The clock ticked as loudly as a gunshot, reverberating in the small space. Kanani sat on a stool next to Temperance's cot, both glaring at the ground. Temperance held an ice pack to the back of her head while Kanani rolled herself back and forth on the stool.

Her head was in excruciating pain, throbbing first dully then sharply, and circulating between the two sensations inconsistently.

Who the fuck tackles someone for bringing up a name? And what did she mean by, "Why the fuck do you know that"?

Her head hurt too much to think too heavily about it. If she was lucky, this fall might have shifted her tumor and killed her right then and there. But as the ticking of the minute hand cut away at her nerves, it seemed that Lady Luck had never quite been on her side.

Ottilie towered before them with her hands on her hips beside the school nurse, who wrung her aging hands nervously. Ottilie looked like she was ready to kill, with her sharp eyes alternating between the two.

"Two incidents. Two incidents with you two, and Temperance, this is the beginning of your second week. I haven't the foggiest about what is causing these fights, so I'll need some sort of explanation. Now."

Temperance shrugged, unsure as she glanced up at Ottilie. But the dean was not interested in the girl with the ice pack. Instead, she stared daggers at Kanani.

Kanani's eyes could have bored holes into the floor with how intense her gaze was. And then that glare locked onto Temperance.Fiery anger burned in iridescent green eyes, nearly capable of incinerating Temperance, and yet there also remained a sliver of sadness, only visible through the formation of her brow.

Temperance managed her most ferocious glare right back, probably not succeeding if her fluttering lashes were anything to go by.

Kanani broke eye contact, huffing. "Fuck if I know."

Ottilie pinched the bridge of her nose. "That cannot be your answer for everything." She glanced at Temperance briefly before she moved in closer to the girl with the box-braids and the two conversed in harsh hushed tones. Kanani, even when whispering looked like she was snarling and on the cusp of tearing someone's throat out.

The older woman took Ottilie's distraction as her cue to scurry over to the injured patient, her white hair permed and glistening. Temperance's aching eyes trailed over to the desk to remind herself of the nurse's name. Sophia Daisy. The daisy flower decor on the eastern wall should have been an answer enough if she thought about it.

"Here, dear," Sophia coaxed, her accent that of Mary Poppins'. "Remove the pack and let me have a look."

Temperance winced as she moved the pack away from the soreness of her scalp. Sophia gently prodded at the back of her head and Temperance hissed through clenched teeth. Kanani snickered under her breath, and Temperance cast a glare her way.

"Not to worry, dear. Looks like a proper outward bump. Let's have a look into those eyes, shall we? Make sure you're not concussed."

Temperance placed the ice pack back over the injured spot and faced forward as Sophia came around and shone her pen light that hung around her neck into Temperance's sensitive eyes. She gave her minimal instructions — look at her nose, look up, look down, look to either side. Apparently, it was good enough, because Sophia switched the light off with a grin. "Perfect, I don't see any issues with your pupils. How do you feel?"

"Like a bull ran me over," Temperance answered honestly.

Kanani's wheels skidded as she came to a halt on the stool, swiveling around with vengeance as she focused on her target. "I'll show you a fucking bull, you little—"

"Girls!" Ottilie shouted sharply. "Enough! I will not stand for this. Kanani, as a senior, you should be making sure the freshmen are taken care of, not pummeling them the second they inconvenience you. And Temperance, I am drawing blanks as to why the two of you are doing this, but let us let bygones, be bygones, yes?"

Temperance took in Kanani's image. Kanani regarded the woman in the sick bay with distain.

Ottilie sighed at the surge of animosity electrifying the air. "If you don't, you are both to be kicked out."

Mulling over that information, Temperance met Kanani's glare once more, and a mutual head nod was shared between the two.

"It's like dealing with toddlers," Ottilie muttered. She turned her wrist over to glance at her watch and tsked. "I have to step out for a meeting, but you two better start getting along. Your father isn't going to tolerate this for much longer, Kanani. You are on a very short leash — am I making myself clear?"

Kanani broke her glare and her shoulder slumped ever-so-slightly. "Crystal."

"Good. And since Mrs. Daisy is coming with me, it is up to you, Kanani, to show Miss MacKenzie back to class."

Kanani stood up, stool careening out of control on its wheels and plummeting into the wall. "What?! Why?!"

Ottilie smirked. "Because you did this to her in the first place. Better learn to play nice, you two. Your futures depend on it."

And then they were left alone, the two women shutting the door behind them with a wave. The silence only lasted for a while before Kanani turned around, haunches raised like a rabid dog. "Why do you know what happened to Ji?"

Temperance's face contorted into that of irritation. "Doesn't everyone?"

"No," Kanani sneered. "They don't. No one is supposed to."

"So if everyone doesn't know, why do you?" Temperance countered.

That made Kanani finally shut up. Her jaw tightened as she looked away. "She is my — was my best friend. Of course, I know what happened to her."

A pang of sympathy hit her, and she cursed herself for it. She could probably cross Kanani off her list of suspects, but JJ, Zhanna, and even herself were not truly in the clear. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Yeah, great, thanks. Still doesn't answer my question."

Temperance panicked internally, but her face remained thoughtful and neutral. If she was supposedly asleep at the time, why did she know what happened? Cover stories were hard to keep. She would have to jot these down somewhere to keep the lies straight.

"I..." Temperance started, her mind racing as she blurted out the first thing she could think of. "I... I sleepwalk."

Kanani rose a singular, sculpted brow. "You sleepwalk?"

Temperance nodded hesitantly. "Yeah. I sleepwalked that night and woke up near the lower-level stairs. I figured I should take the time to go to the laundry room to put my clothes in the dryer so I could get them in the morning before I went back to sleep, and I happened to see... her. On the floor. I didn't tell Ottilie what happened because I only sleepwalk when I'm... stressed. It's kind of embarrassing." Temperance worked hard at controlling the wavering that came with lying in her voice. She hoped it was a good enough lie to get Kanani off her case.

Apparently, it was, as Kanani crouched down to the floor, eyes darting around as she thought. "Did you see anyone else?"

Temperance shook her head, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. "No. No one at all. I got freaked out and went back to my room. I thought it was... a prank. Until Ottilie called me into her office with Mircea."

Kanani's attention was grabbed again. "Mircea?"

"Yeah, the dude who always wears suits and has these crazy blue eyes—"

"I fucking know who he is, dumbass. I wasn't done talking. You met with Mircea — did he ask you to look at him?"

Temperance furrowed her brow, thinking back. He did not directly ask for her to look at him, but... the gaze kind of happened on its own, as though hers migrated towards him like geese going south for the winter. His eyes reminded her of clear blue lakes, so pristine that you could see all the way to the bottom.

Loud snaps rang in her ears, rudely pulling her from her thoughts. "Hey, earth to Temperance; I'm asking a question here."

Temperance sneered and slapped Kanani's hands away. "Don't snap at me like I'm a dog."

"I wouldn't have to if you didn't act like such a bitch," Kanani shot back. "Now, answer the question, did you look at him or not?"

Temperance grumbled. "Yes, I looked at him. He didn't ask me to look at him, but I did anyway."

"And you didn't feel... anything?"

"What, like attraction?" Temperance furrowed her brow, confused.

Kanani gagged loudly, standing up and walking away. "Ew, no, that's fucking gross. I meant like— ugh, never mind. Point is, even after staring at him, you remember Ji-Yeong's death."

"Yes, and?"

Kanani nodded, glancing out the window. "I call a truce."

Temperance stood, placing the ice pack on the desk and leaning against it as her head ached. "Good, because I'm tired of getting thrown around for just existing."

Kanani rolled her eyes. "Keep it up and I'll throw you out the window next. Those of us who do know what happened don't know how it happened. The staff are being super hush-hush about the whole thing so I barely know anything. But you — you saw her in her last moments."

Temperance nodded, understanding where this was headed. "You want to work together, then. To find out who killed her."

Kanani dipped her head once. "Yes. Will you help me?"

Temperance felt the corners of her mouth raise. Not a true smile but not a frown either. "Fine. I accept your truce. I will help you find Ji-Yeong's killer."