I shoved the folded note hastily into my petite bag, the green cocktail I’d been nursing forgotten on the counter. My pulse quickened as I scanned the room, panic prickling my skin. Two notes now. One might have been a cruel joke, but two? That was the exact reason the police had eyed me with suspicion before—what if this one wasn’t a prank at all? What if it was from the real predator lurking somewhere in this very crowd?
My eyes locked with Bianca’s as she breezed toward the cluster of Student Body Representatives. Jace and Wikus were deep in conversation when she leapt out from behind Wikus, wrapping him in a cheeky hug. She caught my eye and beckoned, but I shook my head, my gaze drifting toward the other side of the bar.
Among the throng, no one stood out to me. Where was Lucas? I needed to find him and show him this note. But then a chilling thought stopped me cold. If he saw it, would he suspect me again? We’d only just started bridging the gap between us—I wasn’t ready to lose that fragile connection.
My teeth bit into the skin of my thumb as a sudden tug pulled me backward. I whipped around, startled.
“Jeez, did I scare you?” Bianca grinned, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “Come on, I’m roping you into a drinking game. Wikus said he’d play, and Jace agreed too—but only if I switched to a non-alcoholic drink. Such a buzzkill.”
“Oh.” My mind was tangled, not quite present for her offer.
“Here, swap with me! You don’t usually drink anyway.” She handed me her glass as she took mine.
I stared at the crimson bubbles fizzing up in my new glass. She was right—I hadn’t realized alcohol was in my drink until after the first sip. I’d have swapped it out for her, though now I wasn’t so sure letting her drink felt wise.
Letting her pull me toward a cluster of worn leather lounges, I noticed more students gathering. The atmosphere thrummed with low chatter and bursts of laughter.
“Isn’t this game a little... childish?” Heather, the bespectacled Student Body Rep with platinum hair, murmured skeptically. I recognized her from the office.
“Oh, come on, Heather, just a few rounds,” teased a redheaded guy with keen green eyes. My stomach twisted—he was the same one who’d drenched me with that barrel of water a few days ago. His grin was wide and familiar, like we were old acquaintances, but I only shivered, recalling the chill of being soaked.
Bianca settled beside Jace, her vibrant hair spilling over his shoulder, while I found myself next to Wikus. He tucked a dark lock of hair behind his ear, revealing black studs that caught the light.
“Hey, aren’t you that girl who killed someone?” Wikus asked bluntly, eyes flicking toward me.
I forced my gaze downward to my shiny Mary Jane heels, weighing my response carefully.
“Wikus, be nice!” Bianca shot him a warning look. “You know Lucy’s got a little crush on you.”
His dark eyebrows lifted, head tilting, trying to see me in a new light. “Really?”
Before I could answer, Jace broke in, steering the group back toward the game. “I can’t stay long, I’ve got to check on the first years—make sure no fights break out.”
“Jace, you’re so thoughtful,” Bianca sighed, leaning against him. Her eyes flicked to me briefly before a playful smile curved her lips. “I really appreciated you checking on me this week. I was surprised when you showed up at my door. It meant a lot.”
A warmth spread through me, a small swell of comfort. Even Bianca had someone looking out for her.
The game rolled on, starting complicated but quickly shifting to truth or dare as rules tangled. I mostly drifted through the noise, my gaze trailing over the bar’s restless crowd—some danced, others clustered around pool tables.
Where was Lucas? Had he left? Was he even here?
My phone screen flashed the time, a sharp reminder of how little I’d planned. I hadn’t even asked for his number.
“Waiting for someone?” The fox-haired man slid into the seat beside me, exchanging places with the girl next to me. His smirk was constant, confident.
“Just wondering if my friend’s still around.”
“A guy?” His gaze flickered over my shoes, then up my outfit, pausing momentarily on my neck before meeting my eyes again.
“Yeah.”
“Not really my type,” he muttered under his breath, then louder, “But I could introduce you to some buddies if you’re feeling lonely.”
I lowered my head, offering a polite but tight smile. “Thanks, but I’m fine.”
There was something unnervingly sharp about his observation—maybe he felt guilt over the accident the other day, or maybe it was just his way of sizing me up.
>“Hey, Michael,” he called over his shoulder.
A broad-shouldered man with a flushed face and glassy eyes shuffled closer, beer breath thick around him.
“Yo, Silas,” he slurred, greeting the fox-haired man with a lopsided grin.
“Uh, hi,” I waved cautiously.
Michael’s tongue flicked over his teeth before a sly grin spread across his face. “You’re kinda pretty. Gimme your number.”
Silas chuckled low. “You know she’s the girl they say’s a killer, right?”
Michael shrugged, unconcerned. “Doesn’t matter. I dig crazy.”
“What if you disappear too?” Silas teased, eyes glinting.
“Not like I’m ever making nationals,” Michael muttered. “Got the best batter and pitcher on the team—what’s left for the rest of us?”
His complaints tumbled out, each punctuated by a long swig of beer. Alcohol loosened his tongue and dull pain.
“Don’t you feel sorry for me?” he pleaded, looking my way. “Give me your number.”
My throat tightened. Would refusing make things awkward? I hesitated, then nodded. “S-sure.”
He had me input my number into his phone and instantly sent a message, the screen lighting up with a digital invitation.
Michael: Wanna get out of here together? :P
A shiver traced my spine. Was he just lonely, or something else? The night’s shadows seemed to creep closer, blurring lines between friend and foe as whispers of the past tangled with the present’s uneasy trust.