I let myself cry as I showered, washing away the oatmeal that stuck itself to my hair.

When I finally stepped out of the bathroom, I forced myself to dry my tears. I would not spend all my time here crying my eyes out.

My high school back home had it's fair share of mean girls, but I'd never seen one of them physically assault someone. They hurt with words and snide looks. But the mean girls here were a different breed. Naomi, and everyone else, had seemed terrified of the blonde girl with the ice blue eyes.

I was drowning in an unfamiliar sea, unable to keep my head above water.

A small scratching noise at the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I didn't really want to see anyone right now, but I moved to the door anyway. There was a small peep hole, and I had to stand on my tiptoes to look out it.

But the hallway beyond was empty. Had someone been playing a trick on me?

When I was about to walk away from the door, the small scratching came again. My heart beat nervously in my chest, but I carefully unlocked the door, opening it slowly.

A small tabby cat with green eyes blinked up at me. The red collar around it's neck told me that this was the same cat from last night. It had watched me on the porch before disappearing into the night.

Without waiting for me to do anything, the cat moved past my legs, brushing up against my pant leg. It mewed lightly.

I shut the door and watched the cat. It seemed mildly interested in the room, casually sniffing at the corner of the bed before hopping up.

It mewed again and I reached out to brush my fingers through its soft gray and black fur.

"Hey little guy," I said as the cat purred against my touch. A tag hung from its collar. "Loki. Is that your name, little guy?"

The car made no response, just rubbed his head against my fingers, the purr still vibrating through him.

A knock sounded on my door and I wanted to groan. Hoping it wasn't Naomi, who I wasn't ready to face, I looked through the peep hole. Ms. Rose stood on the other side.

I bit my lip. Did she want to talk to me about what happened? Had the other girl said something? She definitely seemed the type to try and get someone else in trouble.

The knock came again, louder this time. With a sigh, I opened the door.

Ms. Rose held a small bag in her hand. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." I stepped aside to allow her to enter.

"I see you've made a friend," Ms. Rose said when she saw Loki, who was still sitting on the bed, watching Ms. Rose with curious green eyes.

The dorm mother sat the bag down on the desk before turning back to look at me. "Naomi told me what happened in the dining hall this morning."

Dread sank into my stomach like a ball of lead. "Oh?"

"I know settling into a new place can be difficult sometimes," Ms. Rose said. "Learning how to navigate is hard. And some students don't like it when their environment changes."

"Like the blonde girl?" I retorted before I could stop myself.

Ms. Rose let out a small laugh. "Marisol can be a bit much sometimes. She's a little dramatic, much like her mother used to be."

A little dramatic? She'd dumped her friend's breakfast on me because I'd accidentally spilled hers. I didn't see how that qualified as only being a little dramatic. It felt more like overkill to me.

But I said nothing. I watched Loki as he curled into a ball, obviously uninterested in the conversation we were having.

"Who is this little fellow?" Ms. Rose asked as a way of changing the subject, I assumed. She reached out a hand to stroke the cat's fur.

"His tag said his name is Loki," I replied. "I found him at the door. He was scratching at it like he really wanted inside."

Ms. Rose's smile faltered for a second, so quickly I almost missed it. "Loki, you said?"

"That's what his tag says."

She grabbed the tag, her fingers seeming to shake. "Yes, that is what it says."

"Does he belong to someone?" I asked. Her reaction was confusing me. Inara had said it was common that the animals roamed campus.

"I think he's chosen you," Ms. Rose replied. She gave me a smile, but it didn't seem genuine. "I'll have some supplies brought in for you."

"Thank you."

She watched Loki curiously for another minute before she gestured to the bag she'd set on the desk. "I brought you some breakfast, since I figured you'd be hungry. I'll also bring you lunch and dinner tonight. But tomorrow, Inara and I would really like you to try the dining hall again."

Nausea churned in my gut at the thought of facing all those students, including Marisol again. They'd all watched and stared and laughed.

I twirled a lock of my hair nervously around one of my fingers. "Will I have to go alone?"

Ms. Rose shook her head. "I can ask Naomi to take you again, if you'd like? And then she can give you a tour, if that's okay as well?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Facing my fears was something I needed to do, but I just wished I'd have more time to settle before I had to try again.

"Enjoy your breakfast. I'll be around if you need me."

"Thank you."

Ms. Rose left after that, leaving me alone, save for Loki. The cat was curled up in a ball, sleeping soundly.

"I wish I had it as easy as you," I told him glumly. But he didn't even move. With a sigh, I sat myself down to eat the breakfast Ms. Rose had brought for me.

~

A heavy cloud of smoke hung in the air like a curtain. It seared into my lungs and burned my eyes, but I paid it no attention.

Grass, dried and dead, crunched under my feet as I moved forward. A strangled cry sounded as I stalked forward.

In front of me, Samantha stood, her blue eyes wide and terrified. She held her shaking hands in front of her and she slowly moved backward, though the trees were creeping up on her.

Soon, she'd have to turn and run. But she'd have to take her eyes off me to do so. And the moment she looked away, she knew I would attack.

"Please, don't," she begged. "Please."

I cocked my head to the side, enjoying the way her fear coated the air. Her yellow bikini top was bright agains the night, the only color. The blonde of her hair was washed out by the moon, almost white.

Tears tracked down her cheeks, sparkling in the moonlight.

Her eyes, still wide and fearful, sent a quick glance to the object clutched in my hand.

My knuckles wrapped around the cold metal of the knife so hard that they turned white. I adjusted my grip, trying not to lose the knife as my palm sweated against the heat of the summer night, accented by the bonfire's warmth.

"I have to do this," I said. "You're in the way. I need you out of my way."

"Please. Please." Samantha begged me. More tears leaked down her cheeks. So many they dripped off her chin. Her voice shook every time she spoke. But I never stopped moving toward her.

She stumbled over a tree root and lost her balance, hitting the ground hard. Moving like lightning, I was there, standing over her before she had a chance to recover.

"No, please," Samantha sobbed. "Please."

I loomed over her, the knife positioned over her exposed stomach.

"There's no point in begging."

I slammed the knife into her, over and over and over again. Her scream rang in the air, turning the night silent around us.

When she finally stopped screaming, I stood, her warm, sticky blood covering my hands.

I woke, still feeling the blood that coated my skin. Glancing down at my hands, I was glad to see they were devoid of blood.

Loki blinked sleepily at me from where he'd curled up beside me. Reaching out with a shaking hand, I stroked his fur. He closed his eyes, content to be loved on.

That dream had felt more like a memory. I could still smell the smoke in the air, still taste it on my tongue. And the blood... the way the knife felt in my hand... it was all too real. But I couldn't have been the one to stab Samantha in the woods, right?

You're in the way. I need you out of my way. The words sent shivers down my spine. And they reminded me of something similar Detective Brennan had said to me in the police station.

Detective Brennan leaned forward in her seat, her hands flat against the table. "Hanna told us you were angry when you saw Samantha with Mason."

Had I been angry? Yes. But I was more disappointed than anything else. I'd had a stupid crush on Mason for two years. And it hurt to have my heart shattered into a million pieces.

But I wasn't capable of murder.

"Surely, with Samantha out of your way, you could have Mason all to yourself. Isn't that right, Selene?"

"Selene? Are you awake?"

The muffled sound of Inara's voice snapped me back to reality. "Selene?"

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I stood to open the door. Inara stood in the hallway, wearing a charcoal gray pantsuit. Her hair was loose, nearly covered the insignia on her blazer.

"I wasn't sure if you were awake. I was knocking."

"Sorry, I must have fallen asleep after eating the breakfast Ms. Rose brought for me."

Inara entered my room, giving Loki a bemused smile as she entered. "Ms. Rose mentioned that a cat had taken a liking to you."

I nodded. "It's the same one I saw last night when I arrived."

"Yes, it is. Good little Loki."

When I heard the name leave her mouth, I was reminded of the dream I'd had where I was seeing out of the eyes of a stranger.

I swallowed hard, trying to push those thoughts away.

"I came to see how you were doing after the incident this morning at breakfast."

My stomach dropped.

"I've spoken with Mari about the incident. She says you instigated the disagreement between the two of you. She's stated her regret at stooping to your level, but felt it was the easiest way to justice."

Anger flooded through me. I instigated the incident? And she retaliated in kind as justice? My jaw was tense with the irritation that flooded through me.

"Naomi, however, painted a different series of events. She claims what you did to Mari was accidental and that Marisol's actions were vindictive and intentional."

"And which version of events do you believe?"

"I believe the truth is somewhere in the middle. Stories are always embellished, even a little. Either way, I've spoken to Mari and I will now speak to you. Bullying of any nature is not tolerated at Whitethorn. Am I understood?"

Even though I was not the bully in this situation, I nodded. "I understand."

"Now that we have that matter out of the way, there's something else I wish to discuss with you. I know your mother didn't have much time to speak with you before sending you here. What did she tell you about Whitethorn Academy?"

Her question confused me. "Nothing. I hadn't heard about this school until she told me I was coming here. She told me it was far away and that I would be attending. Then she put me in a car."

Inara seemed thoughtful. "While you were growing up, she never mentioned it at all?"

I shook my head. "Never. Why?"

"Whitethorn isn't a school you can decide to send someone to at a moment's notice. Preparations must be made months, sometimes years in advance. Your attendance here was not decided a few days ago. It was decided a long time ago."

That wasn't possible, was it? How long had my mother been planning to send me away? Months? Years? Had Vincent put her up to it or was it something she'd decided on her own? And why?

Was what happened at the bonfire, Samantha and Oliver's deaths, a catalyst or a coincidence? So many questions burned in my mind.

"I can see this is news to you. Your mother said nothing of your enrollment here?"

"No," I said, breathless. "She never said anything."

"What reasons did your mother give for sending you away so suddenly?"

Nausea gripped me again. Inara didn't know why I was here. Was it safe to tell her? Would she kick me out if she knew? I swallowed hard. Inara's gaze never wavered, her blue eyes watching me.

"There was an... incident. Some people suspected I was involved. My mother sent me away because of it."

"An incident?" Inara repeated. "What sort of incident?"

"I went to a bonfire. Something happened. Two people died, including my stepbrother. I was questioned by the police, but they let me go. My mother didn't care. She sent me here anyway."

"What happened at the bonfire?"

I thought of the dream I'd had, where I'd backed Samantha into the trees, the knife in my hand. Her blood had coated my fingers. Truth? Or a figment of my imagination?

"I don't know what happened. I remember arriving with my friend, Hanna. We had a few drinks. Then, nothing. Not until I was being hauled to my feet by the police."

Inara looked concerned. "Did you have too much to drink?"

"I don't think so. I had a few sips of a beer. Maybe a shot or two."

The concern in her blue eyes deepened. "Were you drugged?"

I shook my head. "They tested my blood at the police station. A fairly low blood alcohol level and no trace of drugs in my system. I can't remember anything."