Opening her eyes, Lenore looked up just in time to see someone grab Reese's shoulder and wrench him back. Reese stumbled, almost falling, but regained his footing in time. He swivelled around, red-faced and furious, his fists clenched in rage, glaring at the newcomer.

"Big mistake, new kid," Reese snarled, then he charged.

The newcomer didn't run. He placed himself between Lenore and the rampaging moose of a teenager and stood his ground.

It took Lenore a half-second to recognize him.

It was the guy from the graveyard.

Victor.

And he was about to get his lights punched out.

"NO!" Before she knew what she was doing, Lenore was shoving past him and kicking out at Reese. She nailed him right in the shin, making Reese howl in pain and stagger back.

His rageful eyes turned on her, and he wound up—but then stopped himself and straightened up, like he knew he couldn't get away with hitting a girl, at least not in front of witnesses. Victor pulled her back behind him.

"You're making a mistake, new kid," he said, pointing at Lenore as she peered around Victor's arm. "Don't you know who this is?"

"Yeah, I do," Victor said, unphased.

Reese looked taken aback, and it took him a moment to respond, like he couldn't comprehend someone not being disgusted by her presence. "But do you know who her family is?" he asked. "What they've done?"

Victor shrugged like he wasn't interested.

"Haven't you heard the rumours?" Reese said, scowling.

"I don't give a shit about rumours," Victor said, staring Reese down.

Reese's scowl deepened for a moment before breaking into an unsettling grin as his gaze moved between the two of them. "Whatever, dude," he said. "Befriend the freak. It's your funeral."

He backed away from them, swaggering like he'd won the fight, and exited out the side door. "You're lucky I've already got two strikes!" she shouted as the door closed behind him, and then he disappeared around a corner.

"Damn," Victor muttered under his breath. "What the hell is his problem?"

Lenore sighed. She knew exactly what his problem was, but she didn't want to explain it. Especially after Victor said he didn't care about rumours... She snuck a glance at him.

Victor was still staring out the side door as if he was watching to see if Reese might double back. But he must have felt her gaze on him because he looked down at her.

"I was wondering what happened to you!" he said. A smile spread across his face, showing off his dimples.

"Huh?" Lenore sputtered. She averted her eyes. "What? Why?"

"I looked for you on the first day of school," he said like it was obvious. "It would've been nice to have a friend on the first day, but you never showed."

Lenore's mind was reeling. Looking for me? Friend? It took a minute for her brain to restart and provide a reply. "Sorry," she said, glancing at him again. "I was... delayed."

"I figured," he said and then laughed. "For a minute there I was worried you were actually a ghost. Y'know, since I met you in a graveyard."

Lenore laughed, too, and then caught herself. What is it about Victor that makes him so easy to talk to? "Nope. Not a ghost."

"Guess not," he said before his look turned a little more serious. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I-I'll be fine," said Lenore, dropping her eyes again. For some reason, her face felt hot. "And thanks, for, uh, saving me." It sounded silly, but he had saved her. And she was grateful.

"I should be thanking you," Victor said. "You're the one that scared him off. What do you call that masterful finishing move?" He was grinning again as he mimed kicking the air.

"A kick. I kicked him," Lenore said with another laugh. And then it set in. Her eyes went wide. "Oh my god, I kicked him. I'm going to be in so much trouble."

"I won't tell if you don't," Victor said with a shrug and a smirk. "Besides, he deserved it. And if he tries to rat on you, I'll back you up." He stepped aside towards his locker. "I doubt they'll take his side."

I'm not so sure about that, Lenore thought. In this town, she doubted there was anyone that would want to take her side, regardless of the situation. Well, maybe one person, she added as she watched the back of Victor's head

But that wasn't the trouble Lenore was thinking of—they had pissed Reese off. And that wasn't going to be the last of it, she was sure of it.

Victor opened the locker next to hers, which was still hanging open.

"Your locker's out here, too?" she asked.

"Yup," Victor said with a smile. "I didn't know that everyone else knows to come the day before to claim a locker. So when I got here, all that was left was," he patted the door to his locker, "ol' Clarice, here."

Lenore giggled. "You named your locker?"

"Sure," Victor said, laughing, too. "We're going to spend the year together, I figure it's worth building our relationship. Ain't that right, ol' girl? " He patted his locker door again. "Anyway, being over here isn't so bad. And now we get to be neighbours." He flashed another smile at her. "What're you gonna name your locker?"

"Uh," Lenore said, blinking at him. "I haven't really thought of that."

"You've got some time," he said, nodding sagely. "By the way, what're you doing out of class?"

"I-I haven't been to class. I, uh, got a late start," Lenore answered. "W-What about you? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"I finished the reading early," he said. "So, Mrs. Mauve said I could work on my homework for my other classes. Just came by to pick it up." He held up the Biology textbook he'd just pulled out of the locker.

"Mrs. Mauve?" Lenore echoed. The name sounded familiar. She checked the timetable in her pocket. "For English?"

"Yeah," Victor said, nodding. "Why?"

There it was, at the top of her timetable—English, Mrs. Mauve. "I'm in that class, too," Lenore said. Suddenly she was sad to have missed it. "What's your next class?"

"Biology."

Lenore couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. "I've got Biology, too."

"Oh, great," he said. "I guess all Seniors have pretty much the same schedule 'cause it's a small school, huh?"

"Guess so," Lenore replied. Turns out there are some benefits to a small school, she thought.

"Well, I gotta get back to English," he said, closing his locker. "I guess I'll see you in Biology." Victor turned to leave but then came to a stop before doubling back. "Actually, you should probably wait by the office or something."

"Why?" Lenore asked, confused.

"Just in case," he said, glancing back at the side door where Reese had made his exit, "he comes back."

Swallowing, Lenore remembered her earlier thought—Reese was definitely going to find some way to get his revenge. "That's... probably a good idea."

"Cool," he said. "Then I'll come grab you from there after I'm done with English and we can walk to class together. See you then!" He didn't give her a chance to respond before he dashed off again, back to class.

Lenore stood there for a moment, her thoughts reeling again. He wants to walk to class with me? She shook her head. As she headed off to the library, she couldn't believe that she'd somehow managed to make a friend.

For the first time in a long while, Lenore thought of herself as lucky.

Just as he said he would, Victor came after the first period to get Lenore. Only, he didn't come alone. There was another girl with him—a pretty girl. 'Pretty' was a plain statement of fact, like saying the sky was blue or water was wet—not much room for debate. She had perfectly highlighted hair, and her makeup was so flawless that it appeared that her skin was perfect. Or maybe she really did have perfect skin, like some kind of freak of nature.

Either way, Lenore's self-esteem took a significant hit.

Victor waved Lenore down with a smile and beckoned her to join them.

Lenore took a deep breath and got up from the bench in front of the office, and went over. Hanging out with Victor is one thing, Lenore wondered as she approached them, but who is this girl? Victor didn't listen to rumours, but she might. Even though she didn't immediately recognize her, Lenore knew she had to be from around here. Eden didn't get that many newcomers.

The girl smiled at her as she got close. Lenore's mouth twitched into something resembling a smile, but it didn't stay. She studied the girl's dark eyes, watching for a sign of recognition or distaste. If the girl was local, then she had to know Lenore's story.

"This is Lenore!" Victor said cheerfully to his companion.

"I know," the girl said with a laugh. "I grew up here, remember?" She turned to Lenore, and her smile widened. "Hi, Lenore."

"H-Hi," Lenore replied. So far, the girl's expression hadn't been anything but friendly, but Lenore knew how quickly that could shift. Every school, even her advanced one, had mean girls.

"I don't know if you remember me," the girl continued, tilting her head and letting her long hair fan out over her shoulder, "because I was a year ahead of you, but I'm Fiona."

Fiona. Lenore tried to place the girl in her last memories of Eden, but those were mostly dominated by chaos and fear, and it was all a bit choppy. The name did ring a bell, though. She had a vague recollection of her—she had been in the class ahead, but Lenore didn't remember much else.

"Oh, right. Yeah. You were."

Victor looked confused. "But if you were a grade ahead," he asked, looking at Fiona, then back at Lenore, "then how are you a senior now?"

"She skipped a grade," Fiona said for her. "Right?"

How did she know? Lenore said. But, of course, she realized that the town had to be talking. She just nodded in agreement.

"Wow," Victor said, raising his eyebrows. "I didn't realise you were such a brainiac!"

Lenore just shrugged, not sure what else to say. Her cheeks felt hot again.

"We promise we won't make you do our homework, though having you study with us would be nice," Fiona said, still smiling. "But we should probably get to class." She nudged Victor with her elbow before leading the way down the hall.

"Right," Victor said, following after her. He paused and waved at Lenore to join them.

She followed but lingered just behind them.

As they walked down the hall, Lenore watched as they joked around, chatting and laughing together. She almost felt like she was intruding. And, for some reason, it gave her a tight, sick feeling in her stomach.