"Morning, everyone." Mr. Kennedy set his papers on his desk. "As you all know, there was an attack Friday at a Homecoming afterparty. I'm assuming some of you, if not most of you, were there to witness the ordeal."

I latched eyes with Luc in the back corner. If anything, he looked more defeated than the rest of the school. His jaw tensed, and he went right back to forgetting about the class and me.

"I am aware that it is difficult being here today," the teacher continued solemnly. "We lost many students and even a pair of officers." At that, a sob escaped Diana Reed. She got up and stormed out of the class, not bothering to take her stuff. Mr. Kennedy paused and nodded curtly.

He gazed at me for a brief second, almost like the blame was branded on my forehead.

I didn't conceal the fading scratch on my eye to anyone, not even Dad, because nobody would question where it came from. Like several others, my arms were riddled with them.

"But it is important to remember that there is life after the people we know leave us. We must have the strength to grieve appropriately. I hope we can recover our fellow friends through the search party to hold a funeral, and maybe... Maybe find peace."

I looked over at Diana's desk.

The one next to hers was also empty—Anya's spot. I thought of how I'd seen her not long ago, in shambles, drunkenly stressing over how nobody understood what she was going through, and I felt nauseous.

Seven students and two police officers turned out to be the final death toll. Classes had been dismissed on Monday and Tuesday. Nobody wanted to return while the bodies were still warm.

Nine lives, and I played a part. With Georgia, the grand tally became ten.

Emma's seat at my right was unoccupied because she'd just been discharged last night.

She could manage short walks but needed to sit or nap often. In no way was she capable of bearing the state of the school.

In the hall on my way to my locker, Adam's head poked among the crowd. He spotted me and immediately changed routes.

I jumped into his open arms, my chin comfortably settling on his shoulder. He sputtered numerous apologies, his arms tightening as if to reassure himself that I was made of flesh and bones.

"It's okay. I'm fine."

He distanced himself to get a better look. "I heard Emma is coming out of the hospital, but she wouldn't text back."

"She'll be all right." I nodded, fighting off another wave of guilt. "Her mom is staying at home to keep an eye on her. She might be back in class by next week."

"I'm so glad she's okay."

I couldn't imagine the hell it would be like for Emma to return as the only person who lived through the attack. The school blog was posting only about the victims and police reports. People on it would certainly blab about her soon.

As much as it tortured me too, at least I wasn't a spectacle.

Every other period was as depressing as the first. Teachers didn't want to overcharge us with homework, but we weren't particularly overjoyed with the meager consolation. Posters were stuck to the corridor walls to commemorate the victims with heartfelt messages. Students slipped notes in their now vacant lockers.

I had one task at the end of this dreadful day, and it was to hunt down that kid who left the field with my dad's taser.

I hadn't had the courage to admit I'd lost his gift, so finding it was the best option. After asking around, I learned that his name was Abe, and his locker resided on the upper floor.

The boy with the orange windbreaker from my memory saw me coming—I did a poor job of sneaking up.

Immediately, his feet geared to leave.

"Hey!" I called in the stream.

Too many people were between us, so I began to elbow a path through until I yanked on his hood.

"Ow, Jesus!"

"You have something of mine," I said as he resigned himself to speak to me. "I need it back now."

"What the hell were you doing with that thing? It's like some... some shit from the black market."

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, do you want whoever made it to go after you? Or will you hand it over?"

Abe winced. Meanwhile, the crowd was thinning and the class doors were closing. Kids dawdled to the double doors in complete silence, heads down, without that continual chatter or laughter.

"So it's not yours. You steal it from someone?"

"No? It's mine—for self-defense."

"You made that?"

I wanted to roll my eyes at his stupid, pointless questions. It belonged to me and there was no discussion to be had, and every day that it wasn't in my possession worsened the ordeal. I wished he never even knew what it looked like.

"Seriously, give it back. It's not yours to keep and you should have found me already to return it. Not cool."

Abe took tentative steps toward his locker again. Then I thought I better not fuel weird rumors about me in this school, despite there being high chances no one would pay attention with everything else.

At least not yet.

"I have family who works in this stuff," I explained, fiddling with my bag strap. "Colt's welcome presentation kind of spooked me, so I figured I could have something non-lethal. It paid off... I guess."

Please don't tell the headmaster? That'd be nice, I considered adding.

"All of you are fucking strange," he replied. He pawed around the depths of his locker. "I guess that's required for being friends with Luc."

The next words just left my mouth unwarranted. "Self-defense isn't an alien concept."

"Sure. You know why people joke about him being deranged or involved with bad people, new girl? Do you know who you're taking after?" he asked all of a sudden, losing that uneasiness when I first confronted him.

I was silent for what seemed like too long. Abe pulled his lanky arm back. He had my taser in his palm, and I moved to grab it.

It was in good shape when I examined it closely—the same as when I last carried it.

"He's not deranged or involved with bad people."

After witnessing all the crap he deals with, it grated my ears to hear something so false and devoid of understanding. How many more would have died if it weren't for him and others like him trying to limit the danger?

How could someone so popular, so watched, be also such a beacon for aversion?

Abe closed his eyes and sighed. I could tell the jab wasn't meant for me. I bet he projected it as him trying to warn me, for my own good.

"We all wish we could ask his sister about it."

"What are you even talking about?"

My heart leapt at the mention, at the insinuation of something bad happening to her... by his fault. I stood rooted there, hoping he continued but growing more and more wary.

His jaw dropped. "How the hell has no one told you at this point? You've never heard about Lauren Hale?"

Lauren?

Oh God... Oh God, I remember. On the missing posters stuck to the entrance. The girl who went missing last year... who accompanied Adam, Colt, Emma and Jen when they recorded the Wanderer's howls.

What really happened that night?

"Riley, you don't know?"

"She disappeared last... last summer," I mumbled. "That's all. How is that supposed to mean anything?"

Abe shrugged cautiously. "That's the problem. This town didn't have so many missing people until recently, about when a couple of people moved in. Every time some shit went down, they were in the thick of it. Then one morning, it was Luc's very own sister. He still claims to have no idea where she went. Pray tell, how does a person wake up to a missing twin and have not the slightest clue on where to look? These two were super close. And he's not looking anymore."

This was so out of bounds. I didn't know the story, but him and everyone else had no business running their mouths like this.

"You are so gross."

"For stating there's weird stuff going on? Relax. I'm just trying to tell you."

I pictured Luc leaned over his car's backseat, scrubbing blood away with that sickened expression on his face.

During the dinner with my dad, he recounted the story of the seniors who sought out the monster and were unsuccessful. Lauren had been nearby. That much I could piece together.

These kids were so...

"I think you guys are messed up for inventing rumors about something you know nothing about. Your boredom is dangerous."

Abe was taken aback, and we had nothing left to say to each other. I squeezed my fingers around the taser as I skipped into the empty staircase.

There used to be two of them roaming these halls.

▲▲▲

Once the decomposing remnants were recovered, the town organized a farewell quickly. I noticed it among the posters.

"I wish I could go," I confided to Luc between classes, not thinking it'd get me anywhere.

He searched the hall for one of the posters and read it from top to bottom, holding his locker door. "It's Saturday morning."

"And?"

"And three streets away. If you really want to, we'll go. I took out a bunch of them, and mornings are a safe bet."

I took the offer, figuring he'd never been wrong about this stuff before. When the day arrived, he entered our house while Dad was fitting his tie in the hallway mirror.

They gave each other a fleeting glare across the distance, but I didn't have the energy to bring it up.

Luc had proposed to come with us and drive, that way we'd have the Rover in case of emergency. Dad was so impressed with the wheels, he momentarily forgot about their petty game.

It had rained in the chilly sunrise, making the roads slick and skies foggy. The church was an old stone building with high, arched ceilings and carved windows. It smelled of wax candles, of dust and incense.

Everyone showed up for the bereaved families. Even teachers.

I spotted Mr. Kennedy striking up a conversation with a cop behind the pews. It would be a long service for the victims.

Dad met my friends and their parents for the first time on this grim occasion. I nodded at Ben, Devin and Ethan who were eyeing the newcomers from their corner. Unexpectedly, Luc stuck with us rather than joining them.

"Lucas, where are your parents?" Dad asked with a touch of worry, and I went stiff.

"Out of state for business. I'm the man of the house, most days."

Dad found a row in the middle and pressed his hand on my back, ushering me to sit. Each end was mounted with an ornament carved out of the wood. "That's unfortunate. Are they often gone for work?"

I listened with one ear. For such a small town, their church was sizeable. Wall paintings wrapped around the echoey room. Murals of saints and biblical scenes, though I had to admit, I knew nothing about spirituality or gods.

Both of my parents were firm agnostics.

I hadn't been able to swallow any food at home, and the mere sight of appetizers and flowers on the tables had me staking the exits and the bathroom sign.

Dad and Adam landed on either side of me. Jen wasn't far, but I would have to lean over to talk to her. All I knew to do was nod or shake my head and pretend I was hearing them. Adam called my name twice.

"Are you okay?"

Ten long, lit candles had been planted in a metal dish filled with sand. "Yeah," I said, colder than intended.

The service began. A bald man in formal wear took the altar, calling us to attention. Next to him was a standing object concealed with a purple veil. When he pulled it off, he revealed an easel presenting a picture of the first victim—though there was no particular order.

I retained this stiffness in every inch of my body as the faces came through and loved ones came forth, one after another. Then it was Sean's turn. And then that girl who was disemboweled, Violet. While Devin and Luc had stayed behind, they'd made sure to blur many of the injuries.

Adam leaned in quietly. "Hey..."

God knows I didn't deserve support for how reckless I'd been that night, but I accepted his hand. People were crying here and there, pulling out tissues.

I looked over where Luc was sitting right across from Dad. He caught my head movement. His eyes lowered, then drifted to my face. He looked like he just wanted this to be over.

Even if the Wanderers all died tomorrow, it wouldn't bring them back or change my part in things.

His face in class during Kennedy's speech—it floated in my mind. The defeat in it.

Anya's moment started, and I spiraled.

Maybe I could have said something better. Reached out to her about Coach, regardless if she was going to die. Why haven't I? I listened to her issues and running away had been my only thought.

The shame was unbearable. I snapped Adam's hand off and shuffled over some knees. I got into the alley, footsteps light, and walked past columns until I veered toward the bathrooms.

It wasn't just that night. I'd been so absorbed with my problems for weeks.

I dried a few tears in the bathroom, tears I had no right to shed. Beyond the door, general chatter had broken out, which meant they announced a break. I tossed the paper in the garbage and squeezed out.

Ethan waited in the narrow hall. "Hi. Doing alright?"

I tilted my head. No comment necessary.

"Bad question," he picked up, hands in his pockets. "Want to get some air? There are people outside."

"You sure about that?" I stole a glance at the stage and the fractured light from the stained glass.

"You know we can feel them, right? In town, there's more... interference, but we eventually feel things that emit a lot of power. It's all good, now."

I wrapped my arms around my jacket. "What does that feel like?"

Ethan considered it, and I followed him out the back door. "Like acupuncture. On steroids. It rolls down your neck and all over your body."

"You sure that's not basic instincts?" I said, squinting under the fresh sunrays. "I feel that, too."

The kid stared at me funny. We waded on damp grass, a little apart from the rest of the visitors. He was leading me along the iron fence. Beyond it lay Oakwood's cemetery, an amalgamation of grey and pink stones.

"You've been okay since the bite?"

"Oh, yeah. First one, but it happens to all of us. You sleep it off."

The way he brushed it off when it had been so scary... Bananas.

We went over the memorial; Ethan was friends with the boy whose throat had been slashed. He hadn't lasted the trip to the hospital.

"It got as shitty as it could get," he said, trailing his fingers on the posts. "But Emma hit the jackpot. What you did for her, I've never seen one of you get out there like that. And she must have some good genetics to get through the bite. All the people we've known just died, for real. They were all clotted and rigid and blue."

Some guests were using this break to eat something outside, but I'd made the right choice by avoiding the snacks.

"What I did was tell you guys to look for her. Nothing stellar."

"The risk you took makes a world of a difference." He sounded a lot older, there. He stopped along the fence and winced. "Ah... man. Here he comes."

Who? I turned my head to the yard and saw Luc filing through the guests, his sights set on us. The boy cleared his throat. Luc's disgruntled stare told me we were doing something wrong, but I couldn't deem what. Finally, he stopped in front of us.

"Ben is wondering where you are."

Ethan smiled. The little shit kind of smile. "You can tell him I'm right here."

"I'm not telling Ben shit. When they're going to ask around, you'll be the one who didn't do as you were told."

That earned him a sharp tsk and a sigh. Ethan sent me a contrite look and set off with an awkward, long-limbed stride through the grass. I watched the younger boy go with an arched brow.

"We were just talking," I commented.

"Yeah, I know how he talks." Luc shifted, burning me with his eyes. "The kid's fifteen, he talks shit all day. Leave him alone."

I was stunned for a second and then scoffed. "What, do I have the plague or something?"

"That's not what I said. Come on, service is about to start again."

Sure enough, a man kept the door to the side of the building open for people to file in. I needed to sort this out, though, so I stuck to the fence. "No, seriously. What is the matter with me? You still act like I'm radioactive."

Luc put his hands on his hips. "Well, you're not radioactive."

"How observant of you."

Now, it was his turn to deliver the grin. "Uh-huh."

This wasn't a game. If he kept this up, I would yell at him. "You don't trust me."

"You literally know stuff about me that nobody else ever will," he pointed out, and while that was true, it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

The privacy around his family was understandable. But to keep things from me about what I was risking, to treat me like I was an embarrassing annoyance...

"You chose not to tell me about the bite, and now I'm to be avoided," I argued, catching his unwilling gaze. Barbs strangled my throat. "I know I screwed up last time. I know. I'm so sorry, you have no idea."

One thing about him had become clear-cut. He doesn't just tell others when something was on his mind. I was being stalked, and Luc continued to play me like a fool. He has full control on what I know whereas I need to endure being at someone else's mercy.

"You think this is about Homecoming?" he asked, and he seemed genuinely confused.

"I get that you're angry over it."

"Damn right, I am." He scanned me, shoulders tight under his vest. "So maybe stop throwing tantrums and making it worse."

Plenty of opportunities for me to get acquainted with his lying since we met. I knew it when I heard one.

"Oh, just a tantrum? Like you're not still trying to spy on my dad?" I tested, and the guy didn't so much as twitch.

I waited for an explanation or some kind of justification, maybe even an attempt. Instead, Luc adjusted his stance.

"Trust is earned. It takes time, and I don't know your father."

Or you, he seemed to want to add.

Well, mine had been forced, not earned. Each night, I went to bed trusting that one of them wouldn't have a change of heart and waste me.

Whatever. I folded my arms and walked away from the fence.

And yet, on my way to the open door, I turned around. The clouds had begun to sweep and fade. Luc hadn't followed, but he was facing me.

"I would never let someone find out," I said. "I don't care if the feds knock on my door and show me a picture of you. I'd rather let the Wanderers take me than hurt anyone else."

✩