of metal had curved inward, digging into her shin and leaving behind a small cut. Some debris had fallen into the truck, preventing Alna from moving her leg backward. Impossible to move without creating further damage.


    As Alna turned to Marianna, whose eyes were now wide open with undisguised fear, she heard another crack.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever tell me what to do.¡±


    Alna flicked her gaze down to Marianna¡¯s purse, then met her eyes once more. She mouthed the word ¡°phone.¡± Marianna¡¯s eyes widened once more, and she gave Alna the slightest nod before staring past her.


    ¡°Sorry about him,¡± Ashworth addressed them.


    Alna turned to face her again. Now that Alna took the time to look at her more carefully, it was impossible not to notice the outline of a handgun underneath her shirt, held in place by a black belt with a shiny silver buckle. Clipped to that belt, at Ashworth¡¯s left hip, was a remote, more sophisticated than any remote that could be bought in an average store. With its various knobs and dials, and its little joystick, Alna very little doubt what its purpose was: remote controlling the very truck she and Marianna were currently trapped in. Marianna had texted to say she needed to pick the truck up. If it had been at a repair shop, perhaps Ashworth found a way to access it...


    Ashworth braced a hand on the now misshapen roof of the truck and leaned in uncomfortably close, her white teeth flashing as she grinned. ¡°He¡¯s a bit of a moron,¡± she said in a conspiratorial whisper, as if they were in on some secret.


    Alna gave Ashworth an unimpressed look. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s forgiven.¡±


    Ashworth blinked at that and straightened up to throw her head back as she let out an amused laugh. ¡°Ooh, I like you,¡± she giggled, pressing a hand to her mouth and pushing strawberry blonde bangs out of her eyes. ¡°And look, blondie¡¯s up, too. Now we can start the party.¡±


    The quiet shuffling behind Alna died a quick death as Marianna froze. Alna¡¯s heart rate spiked. She hoped Ashworth hadn¡¯t noticed anything.


    To her credit, Marianna made a valiant effort to distract Cope and Ashworth from what she had just been doing. ¡°Ms. Ashworth,¡± she said in a wavering voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­expect¡­¡± She trailed off, and Ashworth gave her a bright smile. Alna found herself a bit disturbed that she seemed so sane.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t expect it to be me?¡± she asked, as though they were talking about a surprise birthday party. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you; that was the intention.¡±


    ¡°Was it, now?¡± Alna interrupted, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she attempted to keep the woman¡¯s attention away from Marianna. ¡°I never would have guessed.¡±


    Ashworth¡¯s eyes lit up with almost childlike glee. She raised a hand to her mouth, presumably to muffle yet another laugh. Instead, her face scrunched up and she coughed, her brown eyes watering.


    ¡°Blasted smoke,¡± she grumbled, referring to the black smoke rising from the destroyed truck. At least it didn¡¯t look like it was going to catch fire or explode. Small blessings, Alna supposed.


    Keeping watch on Ashworth out of the corner of her eye, Alna once again turned to assess the damage to her trapped leg. The metal point had buried itself deeply into her flesh about halfway down her leg, causing a dark red stain to appear on her jeans.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± Cope commented. Out of the corner of her left eye, Alna saw Marianna ease open the zipper of her purse.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re, like, a fucking chain-smoker. God,¡± Ashworth snapped. ¡°Moron.¡±


    When Alna heard the quiet rustling resume next to her, she solidified her earlier plan: keep Ashworth talking and keep her attention away from Marianna at all costs.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking,¡± Alna started, shifting to block Marianna from view, aided by her airbag. ¡°Why, exactly, have you been killing random people?¡±


    Ashworth¡¯s eyes shifted to focus on Alna¡¯s face. She smiled once more, looking entertained. ¡°Blunt. I like it.¡± She clapped her hands once in delight, bouncing on the balls of her feet. ¡°I¡¯m so glad I did this¨C¨Call the other ways I¡¯ve killed people were so impersonal. This, though¨C¨Cthis is so fun.¡±


    Suddenly, she turned serious. Ashworth stepped closer and ducked her head to peer inside the truck. Marianna¡¯s movements stilled once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to distract me,¡± Ashworth said, sounding thoughtful. Her eyes swept around the interior of the truck, and Alna knew exactly what she was seeing: two girls, one who had her arm pinned down by a stray piece of metal, the other with her leg thoroughly trapped. Helpless and in way over their heads.


    The amusement returned in Ashworth¡¯s eyes. She pulled the pistol from underneath her shirt and twirled it around her finger. ¡°Nice try,¡± she said. Alna stared at the gun, and Marianna drew in a startled breath.


    The way Ashworth handled the gun¨C¨Ccarelessly but with utter self-assurance¨C¨Cled Alna to conclude that she knew how to use it properly. This did not bode well.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ashworth sighed, sounding both put out and thoughtful, ¡°the smart thing would be to kill you both now, but that¡¯s so boring.¡±


    As the quiet rustling resumed behind Alna, Cope muttered something about not dragging this out forever. Ashworth tensed, but only gave the man a disdainful glare over her shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, by all means,¡± Alna drawled, bringing Ashworth¡¯s curious eyes back to her. ¡°Tell us all about your brilliant and evil plan. I¡¯m sure it is both fascinating and original.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Ashworth, bracing a hand on the truck, expression serious. ¡°It all started when the love of my life broke my heart.¡± Tears filled her eyes and for half a second, Alna believed the woman¡¯s performance. Until she realized the tears were not born from grief, but mirth. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    To confirm her suspicion, Ashworth released her grip as she all but doubled up in laughter.


    ¡°Oh, my God,¡± Ashworth gasped out, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. ¡°I had you for a moment there. Your face!¡± she crowed. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± Her giggles continued for another fifteen seconds, in which time Alna stole another glance at Marianna.


    Marianna¡¯s face was devoid of its normal healthy flush, causing her terrified eyes to appear twice as large, and freckles to appear on her nose and cheeks. However, despite her obvious fear, Marianna seemed to compose herself somewhat under Alna¡¯s concerned gaze, and she shifted her phone so that Alna could see the screen. The numbers nine-one-one glowed at the top of the screen, and underneath it, a second set of numbers said the call had been going on for over five seconds.


    Alna nodded at Marianna once and tried to give her a reassuring smile. She wasn¡¯t too sure she succeeded.


    She turned around just in time for Ashworth to regain her composure somewhat. The woman looked as if she¡¯d never been more entertained in her life.


    Alna¡¯s eyes flicked up and down Ashworth¡¯s form as she continued to talk. She wore a simple, grey button-down shirt, paired a black jacket and skinny black pants. Besides the obvious gun in her and at the remote on her belt, Ashworth had nothing on her that was all that distinctive, making it difficult to glean any information.


    ¡°Would you believe it if I told you I don¡¯t have that much time for romance?¡± Ashworth asked conversationally. She twirled the gun once more, causing Alna to instinctively tense and Marianna to draw in a sharp breath. ¡°Not with all the, you know, killing.¡± She made a vague gesture with her gun hand.


    Alna wished she would stop doing that. She consoled herself with the knowledge that the police were likely listening right now¨C¨Cor someone important, at the very least.


    ¡°No, as fun as it can be to have a man around every once in a while, relationships get tiring.¡±


    Behind Ashworth, Cope made a displeased sound, but stayed silent.


    ¡°And,¡± Ashworth continued. For a moment, Alna felt a surge of annoyance at having to listen to ¡°villain monologue,¡± but reminded herself it was a good thing. ¡°As funny as it is to see the police tripping over themselves to figure out ¡®unsolvable¡¯ cases, I thought it would be interesting to see if they could even figure out the difference between accidents and murders staged to look as such.¡± Ashworth frowned, using her pistol to push a lock of hair away from her face. The woman either had mental issues or was secure in the knowledge that she had the upper hand. ¡°I have to say, I was a bit disappointed.¡±


    ¡°As fascinating as this is,¡± Alna said, trying to lounge back against her seat with confidence she didn¡¯t feel, ¡°what I would like to know is why, exactly, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Ashworth tilted her head in a curious manner. ¡°Because it¡¯s fun,¡± she explained, as if the answer should have been obvious. To be fair, she had said as much earlier. ¡°I mean, not that all the other times weren¡¯t fun or anything, but this is much more fascinating. It¡¯s more personal.¡±


    As if to prove her point, Ashworth stopped fiddling with her gun and pointed it at Alna¡¯s head. Alna tensed; Marianna¡¯s breathing stuttered.


    ¡°Now, now.¡± Alna cursed the tremor in her voice. ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty.¡± Alna¡¯s mind was in overdrive. If they were lucky, they had about ten minutes before the police showed up. More, if traffic was uncooperative. If Alna could keep Ashworth entertained until then¡­ But that still left the gun¨C¨Cor, rather, guns, as Cope appeared to have one as well.


    Why had Alna demanded Marianna leave school? Why hadn¡¯t she seen this sooner? How could she be so stupid?


    Keep Marianna alive, Alna told herself. That was the top priority. Her own life was subsidiarity. Ensuring Cope and Ashworth were arrested was a close third.


    ¡°Ooh, such official language,¡± Ashworth cooed, her voice both teasing and mocking at the same time. She allowed her gun arm to fall, the pistol slapping against her thigh. Alna jumped.


    Once more, Ashworth invaded Alna¡¯s personal space, forcing eye contact. If Alna could use the element of surprise¨C¨Clunge forward and dig her thumbs into the woman¡¯s eye sockets¨C¨C That still left Cope and his gun. Not to mention Alna¡¯s trapped leg.


    Ashworth¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, sweeping over the two girls once more. Her gaze returned to Alna after a moment, as she seemed to consider Marianna unimportant. Wonderful. Alna would revel in proving her wrong.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart, don¡¯t you, honey?¡±


    Alna¡¯s jaw locked at the term of endearment. It took all her willpower to hold back a biting retort. Hearing the nickname that her parents addressed her by in the past was the last thing she wanted to hear from this woman¡¯s lips.


    In the time those thoughts flashed through Alna¡¯s head, Ashworth¡¯s lips curled into a self-satisfied smirk.


    ¡°You are, really,¡± Ashworth continued, sounding almost earnest. ¡°Much smarter than those cops, anyway. Not to mention Evie. God, that woman was an idiot.¡± Ashworth¡¯s brows drew together in a clear sign of frustration.


    Alna cocked an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is that why your henchman¡±¨C¨Cshe nodded to Cope¨C¨C¡±killed her?¡±


    If things were going according to plan, someone was listening this very instant. Any confession would be beneficial.


    Again, that searching look appeared on Ashworth''s face before she gave Alna an easy smile. The faux familiarity was getting on Alna''s nerves.


    ¡°Like I said¡±¨C¨CAshworth dropped her eyes to inspect her gun¨C¨C¡±the woman was a complete idiot. I mean, I did leave some clues behind for the morons, but she wasn¡¯t supposed to leave outright evidence, for God''s sake.¡± Her hands tightened on the pistol. Alna''s muscles bunched up once more.


    Alna parted her lips, intending to fire more questions at the madwoman, but found herself interrupted. By Emile Cope.


    ¡°For fuck''s sake,¡± the henchman growled, slamming down an aged pop can he''d been looking at. ¡°How much longer is this goddamn thing gonna take?¡± Cope advanced on his employer from behind, reaching out to grab her arm. ¡°Just kill the bitches already and get it over with. Or¡±¨C¨Chere Cope¡¯s voice turned patronizingly sweet¨C¨C¡°do you want me to do it for you?¡±


    Alna wasn''t ashamed to admit that she leaned away at that. Because, while Cope did undoubtedly pose a threat, it was Ashworth who Alna''s instincts told her she was  the one to be feared.


    Ashworth had gone still once Cope intruded for a second time. Her eyes narrowed and Alna could easily picture her with the eyes of a cat¨C¨Cslitted pupils and a predatory expression. Ashworth smiled, the tightness around her mouth suggesting anger.


    ¡°How many times,¡± she said with gritted teeth, ¡°do I have to tell you to shut. The hell. Up?¡±


    Again that look appeared on her face: dangerous and predatory.


    Alna had half a second of warning (saw the muscles in her arms flex) before Ashworth twisted around, freeing herself from Cope''s grip. Simultaneously, she brought her knee up and jammed it in Cope''s groin.


    This was her chance. Keeping the duo in her peripheral vision, Alna turned and shoved at the airbag to better see her trapped leg. With her right hand, she undid her seatbelt.


    ¡°I am so fucking sick of you,¡± Ashworth said as Alna attempted to shift her leg to the right. She stopped as pain shot up her calf, drawing in a short breath. That wasn¡¯t going to work.


    A brief glance revealed Ashworth, her left hand gripping Cope¡¯s arm, jabbing her gun under the man¡¯s chin. He raised his hands in the universal gesture of surrender, looking wary. Alna pulled her leg toward her, lengthening the cut on her leg and causing the bleeding to increase.


    ¡°I hired you for one job, and let me tell you, it wasn¡¯t to backtalk and treat me like a moron,¡± Ashworth continued. The leg of Alna¡¯s jeans, having already been wet with blood, was well on its way to becoming soaked. She could almost swear she felt the sharp edge of the metal scraping against bone. Her jaw clenched so much it ached.


    ¡°I keep you out of jail and what do I get in return? A fucking idiot who insists on acting like he¡¯s the king.¡±


    Alna didn¡¯t mean to pause in her task, but Ashworth¡¯s words caught her attention. She stared at the woman¡¯s back for perhaps ten seconds. Ashworth was the reason Cope had gotten out of jail? Or, more specifically, she was working to prevent him from ending up there again. The parole officer guise continued to look more and more clever.


    Why couldn¡¯t she seem to read anything on their persons?


    ¡°Alna,¡± Marianna called in a soft, worried voice as Alna returned her attention to attempting to free her leg. She turned to her girlfriend and attempted to shoot Marianna another reassuring smile that she was certain came out as more of a pained grimace.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± she said, blue meeting blue as they locked eyes. Marianna, wide-eyed and almost waxen with terror, gave her a small nod.


    As Ashworth continued to threaten Cope (at one point even grabbing his gun and throwing it aside), Alna gripped her knee in both hands and forced it toward her. More pain. More blood. But it was working. Another half an inch and she¡¯d be free.


    Clenching her jaw, Alna jerked her leg one final time, nearly clipping her chin with her knee. And wouldn¡¯t that be comical? she thought dryly. No matter. She was free now. Just in time, too, as it appeared Ashworth was winding down from her rant.


    Alna bent her knees under herself, ignoring the lightheadedness that had begun about a minute ago. Despite herself, as Alna hoisted herself out of the passenger window, cutting her palms, she couldn¡¯t help but try to calculate how much blood she had lost. She didn''t like the answer she came up with.


    Cope¡¯s eyes slid to her just as Alna¡¯s feet touched the ground. He only had enough time to utter a few syllables before Alna darted up behind Ashworth, who had finished her rant and was already turning away. Using every bit of her strength, Alna shoved Ashworth forward. The woman, having not expected the action, stumbled forward, crashing into Cope. And then everything was a blur of motion.


    Alna threw herself to the left, already expecting the bullet that flew past her. As her body slammed to the ground, Alna rolled, desperately attempting to reach Cope¡¯s discarded gun. Cope stepped on her wrist, crushing it under his weight.


    Letting out a small cry, Alna retained enough mental clarity to aim her foot at Cope¡¯s crotch, making contact as a bullet buried itself in her arm. This time Alna felt her back arch as she let out a strangled sound of pain, her vision beginning to fill with black dots.


    Cope let out a stream of expletives. Alna reached, eyes opened to mere slits, and grabbed at Ashworth¡¯s ankle, only to receive a harsh kick for her efforts. She had to keep distracting them, Alna thought frantically, trying to sit up. It only took a slight shove from Cope to have her collapse again.


    Her body pulsed, pain rippling through her with every beat of her heart. How much blood had she lost?


    She had to keep them distracted. Had to¡­ And yet she was too weak to do anything. Alna panted, turning her head and scanning her surroundings for any potential weapons. The gun was gone, no doubt retrieved by Cope or Ashworth.


    ¡°Jesus, you¡¯re a tricky one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ashworth mused aloud, sounding breathless. Annoyance laced her voice. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this.¡± Alna heard a bullet click into place. She turned her head and watched the gun being pointed at her head. ¡°Emile, sweetie, I don¡¯t want to hear any ¡®I told you so¡¯s¡¯ from you or I will put a bullet in you.¡±


    Ashworth¡¯s finger flexed on the trigger. Alna¡¯s heart pounded, blood roaring in her ears as the adrenaline faded away. Her lips parted as Alna tried to think of something to say, something to distract the woman just a little while longer¡­


    Ashworth¡¯s head snapped up as sirens pierced the air, the gun jerking with her. Without warning, the pistol fired and Alna screamed as pain flared in her stomach, right where the bullet had lodged itself.


    Red and blue lights flashed as the black dots overtook her vision.


    ¡°Alna!¡±

 Chapter Twenty

    ¡°Alna!¡± Marianna screamed, her voice lost in the screeching of sirens. She threw herself forward, twisted side to side, trying to get to Alna, for crying out loud. She was distantly aware of pain shooting down the length of her left arm as the metal dug into her shoulder. She barely comprehended Ms. Ashworth¡¯s frantic cussing.


    What she did process, however, was a gun swinging in her direction. She barely shifted out of the way before a bullet whizzed past her head. Her heart pounded, her ears rang, and she realized there was a new cut on her forehead.


    That had been way too close, Marianna thought. Her mind sharpened as distress flooded her systems once more. As more shots were fired¨C¨Cboth from the dysfunctional duo and the police, her mind supplied¨C¨CMarianna craned her neck, only leaning back when the pain in her shoulder became unbearable.


    She needed to see Alna, needed to make sure she was all right. She¡¯d screamed in pain after falling out of sight. What if¡­. Oh God oh God oh God. Marianna couldn¡¯t think about that.


    But she couldn¡¯t see Alna, and she wasn¡¯t making a sound. Oh, God.


    Marianna¡¯s attention was diverted somewhat when there was another shout of pain, this time from Ms. Ashworth. The crazed woman fell to a kneeling position, face scrunched as she clutched at her leg, blood seeping between her fingers. Marianna watched a few more seconds, barely noticing as Mr. Cope seemed to give up easily after his boss was felled. She turned again, trying to spot Alna, when¨C¨C


    ¡°Miss?¡± asked a masculine voice.


    Marianna turned, and, sure enough, a police officer was standing right outside the driver¡¯s window. She gave him a blank stare, her thoughts turning slow and sluggish now that everything had seemed to calm down somewhat. The ringing in her ears continued, less forceful than before.


    Marianna felt suddenly weak, somehow holding onto her panic at the same time. Her throat tightened, the world blurred into a kaleidoscope of red and blue, and her pulse pounded in her ears. She felt hot and cold at the same time. Past the man, a female police officer led Ms. Ashworth and Mr. Cope out the gaping hole in the gas station¡¯s wall.


    And, as the policewoman talked about attorneys and the right to remain silent, and someone said something about shock, Marianna panicked.


    ¡°Alna,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Where¡¯s Alna?¡± she asked, twisting around. She just about broke down and wept when she saw a stretcher and two EMTs bending down to lift her up. Without thinking, Marianna tried to strain closer. ¡°I have to¨C¨C¡±


    A hand settled itself on the car door, where the window had once been. This time, Marianna jerked in surprise, gasping as fire seemed to travel down the length of her arm. She had enough awareness to process the soft, soothing voice speaking to her but couldn¡¯t bring herself to tear her eyes away from Alna.


    She looked so¡­ Marianna had never thought she would apply the word ¡°weak¡± to the sometimes robotic girl, but that was all she could think of at that moment. Alna was limp and unresponsive on the stretcher, not one flicker of her eyes giving even the smallest sign she was aware of what was going on. Her arms had to be arranged by the EMTs so they didn¡¯t hang off the edge of the stretcher.


    Alna was always pale; even blood loss didn¡¯t seem to change her overall complexion. So much of it. Blood, that is. It had soaked through what was left of the bottom half of her right jean leg. The cut fabric flapped open, giving Marianna an unobstructed view of Alna¡¯s calf.


    The sight was enough to make Marianna¡¯s stomach roil. One long cut ran up the length of Alna¡¯s calf, leaving a bloody mess in its wake. She¡¯d watched as Alna had inflicted the cut on herself, but somehow, now that she was being rushed into an ambulance, it seemed so much worse.


    Marianna¡¯s gaze was torn away from her girlfriend¨C¨Cmostly because Alna had finally been loaded into an ambulance. Immediately, Marianna¡¯s anxiety spiked. It was bad enough that Alna was injured, but not having her within sight made everything much worse.


    ¡°Miss,¡± said a new voice. A woman¡¯s.


    ¡°I need to get to Alna¡± was Marianna¡¯s only response. She started to struggle, only for the woman to speak again.


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m going to get you out of there, okay? Will you let me do that?¡±


    ¡°I¨C¨C¡± Marianna said, eyes darting between the ambulance and the woman¡¯s calm face. Her entire demeanor was gentle and relaxing, never once hinting at a sense of urgency.


    One of the police cars had already driven off, Marianna noted. And now she needed to make sure Alna made it to the hospital. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Somehow still exuding calm, the woman hefted a tool into view. She commanded Marianna to remain still and began to cut at the metal embedded in Marianna¡¯s shoulder, narrating her actions as she did so. There were snowflakes in the woman¡¯s hair, Marianna noted.


    Marianna¡¯s arm had gone numb in the last¡­ Whatever minutes. She doubted that was a good thing but couldn¡¯t bring herself to care all that much. Alna was more important right now. Besides, the respite from the pain wasn¡¯t exactly unwelcome.


    Before Marianna could process it, the woman was removing the metal from Marianna¡¯s shoulder, causing a brief flare of pain, before her arm numbed again. When the door opened with a reluctant groan a minute later, Marianna undid her seatbelt and tumbled out of the truck in her eagerness to get to Alna. The woman supported her, and it was only then Marianna realized with a sickening jolt that the ambulance Alna was in had disappeared. A second one that Marianna hadn¡¯t bothered to acknowledge stood waiting.


    Marianna almost lost it; mumbled about Alna and needing to see her. She looked at their surroundings, half hoping to see the ambulance Alna was in. The woman guiding Marianna to the other ambulance spoke quietly, assuring her she would see her ¡°friend¡± again soon. Marianna wasn¡¯t even coherent enough to correct her.


    The ride to the hospital was a blur of piercing sirens, an orange blanket being settled on her shoulders, and staring at the mess her arm had become. Some distant, more rational part of Marianna¡¯s brain noted that the cut in her shoulder was deep enough to potentially be a concern. The persistent numbness certainly was. However, Marianna seemed to have fallen into a passive daze. When she surfaced from it at brief intervals, the only thing that she could bring herself to care about was Alna.


    Sometime later found Marianna sitting on a hospital bed in what she presumed was in the emergency room. She didn¡¯t even remember arriving.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to numb your arm,¡± the kind, balding doctor explained. Marianna blinked at him, some corner of her mind screaming bloody murder.


    The doctor didn¡¯t ask her permission before he injected the needle into the crook of her elbow, although he talked her through it, explaining everything in microscopic detail. Marianna wondered if she should tell the doctor that the numbing agent was unnecessary.


    Too late. He was already pulling the needle out of her arm. She wasn¡¯t in the mood for talking, anyway.


    ***


    It wasn¡¯t until the doctor stitched up her shoulder and cleaned her arm of blood that Marianna¡¯s daze finally seemed to recede for good.


    ¡°I need to see Alna,¡± Marianna demanded, trying to sound authoritative. Her voice wavered, tinged with exhaustion, undermining her intention.


    ¡°Are you family?¡± the doctor asked, wrapping a sling around her arm.


    Marianna almost told Doctor Brown (according to his name tag) that she was Alna¡¯s sister. Or cousin. But with the ordeal they had both done through, the last thing Marianna wanted was to get caught in a lie. And so, she admitted, ¡°No, I¡¯m her girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss¡­¡± Doctor Brown looked at her expectantly. Marianna wondered if the police had ID¡¯d them yet.


    ¡°Whitlock,¡± she said. ¡°Marianna Whitlock.¡± She could already see the rejection coming.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Whitlock, but we only allow family to visit patients.¡±


    Yeah, Marianna bet he was so sorry.


    For a moment, she thought about fighting him, but realized that it would be pointless.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Marianna snapped, letting her displeasure ooze unchecked into her voice. ¡°But can I at least make a phone call?¡±


    Doctor Brown agreed, and a minute later a nurse with short brown hair and the name Susan printed on her name tag came in with a landline. Marianna couldn¡¯t even remember the last time she had used one of those.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Mrs. Holt answered after four rings. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Mrs.¨C¨CMrs. Holt,¡± Marianna choked out, her eyes filling with tears. Oh, God, how was she supposed to do this? How was she supposed to tell this woman, who had been nothing but kind to her, that Alna was in a hospital?


    ¡°Mary?¡± asked Mrs. Holt, starting to sound concerned. There was a slight shuffling, and then, ¡°Why are you¨C¨C Oh, God, are you okay?¡± Her voice heightened in pitch, becoming panicked. ¡°Is something wrong with Alna? Tell me she¡¯s all right.¡±


    ¡°There was an accident,¡± Marianna explained, tears rolling down her cheeks as she blinked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Alna in a while.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be right over. Ten minutes,¡± Mrs. Holt said, her tone brisk with a hint of a tremor. The dial tone sounded before Marianna could say anything else.


    Marianna pulled the phone away from her ear, allowing her hand to fall to her side. And, with a start, her heart jumped, picking up its tempo.


    She hadn¡¯t told her which hospital they were in. She didn¡¯t even know which hospital they were in.


    Marianna fumbled with the phone, desperate to call back¨C¨C


    Wait, stop. Relax. The hospital¡¯s name must have appeared on the Holts¡¯ phone, meaning Mrs. Holt would know which one to show up at.


    That calmed her down a bit.


    Marianna remained agreeable as the same nurse from earlier came in and led her out of the ER. She thought about trying to persuade the woman to allow her to see Alna but doubted she¡¯d have any more luck than before. With reluctance, she pushed the idea away.


    She was led to a room that contained at least five other patients, making her feel like she was entering a place of impending doom. She tried not to stare at the frail woman hooked up to some machine of some sort. If she had to guess, she thought it might be life support.


    Marianna settled into her bland hospital bed without resistance. Susan placed a glass of water that she had been carrying on the bedside table and explained to Marianna that she would stay here for the time being. According to the nurse, she would likely only have to stay here a few days, if that. At least until her parents came to check her out¨C¨C


    For a moment, everything froze. Marianna gave Susan a shaky nod and a hopefully reassuring smile before she sat still, staring at her retreating form blankly.


    The sudden realization hit her with the force of a tsunami: during everything that had happened in the past two or three hours, Marianna hadn¡¯t thought about her parents. Not once. She hadn¡¯t even thought to call them to say she was in the hospital.


    What kind of daughter did that make her?


    Marianna didn¡¯t know the answer to that question, but she knew the cause for her forgetfulness. The amount of tension at home was so thick that Marianna had once, half deliriously, thought about trying to cut it with a knife.


    Marianna wondered when her parents stopped being the first people she went to when she had a problem.


    That didn¡¯t matter. She had to call them. Marianna shifted, placed her feet on the floor and stood up, only for a sudden wave of dizziness to force her back down. She swallowed down the sudden need to vomit.


    Right, Marianna thought with wry humor. The blood loss.


    It took Marianna a few minutes to regain her equilibrium before she once again attempted to stand up. Same results. She sat down once more in defeat, wishing that the world would stop spinning already.


    When a third attempt gave her another dizzy spell, Marianna finally laid back against her pillows in defeat. An older woman in the bed next to her gave her an odd look.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the button?¡± the woman said in a rasping whisper. Marianna jumped a little.


    ¡°The what?¡± Marianna asked, blinking at the frail woman.


    ¡°The button,¡± she repeated, pointing at something hanging next to Marianna¡¯s bed. Sure enough, a large, plastic button hung there. ¡°It¡¯ll let the nurses know you need help.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Marianna stared at the button and blushed¨C¨Cthen felt surprised she even had enough blood and energy to do so. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    I¡¯m still out of it, Marianna thought as she pushed the button. She gave the lady a whisper of a smile.


    Another nurse came in less than thirty seconds after Marianna had pushed the button. He agreed to Marianna¡¯s request for a phone, and in under two minutes, Marianna tried to make her second phone call in under fifteen minutes. ¡°Tried¡± turned out to be the operative word, as her mother didn¡¯t pick up, leading Marianna to leave a message.


    Marianna¡¯s father, however, did pick up.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Dad¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Just what kind of bullshit are you trying to play, Marianna?¡± her dad demanded heatedly.


    What?


    ¡°Listen, Dad¨C¨C¡± she tried again.


    ¡°I swear, if this is another grab for attention, you¡¯re grounded until fucking graduation. And don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be allowed to see that girl, either.¡± He spat the word ¡°girl¡± like it was a curse.


    Had he even looked at the display? Probably not.


    ¡°Seriously, Dad,¡± Marianna said, both attempting to be heard over his ranting and trying not to disturb the other patients by speaking too loudly. ¡°I need you to listen to me¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°No, you listen to me. You don¡¯t get to just skip school like that.¡± Fair enough. ¡°I won¡¯t stand by while you ruin your¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m in the hospital!¡± Marianna finally snapped, cutting her father off. She did not need this right now. Not with her mind rebelling against her and her girlfriend in possible critical condition.


    On instinct, she tried to raise her left hand to rub her forehead, only to be reminded of the presence of the sling.


    The silence on the other end was deafening. ¡°My God,¡± Dad breathed out. ¡°What happened? Are you all right? What happened?¡± With every question, Marianna could hear her father breathing become heavier, his voice becoming more strained.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Lie. ¡°I just¡­Dad, I need my parents right now. Can you come? Please?¡±


    She was surprised by how much she meant that. It felt as if her parents hadn¡¯t been around for quite some time. A lump formed in her throat.


    ¡°Your mother and I will be right over. Which¨C¨Cwhich hospital are you in?¡±


    Crap. Marianna should have tried to figure that out ages ago.


    As luck would have it, the nurse from earlier was standing by the door. It occurred to Marianna that her earlier yelling might have drawn him in. She called him over before asking the hospital¡¯s name.


    ¡°Greenland Hospital,¡± Marianna replied tiredly. When did that happen? She was all over the place.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be there as soon as possible,¡± her father assured her. They said brief goodbyes before they both hung up.


    ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡± the nurse asked with clear concern as Marianna handed the phone back to him.


    ¡°No, but thank you,¡± Marianna told him. The nurse nodded and reminded her to push the button if she needed anything more.


    That done, Marianna drained the glass of water Susan had left and leaned back against her white pillows. She could use a nap right about now.


    Yeah, that sounded like a good idea¡­


    ***


    Her slumber seemed to last mere minutes before Marianna was woken by the sensation of someone touching her left arm. Oddly enough, this didn¡¯t send Marianna into a panic, despite everything that had happened. Instead, she found herself blinking groggily at Mrs. Holt¡¯s worried face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Mrs. Holt apologized, drawing her hand away from Marianna. She sounded exhausted. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to wake you; I just¡­¡±


    Instead of finishing her sentence, Mrs. Holt straightened her posture and ran a shaking hand through her brown tresses.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Marianna mumbled. She tried to push herself into a sitting position; a rather difficult feat to accomplish with only one usable arm.


    Another arm slipped behind her back and lifted her upper half slightly, while Mrs. Holt readjusted the pillow behind her. Marianna gave Mr. Holt a grateful look.


    ¡°Alna?¡± she asked. She could hear the shaky note in her own voice.


    ¡°She¡¯s in surgery,¡± Mrs. Holt said. She made a questioning gesture at Marianna¡¯s bed. Marianna bent her legs to allow Mrs. Holt to sit down. Mr. Holt took a seat in a chair. ¡°They had to give her an emergency blood transfusion first.¡±


    Marianna didn¡¯t miss the long look shared between the two Holts before Mrs. Holt looked back at her.


    ¡°I can give you the details if you think you can handle it,¡± Mrs. Holt told her gently. Marianna realized she¡¯d rested a hand on her knee¨C¨Can intimate gesture that, strangely enough, didn¡¯t seem at all out of place.


    Marianna swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. She needed to know.


    ¡°Her wrist is sprained and she lost a couple of pints of blood,¡± Mrs. Holt started with a sigh. She passed a hand over red-rimmed eyes. Mrs. Holt looked exhausted. Both of them did. Rumpled clothing and tired eyes showed that clearly. Mrs. Holt was still wearing her white doctor¡¯s jacket. She must have just gotten off of work.


    Mrs. Holt started speaking again.


    ¡°The bullet in her arm didn¡¯t hit anything vital, but it bled profusely. The second one¡­¡± Mrs. Holt¡¯s voice trembled. Her husband made a strangled sound of pain and dropped his face into his hands. ¡°It hit one of her kidneys.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s eyes immediately became wet. ¡°Oh, God,¡± she whimpered, bringing her right hand up to cover a sob. ¡°Oh, God.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll pull through this,¡± Mr. Holt said hoarsely, bringing his head back up. His eyes held a hint of tears. ¡°She¡¯s always been a strong girl.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one word I¡¯d use to describe her,¡± Marianna agreed.


    There was relative silence for about a minute.


    ¡°Do your parents know?¡± Mrs. Holt glanced toward the door as if they would magically appear. ¡°Has someone contacted them?¡±


    ¡°I called them a little while ago; they should be here soon,¡± Marianna replied.


    ¡°Good. That¡¯s good.¡±


    More silence. Then, ¡°How did you even get in here?¡± Marianna asked. ¡°The doctor earlier said only families are allowed to see patients.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor,¡± Mrs. Holt said. ¡°I might have exploited that a bit.¡± There was no humor in her voice.


    ¡°Besides, we had to know if you were okay,¡± Mr. Holt cut in. ¡°Nothing would stop Vicky from seeing you.¡± His voice had a fond edge to it, even if it was overrun by grief.


    Marianna¡¯s throat tightened for an entirely different reason. When was the last time her parents had shown this much concern for her? Oh, sure, they¡¯d been worried about her since her coming out but that was more concern for her ¡°mental state.¡± Her father had proven he cared about her wellbeing earlier, but only after Marianna had forcefully interrupted him.


    There had been none of that with Alna¡¯s parents.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay with me.¡± Marianna tried to ignore that part of her that didn''t want them to leave. ¡°You should go wait for Alna or something. Or check on the boys,¡± she suggested, remembering she hadn¡¯t seen a hint of Alna¡¯s brothers since their parents had arrived.


    ¡°Colton and Evan are at a friend¡¯s house,¡± Mr. Holt said. ¡°They¡¯re fine for now.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯ll likely be a while before we hear anything about Alna.¡± Mrs. Holt¡¯s voice became strained, her hand tightening on Marianna¡¯s knee as she fought to keep her composure. Seeming to relax somewhat, she continued, ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere for the moment.¡±


    And they didn¡¯t go anywhere. They stayed with Marianna right up until her parents showed up minutes later.

 Chapter Twenty-One

    Alna was bored. This was something she had never expected to experience inside her own mind, seeing as it was, in fact, her mind, and the very ¡°place¡± she frequently retreated to. But as the saying went, there was a first time for everything, and this was one particular first time Alna was not too keen on.


    She sat in the clearing she had crafted over six years ago for her own amusement and relaxation¨C¨Cthe one kept in endless night. To an outsider, there would appear to be nothing amiss with Alna¡¯s little refuge¨C¨Cassuming this person could see into her mind. The plant life was no less rich in colour than it had been on Alna¡¯s last visit and the sky no less calming. But this was Alna¡¯s mind and she tended to be aware when something was wrong with it.


    The sky, for example, was definitely out of order. She knew for a fact there were at least three constellations missing¨C¨Cone being Carina.  There was also the worrying fact that Miriam University, a recent addition, had become inaccessible to her. Alna had attempted six times to get to the newer building only to be, quite literally, road blocked for her efforts. Where once there had been a road leading to Miriam University, now there was what appeared to be a white wall, which Alna, for all her efforts, could not seem to get past.


    To call it frustrating would be an understatement. Alna¡¯s mind¨C¨Cthe world she built¨C¨Chad always been a place of safety for her. A place where she had near absolute control. To have that control taken away was disconcerting, to put it mildly.


    Had she suffered brain damage? It was a definite possibility. One that Alna wasn¡¯t all that fond of.


    Alna laid back against the grass and attempted for the ninth time to wake herself up.


    ***


    The doctors called it a ¡°minimally conscious state.¡± That was why Alna hadn¡¯t woken up, even after the drugs they used to put her under for surgery wore off. According to Mrs. Holt, Alna was unconscious but her brain was showing too much activity for her to be in a coma. She¡¯d even opened her eyes on a few occasions, although she didn¡¯t seem aware of her surroundings.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but get excited,¡± Mrs. Holt explained, sounding forlorn as she sat at Marianna¡¯s bedside. ¡°For a moment, I thought she was waking up, but then¡­¡±


    Mrs. Holt gave a sigh that spoke of much exhaustion. Her shoulders slumped forward, as if she were carrying an enormous weight. Marianna knew the feeling.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be okay,¡± Marianna said. She wanted to reach out and put her hand on the distraught mother¡¯s shoulder, but Mrs. Holt had taken a seat on her left this time, making the act rather difficult. ¡°This is Alna we¡¯re talking about, right? She couldn¡¯t even go into a coma properly. Alna¡¯s not gonna let this get the best of her.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the words were out that Marianna realized her lame attempt at a joke could be taken as an offense. Why was she even trying to joke, anyway?


    Before Marianna could apologize for being insensitive, Mrs. Holt agreed. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She straightened up and gave Marianna a soft look that, while weighed down with worry, was no less sincere. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all right, though,¡± she continued, reaching out to squeeze Marianna¡¯s knee. ¡°Are you in any pain?¡±


    Marianna didn¡¯t see her own comfort as all that important, but Mrs. Holt genuinely seemed to care, even after everything. She owed the woman an honest answer. In this case, anyway.


    ¡°Not really. I mean, I¡¯m sore, and I get dizzy if I move too fast, but nothing too serious.¡±


    On instinct, she reached up to touch the butterfly bandage on her forehead. Mrs. Holt¡¯s eyes followed the action.


    ¡°Mary, I have to ask,¡± Mrs. Holt said, gently but with a determined edge. ¡°What, exactly, happened yesterday? How did it come to¡±¨C¨Cshe gestured to the hospital room¨C¨C¡±this?¡±


    Marianna swallowed around the lump that appeared in her throat. That very question was one of the many things that had kept her up all night, staring at the ceiling.


    Casting her mind around as she stared at Alna¡¯s prone form, Marianna said, ¡°Alna wanted to take me somewhere¨C¨Cfor a surprise date, or something. We were driving to some old store or caf¨¦, and¡­I don¡¯t know, the next thing I know the truck went berserk. I couldn¡¯t control it at all.¡±


    Mrs. Holt was frowning, making fear spike through Marianna¡¯s veins. Did she know Marianna was lying? It took everything in her not to look away or fidget.


    ¡°And you skipped school for that? I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think that sounds like you. I certainly wouldn¡¯t expect something like that from Alna. She values education too much,¡± Mrs. Holt said, her forehead wrinkled.


    Marianna¡¯s palms started to sweat. The urge to fidget increased tenfold. She cursed her inability to come up with a more plausible lie.


    ¡°It¡¯s partly my fault,¡± Marianna elaborated, her mind racing a mile a minute. Wasn¡¯t there a saying that the best lies contained some truth? How could she do that in this situation? ¡°I was bored, so I started texting her during class. She suggested the date after a few minutes. I¡¯m not sure she was too happy about me missing school, though.¡±


    Marianna had to force herself to stop talking, to refrain from rambling on and giving herself away. She fixed her gaze on Mrs. Holt, trying to look sincere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t imagine she would be,¡± Mrs. Holt said, still frowning.


    Upon hearing Mrs. Holt¡¯s comment, Marianna¡¯s heart raced. It was written all over her face, wasn¡¯t it? Marianna didn¡¯t think she was a terrible liar¨C¨Cand she knew she could keep a secret. Hiding her sexuality from her parents paid tribute to that. This, however, was a different situation entirely.


    Marianna swallowed and then realized that had been a stupid move.


    ¡°I wonder what caused the truck to act up,¡± Mrs. Holt mused¨C¨Cmore to herself than Marianna, it seemed.


    She answered anyway. ¡°I had to pick it up at a repair shop. Maybe it was, I don¡¯t know, sabotaged or something.¡± It came out sounding like more of a question than an answer.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Mrs. Holt agreed, her eyes fixing themselves on Marianna¡¯s face once more. She was beginning to wonder if at least part of Alna''s intuition had come from her. Mrs. Holt must be rather smart, after all, in order to be a doctor.


    Abruptly, Mrs. Holt gave her head a quick shake and stood. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. You¡¯re safe; Alna is¡±¨C¨Cthe tension returned to Mrs. Holt¡¯s face¨C¨C¡°going to recover. We can worry about everything else later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marianna said in a faint voice. She knew Mrs. Holt was planning to leave and wished she¡¯d stay longer. Marianna¡¯s own parents were waiting outside of the shared hospital room, having decided to give her and Mrs. Holt time to talk. They¡¯d been civil¨C¨Ceven doting¨C¨Csince the accident, but there was still that tension simmering beneath the surface. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Apparently, her near-death experience wasn¡¯t going to make them more open to her being bisexual. Go figure.


    Mrs. Holt rested her hand on Marianna¡¯s left knee in a gesture of comfort. ¡°Aiden or I will visit you later, if you¡¯re still here,¡± she assured her. ¡°Although I doubt you will be much longer; you¡¯re in good condition, considering.¡± Mrs. Holt¡¯s words sounded sincere, but Marianna didn¡¯t miss the tension in her voice. Did Mrs. Holt resent that Marianna had gotten off so easily compared to her daughter? Marianna wouldn¡¯t blame her if she did. Heck, Marianna herself resented it a bit. If she could take Alna¡¯s place¡­


    Marianna forced her expression to appear grateful, although she couldn¡¯t quite muster up the will to smile. Not after finding out about Alna¡¯s condition.


    ¡°Okay. But don¡¯t worry about me too much; focus on Alna,¡± Marianna said.


    ¡°Oh, believe me,¡± Mrs. Holt sighed, running a hand through her unkempt hair, ¡°we will.¡± Mrs. Holt¡¯s eyes closed for a moment, her face becoming pained. When she opened them again, she continued, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t care about you.¡±


    Marianna didn¡¯t understand Alna¡¯s parents anymore. Not at all.


    ***


    Marianna received a visit from the police before she departed from the hospital. Well, ¡°departed¡± was a bit of a relative term, seeing she went straight to Alna¡¯s private hospital room as soon as possible.


    She¡¯d given Officer Davis the same story she¡¯d given Victoria: that she''d cut school on a whim and that she and Alna had been driving to some store or other before she lost control of the truck.


    Faking distressed confusion turned out to be rather easy. The officer seemed to believe the complete crap Marianna spouted at him and he¡¯d wrapped the interrogation in under a half an hour.


    Marianna could have sworn the man was being purposefully vague regarding the duo¡¯s arrest but assured herself that their chances of getting out of prison were slim to none.


    And now here Marianna sat, holding Alna¡¯s hand while her girlfriend¡¯s parents sat in two chairs, both silent. Marianna¡¯s own parents had wanted to take her straight home after her release, but when Marianna put her mind to something, she was good at holding her ground. Thus, they had reluctantly gone home, but not before telling her to call them with one of the hospital¡¯s phones when she was ready to leave.


    ¡°I should go back to work at some point,¡± Mr. Holt said, shattering the delicate silence. Marianna tore her gaze from the beeping heart monitor to look at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, Aiden,¡± Mrs. Holt consoled, reaching for her husband¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure no one would blame you for taking a week off.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well.¡± Mr. Holt reached up to tug at his dark hair once. ¡°It¡¯s not like sitting here will make Alna wake up anytime sooner.¡±


    In some corner of her mind, Marianna had to agree with Mr. Holt¡¯s statement, but that didn¡¯t mean she planned to leave Alna alone for too long. She¡¯d be spending as much time in the hospital as she could until Alna woke up.


    Marianna shifted a little, wishing she could adjust the position of her left arm.


    ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± Mrs. Holt agreed. Over the past couple days, she seemed to have taken on the role of the voice of reason: calming down Marianna when she became hysterical and pulling her husband into her arms when despair overwhelmed him. ¡°But if it¡¯s for your own peace of mind¡­¡±


    Marianna moved her gaze away from the couple and focused on Alna¡¯s lax face, trying to give them privacy. Every now and again, Alna¡¯s face would show some signs of movement (a slight pucker between her brows, a flicker of her eyelids), showing the doctor had been correct in his diagnosis. The first time Alna¡¯s blank expression turned into a frown, Marianna¡¯s heart had leaped hopefully, only to fall in disappointment when Alna remained unconscious.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be going back for a couple more days,¡± Mrs. Holt continued after a moment of  quiet. ¡°I certainly won¡¯t be doing any surgeries for some time.¡±


    Marianna stared harder at Alna¡¯s face and fought her hardest not to break down into tears.


    No one spoke for another long stretch of time. So Marianna thought her reaction was justified when she jumped at the sound of a soft knock on the door.


    A pretty nurse with curly chocolate hair entered the room.


    ¡°Dr. Holt, there¡¯s someone asking after you,¡± the nurse informed Mrs. Holt. ¡°Your brother, I believe.¡±


    For a moment, Mrs. Holt appeared confused, her drawn face tightening somewhat. And then she murmured, ¡°Oh, right.¡± More loudly, she added, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be out in a moment.¡±


    The nurse nodded and made her departure.


    ¡°You two stay here,¡± Mrs. Holt ordered, pressing her hand into her husband¡¯s shoulder as he attempted to rise with her. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    She lingered for a moment, eyes sweeping over Alna¡¯s prone form before she rounded the bed and swept out of the room. Mr. Holt dropped his head into his hands.


    Marianna looked at Mr. Holt, feeling a lump form in her throat. He was the picture of misery, with rumpled clothes, messy hair and red eyes. Mr. Holt seemed to have lost all his energy as Alna remained unresponsive. Every once in a while, Marianna had caught him staring off into nothing, a pained look on his face, as if Mr. Holt was imagining every worst-case scenario there was.


    The guilt hit Marianna like a tidal wave.


    ¡°Mr. Holt¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Aiden,¡± Mr. Holt corrected her, mustering a weak smile when he looked up at her. It didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°Aiden,¡± Marianna repeated. She glanced down, fidgeting. ¡°I¨C¨CI don¡¯t think I ever told you how sorry I am about all this.¡±


    Meeting the man¡¯s eyes was proving to be impossible, so Marianna peered at the wall past him. This did not stop her from catching the frown on Mr. Holt¡¯s (Aiden¡¯s) face.


    ¡°What do you have to be sorry for?¡± Mr. Holt asked, confused. Marianna¡¯s eyes snapped back to him in shock.


    ¡°Well, I mean,¡± she stuttered, bewildered. Wasn¡¯t it obvious? ¡°I was the one behind the wheel¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°In a vehicle that malfunctioned.¡± Mr. Holt gave her a sceptical look, seeming more like himself than he had in days. ¡°I fail to see how any of this is your fault.¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t decided to skip school¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Life is full of decisions, Mary,¡± Mr. Holt cut her off once more, sounding tired. ¡°Do some of them lead to terrible consequences?¡± His eyes flicked down to Alna. ¡°Of course they do. But sometimes people don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to come out of their choices¨C¨Cand they can¡¯t always be blamed for that.¡±


    Marianna opened her mouth before snapping it shut. She stared at him, having no clue how to respond.


    Fortunately¨C¨Cor unfortunately?¨C¨CMarianna didn¡¯t have to think of anything because Mrs. Holt reappeared at that moment. When Marianna turned to look at her, Mrs. Holt gave her an apologetic look.


    ¡°Mary,¡± she said, sounding cautious, ¡°I hate to kick you out, but some family members have arrived and they¡¯d like to see Alna.¡±


    Marianna blinked at that and then wondered why she was even surprised. This was bound to happen, anyway.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, sure,¡± she agreed. She stood up, hesitating only a moment before ducking down to press a light kiss to Alna¡¯s forehead. She turned back to Mrs. Holt. ¡°I¡¯ll come back later?¡± she half asked.


    A jolt of fear went through her. She could come back, right?


    Mrs. Holt gave Marianna a warm look. Marianna wasn¡¯t sure why she bothered. ¡°Of course. Do you need to call your parents? You can borrow my phone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks.¡± She stood there awkwardly for a moment before realizing her reluctance to leave was causing her to hover. ¡°Um, I¡¯ll see you later, then.¡±


    ¡°See you,¡± she heard Mr. Holt say from behind her. Mrs. Holt gave her a kind look as Marianna brushed past her.


    Spotting Mrs. Holt¡¯s brother wasn¡¯t difficult once Marianna had exited the hospital room. This was due to the fact that he and the woman Marianna assumed to be his wife were standing right outside the door. Marianna had to backpedal a bit to avoid slamming into the man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Marianna apologized. She didn¡¯t even blush as she moved away from the door.


    The couple barely even spared her a glance as they entered the room, although the man muttered a hasty greeting. Marianna stared at the door for a moment before heading off to the nurse¡¯s desk, bypassing a girl with her blonde hair in a bun as she did so.


    She only had to stand in line for a few minutes before she reached the nurse¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Marianna said to the woman behind the counter. ¡°Would it be possible for me to use the phone? I need to call someone.¡±


    The nurse smiled kindly and handed over a phone.


    Marianna took it and called her mother.

 Chapter Twenty-Two

    Alna had no way of telling how long she had been unconscious. She could mimic the passage of time by allowing the sky to lighten into afternoon and darken into night. She could let the weather change with her mood¨C¨Cwhich, given how unhappy she was, resulted in a lot of cloudy skies, rain, and if she felt particularly frustrated, howling winds.


    But there was no real way of knowing if the time passing in her head was accurate. Not without outside influence. For all she knew, what was one day inside her mind could be mere minutes in reality; or even weeks.


    Having parts of her mind blocked off had become infuriating. And, to make matters worse, Alna found her ability to build and conjure what she pleased had been damaged as well. This resulted in her going through the many random facts she collected over the years and trying to come up with complicated math questions that would take her more than a few minutes to solve. Already she was making plans to add on to the formula she had drawn on her wall.


    She supposed she had very little to complain about. The fact that her brain was able to function the way it was after the incident would be considered a miracle by some. A part of her even was grateful for this. That, however, was overshadowed by ongoing annoyance and worry.


    Her family was fretting over her, without a doubt. Marianna¡¯s emotional state likely wasn¡¯t the best, either. Alna¡¯s girlfriend was a strong young woman when she needed to be; she acknowledged this. But the trauma of flirting with death, along with her girlfriend being hospitalized, had surely taken its toll on Marianna. Alna hoped she hadn¡¯t suffered any more serious injuries.


    Alna¡¯s head thumped back against the ground in exasperation. She needed to wake up.


    ***


    Marianna lay in her bed, an arm thrown over her eyes. She was reluctant to call her mood from the last couple of days mopey, but there was no other way to describe it. It was aggravating, sitting at home when she should be at Alna¡¯s bedside. But she couldn¡¯t because more of Alna¡¯s relatives had shown up recently, making it impossible to snatch more than an hour with her.


    Marianna would have opted to wait in the lobby if Alna¡¯s and her own parents hadn¡¯t both gone to great lengths to assure her that wasn¡¯t necessary. Really, the only thing that kept Marianna at home was the assurance that someone would contact her if there was room for her to visit Alna.


    Still, she seemed to be constantly switching between driving herself insane with worry and being frustrated at everything. Her nightmares weren¡¯t welcome, either.


    A knock on her door had Marianna moving her arm away from her eyes and struggling to sit up with one arm. Her left arm was still in its dark blue sling, holding her arm in place at her stomach.


    Once she was successfully sitting, Marianna said, ¡°Come in,¡± vaguely surprised the knocker didn¡¯t let themselves in.


    The door opened to reveal Mom. The past couple days had taken its toll on Marianna¡¯s mother, as her blonde hair was in a state of disarray, her eyes showing signs of sleeplessness.


    As cruel as it might seem, it wasn¡¯t Mom¡¯s appearance that held Marianna¡¯s attention but the phone in her hand. Immediately, her posture straightened, and Marianna cursed herself for not keeping the thing within her proximity.


    ¡°Is it¨C¨C¡± she asked, heart speeding up.


    ¡°It¡¯s Hikari,¡± Mom interrupted, already knowing her question.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Marianna gave herself a mental shake and accepted the phone with a ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Once her mom had departed (after giving Marianna a worried, searching look), Marianna put the phone to her ear.


    ¡°Hikari?¡± she said.


    Keeping the disappointment out of her voice was proving to be a full-time task. She stared at her window, watching the snowflakes fall gently: white, fluffy and untainted.


    ¡°Hey, Mary,¡± Hikari said, sounding cautious.


    Marianna closed her eyes and swallowed back the irrational urge to snap at her friend. Being treated like glass was becoming more than a little irksome, although Marianna couldn¡¯t say the concern was misplaced. It had only been four days since the ¡°incident¡± and Mariana was far from recovered.


    On the other end of the line, Hikari asked, still wary, ¡°How are you doing? Everything okay?¡±


    Before Marianna could stop herself, she ground out, ¡°Other than the fact that my girlfriend¡¯s unconscious in the hospital for who knows how long? I¡¯m terrific.¡±


    As soon as the words were out, Marianna wished that she could take them back. Hikari didn¡¯t deserve her frustration. Neither did Blaze and Sadie. They were simply trying to be there for her. When had Marianna started to take her pent-up emotions out on them like this?


    She could practically hear Hikari¡¯s wince. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Hikari backtracked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; that was a stupid question.¡±


    Marianna blew out a breath and attempted to regain control of herself. ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Hey, no, none of that,¡± Hikari was quick to rebuke her. ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t apologize to me. God knows you have every right to be cursing at the world in general.¡±


    Marianna had to smile a bit at that. This was why she loved the other girl so much; why they were such good friends.


    ¡°And I¡¯m a big girl,¡± Hikari continued, tone light but not too cheerful. ¡°If you need someone to take your anger out on, I¡¯m there.¡±


    Marianna smiled a bit at that. It was moments like these where she had to wonder how she¡¯d been lucky enough to get a friend like Hikari.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Marianna felt her eyes become wet. The world outside her window became a blur of blue and white. ¡°But you don¡¯t deserve to be my emotional punching bag.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean I ¡®don¡¯t deserve¡¯ it?¡± Hikari said in mock outrage. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m not good enough?¡±


    Marianna grinned despite herself at her friend¡¯s ridiculous behaviour. ¡°No, that¡¯s not¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I am the best emotional punching bag in the world. No, the universe,¡± Hikari cut her off. ¡°And, lucky you, I didn¡¯t charge a billion diamonds like I would with the other jerks on this rock.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God, Hikari,¡± Marianna laughed. It felt good to laugh, a part of her thought guiltily. ¡°That''s so bad, it¡¯s not even funny.¡±


    ¡°Screw you, Mary, you wouldn¡¯t know good humor if it slapped you across the face,¡± Hikari said. Marianna could hear the smile in her voice.


    In the ensuing silence that followed, it didn¡¯t take long for the stress of the past few days to come crashing back with the force of a tidal wave.


    When would Alna wake up? Would she wake up? No, Marianna couldn¡¯t think like that. Alna would be fine. She¨C¨C


    ¡°Mary? You still there?¡± Hikari¡¯s voice broke through her thoughts, all traces of humor gone.


    Marianna took a shuddering breath, realizing that her breathing had become ragged in the past few minutes.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still here,¡± she said in a strained voice. Her hand tightened around the phone, then relaxed.


    ¡°Oh. Good.¡± There was a brief pause that borderlined on awkward, then: ¡°I should have asked sooner, but how is Alna doing, anyway?¡±


    Marianna sighed. ¡°No change so far, but her brain¡¯s still active. And she keeps opening her eyes. So, that¡¯s something, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s only been a few days,¡± Hikari reminded her. ¡°She¡¯ll wake up eventually. Maybe she needs to heal or something. I heard that people go into comas so that their bodies can heal. Although that was probably from a TV show¡­¡±


    Hikari¡¯s obvious attempts at reassuring Marianna were up and down in terms of how helpful they were, but Marianna appreciated the genuine effort. ¡°Yeah,¡± she agreed, her voice flat.


    Hikari let out a small sigh. After a brief pause, she asked, ¡°Would you like to hang out tonight? Have a sleepover or something? I could invite Sadie, maybe even Blaze. Who knows, it might take your mind off things for a while.¡±


    Marianna took a moment to reply. With everything that had happened, simple things like hanging out seemed like a foreign concept¨C¨Cand not all that appealing, either. Marianna opened her mouth, intending to shoot the idea down, but stopped short of saying anything. Admittedly, seeing her friends likely wasn¡¯t the worst idea. They¡¯d been nothing but supportive of her, and Hikari¡¯s offer of a sleepover was only an extension of that support. It might take her mind off everything for a while. And didn¡¯t that very thought make Marianna feel ten different shades of guilt.


    In the end, all she said was, ¡°It¡¯s a school night.¡±


    ¡°Screw school,¡± Hikari scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re more important.¡± She said it with such conviction that a lump lodged itself in Marianna¡¯s throat.


    She tried again, still half-hoping to get out of this. ¡°I¡¯ll probably be going to the hospital at some point to see Alna¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Hikari cut her off. ¡°Seriously, Mary, you don¡¯t have to do anything you don¡¯t want to. If you have to blow us off halfway through, we¡¯ll understand. I just want you to know that we¡¯re here for you. One hundred percent.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Again, her throat tightened, and Marianna tried not to let her tears fall. ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed. ¡°Yeah, okay. Um, come over whenever.¡±


    ¡°Give me a half-hour.¡±


    ***


    Marianna¡¯s friends showed up almost a half an hour later, on the dot. Even Blaze showed up, to Marianna¡¯s mild surprise.


    She knew she looked like a wreck as her friends entered the house, chattering quietly and shooting her the occasional look of concern, but not one of them commented on it. Marianna had spent the short window of time curled up in her bed, clutching the phone and praying she¡¯d get a call from one of the Holts. Not being able to see Alna was almost enough to send Marianna over the edge.


    Her spiraling thoughts calmed when mom had taken a seat on the edge of Marianna¡¯s bed, silently stroking her hair for a few minutes before asking if she wanted to talk. She hadn¡¯t, but Marianna was grateful that the tension between her and her parents seemed to have taken a back seat. At least for the time being.


    ¡°I brought some movies,¡± Hikari said as she spread them out on the floor. Marianna sat on the couch, sandwiched between Blaze and Sadie. ¡°And a couple first seasons of some shows I like.¡±


    ¡°I brought some snacks, too,¡± Sadie added near her ear. She hugged Marianna closer, resting her chin on her shoulder. Blaze¡¯s arm rested over both of them.


    Marianna didn¡¯t mind being surrounded in the slightest. In fact, she was certain this was the safest she¡¯d felt since the accident.


    ¡°Just put whatever in,¡± Marianna told Hikari, not missing the forlorn edge to her voice. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    Hikari sat back on her heels, peering at Marianna with such obvious concern that Marianna felt a flicker of annoyance. She tamped it down and reminded herself that her friends were trying to be there for her.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Hikari agreed, sounding cautious. She stared at Marianna for another moment before seeming to shake herself. She stood up and popped something or other into the DVD player before divvying out the snacks.


    Marianna accepted some caramel and cinnamon covered popcorn and chewed on it without enthusiasm.


    The movie started¨C¨Ca fantasy film, she thought¨C¨Cand Marianna watched it without interest, unable to focus. She caught snippets of dialogue here and there and noted that the plot seemed to involve a kidnapping. Half her thoughts were on Alna, creating a whirlwind in her head. She again wondered when (not if) Alna would wake up; when Marianna would be able to see her. Marianna bit her lip, a handful of popcorn in her hand as her mind continued to torture her.


    She¡¯d have to go back to school soon, but how could she? How could she pay attention to lessons about the founding of Starla when she couldn¡¯t even seem to remain in the present moment around her friends?


    Thoughts like this continued to circulate, growing faster and faster as her mind reminded her of everything there was to be worried about. Alna, school, Alna, nightmares, gunshot, Alna, people staring, can¡¯t handle it, can¡¯t¨C¨C


    It wasn¡¯t until she heard Sadie¡¯s panicked voice that Marianna realized her breathing had become erratic. Sadie¡¯s worried face filled her field of vision. Marianna attempted to slow her breathing.


    Relief filtered into Sadie¡¯s eyes once Marianna calmed down. ¡°There you are. We lost you for a minute there.¡± Her hands rested on Marianna¡¯s arms, warm and comforting.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Marianna apologized. She blinked a couple of times, trying to regain her bearings.


    ¡°Seriously, Mary,¡± Blaze said, squeezing her knee. ¡°You need to stop with the apologizing thing; you have nothing to be sorry for.¡±


    I can think of a few things, Marianna thought as Sadie once again made herself comfortable. Marianna glared at her hands. A few of her nails were chipped. She wondered if that had happened during the accident.


    Instead of voicing her thoughts out loud, Marianna settled with, ¡°You¡¯re right. Play the movie again. I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Judging by the looks on the trio¡¯s faces, they didn¡¯t believe her. Nonetheless, they let the subject drop.


    Sort of.


    As Hikari pressed play, remaining in her spot on the floor, Sadie¡¯s chin rested on Marianna¡¯s shoulder once more. ¡°You can talk to us about anything. Keep that in mind, okay?¡±


    How had Marianna gotten so lucky to have these three wonderful people in her life? She swallowed down the urge to break down into tears for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Marianna forced herself to relax, focusing her attention on the movie¡¯s plotline. She wasn¡¯t all that successful¨C¨Cher mind constantly flickered back to Alna¨C¨Cbut she avoided any more panic attacks. If that¡¯s what it had been, anyway. Anytime Marianna felt her anxiety rising, she focused on Sadie¡¯s breathing patterns, matching it with her own, or on the colour of her hair. Sadie¡¯s caramel brown hair that she disliked so much was showing at the roots. She would probably be dyeing it soon.


    Marianna even told Sadie she looked nice, forcing herself to take in Sadie¡¯s red, long-sleeved and shoulderless shirt, and the skinny jeans she was wearing. Sadie thanked her, saying Hikari had helped her pick them out in the store.


    At some point, Sadie readjusted her position so she was now leaning against Marianna instead of hugging her, Blaze¡¯s hand resting on her shoulder.


    The movie seemed to be near the end when the ringing of the phone broke through Marianna¡¯s dazed state of mind. Wasting no time, Marianna shot toward the phone as fast as possible¨C¨Cwhich was on the floor next to Hikari¨C¨Cstartling her friends. They all watched as Marianna answered the phone, her parents appearing a moment later.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Marianna gasped out, praying that it was one of Alna¡¯s parents. She¡¯d been in such a hurry to answer that she hadn¡¯t even checked the caller ID.


    ¡°Hello, Mary,¡± Mrs. Holt greeted, her voice heavy with bone-deep exhaustion.


    ¡°Mrs. Holt.¡± Marianna gripped the phone tighter. Blaze rested his hand on her arm. ¡°Is Alna all right?¡±


    A sigh. ¡°Well, no change yet. But the real reason I¡¯m calling is to tell you that you can see her now if you want. My brother¡¯s gone for the moment.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s pulse immediately sped up. ¡°Yes, totally,¡± she agreed, her words nearly tripping over each other in her rush to get them out. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡± She and Mrs. Holt exchanged some brief goodbyes before they both hung up.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital,¡± Marianna informed everyone, brushing past her parents as she beelined for the doorway.


    ¡°I can drive you,¡± she heard Blaze offer from behind her.


    As Marianna single-handedly put her shoes on, she opened her mouth to refuse before remembering the totaled truck from mere days ago. Not to mention her currently left arm.


    She doubted she was in any condition for driving, anyway.


    ¡°That¡¯d be great. Thanks, Blaze.¡± The moment she voiced her agreement, Blaze was next to her, helping Marianna into her large black winter jacket. He pulled on his own jacket.


    ¡°Are you sure you should go anywhere right now?¡± Mom asked from behind Marianna, her concerned voice accompanied by a strained edge that Marianna doubted had anything to do with her wellbeing. Both her parents looked annoyed. Her mom''s arms were crossed in a displeased manner.


    At her side, Dad¡¯s jaw locked. He looked as if he wanted to drag her away from the door.


    Marianna wasn¡¯t having any of that. ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t have time for your prejudice right now. My girlfriend¡¯s in the hospital; I¡¯m going to go see her. End of story.¡±


    ¡°Marianna¨C¨C¡± Dad said, taking an aborted step forward.


    Marianna shook her head and exited the house before either of her parents could say anything more. Blaze followed  at her heels.


    Outside, the street looked like a winter wonderland. Snowflakes were still falling from the sky, falling on the ground as they sparkled in the streetlight. Almost everything was covered in a soft blanket of white, making Marianna¡¯s street appear almost colourless. Gone were the various colours of the cars parked on the street. The road here had not even been cleared of snow yet, as it wasn¡¯t at the point where it would cause too many problems.


    There was a chill in the air, but not enough to worry about it. Marianna walked to Blaze¡¯s small red car, snowflakes settling on her head and shoulders.


    As Marianna used her good arm to brush some snow off the passenger window, Sadie¡¯s voice sounded from a little ways down the sidewalk. Blaze was already there, brushing away some snow and unlocking the car.


    ¡°Do you want us to come with you?¡± Sadie asked, sounding breathless and worried as she and Hikari caught up to them. ¡°We could¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Marianna rebuked, opening the passenger door. ¡°There¡¯s only so many visitors allowed at once, and you don¡¯t know Alna all that well, so I doubt you¡¯d be let in her room either way.¡± She forced back her impatience enough to give her friends a grateful look. ¡°But thanks,¡± she added before stepping into the vehicle.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see you later,¡± Hikari called before Marianna slammed the door closed.


    The drive to the hospital was, understandably, not all that comfortable. Smalltalk seemed out of place in this situation, leaving Blaze and Marianna in silence until they stopped at a red light.


    Marianna¡¯s jaw locked as she glared at nothing in particular. Stupid lights.


    ¡°So, did something happen, then?¡± Blaze asked, startling Marianna. She tore her gaze from the darkened outdoors to focus on him. A nearby streetlight illuminated half his face, leaving the other half in shadow, almost making him look like those dark and mysterious characters people liked in movies.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You freaked everyone out back there, with how much you wanted to get out of there. Did something happen to Alna?¡± Blaze turned to meet Marianna¡¯s eyes before refocusing on the task at hand once the light turned green. He turned on the wind wipers to remove a small gathering of snowflakes on the windshield.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna breathed out. She thought back to how she acted after the call and had to admit, her attitude might seem peculiar to some people. ¡°No, nothing happened. Mrs. Holt was just calling to say I could see Alna. I didn¡¯t want to wait.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­good, I guess,¡± Blaze offered with some hesitation. He cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°At least nothing¡¯s getting worse. I¡¯ll let Sadie and Hikari know.¡±


    Marianna felt a flash of guilt for worrying her friends and told herself she¡¯d apologize the next time she saw them.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said faintly, returning her gaze to the window.


    Twenty minutes later found Marianna rushing through the hospital, likely startling a few people as she did so. It took everything in her to resist the temptation to break into a flat out sprint.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Marianna said, chest heaving as she entered Alna¡¯s hospital room. Her eyes lingered on Mrs. Holt before darting over Alna¡¯s prone form, automatically checking for any changes. Even with the earlier assurance that nothing had changed, Marianna couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed when Alna''s state remained unchanged. Her eyelids seemed to be twitching a bit, though.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Mrs. Holt straightened from her slumped position and gave Marianna a strained smile. Her brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun¨C¨Cand not the stylish type. Marianna got the impression that Mrs. Holt tossed her hair up in a bun as an afterthought.


    Marianna sat down, her eyes locked on Alna¡¯s pale face. Her chest rose and fell in steady breaths, a white hospital gown with tacky purple flowers covering her. Marianna touched Alna¡¯s hand with her fingertips, and then completely enveloped it.


    As a clock ticked somewhere, Marianna wondered if Alna had any awareness of her surroundings at all.


    She might have let the silence stretch out for a good few minutes if Mrs. Holt herself hadn¡¯t spoken.


    ¡°How have you been doing, Mary?¡± Mrs. Holt asked.


    Marianna continued to be surprised¨C¨Cnot to mention a bit flustered¨C¨Cby the genuine concern Alna¡¯s parents continued to show her.


    When Marianna looked at Mrs. Holt, she was once again struck by how exhausted the woman looked. The age lines on her face hadn¡¯t multiplied, exactly, but she could have sworn there were more than there used to be. Mrs. Holt always seemed to be slumped over, her shoulders curving forward into a concave. Her rumpled clothing only added to the heartbreaking portrait she painted.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Marianna lied. She paused and added, ¡°My shoulder hurts sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about your shoulder,¡± Mrs. Holt said, her gaze locked on Marianna. Suddenly, Marianna could see the resemblance between mother and daughter.


    She swallowed and tried to school her face into a believable expression. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she evaded again. ¡°Mostly.¡±


    Mrs. Holt didn¡¯t appear to believe her, but after one more searching look let it go and instead redirected her gaze to a book in her lap.


    Marianna pressed Alna¡¯s hand between both of hers.


    ¡°You have to wake up, Alna,¡± she said. ¡°We miss you.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Three

    What had Ashworth¡¯s goal been, anyway? Alna wondered, not for the first time. One did not  wake up one morning and decide to kill random strangers. More often than not, there was a reason behind it. A mental disorder, a perceived wrongdoing¨C¨Csomething.


    From what Alna had seen, Ashworth seemed to enjoy what she did. There had been nothing in her demeanor that showed she¡¯d been lying when she¡¯d expressed her glee over her little project. A mental disorder seemed likely, given the circumstances. But there was something about Ashworth that suggested to Alna that it went deeper than a simple disorder of the mind. Ashworth clearly found it entertaining when the police had been unable to identify the murders as such. Did she hold a grudge against the police force or a specific person in their midst? That seemed like a distinct possibility to Alna.


    It was too bad she was trapped inside her own mind and thus, unable to research any of her theories.


    Alna glowered and found herself, for the upteempth time, worrying for Marianna¡¯s health.


    She just hoped Marianna was brought to the hospital in time. Anything else was unacceptable.


    ***


    Marianna was watching the news for signs of what she dubbed the ¡°Ashworth Case¡± when the doorbell rang. She turned toward the sound, staring at the door, and briefly thought about getting up to answer it. However, her father walking over to the front door dissuaded her from the notion, and Marianna went back to the news. She watched the proceedings out of the corner of her eye, only vaguely interested in who was at the door.


    Her little mental bubble was broken when her mind registered her grandmother¡¯s voice. Marianna blinked a few times at nothing in particular and shut off the television. She pushed herself off the couch before going to greet the newcomer.


    ¡°Mary,¡± her grandma breathed out, her elegantly aged face filled with relief. In three strides, she pulled her granddaughter into her arms for a brief hug. Marianna wrapped her good arm around Jenita, not knowing what to feel. She stared over Grandma¡¯s shoulder.


    None too soon, Grandma pulled back to get a better look at Marianna¡¯s face. She tucked a blonde strand of hair behind Marianna¡¯s ear.


    Grandma wore her hair in a way that seemed typical of older ladies these days. It was short, curly and grey, with no hint of dye. Unlike some women sixty-five and over, Grandma did not go searching for products that would help her look younger, nor did she ever lie about her age. Instead, at almost seventy-five years old, Grandma embraced her old age and everything that came with it.


    As her grandma cupped her face between rough, leathery hands, Marianna felt the first stirrings of affection breaking through the haze she had fallen in today. She mustered a slight upturn of her lips.


    ¡°Hey, Grandma,¡± Marianna said.


    Grandma looked as if she was thinking of pulling Marianna into another embrace but seemed to change her mind and dropped her hands.


    ¡°What am I doing?¡± she muttered. She flapped her hands at Marianna in an urging manner. ¡°You should be resting; go sit down.¡±


    Bemused, Marianna obeyed. She watched with some curiosity as Grandma turned on her parents and started to, almost literally, interrogate them. The elderly woman asked what Dad and Mom had been doing to take care of their daughter. Grandma nodded her head in a clear sign of approval when Mom mentioned the tea Marianna had earlier.


    Marianna¡¯s parents were doing the best they could in a situation they were wholly unprepared for; she was well aware of this. What she was also aware of was the fact that Marianna herself wasn¡¯t making their job all that easier, what with her running off to see Alna at the drop of a hat, and her occasional outbursts when Marianna became frustrated with everything and everyone. They never stopped trying to help her, though.


    When Marianna wasn¡¯t fretting about Alna or having minor freakouts, she found herself wishing¨C¨Choping¨C¨Cthis ceasefire would last.


    Dad and Grandma disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Mom hovering in the living room. She took a few steps toward the couch.


    ¡°Do you need anything, hon?¡± Mom asked, her eyes drifting to the blue hoodie that Marianna was wearing. ¡°A blanket?¡±


    Yes, Marianna needed something, but visiting Alna at the moment wasn¡¯t possible. Yet again.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± Marianna said for the upteempth time. She wasn¡¯t freaking out about something at the moment, anyway. She hesitated for a moment before inquiring, ¡°Actually, could I get away with something chocolate?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mom agreed immediately, already turning toward the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll make some cookies or something.¡±


    ¡°Could you add some sort of spice, too?¡± Marianna called before she could disappear. Sweet and spicy had been a mixture she¡¯d heard of on a television show once. After trying it out herself for kicks, she¡¯d become addicted to the combination. ¡°Like, cinnamon or something?


    The look Mom gave her was so warm that it made Marianna¡¯s heart ache. She couldn¡¯t recall seeing that look on her mother¡¯s face since she¡¯d come out. Not before ¡°the accident.¡±


    ¡°Of course, honey,¡± Mom responded, her voice just as sincere. She gave Marianna one last look before following her husband and mother to the kitchen.


    Marianna stared after her for a moment, wondering once again how long this stalemate would last.


    Minutes later, as light bangs came from the kitchen, Grandma reappeared in the living room with a large mug of tea, which she handed to Marianna. She accepted it eagerly, taking a grateful sip, allowing the lavender tea with milk and honey to slide down her throat. It was a bit too sweet for Marianna¡¯s tastes, but she could handle that.


    ¡°Good?¡± Grandma asked, watching her in a way that made Marianna want to squirm. It wasn¡¯t the same as Alna¡¯s gaze, which always seemed to search for something. Granted, Alna¡¯s borderline all-knowing look could make Marianna uncomfortable, too, but Jenita¡¯s piercing grey eyes were making her feel too much like a bug under a microscope.


    For reasons unclear to even herself, Marianna took another sip to forestall answering, staring intently at the rug beneath her feet.


    ¡°Very. Thanks, Grandma.¡±


    Without thinking about it, Marianna¡¯s left hand released the mug and slid over the couch cushions until it came into contact with the house phone. Lifting it up, Marianna checked for any missed calls. Nothing. She didn¡¯t even know why she bothered checking. It wasn¡¯t like Marianna would miss its shrill ring.


    When she placed the phone back down with a sigh, Grandma was watching her with a slight frown.


    ¡°Are you expecting a call from someone?¡±


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Marianna admitted, sighing again.


    The tea warmed her throat as Marianna took another small drink. As they always did these days, Marianna¡¯s thoughts once circled back to Alna, wondering again if anything had changed since she¡¯d last seen her. Although Mr. and Mrs. Holt had been trying to keep Marianna informed of when she could visit Alna, she hadn¡¯t been receiving any regular updates of her girlfriend¡¯s condition. She understood that, on some level. Alna¡¯s parents were, without a doubt, overwhelmed with everything as it was. The last thing they needed was to worry about keeping Marianna in the loop twenty-four-seven. That didn¡¯t stop her from worrying, though.


    Marianna didn¡¯t even realize her hands were shaking until tea splashed onto her pant leg and Jenita¡¯s soft, wrinkled hand appeared on her wrist, the silver bracelet on her thin wrist clinking.


    ¡°Mary, are you all right?¡± her grandmother asked with obvious concern. As Marianna turned toward the woman, she caught sight of her mother peering at her from the kitchen, expression pinched.


    ¡°Yeah, Grandma, I¡¯m fine,¡± Marianna assured her. Honestly, how many times in one day could she freak out like that? Marianna was beginning to miss her earlier detached state.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Marianna trailed off and bit her lip. She tore her eyes away from Jenita¡¯s and looked at the now black television screen. More tea slid down her throat as she debated whether or not she should continue. ¡°My girlfriend¡¯s in the hospital, and I¡¯m really worried about her.¡± She gave Grandma a sidelong look, waiting for her reaction.


    And there it was¨C¨Cthat flash of disapproval, the slight tightening of Jenita¡¯s lips. Marianna¡¯s stomach roiled. She was getting sick of this.


    ¡°I see,¡± Grandma said, her voice cold. Marianna held back a wince, resisting the urge to defend herself. Grandma seemed to shake herself, as the warmth from earlier returned. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about it too much. Focus on getting yourself better.¡±


    I¡¯m not the one that needs to get better, Marianna didn¡¯t say out loud. Although she could see why people thought she did, what with her arm still being in a sling. Her lips pursed in annoyance.


    ¡°Okay, Grandma,¡± she agreed, hearing the snappish edge in her own voice.


    Grandma must have missed her granddaughter¡¯s irritation, or chose to ignore it, because she patted Marianna¡¯s wrist and took the mug away from her. Marianna couldn¡¯t help but think her smile looked condescending.


    After taking Jenita¡¯s suggestion to go change to heart, Marianna declined the offers of help, and headed to her room. She swapped out her loose pajama pants for a pink pair of loose fitting yoga pants, examining her leg for a burn. Jeans were something she had given up on wearing on day one, after discovering how impossible it was to put them on one-handed. Doing anything one-handed was borderline impossible. But Marianna possessed some pride, despite her bashful nature, and had been attempting to do everything she could for herself. The more she could do without help, the better.


    The fact that the one-handed struggles were successful in diverting her panicked thoughts was a happy bonus.


    Soon enough, Marianna wandered back into the living room, reclaiming her seat on the couch. She checked the phone once more for any calls. Still nothing. Grandma placed a blanket over Marianna¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Do you need anything for your arm?¡± Grandma asked, nodding toward Marianna¡¯s sling. The homey smell of chocolate chip cookies wafted in from the kitchen.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay, Grandma. Really,¡± Marianna reaffirmed when Grandma looked sceptical. ¡°But thank you.¡±


    ¡°Anytime, sweetie,¡± Grandma said, reaching up to brush some hair over her shoulder.


    More and more relatives continued to show up throughout the day, making Marianna wonder if the constant concern would get irritating at some point. Marianna¡¯s aunt from her mother¡¯s side, Candace, swooped in with her fruity perfume, clothes stained from baking mishaps, and overall comforting personality. Unlike most of Marianna¡¯s relatives, she didn¡¯t barrage Marianna with a million and one questions or ask her if she was all right. Instead, she settled for sitting next to Marianna, making idle chit chat and sharing cookies with her. Uncle Will, her dad¡¯s brother, was more stressed out than some. It seemed as if any time Marianna so much as breathed, he was preparing for something to happen.


    Needless to say, it got old fast.


    The Whitlock house was filled with enough relatives that Marianna, for one hysterical moment, wondered if they had gathered for a family reunion she hadn¡¯t heard of.


    ¡°Now, Mary,¡± Aunt Poppy scolded later on, eyes narrowed as Marianna turned down Jenita¡¯s offer of another snack, ¡°you know you need to tell someone if you need anything. We can¡¯t help if you don¡¯t let us.¡±


    Marianna suddenly remembered why she had never liked Poppy, why she made no real effort to talk to her. The woman was about as comforting as a cactus, with her constant disapproving attitude. It was as though her face was made for frowning or scowling, as that was all she ever seemed to do. Her eyes were dark, too dark to be called brown but not quite black, always holding judgement for someone. The worst part was Aunt Poppy had next to no filter. Whatever insulting thought she had, people would hear it. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Marianna could scarcely remember a time when she¡¯d seen Aunt Poppy get along with anyone.


    ¡°I know, Aunt Poppy,¡± Marianna said, holding back her sigh. ¡°But I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Poppy eyed her, face taut with disapproval, lips pursed into a thin line. ¡°Fine,¡± she relented before getting off the couch and storming toward the kitchen. That seemed to be where the adults had set up their base.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her get to you, Mary,¡± Aunt Candace told her. When Marianna turned toward her, she added, ¡°She¡¯s a mean old witch.¡±


    Marianna cracked an exhausted smile at that. Sometimes she found it difficult to believe those two were related. They were such polar opposites; it was amazing they could even exist in the same room without creating a nuclear explosion.


    ¡°Thanks, Aunt Candace.¡±


    Aunt Candace gave her a gentle pat on the knee before turning back to the television and turning the volume up on the comedy show she had selected.


    And that was when the phone finally rang.


    ***


    It was Wednesday when Marianna found herself back at the Holt house for the first time since ¡°the accident.¡± In all honesty, Marianna had thought about coming on more than one occasion, if for no other reason than it had become a haven of sorts. However, Marianna resisted the urge, not wanting to push the limits of the Holts¡¯ kindness. This was why when  Mrs. Holt, in an off-hand manner, invited her over, Marianna found herself pleasantly surprised.


    Colton and Evan¨C¨Cwho Marianna still couldn¡¯t tell apart¨C¨Cwere sullen when Marianna arrived, although they seemed happy to see her. They¡¯d bombarded her with question after question until Mr. Holt told them to give her some breathing room.


    The ¡°breathing room¡± was one reason Marianna had come here in the first place. Marianna loved her family, but having so many relatives around was beginning to get overwhelming.


    ¡°One, two, three, four, five,¡± one of the twins (who¡¯d reminded Marianna he was Evan) counted with obvious concentration as he moved his crab across the board.


    As the board said, Evan picked up a surprise card from the pile. ¡°¡®You are attacked by pirates; pay a hundred sand dollars,¡¯¡± he recited.


    His brother, who had been noticeably more quiet than Evan since Marianna had shown up, cracked a weak grin. Evan placed the card on the coffee table and started to grudgingly count up some money. Marianna¡¯s gaze slid to the mute television.


    She had taken to watching the news whenever she could, watching out for any signs of Ms. Ashworth or Mr. Cope being mentioned. So far, she knew that they had been arrested and that Ms. Ashworth pleaded guilty to the charges pressed against her.


    ¡°Mary,¡± one of the twins¡¯ called, dragging Marianna¡¯s eyes away from the television. Evan was holding the dice out to her. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Marianna said, sending Evan an apologetic look. She snatched up the two dice and shook them a few times in her closed palm before allowing them to roll onto the board, which had cartoonish fish and bubbles printed on it. One die landed on a large orange fish with puffy lips, while the other landed on a bubble in the blue ¡°water.¡± The dice read six. Marianna moved her small silver octopus six spaces forward.


    ¡°¡®Go back three spaces,¡¯¡± she read out a moment later. Colton gave her a sympathetic look.


    ¡°Annie?¡± Evan asked tentatively as his brother tossed the dice onto the board.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Marianna replied, once again tearing her gaze from the television to look at the twin.


    Evan seemed nervous. His eyes flicked away from Marianna, instead settling on the coffee table in front of him. He hesitated a moment, chewing his bottom lip. ¡°When will Alna wake up?¡±


    Colton stilled at his brother¡¯s question, turning his intent eyes on Marianna.


    A lump formed in Marianna¡¯s throat and she could almost hear her heart tearing in two. Evan¡¯s question had her looking back toward the television, checking again for anything related to Mr. Cope or Ms. Ashworth.


    Or maybe she was trying to avoid looking at Alna¡¯s brothers.


    She wanted nothing more than to give them a solid answer. Evan¡¯s innocent question made her starkly aware that she wasn¡¯t the only one who was worried sick about Alna. The looks on both boys¡¯ faces almost undid her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she replied, her voice coming out in a mere whisper. More loudly, she repeated, ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Everyone all right in here?¡± Mr. Holt asked, not quite breaking the tension in the room, but at least diverting attention from it. She twisted around to face Mr. Holt, who was standing outside the kitchen, towel in hand. He looked worried.


    ¡°I miss Alna,¡± the twin said gloomily. Mr. Holt¡¯s dark brown eyes softened at his son¡¯s statement and he walked further into the room, resting a hand on the boy¡¯s head.


    ¡°I know you do, bud, but she¡¯ll be fine. You know how your sister is,¡± he consoled.


    Marianna shifted from her place on the floor, feeling like she was intruding. She directed her gaze to the television, straightening up a bit when she saw a picture of Ms. Ashworth.


    Only vaguely aware of the other occupants now, Marianna¡¯s eyes scanned the subtitles on the bottom of the screen with near feverish need.


    ¡°Recently arrested Harlow Ashworth has been reported to have admitted to yet more crimes¨C¨Csome going back as much as three years.¡±


    That was news to Marianna. How long had she been going on a murdering spree? Without thinking, Marianna pulled out her phone and started to take notes, knowing this would be something Alna would want to know when she woke up, even if the case was now solved.


    She typed clumsily, not bothering to fix any errors that spellcheck couldn¡¯t deal with. Instead, she focused on getting as much information as she could.


    Some years ago, Ms. Ashworth staged the death of a young boy, making it look like a drunk driver had hit him when in reality she had drugged the woman before she got in the vehicle.


    Reading the words made Marianna shudder. Killing adults was one thing, but a boy... That was unspeakable.


    Ms. Ashworth truly hadn¡¯t cared about the people she killed in the slightest.


    As Marianna paused her typing, feeling sick to her stomach, the television turned off. Startled, Marianna¡¯s eyes flew to the culprit. Mr. Holt was staring at the television, his jaw locked, his eyes two swirling pits of fury. He gripped the remote so hard that Marinna wondered if it would break.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be watching that,¡± Mr. Holt said, his voice taut with tension. With slow, precise movements, he placed the remote on the coffee table and seemed to pause, breathing heavily.


    Guilt coursed through Marianna¡¯s veins. She felt stupid, leaving the news on when she knew Alna¡¯s family was still reeling from the events that had occurred six days ago. It¡¯d been a thoughtless and selfish move. She bit her lip against the sudden sting of tears and reached out to place a hand on Colton¡¯s shoulder. Both boys looked bewildered by the events of the last few moments, their eyes shifting between Mr. Holt and Marianna.


    ¡°Dad?¡± Evan asked, sounding uncertain. At the sound of his son¡¯s voice, Mr. Holt seemed to compose himself somewhat. He knelt down and pulled the boy in for a gentle hug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Evan. Everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡±


    To Marianna, it sounded as if Mr. Holt was trying to convince himself of this as much as Evan.


    I¡¯m such an idiot, Marianna thought. She stared hard at the game board, her hand still pressed to Colton¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Are you okay, Mary?¡± Mr. Holt asked after a moment, and Marianna flinched a bit, expecting reprimand. She brought her gaze to meet Mr. Holt¡¯s, surprised to find him looking at her with soft eyes.


    ¡°Um, yeah.¡± Once again, she cleared her throat before continuing. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She wondered why he even cared.


    ¡°Do you need to go home?¡± Mr. Holt looked at her with worry. ¡°I could call your parents.¡±


    Even with the awkwardness hanging in the air, going home was the last thing she wanted; her parents had barely let her leave the house as it was. But if she was intruding¡­


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± she denied. ¡°But I can leave if you want¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Mr. Holt said, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay as long as you like.¡± Standing up, Mr. Holt ruffled both of his sons¡¯ hair before picking up the towel and walking back toward the kitchen. ¡°Although,¡± he added, turning around. ¡°You might have to put up with some of our relatives.¡±


    Marianna only needed a few seconds to think about it. ¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± she decided.


    Mr. Holt nodded once in acceptance, told Marianna she was free to use the phone if needed, and disappeared into the kitchen.


    Some of Alna¡¯s apparent relatives showed up less than ten minutes later in the form of a blonde girl who looked to be around Marianna¡¯s age, accompanied by their parents (who Marianna saw briefly in the hospital) and younger sister. All four people shot Marianna curious looks, although the parents seemed much more preoccupied than their children. Mr. Holt introduced them before the adults all headed to the kitchen.


    Marianna wondered if adults, as a general whole, chose kitchens and living rooms as their meeting rooms. They seemed to spend a fair amount of time in them.


    The younger sister of the two, Carol, seemed to take an interest in the game Marianna, Colton and Evan were playing. Marianna allowed her to take her place in the game and headed off in search of the landline. After calling her father¡¯s cell phone and informing him of her dinner plans, she headed back to the living room, taking a seat on the couch. The blonde girl sat on the other end, alternating between playing on her phone and watching the kids play their board game.


    Marianna hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d been staring until the other girl looked up and met her eyes. Telltale heat filled Marianna¡¯s cheeks. She turned away, mumbling an apology.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± the girl said, seeming unbothered by Marianna¡¯s rudeness. She could feel the girl¡¯s eyes lingering.


    Where had she seen this girl before? Marianna could have sworn she¡¯d seen her somewhere. The near-perfect bun seemed familiar. She was a pretty girl, about sixteen years old, though she looked older. In fact, she could pass for twenty if she added a bit of makeup.


    ¡°You were visiting Alna the other day, right?¡± the girl asked, startling her a bit. Marianna turned to face her.


    ¡°Um, yeah,¡± she replied, a bit cautiously. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    The girl¨C¨Cwhat was her name again? It started with a ¡°W¡±¨C¨Cshrugged, phone still in hand. ¡°I saw you there.¡±


    The girl examined Marianna for a moment, a thoughtful look on her face.


    Marianna shifted a bit.


    ¡°You¡¯re Alna¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marianna said, tensing. She almost added, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± but knew she could never go through with that.


    Instead of turning disapproving or judgemental, the other girl gave Marianna a sincere albeit tired smile and offered her hand. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    Marianna shook the offered hand, suddenly remembering where she¡¯d first seen the other girl. She was right; they had seen each other in the hospital. Marianna passed her on the way to the nurse¡¯s station.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, too,¡± Marianna returned. ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry, but I think I forgot your name,¡± she added.


    The girl grinned, her eyes weary. ¡°Fair enough; lots of people have a hard time with my name.¡± She brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. ¡°I¡¯m Wisteria.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s face must have shown her bewilderment because Wisteria¡¯s face lit up with another smile, this one amused. ¡°I tell people to call me Winter, though, if that helps.¡±


    Ducking her head a bit, Marianna told her, ¡°It¡¯s a nice name either way.¡±


    Frankly, she didn¡¯t see any real connection between Wisteria¡¯s name and her nickname, if only the barely similar spelling.


    Wisteria shrugged. ¡°I never said I didn¡¯t like my name. I love it, actually. But giving people an alternative seems to make everyone¡¯s life easier. God forbid someone calls me something like Ria or Wish.¡±


    Despite the dull ache in her shoulder, and the stress of the last six days, Marianna couldn¡¯t resist smiling at that. She knew a thing or two about annoying nicknames.


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Marianna offered, raising her voice so she could be heard over the kids¡¯ loud voices. ¡°Where do people come up with some of those?¡±


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Wisteria remarked.


    The two lapsed into silence for a moment, both watching the kids progress through the game. While not companionable, the silence wasn¡¯t as uncomfortable as Marianna might have imagined it to be.


    That did not, however, stop Wisteria from breaking it.


    ¡°I never really pictured Alna to be the dating type,¡± she mused, bringing Marianna¡¯s eyes back to her. She felt herself tense, preparing to switch to defensive. ¡°I mean, she always seemed to be¡±¨C¨CWisteria made a vague gesture with her hands¨C¨C¡±withdrawn.¡±


    She had a point there, Marianna admitted to herself.


    Not sure what to say to that, Marianna shrugged, wincing as her stitches were pulled.


    ¡°She must like you a lot,¡± Wisteria said, seeming oblivious to Marianna¡¯s brief show of discomfort.


    ¡°I hope so.¡± She paused for a moment, considering her next question before venturing, ¡°Are you close? You and Alna?¡±


    Wisteria looked startled at that question, her eyes widening almost comically. She let out a breathy, surprised chuckle, shaking her head.


    ¡°Close? No. I don¡¯t think Alna¡¯s close to anyone.¡± At that, the girl gave Marianna a brief once over. Her expression settled somewhere between confused and intrigued, as if she was wondering why Marianna was the exception. Or perhaps she was wondering if Marianna was the exception. ¡°But I think she tolerates me more than others.¡± Wisteria shrugged, looking perplexed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t rip me to threads when she, you know, analyzes me. I mean, she does analyze me, but always in a way that¡¯s less...harsh.¡± She cast Marianna an embarrassed glance. ¡°If you know I mean.¡±


    ¡°I know exactly what you mean,¡± Marianna assured her, thinking of the way Alna had tossed deductions at her with the efficiency of a whip on their first date.


    She wished Alna was here right, listing all the flaws she could see in people. Hear her explain how each miniscule detail could map out a story.


    Just then, the twins and Carol broke out into an argument. Carol shoved Colton, causing him to fall back with a wince.


    ¡°Whoa, hey, calm down,¡± Wisteria tried to placate them. She got up off the couch, kneeling down next to the coffee table. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°He cheated!¡± Carol raged, pointing an accusing finger at Colton. Both twins looked affronted.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± Colton denied, glowering at his cousin.


    ¡°Did so!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Marianna said, coming to Wisteria¡¯s aid. ¡°Can you explain exactly what happened, please?¡± She scooted forward so she was sitting on the edge of the couch.


    As the three children launched into full-blown rants, Wisteria rubbed her forehead in a weary manner and shot Marianna an amused grin.


    ¡°Kids,¡± she said, eyes lit up.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Marianna agreed, smiling wearily back.

 Chapter Twenty-Four

    Time passed, as it was wont to do. Before Marianna knew it, she was walking down the hallways of Finley High, running into a worried Kearstan, who seemed to have decided she needed to get back into Marianna¡¯s good graces. Marianna didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of guilt for brushing her off.


    Her friends¡¯ endless support and limitless patience softened the jarring sensation of being forced back into normal life. Blaze skipped the occasional basketball practice to attend the GSA club with the three girls. On top of that, Hikari and Sadie seemed to make a habit of watching Marianna out of the corner of their eyes, on high alert for any sign of distress. Any time Marianna spaced out, or her breathing became irregular, one of her friends would be there, doing everything they could to calm her down. Whether it took a simple embrace or missing the first half of class to sit in the girls¡¯ room with her, Marinna¡¯s friends would do it.


    She¡¯d gotten fed up a few times; had snapped harshly at them. They continued to show her nothing but love and support. She didn¡¯t deserve them.


    Time passed. Both of Alna¡¯s parents went back to work somewhere around the two-week mark, their relatives having gone their separate ways.


    Two weeks progressed to three. Marinna would sit in Alna¡¯s hospital room, doing her homework and (if she was alone) talking aloud, musing over the more complicated questions she was assigned. She even checked out a mystery book from the Finley High library, reading it to Alna on occasion. A part of her hoped her voice would  register in Alna¡¯s mind and wake her up. It didn¡¯t.


    Marianna¡¯s shoulder healed, although it now had a scar. She didn¡¯t particularly care.


    Time passed. Marianna¡¯s grades slipped. She thought that was perfectly understandable.


    Her parents continued to bring up seeing a therapist from time to time. Instead, Marianna found an alternative; she watched relaxing videos online. They helped a bit, even if they didn¡¯t always stop the nightmares. They did help her calm down, though.


    Marianna knew she should probably see a therapist. She just didn¡¯t want to risk exposing any of what led her and Alna to be in a life-threatening situation in the first place.


    She would consider it one day. When she was more certain she wouldn¡¯t give anything away.


    Ms. Ashworth and Mr. Cope continued to remain in jail, to the best of Marianna¡¯s knowledge.


    Time passed. When Marianna looked out the windows of Finley High one day and realized over a month had gone by, she could admit to feeling despair.


    ***


    Marianna was in social studies, watching the snowfall outside, having tuned out Mr. Jones¡¯ voice somewhere within the first ten minutes of class. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t care about school, or that she didn¡¯t try to pay attention¨C¨Cshe did, on both accounts¨C¨Cbut lately, she found her ability to focus waning, bit by bit. Her marks seemed to be in a loop, as they rose and dropped depending on how well Marianna did that week.


    Blaze seemed to have no difficulty paying attention to Mr. Jones¡¯s boring voice, as he was scribbling furiously on a piece of lined paper, a dent between his brows. Even when he was writing at least fifty words a minute, his handwriting seemed to be nearly pristine. Marianna had always envied that.


    There were fifteen minutes left in class when Marianna finally brought her mind back to the present, although not without concentration. With determination, Marianna brought her gaze to the slideshow Mr. Jones was showing the class and picked up her pencil. He should learn to choose colours that didn¡¯t blend so well, she thought. Trying to read purple letters on a blue background was going to strain her eyes. She knew it.


    Marianna was halfway through her first paragraph of notes¨C¨Cthank God for her friends, otherwise she¡¯d have nothing but her textbook to study from¨C¨Cwhen her phone vibrated from where it rested on her desk, telling her she had an incoming call. Immediately, Marianna¡¯s hand snatched up the device, her eyes scanning the caller ID. Her heart stopped when the display told her she was getting a call from the hospital.


    Without thinking, Marianna leaped out of her chair, catching the attention of everyone in the classroom.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Jones,¡± Marianna said, her words tripping over each other. ¡°I need to take this.¡± Without waiting for a response, Marianna practically ran for the door. She skidded to a stop on the polished white floor in the hallway and brought her new cell phone to her ear.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she asked, gripping the phone in her sweaty palm.


    There were a few seconds of silence. Marianna¡¯s heart pounded in her ears. And then the voice Marianna had been wanting to hear for a month and seventeen days filtered through the speaker.


    ¡°Marianna, I have to say I¡¯m disappointed,¡± Alna said, with a hint of amusement in her voice. ¡°I wake up in the hospital¨C¨Cnot only to find I have lost over a month¡¯s worth of time, but also alone. It¡¯s enough to make a girl feel unwanted.¡±


    ¡°Alna,¡± Marianna breathed out, already speeding down the hallway. ¡°Oh, my God. Are you all right? God, you have no idea how good it is to hear from you. I thought¨C¨C Never mind. Are you feeling okay? God¨C¨C¡±


    ¡°Marianna,¡± Alna cut her off, still sounding entertained, despite the fatigued edge in her voice. ¡°I do like you, but I was under the impression that I was the one who rambled in this relationship.¡±


    Marianna smiled at that. Alna had only just woken up from a coma-like state, and she somehow sounded and acted so utterly Alna that it left Marianna in awe. This girl was unflappable. She pulled the phone away from her ear long enough to inform the pixie-haired lady in the office that she was leaving before she was heading for the main entryway, phone pressed back to her ear.


    ¡°Give me ten minutes,¡± Marianna said, still breathless. ¡°I¡¯m coming.¡±


    Alna made what Marianna knew without a doubt was a half-hearted effort to convince her not to skip school. Marianna hushed her and hung up so she could call a cab.


    Marianna¡¯s promise of ten minutes ended up being a lie. It took almost fifteen minutes for the cab to arrive and pick her up. During that time, Marianna remembered her wallet was still in her locker and bolted back into the school to retrieve it. She had enough presence of mind to snatch her coat, too, and spent the next endless minutes pacing as she waited for the cab.


    She knew she was likely making this up in her mind, but on the drive to the hospital, she could have sworn the cab hit every red light, lingered a moment too long at every stop sign. She was tempted to offer the balding man twice the fare to get her to the hospital as soon as possible but knew the last thing she needed right now was to risk getting in another accident. Her knee bounced up and down.


    Finally,  the cab pulled up to the front doors of the hospital and Marianna tossed two twenty-dollar bills at the driver. She didn¡¯t bother to stop and thank the man.


    Halfway to the sliding doors, Marianna slipped on a patch of ice and fell forward, ripping a hole in her jeans. She didn¡¯t care. Marianna got up and speed-walked the rest of the way, ignoring the sting in her knee.


    The moment Marianna entered the hospital, she was hit with a blast of warmth. She gave an involuntary shiver, realizing how cold it was outside. Rubbing her arms through her denim jacket, Marianna walked past the main desk, heading to Alna¡¯s room.


    ¡°You may have to wait a few minutes,¡± called the nurse at the front desk, stopping Marianna in her tracks. Impatiently, she turned toward the woman. ¡°Some nurses are attending to her,¡± the woman continued in a gentle voice, seeing Marianna¡¯s distress.


    Marianna blinked at that. Why hadn¡¯t she thought of that? Of course someone would want to look at Alna. Especially after how long she¡¯d been unconscious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait, then,¡± Marianna informed the nurse. She was a pretty woman, perhaps in her early thirties, who always looked pressed and professional. The nose piercing she wore and spiked pixie cut added a dash of personality; a hint of herself shining through her work persona.


    Marianna turned away from the nurse, already intending to find somewhere to sit near Alna¡¯s room, then hesitated. Turning around, she gave the woman a faint smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said.


    Now that she took a moment to think about it, Marianna realized she owed this woman. If only for her putting up with Marianna¡¯s constant frantic nature and occasional panicked questions.


    The nurse gave Marianna a kind look before turning to help a man that had approached her desk.


    Marianna took a seat on one of the chairs in the lobby, noting that her knee was scraped, making it sting. She practically vibrated with impatience. Marianna told herself she would wait ten minutes before going to Alna¡¯s room.


    Those ten minutes seemed to stretch out into eternity. Marianna checked the time on her phone every thirty seconds to a minute, trying hard not to allow her agitation to show when the numbers seemed to change at a snail¡¯s pace. At one point, Marianna received a text from Blaze, asking her where she¡¯d taken off to. Feeling a little guilty, Marianna replied, Alna woke up. I¡¯m at the hospital.


    Gr8!!!! Blaze replied a moment later, along with a smiley face. How is she?


    Don¡¯t know yet. The doctors are with her or something. I¡¯ll tell you later, Marianna promised.


    <ol>


    <li> C u later then. Ill let the girls kno.</li>


    </ol>


    Marianna sent back an affirmative and then added in a thumbs-up GIF for emphasis. Another few minutes completed Marianna¡¯s ten-minute wait, and she all but leaped out of her chair, practically bolting down the white halls to Alna¡¯s room. By the time Marianna stopped in front of Alna¡¯s room, her heart was pounding, face flushed in anticipation. She eased the door open, hoping she wasn¡¯t interrupting anything important. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Not only was Alna awake and alert, but she was sitting propped against some white pillows, glacial eyes fixed on the door. Her pale lips quirked up at the sight of Marianna.


    For a moment, Marianna froze. And then she was rushing forward, her hands coming to cup Alna¡¯s face.


    ¡°Marianna,¡± Alna said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure you want to¨C¨C¡±


    But Marianna wasn¡¯t listening. Her lips crashed against Alna¡¯s in a desperate kiss, her hand going to the front of Alna¡¯s hospital gown to pull her even closer. After only a few seconds, Marianna felt one of Alna¡¯s hands press the back of her head, deepening the kiss.


    It could have been seconds or minutes before they broke the kiss. Even then, Marianna didn¡¯t pull away. Instead, she rested her forehead against Alna¡¯s, breathing heavily.


    ¡°You were saying?¡± Marinna asked.


    ¡°I was going to say,¡± Alna replied, ¡°that you may not want to kiss me. I have been unconscious for over a month¨C¨Chaven¡¯t exactly had time to keep up with dental hygiene.¡±


    Marianna laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t care,¡± she muttered, making no move to release the other girl.


    They stayed like that for a moment, eyes locked as they soaked in the other¡¯s presence. Standing there, feeling Alna¡¯s breath brush against her face, was heaven for Marianna. After a minute or so, however, Marianna noticed the tremble in Alna¡¯s arms. Concerned, Marianna stepped back, gripping Alna¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Marianna asked anxiously. ¡°Do you need me to get a nurse?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alna said as she leaned back against her pillows, looking exhausted. ¡°Although it seems I need to rest.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna breathed. ¡°Right.¡±


    That should have been obvious, Marianna chastised herself as she sat down in the chair next to Alna¡¯s bed. People didn¡¯t wake up after a month and a half of being unconscious ready to run a marathon. Alna looked much thinner now than she had before the crash, if such a thing was possible. Her cheeks were hollow, cheekbones even more prominent than they were before. Her arms were much too thin, the bones of her wrists determined to break through the skin.


    Marianna didn¡¯t care.


    Alna was awake. She was alive. Nothing else seemed important.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me stop you from resting,¡± Marianna said.


    Alna gave her a weak smile, pale lips dry and cracked. Wordlessly, she flipped her hand so it was palm up. Marianna grasped it.


    Alna¡¯s hair had some noticeable tangles in it and had grown out quite a bit since she¡¯d been hospitalized. Marianna reached to run her fingers through the ebony tresses, Alna¡¯s ever-watchful eyes following her.


    ¡°You look stressed,¡± Alna observed, eyes flicking down to Marianna¡¯s knee. She looked concerned. Marianna¡¯s lips quirked up at that. In her experience, Alna abhorred it when people stated the obvious, and here she was, doing exactly that.


    ¡°I was,¡± Marianna agreed, pulling her hand back as she resisted the urge to untangle Alna¡¯s hair with her fingers. ¡°But I¡¯m okay now.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s a bit of a romantic,¡± Alna pointed out in a wry voice.


    ¡°Always, Miss Holt.¡± She gave Alna¡¯s hand a light squeeze. Suddenly remembering something, Marianna turned in her seat, looking toward the door. ¡°Do your parents know you¡¯re awake yet? Are they coming?¡±


    When Marianna turned back to her girlfriend, she was surprised to see she looked embarrassed. That emotion was generally reserved for her.


    ¡°It is rather selfish of me,¡± Alna said. ¡°But I wanted some time alone with you before I reunite with my parents. I allowed the hospital to call them for me.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s heart warmed at that. She opened her mouth to speak, only to be cut off.


    ¡°Although¨C¨Cand I do apologize for ruining the moment¨C¨Cthere was another reason I wanted to see you first.¡±


    Marianna gave Alna a reassuring look. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Why did you need to see me?¡±


    Alna drew in a breath, letting it out slowly. Marianna watched her chest expand and deflate, eyes flickering to Alna¡¯s face to check for signs of discomfort.


    ¡°I need to know what you have been telling people about what happened with Ashworth and Cope. If anyone asks me questions, our stories need to match.¡±


    Marianna did just that, and it was a few minutes later that Mr. Holt showed up, eyes wide and clothes askew. He immediately rushed to envelope his daughter in his arms. Marianna took a couple of steps away from the bed to give father and daughter the illusion of privacy.


    ¡°Alna,¡± Mr. Holt said, voice muffled against Alna¡¯s shoulder, ¡°thank God.¡± He leaned away from the embrace enough to frame Alna¡¯s face with his hands. Alna reached up, hugging him back.


    Marianna glanced away, feeling like she was intruding.


    ¡°Alna, you have no idea how worried about you we were,¡± Mr. Holt continued, sounding near tears.


    ¡°I have a general idea,¡± Alna said in a matter-of-fact voice. And then, her voice softening in a way it only seemed to with people she cared about, she continued, ¡°I apologize for worrying you. That was never my intention.¡±


    As Mr. Holt assured his daughter it was all right, Marianna glanced toward the door, wondering not for the first time if she should leave for a few minutes and give the family some real privacy. However, just as she decided to do just that, Alna¡¯s voice broke through her thoughts.


    ¡°Marianna,¡± Alna called, bringing Marianna¡¯s eyes to her. ¡°Come here, please.¡± She extended a pale hand toward her girlfriend. Marianna immediately made her way over and grasped Alna¡¯s hand.


    As Marianna took a seat on the bed at Alna¡¯s subtle suggestion, Mrs. Holt burst into the hospital room, looking even more frazzled than her husband. For a moment, she froze, her wide eyes landing on Alna with the desperation of a starving woman. And then she rushed forward, stopping next to Alna¡¯s bed. Unlike her husband (and Marianna), Mrs. Holt didn¡¯t immediately pull Alna into a hug, but she did grip Alna¡¯s hand¨C¨Cso hard that her knuckles turned white.


    ¡°Alna Holt,¡± Mrs. Holt scolded, her voice wavering, ¡°if you ever scare me like that again, so help me God, I will ground you until you are thirty.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it,¡± Alna said, her tone consoling.


    Despite Alna¡¯s aloof aura, Marianna could see that her parents¡¯ reactions were getting to her. Alna¡¯s hand flexed, tightening around Marianna¡¯s for a few seconds before loosening. There was a sparkle in Alna¡¯s eyes¨C¨Cunshed tears. Marianna squeezed her hand.


    Mrs. Holt leaned forward to wrap her arms around Alna with more care than Mr. Holt had. It must have something to do with her being a surgeon, Marinna realized, her eyes darting to Alna¡¯s IV drip. Mrs. Holt was certainly more aware of what condition Alna would be in than either of them.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bring Colton or Evan,¡± Alna pointed out after a while.


    ¡°No.¡± Mrs. Holt rested her hand on top of her husband¡¯s, which was currently gripping Alna¡¯s other hand. ¡°I found someone to cover for me at the hospital and asked Carrie to look after the boys for a few hours once school¡¯s done; it¡¯s not good for you to be overwhelmed after waking up.¡±


    ¡°I would not have been overwhelmed,¡± Alna said, sounding annoyed.


    Mrs. Holt gave her a knowing smile and reached out to stroke Alna¡¯s hair. It needed a cut, Marianna observed. And a good combing.


    ¡°I know, honey,¡± Mrs. Holt assured her. ¡°But, as a doctor, I thought it¡¯d be better if you saw your brothers later.¡±


    Alna paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face. And then, grudgingly: ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t argue with that logic.¡±


    The three lingered in Alna¡¯s room for at least a half an hour after that¨C¨Cin which time Marianna remembered that she should call her parents and did just that. Her mother sounded pleased at Alna¡¯s awakening in a polite, distant sort of way. Even as she tried to hide it¨C¨Cthis time¨C¨CMarianna knew her mother was no more open to her and Alna¡¯s relationship.


    Nonetheless, Mom put up no fight about Marianna missing school and instead told Marianna to call her when she was ready to go home.


    When Marianna approached Alna¡¯s bed once more after her call, Alna was looking at her with a slight furrow between her brows. Marianna immediately reached out to touch the back of her hand.


    ¡°You okay?¡± she asked.


    Alna nodded absently. She gave Marianna a contemplative look.


    ¡°Mom, Dad,¡± Alna said, turning to her parents, ¡°would you mind giving a few minutes alone with Marianna?¡±


    Both Holts¡¯ faces turned anxious at their daughter¡¯s request. Mrs. Holt¡¯s eyes darted between Alna and Marianna, no doubt trying to figure out its cause. Marianna, confused herself, peered at Alna¡¯s face, looking for anything that would show what she wanted to talk about. Did she want more details on Marianna¡¯s cover story? Marianna thought she¡¯d been thorough enough. Perhaps that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Mr. Holt agreed after a long, drawn-out pause. His voice was heavy with obvious reluctance. ¡°Five minutes?¡±


    Alna nodded her head, her face giving away nothing. ¡°That should suffice.¡±


    Mrs. Holt touched her daughter¡¯s shoulder lightly. ¡°Try not to stress yourself out. That¡¯s the last thing any of us need right now.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Alna waited until her parents exited the room and then turned to Marianna, her lips pursed and a wary look in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Alna?¡± Marianna asked. She held Alna¡¯s hand in her own, careful not to shift the IV drip attached to it.


    ¡°Plenty of things,¡± Alna said, a glint of humor appearing in her eyes. As quickly as it had appeared, the humor disappeared, replaced with a serious look. ¡°Marianna, how badly were you injured?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Marianna said, having not expected that. Although it made sense, she supposed. ¡°Nowhere near as bad as you.¡± Alna¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. ¡°I have a scar,¡± Marianna admitted, reaching up to touch her left shoulder. ¡°And one bullet came pretty close to hitting me.¡±


    Alna drew in a sharp breath, as if in physical pain. Her eyes dropped closed.


    ¡°But it¡¯s okay now,¡± Marianna was quick to assure her. ¡°I¡¯m okay; you¡¯re gonna get better. Ms. Ashworth and Mr. Cope are in jail. There¡¯s nothing more to worry about.¡±


    ¡°There is plenty to worry about,¡± Alna retorted, opening her eyes. They fixed on Marianna intently. ¡°It was because you were with me that you were placed in danger in the first place.¡± Marianna opened her mouth to rebuke Alna, but the look in Alna¡¯s eyes¨C¨Csomewhere between determined and imploring¨C¨Cstopped her. ¡°Which is why I would not blame you if you terminated our relationship. It would be completely logical.¡±


    Silence stretched out between them. Marianna could hear a distant roaring in her ears and wondered if it was possible for someone to hear their own blood flow. She drew in a long breath and let it out, trying to tamp down her sudden exasperation.


    ¡°Alna, aren¡¯t you supposed to be some kind of prodigy?¡±


    Alna eyed her warily, her gaze flicking up and down Marianna before refocusing on her face. Clearly, she was reading the signs Marianna was giving off¨C¨Creading her mood. It was possible she had an idea where this conversation was going.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Alna responded, sounding cautious.


    It might have been funny, Alna being intimidated by Marianna, if she hadn¡¯t been trying to hold herself back from exploding at her girlfriend.


    ¡°Then read me,¡± Marianna ordered, spreading her arms out a bit and taking a tiny step back so Alna could see her better. ¡°Do I look like I want to break up with you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Alna admitted, that humorous glint appearing in her eyes.


    Marianna said nothing to that, silently urging her on.


    Alna continued, ¡°You think me rather idiotic right now, and, judging by your exhausted posture and reddened eyes, you are tired. Meaning your patience has been worn to the quick.¡± Marianna nodded, confirming this. ¡°More problems at home, likely. And¡­concern for me.¡± Again, she nodded. ¡°You have taken on a rather defensive tone and posture.¡± Alna¡¯s eyes flicked to Marianna¡¯s arms, which she had crossed at some point. The briefest hint of a smile appeared on Alna¡¯s face. ¡°You do not want to break up with me and look as though you intend to fight me on this should I choose to do it myself.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Marianna confirmed, stepping forward. She reached out to grasp Alna¡¯s chin, forcing eye contact. ¡°Alna, I¡¯m not breaking up with you, and you¡¯re not, either. Not unless you have a better reason than that.¡± Marianna pressed a soft kiss to Alna¡¯s lips, feeling the other return the gesture. ¡°I like you, Alna. And if you still like me, I want to keep being your girlfriend. Besides,¡± she continued, ¡°it was my decision to help you with your case. You didn¡¯t force me to do anything. In fact, you gave me plenty of opportunities to back out. I was in danger because of my own decisions, and I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Alna was silent for a long moment, her eyes searching Marianna¡¯s face. And then, with a soft smile, she proclaimed, ¡°Ms. Whitlock, I must say, your logic is rather sound,¡± and connected their lips once more.

 Chapter Twenty-Five

    Alna wasn¡¯t particularly happy about having to remain in the hospital for another few days, but seeing as she knew it was best to listen to the doctor¡¯s orders, she tried not to complain. At least, not too much.


    It was Marianna herself and Alna¡¯s family who made the time bearable. Marianna, as it turned out, could have the patience of a saint when she wanted to. The few times that Alna complained about being bored, Marianna gave her an indulgent smile and promised to get her any books she wanted. Had, in fact, shown up with three books from her high school library the day after Alna woke up.


    Marianna  even allowed Alna to borrow her phone so she could look up information using her less-than-legal methods. Alna was a philomath, after all, and not knowing, without a doubt, what Harlow Ashworth¡¯s motives were would not stand.


    And that was why Alna spent a good half an hour doing what she could to add protections to Marianna¡¯s phone before doing her research. She was twice as careful about covering her digital tracks. The last thing she wanted to do was get Marianna in even more trouble.


    It took some time, but after combing through some old news articles that dated back decades, she finally found something. They weren¡¯t original articles, so much as scanned copies of the newspapers that mentioned a car accident the Ashworth family was involved in. The article Alna was looking at was a dated newspaper clipping, browning with age and containing a few water stains. Below the copied image was the original photo included in the paper: an old-fashioned car stuck in a ditch, having rammed headfirst into a tree planted there.


    Whoever posted this scanned image had also rewritten the entire article underneath. That was rather convenient. Reading a scanned copy of a decades-old news article would have been less than ideal.


    ¡°You will be glad to know,¡± Alna said, snatching Marianna¡¯s attention away from the math homework she had been working on, ¡°that Ashworth had some semblance of a reason for what she did.¡±


    Marianna immediately closed her binder, bending down to place it in her backpack and retrieve the notebook she¡¯d started taking notes in during ¡°The Case of the Accidental Deaths,¡± as she called it.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Marianna demanded, gripping her pencil tightly. She leaned forward, her lips parted ever so slightly, displaying her intrigue.


    Alna wanted to kiss her but tamped down the urge and brought her eyes back to Marianna¡¯s phone.


    ¡°According to this article, Ashworth and her parents got into a ¡®car accident¡¯ when she was twelve years old, in which her parents were killed.¡± Marianna made a soft, surprised noise, scribbling in her notebook. ¡°The authorities ruled it nothing more than a tragic accident, but here, at the very end of the article, there is a statement from Ashworth.¡± Alna flipped the phone around for Marianna to see.


    ¡°¡®It wasn¡¯t an accident. Someone did this on purpose,¡¯¡± Marianna read aloud, frowning with a mixture of confusion and disgust. The glow from the phone made the slight bags under Marianna¡¯s eyes stand out starkly, even with the attempted coverage of makeup. Marianna wasn¡¯t getting as much sleep as she should be. It was likely she hadn¡¯t had a proper night¡¯s sleep since the confrontation with Ashworth and Cope.


    ¡°So killing all those people was a misplaced revenge scheme?¡± Marianna said, sounding bewildered.


    ¡°It appears so.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t at all what I was expecting,¡± Marianna admitted after a pause. ¡°Although I suppose it makes sense, in a twisted sort of way.¡±


    Alna nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°But why would someone kill Ms. Ashworth¡¯s parents?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking myself the same question. However, I do not believe that is altogether relevant to us. Or our so-called case.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s face fell at Alna¡¯s callous answer. She looked perturbed. Alna felt herself soften.


    ¡°I can look into it if you want. But I can¡¯t promise I will find anything of importance,¡± Alna offered.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± Marianna said, shoulders lifting in a slight shrug. She looked relieved, despite her dismissive answer.


    Marianna ducked her head, scribbling away. Alna turned her attention back to the phone she held, debating the pros and cons of hacking into the police system on her girlfriend¡¯s phone. Yes, she¡¯d done what she could to protect it, but again, this was her girlfriend¡¯s phone. Alna being discovered¨C¨Cwhile it seemed unlikely, considering how long she had been doing this¨C¨Cwas one thing. The thought of anything being traced back to Marianna was enough to make her stomach churn.


    She turned to Marianna, who had started on her homework once more, apparently thinking Alna had returned to research.


    Alna frowned as she surveyed her girlfriend. She never missed the way Marianna¡¯s eyes would become distant at times, her mind focused on something other than the present. Perhaps she thought Alna didn¡¯t notice the way her breathing rate would elevate¨C¨Cwhen her complexion became even more pale.


    Or Marianna chose not to acknowledge the fact that she was suffering from some form of PTSD.


    Alna hesitated before saying, ¡°Marianna.¡±


    At the sound of her name, Marianna raised her eyes to Alna¡¯s, the shadows of exhaustion still present.


    ¡°I feel ridiculous for asking, but would it bother you if I continued my research on your phone in a less than legal manner?¡± She internally winced at her own beating around the bush, but saying she wanted to use Marianna¡¯s phone to hack into the police system was both risky and sounded absurd.


    Marianna blinked, her expression conveying her bewilderment. She turned in her chair to check that no one was coming through the door before turning back to Alna. ¡°The police files, you mean?¡± she clarified. Clearly, she had no problem saying it aloud herself.


    Alna felt a bit stupid, but brushed it off.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Marianna smiled at her. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Do whatever you have to.¡±


    This girl was amazing, Alna mused as she gave in to the urge to kiss Marianna. Her lips were soft and warm, tasting of bubblegum chapstick. Alna allowed herself a moment to linger, pulling away when a nurse came in to do a routine checkup. She brought with her a jelly-like substance coloured a revolting green. Alna grimaced at the thought of having to eat the stuff but made no complaint and instead thanked the nurse politely.


    Once the nurse departed, Alna allowed herself a moment to glare at the jiggling green abomination before scooping some up with a spoon. Her nose wrinkled as she chewed on the cool, moist morsel. The only thing she¡¯d been allowed to eat lately, as her body adjusted to being fed the traditional way.


    From Alna¡¯s left, Marianna let out an amused breath. When Alna directed a glare at her, Marianna gave Alna a look that radiated false innocence. Her patience, it seemed, knew no bounds. At least when it came to Alna.


    ¡°I could try to smuggle something in for you,¡± Marianna offered, her voice sincere. ¡°Something that would be easy on the stomach.¡±


    For a second, Alna considered the offer, longing for some proper food. She steeled herself. ¡°Best not. It¡¯s rarely a smart decision to go against a doctor¡¯s orders,¡± she continued, only half talking about Doctor Brown. Her mother had sworn by the jelly as well. Alna wasn¡¯t about to go against her in this situation; not when she knew better.


    ¡°Just thought I¡¯d offer,¡± Marianna offered, sounding unbothered.


    As Alna chewed on her third bite, she picked up Marianna¡¯s phone and resumed her quest to access the Brigate Police files.


    Finally, after nine and a half minutes, Alna finally came across files detailing Ashworth¡¯s and Cope¡¯s arrest and carefully perused them. She took another bite of the disgusting jelly.


    Alna couldn¡¯t fight the humorless smile that appeared on her face a few minutes later. Marianna, noticing this, asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°They both had trials,¡± Alna said, her voice flat.


    ¡°I heard about that, actually,¡± Marianna admitted. Alna could hear the frown in her voice as she turned to face her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I understand why; I thought the information they received from my call would be enough evidence.¡± The tired lines in her face disappeared, making way for confusion. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t claim to be an expert on courts. Or politics. Although I know few to no one is to be sentenced to prison with a trial. If you remember, Cope wasn¡¯t exactly talkative during our little meeting. As for Ashworth, I suppose one may argue that she is insane. That she might not have had a hold of all her mental faculties while she committed her crimes.¡±


    Marianna¡¯s expression turned thoughtful. ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± she said, voice tight. She sounded annoyed. And with good reason.


    Alna gave Marianna a sympathetic look to convey that she understood Marianna¡¯s frustration, setting aside her empty plastic cup and Marianna¡¯s phone.


    ¡°Both Cope and Ashworth will spend many years in prison, according to what I have read,¡± Alna said after glancing toward the door. Alna adjusted herself, pulling the white blanket over her legs.


    Noticeable relief showed on Marianna¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She reached for her phone, shooting a questioning look at Alna, who gestured to indicate she could have it back.


    ¡°It is, indeed,¡± Alna agreed after swallowing.


    A comfortable silence fell between the two girls, one that Alna was grateful for.


    It was a bit disconcerting, Alna mused, how she had, in some ways, begun to rely on Marianna. Alna didn¡¯t have nightmares. Not the same way other people did, anyway. Instead, when she¡¯d been wandering through her personal¨C¨Cand now fully accessible¨C¨Cworld, Alna¡¯s thoughts wandered. In the span of eight seconds, Alna had conjured the sound of screeching tires, a gunshot going off, and found herself jolted back into the real world.


    Last night, when such an incident had woken her, Alna stared into the near pitch darkness before she redirected her thoughts: pi, the French Revolution, Marianna¡¯s soft embrace, multiplication, Marianna¡¯s gentle kisses. Running through random facts generally helped Alna calm down in such moments, but this time, thinking of her girlfriend was what quieted Alna¡¯s racing thoughts to a more manageable level.


    Alna was pulled back to reality by the very object of her deliberation. Marianna had rested her hand atop Alna¡¯s and was peering at the other girl with a comforting, if worried, half-smile.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Marianna asked. ¡°You went somewhere else again.¡±


    Marianna was a good actor when she tried, but Alna, being as adept at reading people as she was, heard the slight tremor in Marianna¡¯s voice. She was worried, Alna realized, that Alna was experiencing the same anxiety attacks that Marianna herself was still having.


    Alna, touched at Marianna¡¯s caring nature, flipped her hand and fitted her fingers through the spaces of Marianna¡¯s own. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Alna assured her. It wasn¡¯t a lie. Alna was fine. She¡¯d simply gotten lost in her head, as she was wont to do.


    Marianna didn¡¯t look all that satisfied with Alna¡¯s answer. She took a moment to study her face. Alna tried to keep her expression open and honest, making a deliberate attempt not to hide anything from Marianna. It was strange, going against her very nature like that, but she owed it to Marianna.


    After a moment, seeming somewhat satisfied with what she saw, Marianna sat back, still holding onto Alna¡¯s hand.


    Alna¡¯s family showed up mere minutes later and Alna grinned, wincing as Evan crawled onto her bed.


    ***


    It was a Friday when Alna was released from the hospital, four days after her awakening. Alna received strict instructions on what she could and could not eat and a strong recommendation of physical therapy. She wasn¡¯t particularly happy about either but Alna was hardly going to argue with a doctor¨C¨Cor, rather, doctors, seeing as Mom understood everything Doctor Brown told them. Alna left the hospital after her parents thanked the man. Several times.


    The act of leaving the hospital proved to be embarrassing. Due to her weakened legs, Alna was reduced to shuffling. She tried to walk with as much dignity as possible, although she didn¡¯t mind Marianna¡¯s help. She¡¯d positioned herself at Alna¡¯s right, gripping her arm as she helped Alna along.


    She was missing school for Alna yet again. Alna wished she had the type of influence that could count Marianna¡¯s support as charity work. Or something of the like. At least then it might begin to make up for all the time she was missing.


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better,¡± Marianna piped up as they stepped out into the cool, crisp air, ¡°I could see if I can go to physical therapy with you or something.¡±


    Alna swallowed down the urge to bite out that she was not, in fact, a child. Marianna was simply offering her support and Alna liked her all the more for it. ¡°You are under no obligations,¡± she pointed out.


    On Alna¡¯s left, Dad gripped Alna¡¯s elbow, guiding her around a patch of ice. The parking lot was covered in both snow and ice, seeing as it had snowed last night. Not even the yellow lines that marked the parking spaces were visible. It was light out, despite the sky being completely covered by clouds, and the temperature was definitely somewhere below zero.


    Ahead of them, Mom sped up to open the back door of her truck.


    At her right, Marianna tightened her grip on Alna¡¯s elbow. ¡°I know I¡¯m not,¡± she said.


    As Dad tried to assist Alna with getting into the truck, Alna brushed him off. ¡°I understand your concern, Dad, but I do believe I can conquer this part by myself.¡±


    Her father agreed with reluctance. Alna could feel his gaze on her back as he watched her climb into the back of the truck without assistance.


    ¡°I could use the exercise anyway,¡± Marianna added once she climbed into the seat opposite Alna.


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea, Alna,¡± Mom piped in, starting the truck. She said it in the voice parents used when they highly recommended something and likely wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer.


    ¡°I suppose we could schedule physical therapy for after school hours on some days.¡± Alna turned to face Marianna. ¡°Perhaps some weekend sessions as well?¡± she suggested, making sure that Marianna was aware it was a suggestion. That she wasn¡¯t obligated to give up her weekends for Alna.


    Marianna, however, clearly liked this plan, as she was nodding her head with a certain sparkle in her eyes. ¡°That sounds great, actually. Maybe only twice during weekdays, though. I still have homework.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alna agreed. ¡°I would never ask you to abandon your obligations.¡±


    Unless, of course, she had just had a breakthrough, and wanted to end a ¡°case¡± right now, like over a month ago. Alna attempted to push these self-deprecating thoughts. Both she and Marianna had made their own decisions. The important thing now was that they were alive and recovering.


    The entire drive lasted seventeen minutes and thirty-six seconds, give or take. Traffic had  become slower, heeding to winter¡¯s return to Starla. There would, without a doubt, be more accidents during the winter months. A perfect time to disguise murders as accidents, Alna observed with some black humor.


    As Alna stepped out of the truck, she once again found her father hovering by her side. Giving him a wry look, Alna reached out and grasped Dad¡¯s shoulder, allowing him to assist her up the stairs of their garage and into the house. After all she had put her parents through, Alna figured she owed it to them to give them some peace of mind.


    Colton and Evan obviously heard the door open as the four entered the homey interior of the house. Two sets of feet could be heard running across the kitchen floor and Alna had mere seconds to brace herself before two hyper excited twins barreled into her. Alna let out an involuntary breath as the wind was knocked out of her.


    ¡°Alna!¡± Colton cried as she knelt down in front of them. Evan wrapped his arms around her neck. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re home.¡±


    Behind the boys, Carrie Honeycutt appeared, still quite overweight for someone in her forties, with her round stomach and large arms. She must have been exercising more or eating better because she appeared to have lost a few pounds since Alna saw her last.


    Ms. Honeycutt was a friend of both Dad and Mom¡¯s, after meeting Mom at a book club. Their time in the club only lasted a few weeks, but the friendship between the two women had preserved until she met Dad as well.


    ¡°Alna,¡± Ms. Honeycutt addressed her with a sincere smile.


    Alna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course she would pretend to like Alna after she¡¯d been in a life-threatening situation. The two ladies had never liked each other, although they were civil; Alna polite and distant, while Ms. Honeycutt made the occasional effort to enjoy her company. It never seemed to work.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re better.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alna acknowledged, standing up. Evan continued to grip her waist, saying nothing as he buried his face in her stomach.


    There was a beat of silence, and then Dad urged everyone toward the kitchen. They did so after removing their outdoor clothing. Alna herself shuffled along even more awkwardly than before, as Evan refused to release her even for a moment, despite his mother¡¯s urging. Alna might have picked him up if her strength wasn¡¯t depleted.


    She hoped the separation anxiety Evan seemed to be experiencing would not be long-term. Alna loved her family, but sometimes she needed time away from people in general.


    As Alna made her way to one of the six kitchen chairs, she heard Ms. Honeycutt introduce herself to Marianna and cast a glance over her shoulder. Ms. Honeycutt, from what Alna observed, lived by the philosophy that one could do whatever they pleased, as long as they were not harming anyone. However, Alna knew from personal experience that knowing about something and facing it directly could elicit two very different reactions from people.


    Alna had nothing to worry about, she soon found out. As she sat down at the kitchen table, the brief snippets she picked up between Marianna and Ms. Honeycutt seemed to be polite and non-judgemental. Evan crawled into Alna¡¯s lap¨C¨Csomething he had not done in well over two years.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want us to pay you?¡± Mom asked after Marianna finished speaking with Ms. Honeycutt. Dad hovered by his wife, while Colton and Marianna chose seats at the kitchen table, Marianna sitting across from Alna and Colton beside her. ¡°You¡¯ve been so helpful.¡±


    Ms. Honeycutt gave the other woman a sincere smile. She cast a quick, fond look at the twins, so fast someone could easily miss it. Clearly, looking after the twins was no difficult task for her. She had always liked them.


    Alna¡¯s observation was soon confirmed when Ms. Honeycutt said, ¡°It was no trouble at all; I was happy to look after the boys.¡±


    Alna turned away from the adults, tuning out of the conversation as she faced Marianna. The girl in question gave her a warm look and stretched her hand across the table. Alna took it with the hand that wasn¡¯t keeping a careful hold on Evan.


    ¡°Well, Miss. Holt,¡± Marianna said in a low, conspiratorial whisper, her eyes dancing. ¡°Looks like we did it.¡±


    Alna felt the corners of her lips twitch up.


    ¡°Indeed we did, dear Whitlock.¡±