(Song of the chapter: 'Sweet But Psycho' - Ava Max) Wolf mask up there 👆🏾

Something fell to the forest floor with a significant thud.

We honed our ears toward the sound, locking in on the movement. Between one moment and the next, we shed our human limitations and fully donned our superior innate hunting abilities.

No hint of humanity remained in our gaze as we stared ahead. The world had shrunk, becoming suddenly too small and filled with a singular purpose.

We barely spared a fraction of a second to tense in preparation...

And then we blurred.

The wind was a wonderful howl of the hunt in our ears as we whistled by, a hand outstretched...

...past Rhys, whose face was frozen with shock from the bullet darting by so close to his head (oh, boo hoo, poor baby)...

...and closed it around the neck of the assassin hidden in the trees.

He grunted in surprise as I crushed his windpipe. He was as bland as day-old bread, with too-light hair, too-pale eyes, and pasty-looking skin. His beefy hands came up then, trying to pry ours away.

He wasn't very successful.

His face twisted in pain as we clenched tighter at his scrawny neck, making him wheeze with air he really couldn't spare. Then we lifted him, holding him above eye-level as if he was a clothing item on a hanger we wanted to examine further.

He kicked his feet frantically, his face turning red.

Almost as red as the tears streaming from a single black eye in one of the hands straining against our grip... where our bullet now sat.

Looking down, I spotted the gun he'd been holding just seconds ago.

It wasn't anything extraordinary, really. It looked like something he'd gotten at Walmart.

I snorted. Anyone could buy a gun from anywhere these days. The problem, I believed, was that a gun in the hands of an idiot became another idiot, unnecessarily adding to the idiot population.

I turned my attention back to the first idiot, letting him see the blackness in my own eyes, see my own killing intent.

"Pardon the interruption," I said pleasantly as he continued to grunt and choke, "but I just had to stop you. In fact, it would have been criminal not to."

Oh, how the tables have turned.

"You see," I explained, "you're doing it all wrong. When you want to kill someone, you do it while looking straight in their eyes and watching their lights die. Because that is the best part. You don't shoot them in the back like they're POC running from the police. What kind of assassin are you?" I chided, my voice gaining an edge.

"Who sent you, hmm? Tell me," I instructed.

The assailant kept kicking and writhing, croaks and other unintelligible sounds escaping his lips.

"Well?" I prompted, lazily swinging him from side to side like I was rattling was a box of chocolates to see if there was still anything inside.

No reply in any language I understood seemed forthcoming. I calmly waited, amusing myself by watching his face turn a deep purple shade. It reminded me of the eggplant emoji.

I smiled like the purple devil. His eyes bulged, red blood vessels stark against the whites.

"I don't think he can talk with you holding his neck like that," Brandon spoke up.

Turning, I found the Four Horsemen all staring at me, white-faced.

I'd actually forgotten they were still there; Wannabe-Deadshot and I had been having quite the captivating conversation.

"Oh." I studied eggplant-face dispassionately. "How silly of me."

I released my grip. He crashed onto the forest floor like a felled tree, then spent an obscene amount of time gasping like he'd just discovered lungs.

I bared my teeth at him impatiently, making him skitter back like a critter.

"You are wasting my time," I seethed. "Tell me exactly who you are and why you were pointing your gun at that one," I poked my thumb at Rhys, "or I will rip out your spine and wrap it around that tree."

When his face paled, I muttered, "Not that there'd be much of it, back-shooter."

Frightened, he looked at the Horsemen, a silent plea in his gaze. Anger at being denied blazed through me, and I poured it all into my smile, crouching to give him a good look at it.

He froze.

"That's right," I purred. "Don't look at them - look at me. You just tried to kill their friend. They're not gonna help you. In fact, I'm sure they'd prefer to kill you. Now, I might kill you, but it really depends on my mood. And whether or not you answer my questions."

His throat bobbed painfully, but he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"That's Luigi," Lilith gasped, at the same time the gunman croaked out, "They killed Mario!"

There was a pregnant pause.

I looked at Lilith, then back at... Luigi?

A sound like the revving of a very old car engine escaped from me.

And then I burst out laughing.

"BAHAHAHAHA! TEEHEEHEEHAW!"

This seemed particularly terrifying to everyone. The Four Horsemen backed up like five feet, and Luigi stupidly backed himself into a tree while trying to backpedal away, adding to my amusement.

I doubled over from the force of my giggles, only straightening when my side started to hurt.

Still snorting and sniggering, I turned to Lilith.

"You're telling me," I managed to gasp, "the one I killed that time was named Mario?"

She tentatively nodded, regarding me like I was a human-shaped atomic bomb.

The only one who seemed to share my humor was Jasper, currently biting the side of his lip as if trying not to laugh.

I swiveled to face Luigi. "And you're here to get justice for Mario? What is this, Luigi's Revenge?"

Flustered, Luigi descended into a rapid torrent of Italian, gesticulating frantically as he spoke. I sobered, listening to his spiel.

"Ah," I remarked once he was done.

"He says he didn't even like Mario," I told the Horsemen. I wiggled my eyebrows, grinning toothily.

"The plot thickens."

Turning back, I spoke a few words in Italian. Luigi responded in kind.

"I see," I nodded. "So you believe your boss will give you a promotion if you killed Rhyland, hmm?"

The Horsemen stiffened. I circled Luigi, calmly striding around the tree while I thought. He fearfully craned his head this way and that to keep me in sight.

"Ambitious," I mused, coming full-circle. I shrugged.

"I can respect that."

The Four Horsemen immediately huddled together. Again, ignoring them, I addressed a final question to Luigi.

Rhys now spoke up, his tone hard. "She just said: 'wouldn't it be smarter to kidnap him instead?'"

I blinked at him innocently. "It's a valid question. Luigi here could make way more money holding you hostage."

Luigi looked from me to Rhys, then adamantly shook his head.

"Kill, kill," he repeated earnestly, gesturing to Rhys.

I threw up my hands. "Well, there you go," I smirked. "He really just wants to kill you. Does that make you feel better?"

Rhys looked at me like he wanted to turn me to stone. Chuckling, I turned back to the Italian.

"You know, Luigi, you seem like a pretty okay guy. Except, you know, the killing people thing, but I'm not really one to judge. Having determination and a one-track mind is really admirable."

I sighed regretfully. "Unfortunately, I'm not gonna let you live."

It really was a bummer that the Mario Brothers had to end here.

"You see," I explained, to Luigi's dawning horror, "I don't like competition, not even if it's terrible competition. You're a really piss-poor assassin, by the way."

His eyes filled with hurt tears. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. This was honestly getting ridiculous.

"I mean," I picked up his gun, "you were more likely to shoot yourself with this cheap thing than anybody else. I really just postponed the inevitable."

Gripping the butt of the barrel, I bent it easily. Luigi's eyes turned as wide as moons as I showed him his gun, which now resembled a pretzel.

I brightened. "You know what, though? I can think of a way to let you live. You could, like, buy me a drink, and somehow convince me to spare your pitiful life. How's that sound?"

Luigi's eyes had not left the gun. And his eyes had not stopped widening.

I looked at him expectantly.

Suddenly, he whined like a baby goat giving birth, shot to his feet, then galloped through the trees, running for his life.

I pondered his disappearing back, then rose to my feet.

"That was a no, right?" I asked the Horsemen, pointing the gun in the direction he'd gone.

They were also gaping wide-eyed.

"Oh well," I shrugged, pocketing the pretzel-gun.

"You could take that as the reason for my grudge against humanity," I told Jasper. I placed a hand on my chest, summoning my most heartfelt expression.

"I just haven't found anyone to love me for me."

I sniffled pitifully. His forehead was a sea of squiggly lines as he stared.

"So, you're gonna let him go?" Brandon chirped, sounding hopeful.

I smiled. A knife shot into my palm with a flex of my wrist, which I casually tossed and then caught.

"I like letting them think they have a chance," I smugly divulged. The Horsemen backed further away.

"You know, guys are pretty interesting." I angled my head, staring at them with intrigue. The knife took off again, spinning like an acrobat.

"Every time you show up, I get to kill somebody."

My smile was as sharp as my blade. "Maybe I'll let you stay in my town."

The knife came down, almost in slow motion. And then it landed in my palm.

A millisecond later, we were whipping past trees and branches, tracking the predator who'd dared to hunt in our territory.

The trail got fresher, the scent of fear stronger...

He was right in front of us, still tearing through the clearing, still thinking he could get away...

And then we were right in front of him.

And Luigi, accidentally, ran into my knife.

A loud yell rippled through the trees, startling woodland creatures and causing birds to take flight.

Watching their lights die was the best part. If it wasn't, you weren't doing it right.

_

Once Vixen retreated, I tore off my mask and tossed it on my bed, panting heavily. My hands shook, trembling like I was buzzed. It was too much adrenaline, too much anger... just too much.

Concentrating on my hands, I inhaled. Then, while counting in my mind, I let out the breath.

Inhale, exhale. One, two.

Slowly, the jitters stopped. Once I was sure I'd gotten a handle on myself, I closed my eyes and searched for the other person that lived in my mind rent-free.

The bond connecting me and Archer was a golden length of rope. And right now, that rope was shimmering.

I reached out and grabbed it. And then I was rushing forward, transported at high-speed towards a pair of looming obsidian gates decorated with sharp spikes and lethal barbed wire.

I came to a stop directly in front of them. They were as intimidating as ever. But when I laid a hand on them, they parted easily, as they always did for me.

I stepped inside.

Archer, Archer, I whispered into the vast kingdom beyond.

Yes? Came the low reply.

My eyes snapped open in a totally different place. I was in the forest again, but the trees were taller. A sigh of pure satisfaction stirred the air on my face, my full belly brushing against leaves and twigs with my exhale.

Idly, I flexed a furry brown paw, studying all the mud I'd collected during the chase. I could still taste the rabbit whose bones littered the ground beside me.

I licked my muzzle, tongue snagging on some blood on my cheek.

Real Me grimaced at the taste. I fought to keep my awareness from completely meshing with Archer's wolf.

Every member of my Pack felt compelled to shift during the full-moon. The week leading up to it was full of heightened tempers... fists flying, bones being picked, old arguments and amber eyes surfacing...

Werewolves with less self-control were required to self-isolate, either within the Pack or their own homes. They had to make up excuses for missing school, work, or whatever they had going on.

My brother's control was second only to Gavin's. But even they couldn't stop themselves from going furry.

That was why I was the best fit for the assassin job - I had the most mobility to go wherever, whenever, because the moon didn't have any influence on me.

Yet.

Or maybe never.

Did you have any problems with tonight's job? Archer asked when I didn't reply.

No, I shook my head. Not exactly.

Very succinctly, I explained my encounter with the Four Horsemen.

I'd experienced fear like I'd never known when I saw that guy pointing a gun at Rhys. Vixen and I had been of one mind then - we were to eliminate any and all threats posed to our Pack.

Our... Packs.

Because the Four Horsemen were my Pack, exactly the type of people I would've picked to surround myself with if things had been different.

Well, maybe not Lilith, but she seemed like a package deal.

None of them really screamed they had all their shit together. But, they were teaching me, it was okay not to be okay, to just be there for each other.

They made me feel a little less rough around the edges... more wholly-shaped.

Maybe, one day, even whole.

I knew just how dangerous this line of thinking was, knew the lengths I would go to protect those I claimed as my own.

Like the ones I'd gone to tonight.

After killing Luigi, we sniffed around for any other scents, anyone who might have been an accomplice. We found some, drenched in fear and heading away from Luigi's general direction.

The cowards had abandoned him.

We chased them, fully intending to reunite them with Luigi. We'd followed their scents onto the streets, but there we'd lost them. They must've gotten into a car and hightailed it out of there.

That was twice now my Pack had been attacked. But why?

I was slipping, I realized. I'd literally slipped on keeping my defenses up, and that band of misfits had waltzed right in and latched onto my bruised and battered heart.

And now I couldn't let them go.

I gnawed my lip, contemplating the potential implications of this, the worst-case scenarios.

Well, so be it.

Hmm, Archer murmured when I finished my show-and-tell. I'd literally shown him the events that transpired through our mind-link. It was a pretty useful bond.

He didn't sound surprised. I realized with a pang that this must have already been included in the dossier.

I'd decided I wasn't going to read their dossier. For one, googling Rhys had gone so well that last time. My best information had always come from directly asking them about stuff.

And for another, there were things that I couldn't tell them. Like with our gaming this morning. If I was in this friend group or whatever, I wanted to be all in. On an equal level. I didn't want to have even more of an advantage over my... friends.

I wanted to belong.

Which is why I asked Archer, Can you look into this?

He was silent. The forest clearing flickered, then slowly came back into view.

I-I don't want them getting hurt, I haltingly confessed. Especially not by me, I didn't have to add.

The quiet lasted a few more seconds. And then the world rose a few feet.

What did you do with the body? Archer asked.

I let out a breath. I hid it inside some ditch, I responded, trying not to sound too relieved.

I guided him using images of landmarks I remembered. I watched as Archer's paws came to a stop in front of Luigi's corpse.

Archer contemplated the cadaver. And then his muzzle lowered, biting down on Luigi's arm.

I'll take care of it, he promised, starting to drag the body away.

I returned to myself with the sound of rustling leaves in my ears, feeling like a weight had just been lifted.

_

I spent a huge chunk of time after first period scowling at my reflection in the bathroom.

Pull yourself together, I told myself sternly. The bell was going to ring any moment now, and then I'd have to go to Spanish and face Rhys.

The thought made my palms clammy. The car ride this morning had been silent as the grave, except for some mumbled greetings from Brandon and Jasper. Rhys's mind had been somewhere else completely, and it didn't take a shrink to guess where.

I'd spent the ride guiltily staring out the window, Karol G's Secreto blaring in my ears.

Which was just ridiculous! I had nothing to be guilty for - I'd literally saved their asses! But they didn't know that.

I tried to picture how Rhys would've looked if he'd known it was me.

What kept coming up instead was how he'd actually looked at me.

Like I was worse than all the bullies in this school combined. Like if he could somehow kill me, he would've done it in a heartbeat.

Thinking of those words that he'd said, my heart flared red-hot.

I shook my head vigorously, hair smacking against my cheeks. I found myself grateful for the pain.

Stop being a little bitch! I inwardly screamed. You've known from the start that you and Rhys don't have a chance in hell! Becoming friends with Jacques again would be even more likely.

I grimaced at that.

Sufficiently chastised, I turned on the tap, intending to splash some water on my face.

Tap, tap, tap.

I recognized her distinctive pattern of walking before I smelled the Chanel No. 5.

I froze instantly.

Mary Montgomery walked into the bathroom, taking the spot beside my sink.

Ice sluiced through my veins. Slowly, I reached over and turned off my tap.

And then I looked up.

Mary's green eyes were fixed ahead, calmly scrutinizing her reflection. As I watched, she grabbed a handful of her lush, platinum blonde hair, lifting it from her shoulders and into a ponytail. She angled her lovely round face with her pert nose and square chin at the mirror, considering.

She was wearing a checkered skirt with a white crop-top under a black jacket with red lining that perfectly matched her Louboutin's. An expensive purse was slung across her chest.

Mary was one of those girls that had always been popular. She was beautiful of course, with rosy cheeks and almond-shaped eyes and perfectly pouty lips. But apart from her stunning looks, she had the look - the one that said she was in charge and you should defer to her because she'd know exactly what to do.

Childhood memories tried to rear their ugly head. I mercilessly whacked them with a cartoonishly huge hammer.

She kept fiddling with her hair, totally ignoring me. I could have been a tile on the floor for all the attention she paid me.

I was considering slowly backing out of the bathroom when she sighed softly, releasing her makeshift ponytail.

Lime-green eyes slid towards me. I froze again.

Mary, being the most popular girl in the school, meant that she ruled alongside Jacques. But in terms of frostiness, she reigned supreme, completely blowing him out of the iceberg.

Sure, Jacques was cold, but since he could get quite heated when pummeling me, he was kind of a fraud. Mary, however, could have given Elsa a run for her money. Jacques didn't even hold a candle to her.

'Candle' doesn't really fit with all the ice imagery I've woven, does it?

Hmm...

Oh, well.

Mary had a grand total of three facial expressions: a marginally raised brow, a slightly tilted lip that was supposed to be a smile (I think), and the fractional lowering of her eyebrows. She was nicknamed, quite fittingly, the Ice Queen Bee.

Right now, her face showed nothing, cool like it was carved from glaciers. I fought a shiver.

For a moment, only her eyes moved, raking over my face.

And then she said, "I heard somebody got popular while I was away."

Uh-oh. I did not want to get frostbite this early in the morning.

"I wouldn't go that far," I said hurriedly. My hand rose, awkwardly, and I started scratching at my neck for something to do.

"I'm sure you already know of the Four Horsemen, but they're really weird. Like don't-take-a-hint weird. Plus, they kinda wouldn't leave me alone. Nobody really pays attention to me when they're around, so I'm still very unpopular I assure you."

Not a twitch. Not even a blink. Damn, she was good.

She slowly turned back to the mirror. I exhaled, thinking that was the end of it.

"Why?"

Why me?

"Um, why... what?" I asked cautiously.

She rummaged through her purse for a minute, picked out a red lipstick, and layered it on.

"Why are they so interested in you?" She asked, pressing her lips together.

I wasn't quite sure of that myself.

After careful consideration, I mused, "I think it all started when I ate thirteen pancakes in front of them."

Mary went as still as a sculpture.

There was pure silence, the kind even crickets didn't fill because they were all dead.

And then she looked me with the most deadpan expression I'd ever seen. I wished I could melt to the ground like Olaf.

"That," she said, recapping her lipstick, "is disgusting."

She said this with absolutely no inflection in her tone, yet I felt like I'd just been whipped. I bit the side of my cheek, cringing inwardly.

She surveyed me slowly from head to toe. There was still nothing in her cold green eyes, but I could tell that I'd fallen short of her evaluation.

"The bell's gonna ring."

And with that, she strutted out of the bathroom.

Seconds later, it did.

I hightailed it to Spanish, not slowing until I was sitting right beside Rhys.

_

Rhys hadn't noticed my questionable behavior in Spanish. It was safe to say that he was still occupied.

But now, as I kept furtively sneaking glances over the book I was holding, Jasper gave me a weird look.

"What is with you today?" He asked from beside me.

"Did you put weed in your cereal?" He sounded really suspicious.

I muttered something unintelligible, sparing a moment to swat at him. He caught my wrist, gaping at me incredulously.

"And now you're talking to yourself?" A concerned palm pressed against my forehead.

I spared only a millisecond to scowl at him before turning back to the cafeteria doors. She was going to walk in any minute now.

"You haven't even started eating your food," Brandon pointed out. A cheese sandwich and an apple sat on my tray, both looking as appetizing as chalk.

I couldn't believe they hadn't heard the whole school buzzing about Mary's return. Didn't they know everything was about to go to hell in a handbasket once she walked through those doors?

The only bit of relief I felt was that Jacques was currently absent. I didn't think I could stand to see the Gruesome Twosome happily reunited.

"Would you like to eat something else, Avalon?" Lilith spoke up.

I shook my head, then properly glared at Jasper. "Release mi mano!" I demanded, snatching my arm back from his grasp. He let me, edging away warily.

Rhys looked up from his phone then. "What is going on?"

I stared at him. Shit, I'd forgotten about Rhys!

Mary was single and attractive...

Rhys was single and attractive!

Mary hadn't dated anyone before, not even Jacques. Probably because of Alisson, though I had no idea if she'd ever been attracted to him.

But things could change now that Rhys was here, looking like a glazed pig with an apple in his mouth!

Rumor had it that Mary was holding out for a guy who met her high standards. And Rhys was the standard!

The standard's eyebrows scrunched together. "Are you ill?"

I realized I'd just been staring at him, my mouth wobbling like a ship fighting against a storm.

This could be goodbye. I didn't know how to say goodbye. So I just ducked back into my book.

And not a moment too soon. The doors opened, and I scented Mary's perfume.

The cafeteria quieted, discussion suddenly halting.

Mary's heels clacked as she strode towards the It Girl table. She stopped halfway, then looked over at the room.

Conversation resumed.

Turning back, she tap, tap, tapped over to her table and sat down beside Alisson.

"What did I miss?" She asked placidly.

Alisson beamed and threw her arms around her. "Yay, you're back!"

Kaitlynn, sitting across from them, raised an amused eyebrow at the embracing siblings.

"Oh, Your Frostiness, you've decided to grace us with your presence once more? How ever shall we thank you?"

Rory, sitting on Alisson's other side, snorted, not looking up from filing her nails.

Kaitlynn reminded me of an edged blade. Not a scalpel like my dad, but more like some sword of Justice, held high above her head while she implored you to do the right thing.

And if you didn't, she'd skewer your arms off.

Alisson released Mary, glaring at Kaitlynn. "Shut up, Kait," she spat, brown eyes shooting daggers.

Everything about Alisson grated, like sandpaper. From her voice to her words. It was like she'd like nothing more than to scrape off all your skin one molecule at a time.

Mary ignored their bickering, reaching for Alisson's tray. She paused.

"What the fuck are you eating?"

From here, I could see a plate filled with about 90% lettuce and 1% tomato.

Alisson blushed just as red. "I can't even look at a carb these days without breaking out," she whined, spearing the salad with her fork.

"Plus, I'm top of the pyramid, so I'm trying to set a good example."

At this, she looked pointedly at the Wannabe table. They all resumed diligently consuming oxygen.

Mary's eyebrow quirked the tiniest bit.

"You poor thing," Rory crooned, blowing at her nails.

Rory just sounded like she spoke cursive, making you picture love letters written in elegant curlicue, 'i's dotted with hearts.

"Here," she said, passing Mary a plate of French fries. Mary gratefully accepted it.

Alisson scowled at the remaining items on Rory's tray.

"Of course you can eat shit like that," she scoffed. "You've never cared what you put into your body."

Kaitlynn pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something under her breath.

Rory thoughtfully considered Alisson.

"Green is not a good color on you, midget," she remarked lightly, though her green eyes flashed.

"And don't worry about your weight." Rory daintily ate ice cream from her spoon.

"Worry about your eyebrows."

Alisson's eyes widened. "What's wrong with my eyebrows?"

She immediately swiveled to look at Mary, but Mary's mouth was full and she couldn't reply. After frantically searching her tray, which didn't yield whatever she was looking for, Alisson stood with a frustrated huff and scampered out of the cafeteria, a hand against her forehead.

Kaitlynn sniggered. "Good one."

Rory's red lips curved up and she ate more ice cream.

Mary looked at the both of them, that eyebrow inching up again by a hair.

Rory dropped her spoon. "Oh come on, she's annoying," she complained.

"She needs to get over this whole 'my mommy's the principal' thing. She's acts like a brat."

Mary mildly ate a fry. "She's young. She will learn." The words were flat, but sounded like a rebuke.

She turned to the final member who hadn't yet spoken.

"Lola," she waved a hand in her face. "Earth to Tomilola!"

Lola finally looked up from her tablet, pushing her glasses back as she spotted Mary.

"Oh, hi Marissa," she greeted, smiling easily.

Lola's native accent colored her words, turning each syllable into a dancing musical note. The beads on her braids jangled as she shook some from her face, like maracas accompanying the music.

"We'll talk in a bit, I'm on the brink of cracking this code," she apologized, turning back to her tablet.

There was a hint of amusement on Mary's face as she looked at Kaitlynn, who sat beside Lola.

"How long has she been 'on the brink'?"

Kaitlynn studied her friend, looking similarly amused. "All morning."

"And I am still on the brink," Lola piped up, "so SHUSH!"

Kaitlynn laughed, then turned back to Mary.

"So, where have you been?"

Mary shrugged noncommittally. "Away."

"Right," Kaitlynn drawled. "Fine, keep your secrets. You missed almost a month of school this time, you know. How do you expect to catch up?"

Mary chewed another fry. "You'll help me." It was a request, but also not.

Kaitlynn gave a sharp smile. "Sure, poach off my notes any time. After all, what are friends for?"

She shrugged glibly. "Not for keeping secrets, that's for sure."

Mary stared at Kaitlynn, then sighed and stopped eating.

"Would it help if I told you I was learning something else?"

"Oh really?" Kaitlynn's tone said she was not buying it. "Like what? French immersion? Neurosurgery?"

Mary slowly blinked at her.

Before she could respond, the doors opened. They glanced over to see if it was Alisson returning.

Bella stalked into the room, looking pissed-off as usual.

Mary looked at her.

There was a short stand-off as Bella's eyes narrowed at Mary. But then she whirled around and stomped right back out.

From some distant part of the cafeteria, a guy yelled, "Hallelujah!"

At the jocks' table, which was right beside the It Girls', Kit looked up and frowned in the direction his girlfriend had just gone. Rising to his feet, he hurried after her.

They watched him go.

"So they're still a thing?" Mary asked, squinting at the closing doors.

"Yup," Kaitlynn replied, her jaw taught as she also stared after him.

Rory laughed. "That girl must have some mad skills," she remarked with grudging admiration.

The doors flung open again, this time revealing Alisson looking mad as hell.

She marched over to the table, taking her place beside Mary, and gave Rory a look that would have burned water.

"Bitch," she venomously spat.

Rory just blinked at Alisson demurely, taking a bite out of her frosted cupcake.

"Ha!" Lola suddenly crowed, pumping a fist in the air.

"I cracked it! NOW WHO'S YOUR DADDY?" She taunted her tablet.

Kaitlynn and Rory laughed, and even Mary managed a tenth of a smile.

Alisson's nose scrunched up.

"You cannot leave me with these people again," she pleaded, tugging on Mary's sleeve.

"Please, take her with you next time," Kaitlynn muttered. "Or you might come back to find she's mysteriously disappeared."

Alisson glared at Kaitlynn. "What was that?"

"I'm back for good," Mary stated, halting their squabbling.

Unease churned in my gut.

Alisson brightened. "Really?" Mary nodded.

"Good," Alisson's eyes suddenly turned reptilian.

"Because some people," she hissed, snakey eyes sliding over to me, "have forgotten how things work around here."

I ducked back into my book, but it was too late.

Mary followed Alisson's gaze. She blinked at finding me sitting there at lunch, just like everyone else.

I'm sure she'd been informed that I ate in the cafeteria now, but I guess actually seeing it was a completely different thing.

She stared at me for a moment. Then she pushed back her chair and stood.

I didn't even want to melt now - I wanted to evaporate.

Lilith looked between me and Mary's approaching figure, a thoughtful expression on her face. She and Jasper were the only ones paying attention- Rhys had gone back to tapping on his phone and Brandon was sorting his food.

Mary pulled up a chair with a sound that could have heralded the apocalypse. She sat almost directly facing me, then turned to study the table's other occupants.

Lilith met her gaze.

"Hello, I'm Mary," she greeted, in a tone that sounded like she'd actually attempted to put some warmth into it.

"Lilith," Lilith returned curtly.

"That's Brandon," Brandon waved, "Rhys," Rhys kept tapping, "and Jasper," he managed a small nod.

Mary's eyes narrowed slightly on Jasper. But then her expression cleared so quickly I wondered if I imagined it.

"If you didn't already know, that is," Lilith added, slowly batting her lashes.

Mary's brow marginally lifted. "I knew."

For a moment, the two seemed to size each other up. Not physically, because Lilith was a peanut and Mary was almost Riley's height, but you get what I mean.

"So, how are you all liking the school?"

Lilith leaned back, a lazy grin on her face.

"You know, I was just saying the other day that the students here are... questionable at best," she remarked. Her voice was breezy, but her eyes glinted.

"But I'm sure you already know all about it."

Mary slowly blinked. "I see."

I briefly wondered what exactly it was she saw.

Their back-and-forth made me want to nibble my nails off. I was surprised there wasn't a lone tumbleweed rolling across the cafeteria and some harmonica sound playing in the background.

Mary's eyes finally slid off Lilith...

...And fixed on Rhys.

"Rhys, I heard you punched Griffin in the face."

Rhys didn't even glance up. And what he was doing that made him too busy to reply?

CANDY CRUSH! His phone joyously proclaimed, followed by the sound of multiple candies stacking on top of each other.

Jasper not-so-subtly choked.

Mary pondered Rhys. Rhys continued to ignore her.

"Honestly though, I can understand the urge," she finally said.

"Finn could be so annoying sometimes."

I winced at her saying that name so easily. And judging by the look she slipped me, it was intentional.

If she couldn't get a rise out of him, she would get one out of me.

Rhys looked up now, his gaze straying towards me.

Not her - me.

"It was a necessary evil," he said, his eyes not leaving mine.

I looked into them and saw the Antarctic, an endless frozen landscape way icier and colder than anything Mary could muster.

I don't think it was aimed at me though.

It was like the Winter Olympics in here. Funny, since the topic of the conversation who was actually named 'Frost' was notedly absent.

"How so?" Mary asked.

Brandon spoke up now. "He was being mean to Avalon," he disclosed, in the manner one might tattle on a sibling.

Dios mio.

"I see," Mary reiterated.

"And did Avalon," she looked at me again, "ask for... help?"

She was digging to see if I was only a charity case to them. My cheeks burned, and I looked down at my tray, reaching for the first item my hands touched.

Lilith snorted loudly, making me jerk.

"Does she know the meaning of the word?" She asked, sounding incredibly amused.

My distraction caused me to smack the apple on my tray instead of grab it. It swiftly rolled away from me, and towards Mary.

We both looked at it.

Just when it seemed like she was going to let it fall off the table, she grabbed it.

Her green eyes inspected the apple, looking for any bruises or cuts. There were none. Slowly, she stretched out her hand, holding it out to me.

The sight reminded me of Satan and the Evil Queen - two monikers I believed fit her quite appropriately. They'd probably held out this fruit in this exact same way.

I made my mouth move. "You can keep it if you want."

She looked at me. There was a disturbing glimmer in her eyes as she retracted her hand, almost as if she'd caught onto what I was thinking. And I'd well and truly amused her.

She lifted the red apple to her red lips. And then she crunched.

She stared straight at me as she chewed and swallowed. And then she stood and walked away without another word.

We watched her depart. Lilith frowned. Rhys stared after her like he'd just discovered a new enemy on the battlefield, and was wondering which weapon to draw.

I hadn't failed to notice that Jasper, who usually leapt at the chance to talk to a new person, had been silent. In fact, he'd edged far back into his seat like he'd wanted to get as far away as possible. The look in his eyes told me he was silently freaking out. I didn't even want to know what he'd picked up from her.

The only person who remained unperturbed was Brandon, who looked fascinated.

"Is she like me?" He asked

"Oh, er, no," I replied. "She just... doesn't like to move her face."

She hadn't always been like that.

Again, I trampled the memories, watching Mary chat with her friends and continue to eat my apple.

I couldn't shake the feeling in my gut warning me it was the beginning of the end.

********************************************************************************

THE BITCH IS BACK, Y'ALL!

Lmao, Avalon's all gangsta till Mary shows up 🤭

Thank you guys so much for your patience. I hope you've enjoyed your introduction to the It Girls clique.

Share some thoughts here. Who are you rooting for? Who are you rooting against?

Anyways, we have reached the end of the first part. We're getting into it now! 🤪

Love ya,

Lulu.