"Oh, I feel bad for that girl's parents. Seeing your own kid murdered in her own house... that would make me have a complete crisis," Olivia says, shaking her head as she brings breakfast to the table for her daughters.

She places the plates down and sighs deeply. "And I feel bad for you girls too. Wasn't she a friend of yours? It's horrible. I had something like that happen to me once... and now, it's happening to you." Her voice trails off as she pours juice into their cups, the weight of her words lingering in the air.

"Who would kill Lily? She literally did nothing wrong. She worked at the movies just to save money for college and everything—it's so off," Lila says, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Some weird loser, probably," Riley replies, grabbing her juice. "I mean, Lila was there too, and thank god she didn't get hurt, but why did they only go for Lily?" she wonders aloud, her eyes drifting to the calendar on the wall. Today's date—April 10, 2015—seems to glare back at her.

"Well, it probably wasn't just some random weirdo," Olivia interjects, her voice firm. "I heard that stupid Ghostface is back here. Like it followed us. And I'm not having it. We might have to move again."

Riley's head snaps toward her mom, eyes wide with disbelief. "No, we can't move again!" she protests, her voice rising. "Just because some killer in the same costume as the one who attacked you however long ago killed my friend doesn't mean we're moving. Maybe it was just some random psycho," she argues, setting her juice down with a loud thud.

"And we're just going to skip her funeral and everything just because of a feeling, Mom? We're staying!" she pleads, her tone firm and defiant.

Olivia lets out a sarcastic laugh, crossing her arms. "Little girl, I love you, but you are out of your mind talking to me like that in a situation like this," she says.

"No, I'm not," Riley counters, her voice rising. "I'm not moving for the third time, Mom! Do you know how hard it is to build a new life? New friends? All of it?"

"Maybe it wouldn't be so hard if you actually put in some effort, sis," Lila mutters under her breath, smirking. Riley glares at her and gives her a playful but firm shove to the shoulder.

"She's not wrong," Olivia chimes in. "You put in the effort, you'll get something in return. It's not like you've got a boyfriend tying you down or anything."

"What if I do?" Riley snaps.

"And what if you do?" Olivia replies with a scoff. "Girl, please. At your age, I had two. Neither of them stuck around, and both of them are your dads. So trust me, I know what I'm talking about," Olivia says with a laugh, clearly finding herself amusing.

Riley, however, doesn't find it funny. Her face hardens, and she stands, picking up her plate and cup. "Where do you think you're going?" Olivia calls after her, her voice sharp.

"You only ever bring up Dad when it suits your excuses," Riley says coldly. "That's the only time you want to talk about him. So I'll talk to you when I have a good excuse to." With that, she turns and walks to her room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Olivia lets out a frustrated sigh, turning to Lila. "Your sister is so stubborn. You know that?"

Lila shrugs, her tone soft. "No, she just wants to know more about Dad. So do I, but it slips my mind sometimes. For her, it doesn't. She wants answers, Mom, even if you don't want to give them. She still wants to know."

"You're a little too smart to be my baby," Olivia says warmly, walking over to kiss Lila on the head. Lila smiles softly, leaning into the affection.

Meanwhile, Riley places her plate and cup on her desk by her computer, her eyes lingering on a photo propped beside it. It's a snapshot from Lily's New Year's Eve party. In the picture, Riley is caught mid-laugh, wrapped in a group hug between Luna and Lila. Lila is cheering, her mouth wide open as if yelling at the top of her lungs, while Luna stands to the side, smiling warmly at the two of them.

The memory stirs an idea. Riley quickly sits in her chair and opens Skype, setting up a video call with Luna and Lila. Within seconds, both of them answer.

"Hey, guys!" Riley greets with a smile.

"Hey, Riley!" they reply in unison, their faces lighting up.

Riley's smile softens as she looks at Lila. "So, how are you holding up, Lila? Since, you know..."

Lila's smile falters, and her gaze drops slightly. "I'm... kind of fine," she says hesitantly. "Still a little shocked, you know? Seeing one of my friend's dead body... it's not something you can just shake off." She exhales deeply, her voice trembling. "I've been trying to paint my feelings away, but it's not going well."

Lila turns her camera to show an unfinished painting—chaotic brushstrokes with no clear form, a raw expression of her unsettled emotions.

"Poor Lila. I hope you feel better before the funeral. And Lily... poor girl. You all just wanted to hang out, and now she's gone," Luna says with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah," Lila says softly, turning the camera back to herself. "But she's in heaven now... Oh! New drawing idea." Her small smile fades as she continues. "But yeah, she was stabbed like crazy, and he left a message too—like a threat. If I had come out earlier, maybe I could've helped."

"No," Riley says firmly, her voice full of emotion. "I know you think that, but what if he attacked you too? I couldn't lose my best friend as well."

Luna's smile falters slightly, but she quickly covers it.

"You're my best friend too, Riley," Lila replies softly. "And... maybe you're right. Maybe he would've, but maybe not. Who knows?"

Riley takes a deep breath and changes the subject. "Wait, are you coming to school today for the assembly?"

"I've got to see. Honestly, I barely woke up thirty minutes ago," Lila admits with a shrug. "But I'll check with my parents. I'll talk to you later, ttyl, my girls," she adds, flashing a peace sign before leaving the call.

Once Lila's screen goes dark, Luna speaks up. "Maybe she will. Lila loves hanging out with us no matter the situation, and she loved Lily just like we did," she says, trying to comfort Riley.

"Maybe you're right, and I'm overthinking it," Riley says, sighing. "I just... my mom wants us to move if this isn't just one murder."

"Maybe she just wants to protect you," Luna says gently. "We'd miss you if you moved, and I know your mom would miss you even more if something happened to you."

Riley nods, still uncertain. "But whatever happens, happens. Anyway... thanks for chatting. Hey, isn't your sister's boyfriend supposed to pick you two up soon?"

"Yeah," Riley says with an eye roll. "He probably just wants to sleep with her, though. He's smart, but he's still a guy. Being nice just makes him seem more attractive, you know?"

Luna giggles. "True, but hey, at least he's driving you. That counts for something, right?"

"Yeah, I'll give him that," Riley says with a smirk. "Do you need us to pick you up? We're stopping by Lila's if she decides to come."

"Sure, I'm cool with that," Luna says with a smile. "You probably need the company anyway—being stuck with your sister and her boyfriend sounds so uncomfortable."

"Thanks, Luna. I'll see you soon. I just need to check on a few things first. Bye!" Riley says, waving at the camera.

"Bye, Riley," Luna says softly, she smiles at the camera for a few seconds before she waves back before ending the call.

Riley sits back in her chair, exhaling as she begins to relax—until her door bursts open.

"Hurry up! We're leaving in a few!" Lila yells, barging into the room and making Riley jump.

"Lila! I'm coming, just wait!" Riley shouts, clutching her chest as she catches her breath.

Lila smirks, leaning on the doorframe. "Oh... I support you 100 percent. I was just waiting for you to finally reveal this," she teases, her tone mock-serious.

Riley furrows her brow in confusion before realizing what Lila meant. Her face flushes in shock.

Grabbing a pillow, Riley hurls it at Lila's face. "I meant I'm coming out of the room! Oh my god, stop joking around!"

Lila bursts into laughter, tossing the pillow back at Riley before retreating. "Alright, Okay!" she says, closing the door behind her.

Riley sighs, smoothing out her blanket before grabbing her breakfast plate and heading back downstairs.

(Author's Note: Who do you think Riley's father is and maybe Lila's? Any thoughts?)