Ms. Madsen stared Sonia and I down, expectantly waiting for us to answer.

"Listen," Ms. Madsen's stoney demeanor melted away to an expression of sympathy, "I understand feeling like you've not had closure with a person you've lost. That doesn't excuse the sneaking around and lying you've both done. Frankly, it pains me seeing you and your friends make such a mountain out of a mole hill."

"A mole mill? You're comparing the reality of my brother's death to a mole hill?" Sonia clarified heatedly, fists clenching.

"That's not what I meant. I'm only looking out for the both of you. That's what all of us chaperones are doing. For instance, Marinette," Ms. Madsen turned to me, "I was well aware that you snuck away with Persephone yesterday."

A flash of deeper anger crossed Sonia's face before she recovered.

"Is that also why the staff told Demi and Stephen about our traumatic experiences?" I asked, hoping to distract her, and Ms. Madsen furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean? No one was ever instructed to tell them anything, there wasn't even time between all the activity planning. And anyways, I'm warning you girls now. Be careful. And get back to camp," Ms. Madsen gently patted both of our shoulders before walking away.

Sonia and I glanced at each other confusedly. We had to hash this all out with the group.

•

We sat in our secluded corner of the woods during break, and I picked at the grilled tofu on my plate as my friends surrounded me. Before we could get a word out, Safa joined us again, settling down beside Cornelia.

"...um? Can we help you?" Holden asked, and Safa sighed.

"Okay, fine. I'll be blunt about it. I know you guys are investigating Kyle's murder. I want to help," Safa revealed.

We glanced at each other uncomfortably before Sonia spoke.

"No. Hell no. I was barely getting used to the other nosey self-insert," Sonia said as she gestured to Persephone, "I'm not about to sign off on you. What's next, an all hands on deck camp project?"

Safa rolled her eyes, "I was close to Kyle, too..."

"If I remember it right, you also rejected him," Cornelia added.

"What's your stake in this anyway?" Holden asked, "It's not like anything we find won't come to light regardless."

Safa glared at the dirt beneath us, "Can't I just care?"

Persephone cut in, "Is there something you're not mentioning? It's suspicious that you randomly want in."

Safa seemed briefly shocked before she scoffed and stood.

"No. Nevermind. Whatever," Safa said before walking away.

"Aww, Sonia, you're barely getting used to me? That's a step up from asking me what I'm doing here!" Persephone smiled innocently at Sonia, to which Sonia rolled her eyes.

"Don't let it go to your head, Seph," Sonia replied, "And anyways, that file confirmed what we already knew. What's our next step?"

Holden thought aloud, "It said we can find more information at the Plum Creek Police Station and in the hospital archives."

"The police station is super risky. Wildman was the officer on the case, yeah? He was also the person Schaefer was talking to last night," Persephone mentioned, and we all nodded, remembering.

"Then let's go to the hospital first once this trip is over. Also," I added, "Do any of you know who told Persephone's parents about what happened?"

"My parents know?" Persephone asked incredulously, "That is weird. Must've heard it from some students. I heard bits and pieces during my first day here too."

"Or they're somehow involved in this shady business and you're the product of sociopaths," Cornelia added, to which Persephone set her plate down forcefully.

"What the f*ck is your problem?" Persephone snapped, expression darkening, "Are you just following Sonia's lead or do you have a twisted mind of your own?"

Everyone stared at her.

"Don't talk to Cornelia that way!" Sonia shouted, defensively sitting up.

"Can we all please just take a breath and deescalate?" Holden asked quietly, and it did nothing to stop them.

"I just don't get why you're both singling me out! Are you jealous or just rude? I haven't done anything to either of you, forgive me for wanting to understand why you've been b*tches!" Persephone went on, causing everyone to stand and face one another.

"I'm not a subunit of Sonia, I'm in control of my actions. You want to know why I don't like you?" Cornelia answered, pointing an accusatory finger at Persephone, "You think you're all that. You think you can just waltz in here and figure everything out about everyone. You constantly make a fool of yourself in super tight clothes that were clearly not made for your body type. You hang with people you barely know, masquerading around as one of us. And we all know the only reason you're really here is because you have a f*cking crush on Marnie!"

We all fell silent. Persephone gaped and Sonia let her hand fall slack from her hip.

Holden looked down, trudging away.

No one would meet my eyes.

Sonia and Persephone jetted away in opposite directions. Classmates and chaperones from afar could sense the hostility.

"...damn it, Cornelia!" I sighed heavily, covering my face with my hands.

The anger seemed to melt off of her. She began realizing what she'd done.

"F*ck. I'm sorry, Mar..." Cornelia said meekly.

Once again, she reached out to touch me and hesitated. She, too, eventually went in Sonia's direction.

•

I sought Holden out, finding him sitting on a log staring at the ashes in the fire pit. I cautiously lowered myself beside him, and when he saw me he gave me a pained smile.

"Mar, hey," he addressed me gently.

"Hey."

After an awkward silence, he spoke again, "Do you...return Persephone's feelings?"

It seemed like he was holding his breath awaiting my answer. I wanted to lie to preserve his feelings, but I was tired of being untruthful.

"I don't know. I never really thought about it that deeply..." I told him honestly.

Holden nodded slowly, considering, "I want you to know it's totally cool with me if you're into girls, not that you need my approval. And I don't want to complicate things for you, but I just can't help but wonder...do I have a chance with you?"

I thought about that for a long while. I couldn't deny that I found him cute. I loved how passionate he got about meme fads, papaya shampoo, and video games. I loved his abnormally hygienic tendencies for a teenage boy. The way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled, and the way he lived and breathed my happiness. To me, there was even a certain elegance in his man bun...

But were my affections for him genuine, or had I convinced myself that they were out of the convenience of falling for him?

I didn't want to string him along if it ended up being an ingrained facade, but listening to my heart, I answered at last.

"Maybe. I don't know. I'm really confused lately."

Holden smiled, charming and sweet, "Don't stress. I don't have to be your priority right now, I'm okay with just being an option," he winked at me and it made my heart flutter, "For now, anyways."

"Cool," I smiled back, and then his expression turned thoughtful.

"About the dance. It was kind of awful, which is surprising considering my super awesome macaroni bowtie was majestically hung around my neck! Stricken from the record?"

I chuckled and nodded, "Sure. Stricken from the record."

"Great," he beamed, "Need a hug after all those flared tempers?"

"Always!"

Holden grinned, wrapping his arms around me. I held him too, and time seemed to stand still in the safety of his embrace. Nothing else in the universe mattered.

He gently kissed the top of my forehead, and my face heated up. For those sweet several moments, I didn't have to think about Cornelia's threats, my conflicting emotions, or any of the haunting murder mystery. It was just Holden and I as the sun fell steadily, the horizon a thousand shades of violet, pink, and orange.

*

The last day at camp was majorly uneventful. Our entire dynamic was disturbed, and we spoke only in short sentences to each other until departure. On the bus, I sat alone.

Back at campus my mom waited for me, heatedly playing Candy Crush on her phone until I approached.

"How was your trip?" Mom asked absently, unlocking the car and stepping in with me.

"Boring and uneventful," I lied.

There was silence.

I'd never been as close to my mom as I was with my dad before he passed when I was little. At times, my interactions with Mom barely felt familial. Before he died, my parents were the perfect couple; The loving Mr. Jonathan and Mrs. Regina Pembrooke of Plum Creek.

"Your principal told me about something that happened at camp, Marnie."

I froze in my seat as my heart sunk. Had Schaefer really mentioned what happened with Sonia, or was it something else?

"Oh?" I pressed her for more, testing the waters.

"She said you had a panic attack," Mom told me, and I let out the breath I was holding, "Please don't push yourself too hard, sweet pea."

"I won't."

We tuned into the sound of the road zipping by.

•

The next day, early in the morning a rock was thrown at my bedroom window, drawing me out of my dreamless sleep. The pitter patter of raindrops sounded outside, and I opened my curtains to see Persephone, Cornelia, Holden, and Sonia. I heard them speaking through the glass, all wearing rain coats.

"I said throw a rock, not a goddamn boulder, genius!" Sonia lectured Holden, and he laughed.

"It woke her up, didn't it?"

I lifted the window and the cold air rushed through in chilling plumes.

"Woah, Mar, it's like negative a thousand degrees out here, we can wait until you put on a jacket!" Persephone said, holding her umbrella over my head as I peeked out.

"Remind me why you guys are here again?" I asked groggily, and Cornelia answered.

"Um, to break into the hospital, duh!"

"Simmer down, kernel," Persephone said, "We're walking in like normal people and scoping it out!"

"We have school today, though!" I countered, and Sonia rolled her eyes.

"If we haul ass you can make it for third period!"

Minutes later, after leaving a note for my mom that I was walking to school, I met everyone outside.

"You have donuts on your umbrella? No offence, but that's way cooler than Cornelia's!" Holden beamed, and Cornelia scoffed.

"Some of us have refined tastes!"

"I, for one, think your Gucci umbrella is amazing," Sonia said, ruffling Cornelia's hair in the sisterly way she often did.

We started our trek towards the bus stop, faces cold and eyes alert, making sure none left our sights. It was as if the camp conflict didn't ever happen.

•

"Dudes! This vending machine has finger sandwiches!"

Holden marveled at the array of treats in the virtually deserted waiting room of the Plum Creek Hospital, letting his umbrella drip dry on the tiled flooring.

"Excellent. Good to know in the event of an apocalypse we'll have baby shower rations. Now, focus!" Sonia clapped her hands.

"What's our plan?" I asked, and Sonia gestured towards the front desk associate, who obliviously took calls as she typed on her computer.

"We'll have to split up. We need to find a way to draw her away from her desk and get into the security room to tamper with the hospital cameras while we snoop," Sonia explained.

"Great," Cornelia said, "I'm a master at deception!"

Before we could stop her, Cornelia went up to the associate, eyes sad.

"Can I help you, young lady?" the associate asked, to which Cornelia nodded emphatically.

"Your husband is Mr. Callaghan, right, ma'am?"

"That's correct. Why?"

"Well, my mommy went to your house earlier, and since you live there I wanted to know if you could tell me when she's coming back. I called her and when she answered she kept screaming like she didn't know the call was on. Are they watching a horror movie?"

The front desk associate began fuming, then stood, abandoning her post.

"Where are you going, miss?" Cornelia asked innocently, to which the associate responded by picking up her coat and purse.

"My husband told me he was inviting an old friend over!"

She stormed out the hospital doors, making for her car.

Cornelia flipped her hair haughtily, wearing a smug expression. We rejoined her, impressed.

"This is when being short comes in handy. People believe anything a kid says. Hella convenient she actually had a husband, though," Cornelia beamed, "Now what?"

Sonia smiled at her, "Good job. Now I want Holden and Persephone to come with me to find the security room, and for you to help Marnie break into the archive files."

"...is any of this legal?" Holden asked, and was ignored.

"Why me?" Persephone asked, and Sonia grumbled as she answered:

"I don't know. You're good at figuring things out I guess. Come on."

Moments later, I was behind the desk with Cornelia.

"Any idea how to navigate this thing?" I asked her, and she gently shoved me aside, tapping away, "What are you doing?"

"Pressing random buttons hoping we find something," she answered, and I chuckled as she clicked on a folder from the Fall of the year prior.

"Jackpot!" Cornelia smiled, then she typed Kyle's full name into the search bar.

"Wait a minute," I furrowed my brows, "Why is his name attached to these other files?"

Cornelia opened the first file that came up. The title of it was "The Fallen Four".

"Marnie," Cornelia addressed me seriously, "He's under a list of murder victims..."

We both scanned the short list:

Kyle Moreno.

Aleena Kurlow.

Hannah Schaefer.

Jonathan Pembrooke.

"They were all murdered by suffocation and posthumously covered in burn marks," Cornelia read the details in the margins of the file, then pulled out her phone to take pictures as she went on, "Aleena Kurlow is Safa's sister! This Hannah must be related to our principal. And Jonathan Pembrooke is-"

"That's my dad!" I interrupted her, shock sinking to the core of my being.

Seeing the names of two people I'd lost tied together on a screen set off what felt like a bomb in my mind. But instead of a rumbling explosion, there was the brightness of the computer screen and the white noise of the hospital lobby.

I felt Cornelia's arms around me before it could register that she was even reaching out.

"I'm sorry, Mar," she said sweetly, "We're gonna figure this out, okay?"

She pulled away and turned back to the computer. With precision and tact, she sent all the documents with Kyle's name on it to herself, then erased the history of her doing so.

"You're weirdly good at that..." I told her, and she shrugged.

"Coding skills from having a fashion and gardening blog can be useful when you're, like, illegally breaking into private records," she chuckled softly.

She seemed to be in her element, and the catty vibes she usually gave off dissipated into calculating focus.

A million questions were swarming through my mind. Mom had always told me that dad died of a heart attack. She said it was too painful to reveal more.

Had she been lying, or was she just as much in the dark as I was?

My phone pinged with a text from Holden that read:

"S.O.S!! We're on our way back and we think security is tailing us since they saw us step out!!"

I hastily showed Cornelia as she logged out, and she grabbed a wrist band from under the desk, scribbling on it with red marker like a doctor's signature before clasping it to my wrist and dragging me to the seating area.

"Act sick!" she hissed under her breath just as the others rounded the corner, "There you guys are! Did you get lost again?"

Cornelia fanned me as if I had a fever, and confusedly, the others played along.

"Yeah, we went through a couple wrong doors," Persephone said first, coming up to hug me gently, "Did the doctors say anything else about your condition?"

The suspicious guard that watched from around the corner shook his head and stalked away.

"Let's get the f*ck out of here," Sonia said lowly, and we sprung to our feet.

•

In a small park, we went over our findings, conspiratorially leaning over a littered picnic table.

"I won't be able to read the other files until I get home and open them on my laptop, but what we saw was already shady enough!" Cornelia told us, putting a pink diamond studded clip in her hair.

"That explains why Safa wanted in, though. She must sense something's up with the death of her sister too," Persephone added, and we nodded.

"But how are they all connected? What do they have to do with each other that someone would want to hurt them in the same way?" Holden asked, and Sonia sighed heavily, massaging her temples.

"Every step closer feels like two steps back! I just want to know why someone took my brother from me!" Sonia said, and frustrated tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"Let's take a break," I said, patting her back, reflecting on my own sorrowful losses.

"Gladly," Sonia replied, standing and throwing up a peace sign as she walked off and out of sight.

Cornelia seemed deeply saddened by Sonia's outburst.

"Come on, 'Lia," Holden said gently, "Let's go check out the florist's new imports, eh?"

They, too, departed.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Marnie. I don't suppose you want to go back to school?" Persephone teased, and I shook my head, "I thought so. You know what we need? Whatever you're thinking, it's better."

"What is it then?"

Persephone pulled me to my feet. She scanned me, then took off her scarf to wrap around my neck, and dragged me along the streets.

•

"Ice cream. It was ice cream."

I laughed as we stepped inside the parlor.

"Have you ever mixed coffee flavor with cheesecake flavor?" Persephone beamed, "Because you're about to!"

She paid for me, and we sat in a snug corner.

"So you're the kind of weirdo who eats ice cream in cold weather, huh?" I teased, and she nodded proudly.

"Absolutely. Frostbite has nothing on my hotness!"

We both laughed, and then she looked at me seriously.

"So. You found out your dad was murdered. That's gotta be heavy. How are you feeling?"

I sighed, "I guess I'm fine. I always miss him, but I've come to terms with the fact that he's gone. I'm trying not to think about it though, I'll just obsess over everything and drive myself crazy. I'll wait until there's more answers."

"Completely understandable, Mar. I'll just have to distract you then. Try your ice cream!"

I put a spoonful into my mouth and it melted onto my tongue delightfully. The richness of the cheesecake flavor mixed with the subtle bitterness of the coffee flavor was surprisingly delicious.

"It's like it's so bad it's good!" I beamed, and Persephone chuckled, looking as if watching me experience it was better than experiencing it herself.

"I'll take it!" she leaned against me.

•

Time seemed to slow down as we stepped outside of the parlor. The sweet smell of ice cream blended with the scent of drenched earth. Rain droplets cascaded down the shop awning, circling us in a light shower. I peered over at Persephone, and she was so perfectly positioned that the sun seemed like a halo around her shimmering hair.

Without much thought, I hugged her, and she held me close. We swayed gently for several long moments, and I reeled back just a little bit, meeting her sparkling eyes.

"The people you left behind in the town you come from must really, really miss you," I said, and she giggled fondly.

When she quieted, it was as if the air around us was as light as my heart felt. Unconsciously, we edged closer.

"You're incredible, Mar," she said quietly, as if to not disrupt the fragile atmosphere.

I knew what I wanted, at least for that moment. Gently, I caressed the hair out of her face.

"Is it okay if I-"

"Yes!"

We laughed softly, and a moment later our lips met.

It was slow and sweet and magical, like the glistening ice in a skating arena on a mirthful, firework-explosive night. It was white rose hilltops and the chill of jumping into the pool on a hot summer day. It was reclining on the sidewalk as the Aurora Borealis danced across the gently windy sky.

And she tasted like coffee cheesecake ice cream...