MONDAY

The sound of what could best be described as someone screaming at the top of their lungs while throwing rocks at a metal cage containing dying animals jarred Adeline awake.

"Stupid Sebastian!" she growled, fumbling around on the nightstand for the source of the sound--her phone. He'd switched her ringtone again. No matter how many times she changed her password or how long she made it, he somehow always figured it out.

Not that Adeline never did anything return, like painstakingly swapping every face in the photos on his phone with her own.

Answering the call to make the ear torture stop, she snapped, "Adeline speaking."

A moment of stunned silence followed, and she swallowed.

Why didn't I check the caller ID first? It couldn't be Sebastian--he wouldn't have been able to keep his mouth shut for that long.

"Uh, it's Will," the caller ventured at last. "Just calling to keep you updated on some things."

Tilting her head back, a sigh of relief escaped her lips as she pulled the pink bunny perched on her pillow closer. The faint scent of strawberries lingered on its fur, feather soft against her cheek.

"Adeline?"

"Yeah, sorry. Sebastian did it again." Glaring a hole into the ceiling, she hurled the innocent plush into a corner. The poorly muffled laughs on the other end did nothing to soothe her irritation. "Is that why you called instead of him? And that better not be laughing I hear, or I swear, I'll...I'll do something."

"No, no, I just had something in my throat, and I called instead because there was something I wanted to tell you personally," he explained hurriedly. "Anyway, we've got the meeting with Tri-Shadows scheduled for Friday, close to midnight, in an old cabin by the waterfront."

"You're going to scope the place out beforehand, right?" Adeline asked as she slowly crawled out from under the covers.

"Yes, though I doubt they'll try any funny stuff."

Shuffling to the bathroom, Adeline grunted her agreement and flipped on the lights. "I'll be by the compound after school to go through the reports and order requests."

"Tommy saw something last night on his rounds that he thought you'd be interested in."

"He was in the west side of the city, right?" she asked, trying to figure out what it could be. His group's main objective had been to drop off a small amount of ammunition to one of the gangs and then the usual--observe and collect.

"Ryker Hapsburg paid the Craybons a visit for dinner," Will said. "Wouldn't be surprised if he's matching up with one."

Adeline grunted--she'd expect no less. "I guess we'll see. Tell Tommy to keep an eye on him."

"It'll be all over the news when it happens," he droned.

"I expect to know it first, just like always." She glowered at the tangled mass of auburn hair in the mirror, unsuccessfully willingly the strands to straighten.

"Got it. Have a good day at school!" Then he hung up, leaving Adeline to get ready.

<><><>

Roughly an hour later, she was sweeping out the front door, parfait in hand and her backpack slung over one shoulder. The sun-kissed flowers lining the walk to the driveway stood at attention like spirited sentries as she scampered for the awaiting car. She tossed her backpack onto the rear seat and shut the car door with a satisfying thunk before sliding into the front.

"We've talked about not slamming my car doors, Adeline," Jacob sighed, looking at her as though she were a disobedient child.

"Sorry, Jacob." She wrinkled her nose and laughed, and even though Jacob's face remained expressionless, she knew he didn't really care. It was a conversation they had at least three times every week since...well, since forever.

"Don't worry about picking me up; one of my friends is giving me a ride," she said as they started driving.

Jacob nodded, cranking the air conditioning up to full blast despite the lukewarm temperature outside. Frowning, Adeline promptly shut the vent aimed at her, then sat back, phone in hand. Even though Will and Sebastian kept her updated on anything that was important to her or the Alternate Demons, the temptation to get lost in social media posts and news headlines remained strong.

She placed her phone in the cupholder. Her hand rose to her mouth out of habit, but she stopped it halfway--no biting her nails anymore. In an effort to distract herself, she looked out the window. Oaks and maples stretched across the sun-speckled road, their emerald leaves fluttering in the breeze; a pair of chestnut horses loped across their gently rolling pasture, silky coats rippling with the power of their majestic movements. Her eyes followed them in the side mirror until the houses swallowed them up.

After a quick glance at Jacob, Adeline put her headphones on, deciding he had no plans to talk. His eyes remained glued to the road, jaw clenched and grip tight around the steering wheel.

He's really concerned about the company. Adeline intertwined her fingers, chewing her lip as her eyes narrowed. There were things he hadn't told her and reasons for Newton's visit besides relaxing in the pool. How stupid would she have to be to not notice their lowered voices drifting through the library's open window, or how they quickly shifted to sports and trash talking each other the moment she walked onto the patio?

Her fingers played invisible piano keys with the haunting melody of the piece playing, the corners of her mouth twisting into a frown. A crawling, tingling sensation snaked down her spine and twisted her stomach, and she shifted in her seat. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes, Jacob's face softened.

"You good?" he asked.

Nodding and smiling, Adeline switched to a more upbeat song, forcing herself to quote the empty lyrics in her head. Yes, she needed to work on her plan, but she felt overwhelmed like she was stuck in a maze of seemingly unconnected walls that converged to imprison her. Justice for her, for her family--that's what she needed. But the path to that remained unclear.

What do the Craybons want the most? What did we have that they didn't? Being totally honest, nothing. They care so much about their image...and image is everything. Lose face, you lose popularity, thus money and respect...it's all downhill from there.

Adeline knew from experience just how rapidly that could happen. A bitter taste filling her mouth, she swallowed, switching songs again.

Who's always in the news? She answered her own question. Celebrities.

The car stopped at a red light, and Adeline studied the billboards and screens that covered almost every square inch of the city, blasting products and photoshopped images day and night. Serena posed on a massive screen, wearing clothes from some store called Your Touch. Gracing another one, Ava balanced on a bridge railing along with two male models. One of them Adeline recognized. Even though it'd been close to four years since they'd worked together, Oliver had the same dusty blonde hair, soft smile, and of course, his signature eyes: one brown, one green.

She tilted her head to one side, a strange emotion she couldn't identify swirling inside. Not sadness, not nostalgia...it's not like they'd been close friends, and neither of them had attempted to keep in touch after her father's death. No surprise there--not a lot of people had. Shaking her head, she chided herself for being stupid.

It's been three years since I was on one of these billboards. Adeline still got offers, but they were few and far between. Despite how much she used to love her job, she always declined them, as focusing on her education was more important. Or at least, that's what she told herself when the longing to start her career up again returned in the hours of her many restless nights.

Serena would lose it if I started modeling and doing concerts again.

So, of course, Adeline would have to work that into her plan. Image was everything, but people had to see you.

<><><>

"Have a good day," Jacob said as Adeline opened the passenger door.

He and Will are so alike...

Smiling, she almost leaned forward, across the distance between them, to wrap her arms around him. Even though she lacked his quiet strength and deep, soothing tone, she wanted to let him know she was there for him.

He glanced at her, eyebrows meeting over dark eyes that glimmered a cold topaz in the sunlight.

"Always do." She stepped out, grit crunching under her high-top sneakers as she turned on her heel to collect her backpack.

Rolling his eyes, he checked his mirror to make sure he wasn't holding anybody up. "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye!" Starting up the wide steps to the school entrance, Adeline paused to wave.

"Addy!" Jessica perched on the railing, swinging her legs lazily. Naomi stood ram-rod straight beside her, squinting against the sun.

A couple of the other kids hanging around called out greetings or waved, and Adeline returned them. Hopping down, Jessica bounced past her to open the door, allowing a rush of chilly air to escape.

"Want to go somewhere after school?" Jessica asked, the heels of her gladiator sandals tapping against the smooth floor.

"I'd love to, but I've already got plans," Adeline admitted.

"Okay, cool!" She looked a little disappointed for a split second before her face lit up again. "Mi Mi, you and I can still go somewhere."

Naomi cringed, tugging at her backpack's worn straps. "Do not call me that--it makes me sound like your grandmother."

"Yeah, but..."

"Yes, we can go roam aimlessly around the mall," Naomi interrupted. "But tomorrow, I'm going to be working on a paper."

"It's not due for another..." With her elbow halfway to Naomi's side, Jessica trailed off. "Um, why are they whispering and looking at us?"

Adeline didn't even look as she opened her locker. "Who cares? They're always doing that, anyway."

Ava never went anywhere without her posse of the most beautiful yet insecure girls, who would roam the halls acting like every other group of fake girls. It used to bother Adeline, but not anymore. Popularity was a fickle thing, and not something she deemed worth fighting to keep. There were far bigger battles.

"Yeah, but don't you wonder sometimes?" Jessica's voice was muffled due to the fact that half of her body--somehow--had disappeared into her locker.

"No." Not really. If it's important, I know it.

Sighing, Naomi dug a pen out of her purse and tossed it into the locker.

"Ow!" Jessica popped out, rubbing her head, pen in hand. "But I found my pen!"

Naomi rolled her eyes. "And here I thought I was the idiot of the group."

"Don't listen to the haters, sweetie."

Adeline tuned the two of them out, focusing instead on the deep voice coming from Ava's rose gold phone.

"To the general public, it appeared Adeline Killingsworth couldn't withstand the pressures of fame. Or perhaps she thought she could control her addiction."

It took everything in her to not slam her locker shut. As of Thursday, nobody had even watched the documentary, for the obvious reason that it played during school hours. Friday, people had started whispering when she passed them in the hallways. It was just some stupid documentary about something very real that had happened to her, that, if she had been poor and nameless, no one would have thought twice about. And the fact that Ava stood there, casting sympathetic looks her direction ... that made Adeline want to punch a hole through a wall or locker.

"Come on," Naomi said softly, taking Adeline by the arm and leading her away.

"Ava should be careful how she plays her games," Jessica remarked, tucking Naomi's pen behind her ear. "Drawing too much attention to your involvement in scandals could result in the opposite of what she wants."

"What are you talking about?" Naomi glared daggers at her.

"She clearly wants to humiliate Addy." The corners of Jessica's eyes crinkled as she frowned, and she peeked in the pockets of her jacket and then her skirt. "But it will just make the others view her almost as an idol--she's famous, involved in scandals, in a TV series or whatever ... people are talking about her, so she's relevant. She can use it to her advantage." Now she was rummaging around in her bag, scowling.

"It's behind your ear," Adeline said.

"Ah, thanks." Jessica removed the pen, sticking her tongue out at Naomi, who was also making a face. "But seriously, guys, if you think about it, it makes sense."

"Yeah, it does." Adeline chewed her lip, glancing at her phone to check the time. "See you guys in math!"

Naomi studied her. "Okay, we can talk more then." And before Jessica could say anymore, she dragged her into their homeroom.

Adeline stood in the hallway a moment longer, the clatter of locker doors and the squeak of shoes ringing in her ears. Slowly, she entered her classroom, deep in thought, voices echoing in her head.

People are talking about her, so she's relevant.

They asked me several times to do interviews, but I said no. I don't want to dig up old demons.

She blinked rapidly, realization coming over her in a wave.

<><><>

Adeline entered the main warehouse. Any other day, she'd stop to chat with the various people coming and going or unpacking crates, but there wasn't time. The spiraling stairs leading to the catwalk rattled as she climbed them two at a time; weaving around the people and boxes stored on the stretch of woven metal, she reached the office at the far end.

The metal door, adorned with an assortment of dents and scuff marks, whined as she nudged it open with her shoe.

Wrinkling her nose at the faint stale smell, she glanced around. Papers and manilla envelopes adorned every surface, from the filing cabinets in the corner to the padded metal chairs and spilling onto the floor.

"The order requests and monthly reports are in the usual spot," Will said from his place behind the desk.

"I'll look at those in a moment." Adeline sucked in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "How did you manage to do this in one day?"

Still hunched over his laptop, chin cradled in his hands, he shrugged and grunted.

Adeline gathered the files from one of the chairs and set them on the desk, earning her an eyebrow raise from Will. Plopping down opposite him, she asked, "Where's Sebastian?"

"He'll be here in a moment," he said, tapping his cheekbone, eyes half closed.

"Someone call for an insanely hot superhero?" Sebastian appeared almost instantly, back against one side of the doorframe, a foot planted on the other and a hand in his hair.

"Yeah, but I don't see him," Adeline said, frowning.

He shook his head, smirking, and sauntered over, hands shoved into the pockets of his black jeans. "What do you know about hot anyway?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Enough to know it's not you."

"Shh! You're but a child," he said in a lilting Irish accent, adjusting his shirt. "You don't know what you're saying."

Despite her best attempts not to, she started laughing, and Sebastian sat down with a smug smile.

"So what do you want to talk with us about?" Will asked, folding his arms on the desk.

"I've been thinking..." Adeline began.

"So, I'm going to stop you right there." Sebastian leaned over, placing a finger on her lips to silence her. "Mainly because I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Seriously?" She jerked away, rubbing her mouth.

"But also, this is a scientific phenomenon," he continued.

"Shut up!" She pushed him away. "I'm trying to be serious."

The grin vanished. "Sorry, I'm listening."

Adeline took a moment to collect her thoughts, searching for the right words. "I've been developing a plan to ... deal with the Craybons."

Sebastian scowled, muttering, "And here I thought you were going to confess your love for me."

But it didn't elicit even so much as a grin from Adeline.

"I don't have all the details worked out, but here's what I've got. The Craybons always have to be in the spotlight, have to always be in control, and they'll do anything to stay on top." Adeline paused, fingers wrapping around the armrests. "They're manipulative and ruthless."

Sebastian watched her with hooded eyes, mouth pressed in a straight line.

"You can't just pull off what they did to my family so seamlessly without extreme planning. And they did it almost so perfectly ... I can't help but feel like we weren't the only ones they did this to."

Neither Will nor Sebastian moved, the hum of the fluorescent lights growing louder in the silence.

"Ever since I found out what they were capable of ..." She covered her face and exhaled. Even now, she could feel Ava's embrace and smell the mango fragrance that had filled her room. Countless whispered secrets, now unimportant and long forgotten, came rushing back, bringing with them the taste of greasy pizza. Her legs itched from the ghost sensation of rough shingles against her skin, her heart pounding as though their parents were going to bust them any moment for being on the roof so late at night.

It had all felt so real, so genuine. And she'd been so stupid. Swallowing, Adeline forced herself to sit up straight, shoulders back, chin up. "I want you digging into their past, looking for anyone else they might have done this to."

"We can do that, but what exactly is that going to accomplish?" Will asked.

"Evidence, possible allies." Adeline leaned forward.

"If--when--you find the corruptions buried there, what are you going to do with it? Use it for blackmail? Release it to the media?" That was Sebastian.

"Not blackmail," she said, lip curling in disgust. "They deserve a whole lot more than that."

Will grunted agreement.

"Now this part might be a little unwise of me, but just using the Alternate Demons to take them down won't work." Adeline tapped her foot against the floor, waiting for their reaction.

"We're a powerful network with fingers in everybody else's pies," Will argued. "How could we not be enough?"

"The Craybons are good at putting on an act, and they could do it forever. And ever since they 'took us down', they've become even more convinced that they're invincible. Alternate Demons working behind the scenes might eventually come up with something they haven't covered, but if the Killingsworths were to start challenging them ..." Adeline lowered her voice. "They won't let that pass; they'll do something to remove us from the picture altogether."

Staring, Sebastian scooched to the edge of his chair.

"I'm all for justice being served, but not if it means you'll be in danger!" he protested.

"When has that ever been a problem? I've been delivering, collecting, and observing in this city since I was fourteen, arranging deals and forming alliances! Danger doesn't scare me." She held his gaze, refusing to look away from the midnight blue eyes that swirled with defiance.

Will cleared his throat, his seat groaning in protest as he leaned back.

Calling a truce, the two looked away, and she continued more calmly. "Besides, there's going to be danger involved no matter how we decide to do it. I'm sure the Craybons have their own group of thugs running around and doing their dirty work."

"Phh! I'm not a thug, Adeline!" Sebastian faked offense.

"It's been a while since I've been a media sensation," Adeline said, pointedly ignoring him. "But now seems like a good time. People are talking--not just about our products--but actually about us. In fact, today's episode of the documentary was about me."

"You must be flattered," Will said.

"I actually haven't seen it yet. Or any of it, for that matter. But if the Craybons gave interviews, why shouldn't I? Work it to my advantage, maybe accept some of those contracts I still get offered every now and again." She paused, before nodding. "Yeah, that's what I'm going to do."

"But what are you going to tell Jacob?"

Adeline's eyes flitted away and she chewed on her pinkie nail. "That I want to do the interview to tell my side of the story. It's ... it's something I have to do."

Will nodded thoughtfully, then brushed his hair over to one side with his fingers. "Good luck." His voice was huskier than usual.

Adeline sat for a moment longer before standing. She picked up the two of the thick folders lying on the desk, and Sebastian stood as well.

"We've got your back," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, please give it back--I need that thing!" She grinned, not wanting to think about the Craybons anymore for now.

Sebastian's forehead dropped onto her shoulder. Sounding like he was in pain, he gasped, "You really aren't good at this. Please don't."

"Shut up, jerk!" She whirled around and hit him playfully on the head with the folders--a small feat that required her to be faster than his reflexive swatting at her face.

In return, he flicked her ear as a killer grin spread over his face. "C'mon, you know that you love me."

"Love to hate you, maybe," she fired back, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "And why are you so obsessed with me?"

He rolled his eyes. "As if."

"Look, I may not be as famous as I once was, but I still get marriage proposals from random people. So..."

Sebastian sighed. "Still in the little leagues, I see." He waved her off. "Well, go ride your tricycle and paint with fingers paints or whatever you kids are doing these days. Leave the important stuff to the grownups."

Adeline yawned and walked away, shaking her head.