Around six PM, I go home.

After Thomas got back from his run with Mango, we ate the breakfast Indie brought, watched some TV, then went on a normal walk with Mango, picked up some new material to sew with for me, ate lunch, did some homework and studied, and walked Mango another time. And talked. A lot.

"Ah, just on time for dinner." Mom pulls me inside the house with a... half hug. "Everything good?"

"Yes—"

"Perfect." She walks back into the living room. Hurriedly, I take off my shoes and put away my coat.

"There she is." Minho looks up from his plate when I sit down.

"Hi." My eyes trail to Finn, who's eyebrows are raised. I thought Indie texted Mom I'd be staying at theirs, but she probably thought I already did that. And it doesn't look like Minho told Finn where I was. "I was at Thomas's."

Before he can reply, Eye Of The Tiger blares through the room.

"Minho!" Mom barks. "Phone off during dinner!"

"Wait. Let me just get this one." He quickly puts the phone to his ear. "Hi, Thomas. I hear the news about you and Teresa. Are you alright?"

Thomas talks for a few seconds. I can't hear what he's saying, even though I'm listening attentively. Or rather, eavesdropping.

"Yes, okay." Minho nods. "What?" A pause. "Oh, yes. I'll tell her. Bye."

My eyebrows raise the second he puts the phone down.

"Thomas says Viviette forgot her phone and isn't replying to any of his messages so he called me to tell her."

Finn buries his head in his hands in silence, though his frustration is clearly noticeable.

I sigh. "Why do you think I wouldn't be replying to his messages, Minho?"

"No phones at the table?"

"I have failed to teach you things," Dad mutters. "Anyway, put your phone down. Thomas could've just walked across the street—"

A few knocks on the window and I jump up to open the door. "Hi."

"Hi. I've got your phone. Realized a little late that you live so close by," he says. A quiet mutter follows. It really sounds like, 'unlike Teresa'.

He clears his throat. "Unfortunately, it's not a new one yet. But I will get you that one soon."

"I've told you many times before—"

"Good night, Sage," he interrupts with a small smile, and then he turns around.

I'm able to take my eyes off him when he has stepped inside his house. Blinking a few times, I sit back down.

"That went well," Minho comments.

"Shut up." I'm not looking at him, but I can sense the grin.

☯︎︎

From: [email protected]
To: Evergeen all students
Subject: Memorial Mr. Keller
October 10th, 7:03 PM.

Dear students,

I am writing to you because, as you might have heard, we have lost our Physical Eduction teacher, Mr. Albert Keller.

Friday, October 11th, from 2:00 PM, a memorial will be held in his memory. Attendance is optional. Classes will be dismissed for the day.

May we grieve and share memories of Mr. Keller together.

Kind regards,
Principal Edgar Ross.

I've read the email a few minutes ago, knowing there's people out there who will take this happily. No school, wow!

I'll be attending it with Thomas. We already spoke about it. We'll be there a little bit earlier to help get things ready.

I haven't got fitting black pants for the memorial. Of course an outfit is the last thing to worry about, but I want to look decent and respectful for something like this. Luckily, I began making a pair of black pants a few weeks ago, so I can finish that now.

This is the last night Finn and I need to share my room. I wasn't there yesterday, so I guess he's lucky he got extra private time. I doubt he'll be bothered by me, though. And I won't be bothered by him. He sleeps quite early and he doesn't often complain about noises I might make with my sewing machine.

It's almost eight by the time I finish the pants. A wide pair, with soft material. It looks neat.

Then the broken screen of my phone lights up.

Indie

Hi
I'm so sorry for bothering you and I shouldn't rely on you this much, but I think everything came back to Thomas when you left.
Mr. Keller and Teresa, I mean.
He hasn't left his room and I'm not sure if that's good or bad. No appetite again.

Should I come over?

If you could, that would be amazing. I was so happy to see him active today. There's just a lot going on and I don't want it to lead to any further damage
I can't watch him as sad as he was this Tuesday again.

Yes, I understand
I don't mind coming over, I want to help in any way I can
I'll see you in a minute

Thank you, love. I owe you.

"I'm going to Thomas's," I tell Finn. He was just about to get in bed.

"Again? You don't think he just needs some time alone?"

I shrug. "Indigo is worried and you know how Thomas's mind works."

"I don't think so. I don't think that boy himself even knows how it works."

"Yes, okay, that's my point. There will be a lot of thoughts," I explain. "He's not like Minho, who does actually need to be left alone."

Finn's head tilts to the side. "Or he is like Minho. He just doesn't start violating the whole earth when you interrupt his peace, so you don't know if he needs to be left alone in these situations."

"No offense, Finn, but there hasn't been a single day in my life in which I have not seen Thomas. I think I know he's not like Minho in that way."

We literally go on vacations with the Reyes every year. Mom and Indigo are inseparable, and so were Thomas and I.

Were, yes. But it's beginning to turn into are again.

"So, bye."

"You're gonna spend the night at his again?"

"I don't know. Thomas and I will be at school at twelve, so I don't have to worry about waking up very early. I'll either leave late or yeah, spend the night."

He nods. "Alright, then. Enjoy, I guess."

"Bye."

"You're not taking your phone with you? Clothes in case you will spend the night? Anything at all?"

"Oh, right." I quickly grab the bag I got ready the second Indie texted me. "Thanks for reminding me."

"You'd forget your head if it wasn't attached."

"I know. Bye, for the third time."

He laughs. "Bye."

I close the front door behind me and lock it. When I look up, my head hits the wooden birdhouse Dad hung up next to the door.

"Ow," leaves my mouth before I hit the thing back out of anger. It swings back and forth a few times. I think my hand is more damaged. Great.

Rubbing my palm, I cross the street. I think I'm lucky no one ever drives here. I would've gotten in a dozen accidents.

"Oh, I'm so glad you came." Indigo attacks me with a tight hug. "Thank you, thank you."

"No big deal," I reply. "He's upstairs?"

"Yes. Let me know if you guys need anything."

I walk off with a last smile that says 'will do'.

I knock on—

"For fuck's sake, Mom— I don't want you to call freaking anyone. Leave me alone! Well, okay, maybe Sage, but she's got other things to do than worry about me like you're doing because you don't have to worry because I am fine I just need to think and not have people knocking on my door every second because it is really annoying— thanks."

I have to physically press my jaw back together. "Uhm... it is Sage."

"Oh!" The surprise catches him silent for a moment. "Eh, you can come in."

"The door is locked."

"You haven't gotten a key?" He mutters. "I should get one..." The door opens, his voice rises, and his face lights up. "Hi."

"Hi." I nod awkwardly. "Eh, so, you're in for company or not?"

"Yes." He closes the door behind me. I sit down on the tip of his bed as if I haven't spend the previous night on there. Thomas walks across the room.

He looks rather frustrated right now. Because Indie was bugging on and on? And probably his thoughts.

"She did it again," he announces.

"Who?"

Indigo? Teresa? There is many she's he could be talking about.

"That little—" he takes a breath before he gathers himself together. "Mango."

I jump up from the bed. "She found another body?"

"Two!" He runs a hand through his hair. Presses his forehead against the door of his bathroom. "Two freaking people."

"Buried?"

"No. Strangled or something— I don't know. I got scared. I mean, it was dark and two dead people were lying in front of me. I called the police again. And hung up when I told them my location. Then I ran home. I didn't want to get all the questions on me again."

What. The. Hell.

"Two people, strangled?"

"Or stabbed. I just saw they were dead."

"Do you know them? Where were they?"

"Behind the rocks on the beach. Mango ran towards them. I swear— I'm never walking that stupid dog again."

Okay, Thomas has never cursed at Mango before, so he's really upset. Which is totally decent.

"Who?" I ask.

He shrugs. "I don't know. I think the parents of some kid at school. Wasn't there this whole fuss about a kid's parents getting married now? Because they looked like the ones on the pictures I saw, and they were wearing rings."

"Possible." I sit back down, sighing. "I don't understand— why? Who?"

"Is there anyone who despises Mr. Keller and those two? There must be a motive," Thomas mutters. "Whatever. I'm not going to engage with the crime shit. Not my job. I've seen enough."

I think if something else happens, and if that person is someone he really cares about, like Mr. Keller, he will change his mind.

I close my eyes to listen for a while. In the distance, I hear voices and sirens, even through the rough splashes of the sea. "They've found them. You can try to relax now. You did what you had to do."

He plops down next to me. Rubs the back of his head before he runs a hand through his hair again. His nervous tics.

"What can we do to distract you? Bake?"

He pulls a face.

Right. He did that with Teresa a lot.

I trail my eyes around the room I've inspected a lot today and yesterday already. My eyes fall on the thing on his nightstand.

His mother's book.

"That! We'll read a little to that." I take the book in my hands. The First Stars. "A kids' story by Indigo Reyes, on how the gods were born," I read.

Thomas, half interested and half bored, follows along behind my shoulder.

"Here is the prologue. Names all the gods included." I continue reading, "Lady Hestia was the firstborn, the goddess of hearth and home. Lady Demeter came next, the middle child with power over harvest and agriculture..." I swallow. Hearth and earth. "Eh, next, Hera, with the looks. She is the goddess of marriage, family, and..."

I trail off. Hearth, earth, marriage.

Hearth, earth, marriage.

Hearth, buried in earth, marriage.

Colleague, Mr. Keller, married couple.

"Thomas," I whisper. "This is it!"

He blinks a few times. "What?"

"My mom's colleague. He 'fell' into a hearth. Mr. Keller, who was buried alive, in earth. In earth on which people harvest. The countryside. And then that married couple."

His mouth slowly drops further and further open. "Hold up— what's next?"

"Lord Hades," I read, turning back to the book. "God of the underworld. The unseen one."

Thomas frowns. "If this is true— because it doesn't have to be. It can be really... really crazy coincidence— and your mom's boss might not have been murdered... how would the next murder go?"

"Underworld," I say slowly. "It's possible that someone gets buried again. Or an unseen one. Like, a blind person? Someone who is often... well, unseen? Not the center of attention in the family, or friend groups?"

"Maybe. But if we want to confirm that this is the killer's method, I think we shouldn't predict who the next victim will be, but how they will be killed. Mr. Keller is the most random person ever, isn't he? Who has a boss, a PE teacher, and a married couple as enemy?"

"Could be for fun," I say. "Crazy people like that exist. No motives."

"Jeez." He lets himself fall backwards on his bed. "Close the book. We're not going to talk about this again unless something new happens, and we've been at the memorial. I don't want to believe Mr. Keller is a victim of a killer who bases everything on gods."

"You have a point," I murmur. Carefully, I place the book on the nightstand again, as if something will happen to me if I handle it with roughness. "How many people have read your mom's—"

"Shh." He presses a finger to my lips. "Don't talk about it."

"Right. Sorry." I fall down beside him, our heads to the ceiling. "What now?"

"Wanna stick for the night?"

"Sure," I reply mindlessly.

Okay, maybe not that mindlessly. Another night right next to him. Feeling heat radiating off his body. Hearing his breath in the silence. Seeing his shadows. Knowing how close I am to him.

"Alright."

☯︎︎

A/n: okay, so... do we WANT them to try to figure the murders out?

I don't want the crime things to overtop the romance, to be honest.

Perhaps they stay away but keep themselves updated on everything and sometimes make up theories together?

Also, anyone got theories? I've seen quite a few people on Mr. Leadford (the creepy science teacher).

Oh and will it be too early if he already starts (slowly) obsessing over Vi..?

Have a good day! x Vera