Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four


    Just like he had been on Monday, Daniel was rather unsettled again on Thursday morning. Lila’s parents hadn’t said anything to her about their meeting with Mr Lockwood this afternoon, but she didn’t ask, either. Given Asher’s confidence that Daniel would be sanctioned, she didn’t think he necessarily had anything to worry about. Well, except to worry about continuing the business on.


    “You still want to go ahead with it all?” Lila asked as they walked to the bus stop near their house.


    Daniel shrugged, pulling his blazer closed against the wind. “If it ends up being cancelled, then I’d have a lot more free time. It’s not like I need the money at the moment, either. But… I’d be sad to see it go.”


    “I see.”


    “Besides, it’d be a relief to stop working with Livi.”


    “She still causing problems?”


    “Endlessly.”


    “Like what?”


    Daniel sighed heavily, kicking at a tuft of grass along the sidewalk. “If someone wants to use Square, she gets all bitchy, apparently. Says this is a cash-preferred business.”


    “That’s weird.”


    “I just think she’s trying to rebel against it, since we changed it up on her.”


    ‘Or the drug deals are cash-only,’ Lila thought, privately making a mental note to tell Asher this tidbit.


    “There’s a whole bunch of other stuff too, like she’s just rude to people, even teachers. I dunno, sometimes I think she’s trying to get it shut down on its own.”


    “Maybe… is there anyone who’s not put off by her?”


    Daniel looked up at the overcast sky for a moment, his face thoughtful. “I’ve noticed a lot of sports people coming through for loans, and haven’t really heard any complaints from them. Even about serviceability. It’s mainly the Grade 10s and under that have a bigger problem, I think.”


    “Where are you hearing these complaints from?”


    “People like to talk to Nate. He knows I’m the Banker – he’s been there since the start of the Uber Eats thing. He’s a mate of mine and was one of my first customers but he couldn’t pay off the loan… so I said he could work it off. I don’t think he’s realised that he’s more than paid it back.”


    Lila gave Daniel a disapproving look.


    “I do pay him!”


    She snorted and they clambered onto the school bus that had just arrived. He seemed a bit more relaxed after talking to Lila, which she thought was a pretty good sign.


    They stepped off the bus, stretching and yawning, upon arriving at school.


    “I’ll probably just go home,” Lila said with another yawn. “Since I’ve got keys. You’ll be fine with Mum and Dad there, right?”


    “Yeah,” Daniel murmured. “Mr Lockwood said it was just between our parents, me and him. I did ask.”


    “All good,” Lila smiled. She reached over to lightly punch his arm. “You’ll be right.”


    He nodded. “I will. Thanks, sis.”


    “See ya later.”


    They split off, Lila heading to her locker room. Daniel would be fine, since their parents would be there. She didn’t need to worry about it… though she knew she would.


    Asher was already waiting for her, his expression lighting up upon seeing her. She grinned at him, and he enveloped her in a warm, comforting hug before stepping back.


    “Morning,” he said happily.


    “Morning,” she smiled, setting up her materials for her morning classes. “You seem like you’re in a good mood.”


    “I’m always in a good mood.”


    Lila glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.


    “Alright, I’m always in a good mood when I see you.”


    She laughed. “That’s only been true very recently, you know.”


    He looked offended. “Since when have been in a bad mood when I saw you?”


    “Well… when you were dating Holly, at least. There was a time where we avoided each other at school, you know.”


    He frowned, pulling her into another hug. “Impossible.”


    She laughed. “It did happen.”


    “I know, but my brain’s not allowing me to remember.”


    “Asher and Lila, please step away from each other,” Ms Shard’s stern voice interrupted them, and they obediently stepped apart. “Any more of that and I will be forced to move your seats.”


    “Yes, ma’am,” they simultaneously mumbled.


    “Good. I hope your drafts are coming along,” Ms Shard eyed them both over her glasses before unlocking the door. Neither answered, though Lila’s stomach dropped. She’d been completely avoiding her English assignment, and was now rudely reminded that her draft was supposed to be handed in next week.


    “I’m so screwed,” she said softly, stepping inside the classroom. Asher looked at her in alarm.


    “Have you not been working on it?”


    “No,” Lila despaired, plopping down into her seat. “I’ve been busy with other things.”


    He sat down next to her, running a hand through his hair. “Looks like you’re coming to mine after the game on Saturday.”


    “Am I?”


    He nodded. “This is due in a week, Lila. Serious business.”


    She hung her head. “I know… but I just hate poems.”


    “Gotta do it. I’ll help,” he added the second part in a whisper, glancing at Ms Shard.


    “I can do it on my own-”


    “I’m not doubting you. But you’d like help, wouldn’t you?”


    “… Yeah.”


    “Good.” He gave her a sideways look before adding, “It might make sense if you could stay overnight.”


    Her heart skipped a beat and she started absently coming through the end of her ponytail. “W?Well, I, uh, could see about that… but… why?”


    “Why?” he blinked at her in confusion. “Since we’re going to the museum on Sunday.”


    She couldn’t believe that she’d forgotten about the trip to the museum for the second time that week. “Right.”


    “If you want to go home after dinner on Saturday, I won’t stop you.”


    Lila paused. She really didn’t, but… at the same time, after their conversation last weekend, perhaps it was better off if she did. Staying over would be inviting trouble… wouldn’t it?


    “Either way, the spare room-”


    “Spare room?”


    He held her gaze for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. Spare room.”


    She tried not to look disappointed. She thought that they’d spoken about her staying in his room next… but… well, it made sense to park that idea for now.


    Ms Shard commenced the lesson before Lila could respond to Asher’s comment, and, given the fervour with which the class was seeming to buzz with since their draft was due next week, Ms Shard didn’t spend too long on her introduction before letting the class work on their assignments in silence.


    She stared at the beginning stages of her assignment – which, at this point, was only a rough outline with bullet points – and caught Asher peering over her shoulder every so often. It was unnerving, in a way, but at the same time she felt rather hopeless with all of this. Despite her copious notes, perusing of the criteria sheet, and various research, she couldn’t wrap her head around what the main point of all of this was.


    Lila felt Asher’s leg drift to hers and she looked over at him. He seemed to be focusing on his assignment – which he was flying through, it looked like. She turned her mind back to her assignment with a reluctant sigh. Asher was right. She had to do it.


    She hadn’t progressed much more by the time English was over, a fact that displeased her, and she shut off her laptop with a sigh.


    “Don’t worry about it,” Asher said quietly as he packed away his things. “We’ll work on it over the weekend.”


    “Thanks,” she replied, unable to stop herself from sounding so deflated. “I don’t know why I’m hesitating so much with this one.”


    “Happens to the best of us, trust me,” he said reassuringly. “C’mon, let’s head over to the STEM area.”


    Asher seemed to tactfully avoid talking about their English assignment, instead preferring to talk about their museum trip on Sunday. He seemed really excited, with the way his eyes lit up as he talked about the various dinosaur exhibits he was most intrigued by. Truthfully, Lila hadn’t done any research on the museum, or its exhibits, as she wanted to be pleasantly surprised with what was on display.


    “… the stegosaurus was always a favourite of mine, growing up-”


    “Hello,” Isaac interrupted Asher’s gushing, halting both Lila and Asher in their footsteps. They’d made it to their usual split-off point without noticing.


    “Hi,” Lila replied, narrowing her eyes at Isaac. He seemed to not be in the best mood, which was a rare occurrence.


    “You seem pissed,” Asher observed. “What happened?”


    “Nothing,” Isaac said stiffly. “Ready for Chem?”


    “I guess… but you really-”


    “It’s nothing,” Isaac snapped. He closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. “… Nothing for you to worry about, anyway.”


    “Well that just makes me worry more,” Asher countered. “You don’t normally lose your temper like this.”


    Isaac paused, looking at both Lila and Asher for a moment. “I don’t, but work’s been busting my ass. Slipped up yesterday and they want to talk to me for a ‘review’. Probably going to be fired. What’s my progress on the debt? Like 1k? Not enough by any means.”


    “I’ve already told you not to stress about paying me back-”


    “Can’t help it. C’mon, let’s go.”


    Isaac practically dragged Asher, who gave an apologetic look to Lila, away to the Chem lab. Lila pressed her lips together as she walked to Maths, her mind curious about Isaac’s poor mood. It really wasn’t like Isaac. Not that Lila really felt as though she knew Isaac deeply, but either way, he was never quite so aggressive in his speech, or so forceful with Asher.


    Though, if he was stressed about losing his job, Lila could sympathise. Losing his job at Maccas would mean that he wouldn’t get to see Elise as much – which, given Asher’s assertion that Isaac liked her, would probably make him antsy. Especially since they weren’t dating – and, even if they were, it wasn’t as though Elise had a bunch of spare time to dedicate to dates or the like.


    Perhaps Elise could do something about Isaac’s impending review, or at least encourage him somewhat. From what Elise mentioned before, about them sizing Isaac up to be a Crew Trainer, Lila couldn’t see them firing him for a ‘slip up’. How badly had he slipped up?


    Revision in Maths took up the rest of Lila’s brain space, so she wasn’t able to try and untangle the mysteries of Isaac’s mood for the moment. She was, however, able to feel a lot more confident about her Maths than English. Perhaps she’d let Asher know…


    Speaking of Asher, Lila could see him standing just outside her classroom as her class was being dismissed. She thought for a moment that he might’ve dragged some insight out of Isaac, but when she emerged, she realised she couldn’t ask about that quite yet.


    “Hey Asher, hi Isaac,” Lila greeted, pulling her bag on her shoulder. Asher tutted, taking it off immediately.


    “Hi,” Asher said, placing it on his own shoulder. “Ready for morning tea?”


    “Sure,” Lila smiled, casting her eyes towards the lab in which the Banker’s operations sat.


    “Can I join you guys?” Isaac asked suddenly, his appearance suddenly looking rather nervous.


    Lila froze. Ordinarily, she would say yes… but… they were meant to be keeping an eye out on the morphine ring. Asher’s eyes flickered to hers before he cleared his throat.


    “You can, but you’d just be watching us make out,” he said confidently. Lila felt as though she was about to have a heart attack, what with how easily he’d said something like that. She felt her cheeks heating up – almost to the point of being able to cook an egg on them.


    Isaac wrinkled his nose. “Definitely not, then.”


    “Sorry,” Asher shrugged. He reached for Lila’s hand and interlocked their fingers together. “Just thought I’d tell you how it is.”


    “Yeah, thanks, didn’t need that imagery,” Isaac shuddered. “Ah well, I’ll just find a spot somewhere.”


    “You don’t want to have morning tea with Elise?” Lila inquired as they moved towards the locker room.


    Isaac was quiet for a few moments. “No,” he eventually said, shaking his head. “She… saw what happened yesterday. Can’t really face her right now. She’d tell me off again.”


    “What’d you even do?” Asher queried. “Sounds really serious.”


    Isaac looked distinctly uneasy. “I… just kept making a lot of mistakes. Then, to top it all off, I broke the shake machine. Put ice cream mix in the wrong side. They had to call out maintenance to flush it all out, but we have a soft serve special at the moment, so the managers weren’t happy that we couldn’t sell any.”


    “Sounds rough,” Lila responded. “Surely you wouldn’t get fired, though. They might just try to remind you of the procedures or something.”


    Isaac sighed. “If they feel invested, maybe. But I’m just a casual, and realistically haven’t been there for long.”


    They filed in to the locker room in silence, with Lila pondering Isaac’s plight. It did sound bad, but not as bad as she’d been thinking. Was it really enough to upset him so much?


    The answer, it seemed, was waiting for them in the aisle where Lila, Grace and Elise’s lockers were.


    Isaac paled upon seeing Elise, who was standing in the aisle, a tub of yoghurt in one hand and a bag of grapes in the other.


    “Isaac-”


    He immediately turned around, heading towards his aisle and completely ignoring Elise’s attempt at talking to him. Elise sighed heavily in response.


    “He told us what happened,” Lila said gravely. “Sounds like he’s scared that he’s gonna get fired.”


    Elise blinked rapidly at Lila before she seemed to understand what she was saying. “Ah. Because of yesterday. Nah, he wouldn’t get fired over that. Especially since he’s actually a good worker. I’ve told him that, but he still seems upset.”


    “While I’m not glad he’s upset, I’m glad that it seems to be over nothing,” Asher replied, seeming genuinely relieved by this.


    Elise nodded before asking, “Could I have morning tea with you guys?” She popped a grape in her mouth as she waited for a response.


    Asher exchanged a look with Lila before speaking. “Well, if you did, you’d just be watching us-”


    “Forget I asked,” Elise said shortly. She winked at Lila though. “I’ll find my own place to sit.”


    “Elise, I think you should talk to Isaac,” Lila frowned. “At least help ease his worries.”


    Elise shook her head. “Tried that. I think he needs some time alone.”


    Asher paused. “That is sometimes the best thing for him.”


    “Anyway, I don’t want to keep you guys from… whatever plans you have,” Elise said, gesturing at them both. “I’ll see you in PC, Lila.”


    Lila watched Elise wander off before looking up at Asher. “I hope Isaac feels better soon,” she said quietly. “Otherwise Mission Cupid might be in danger.”


    Asher chuckled. “Look, it’s work related. I’m sure it’ll all blow over by his next shift, and he’ll be right as rain again. I’ll be back in a sec.”


    He headed off towards his locker after passing her bag back to her and she put it away before taking out her bits of morning tea.


    Once he reappeared with his own morning tea, they set off towards the lab again, Lila still thinking about Isaac.


    “You reckon it is just about work?” Lila asked carefully, taking a sip of her water.


    “Why wouldn’t it be?” Asher seemed surprised as he looked at her. “You know how honest Isaac is.”


    “Yeah, I know. But he seems far too upset by it.”


    Asher shrugged. “All I know is that work has become really important to him over the past however long it’s been. It’s actually really refreshing to see. He was never a fan of working hard before.” He stopped for a second, looking thoughtful, before continuing. “I think a lot of that is to do with Elise. I know if we were working together at Maccas, and something I did threatened that, I’d be really upset too. Mostly at myself, and especially so if I hadn’t told you how I felt yet.”


    Lila remained quiet for a few moments. It did seem to line up, at least.


    “He’ll cool down soon enough,” Asher asserted. “Definitely by the time we go to the museum, anyway.”


    Lila supposed that would be true, especially if Asher thought so. So, she put it out of her mind for now, instead surveying the lawn next to the Banker’s lab.


    It was as empty as it had been the previous few visits, but at least there was still coverage if Lila and Asher sat in the same spot. They wordlessly settled into the same spot, with Lila casting a quick look at the door. No one was leaving or entering just yet.


    “Another day,” Asher sighed, poking at his apple. “Reckon something will happen?”


    Lila pressed her lips together. “I think so. I also reckon we could probably follow them, if someone besides Jason leaves.”


    “Ooh,” Asher perked up, taking a bite out of his apple. “Exciting.”


    Lila leaned close to Asher as she whispered, “Well, I think if it goes as we think it should, the Banker would be sanctioned at Assembly tomorrow, which is just after morning tea and before lunch. Everything will probably be in chaos, for the Grade 12s at least.”


    “All good points,” Asher nodded. “Let’s hope it works out.”


    Lila lounged for the moment, eating her morning tea casually whilst keeping an eye trained on the lab door. Then, it swung open.


    “Jason again,” Lila murmured. Asher seemed like he was going to turn around, but restrained himself.


    Jason was once more on his phone, seeming rather animated today. He went through the same path that he did yesterday, a fact that Lila noted. Then, she remembered what Daniel had told her.


    “By the way,” she said quietly as Asher took over the role of watching. “Daniel mentioned something interesting.”


    “He tends to,” Asher replied, his eyes flashing to hers before returning to where Jason had disappeared.


    “Right, well… he said that some of the complaints he’s been hearing are about Livi pushing people away from using the Square system.”


    “That doesn’t surprise me. She seemed real mad about it when I took her through how to use it.”


    “Yeah, but he also said that she said that it was a ‘cash-preferred business’.”


    Asher held her gaze more intently before resuming his watch. “Well, that’s bullshit.”


    “I know.”


    He gave a disdainful tut. “Must want cash for something specific.”


    “I reckon it’s all cash-based. Harder to trace, too.”


    “Sure is. Oh, he’s coming back. Chuffed again.”


    Once Jason was naturally within her line of sight, Lila kept a close eye on him. He did seem chuffed, just as he had yesterday. Was he finally sending out someone?


    But, just like yesterday, despite his return to the lab, there was no further movement.


    “What do you even think he’s doing in there?” Lila whispered after a minute or so passed.


    “Dunno. Maybe making sure a deal’s on a spreadsheet or something.”


    Lila laughed. “A spreadsheet?”


    “Where do you think the ‘organised’ part of ‘organised crime’ comes from? There’s gotta be some order,” Asher grinned at her. “Plus, it also serves as a list of blackmail targets.”


    “I suppose so… with a business like that, it’s probably the one thing that keeps it going, rather than people reporting them.”


    “Eh, those people have their own ulterior motives. If they report it, how else are they going to get their fix?”


    Lila shivered, though not from the cold. “It’s all just… so insidious. It… well, it’s hard to believe that a Grade 12 student, or group of them, is running this all without some kind of adult help.”


    Asher looked at her darkly. “It’s exactly this kind of behaviour that makes me think his Mum is involved. Not that we have proof of that, but… as you say, it is rather insidious. Maybe even to the point that someone with a lot of experience is teaching him the ropes. I doubt he would’ve thought about all of this on his own.”


    “Especially with how to not get caught,” Lila nodded. “That’s a big one.”


    “Unless it’s like the Banker situation and all the teachers are in on it too.”


    “I’d rather not think about teachers doing more illegal activity, thanks.”


    Asher met her eyes before nodding. “Sorry.”


    “I was only half-serious.”


    “Still, though.”


    They fell silent, with Lila keeping a keen eye on the door. It was starting to bother her, that she didn’t know anything about their pattern. She was starting to suspect that there wasn’t a pattern, to avoid detection. Which was working quite well, given they couldn’t detect a single deal.


    Unless there was someone roaming around the school doing the deals and that’s who Jason was calling. It hadn’t occurred to her before – that this could be the case. If it was, how the hell were they supposed to catch one going down?


    “Well, since we’re just waiting again, how are you feeling about the Grace thing?” Asher asked carefully. Lila sighed.


    “Same as yesterday. But I think your plan might work.”


    “I mean, if you keep falling behind in English, it’ll become a reality,” he said playfully. “What’s stumping you with that one, anyway?”


    Lila groaned. “Please let’s not talk about it now. You’re giving me war flashbacks.”


    He snorted. “Glad to know you survived a war.”


    “What’s school if not war?”


    He snorted again, shaking his head. “Sometimes feels like it.”


    “Exactly.”


    They chatted some more, with Asher deftly avoiding the topic of English. Instead, they mainly centred around the game on Saturday – all the while with Lila’s eyes on the door over Asher’s shoulder.


    Thinking about the game similarly exhausted Lila as thinking about English, since she wasn’t exactly confident with their chances, but Asher was in high spirits after his team’s win last weekend.


    After some time, he checked his phone.


    “Well, I hope PE ends early,” he said reluctantly. “That way we can get our spot again. I was surprised by how quickly it got crowded yesterday.”


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    “Did you want to come straight here?” Lila asked, standing up and dusting herself off. He did so as well, pausing slightly before answering.


    “May as well, unless you wanted to put your gym stuff in your locker.”


    Lila hesitated. “That… may be a better idea.”


    “No worries.”


    They made their way back to the locker room, with Lila taking one last look at the door to the lab. There was still no movement, though again she left with the suspicion that as soon as they moved on, a deal would go on. It frustrated her to no end, but she held out hope that they’d see something at lunch.


    There was no Isaac waiting in the aisle where Lila, Elise and Grace’s lockers were, though Elise was hanging around, looking rather lost. Lila immediately began to feel guilty for not spending morning tea with Elise, but she brightened upon seeing them approach.


    “Hey guys,” Elise chirped. “Had a good time… doing whatever it was you were doing?”


    “Sure did,” Asher smirked, “we can recreate-”


    “Wow, look at the time, Lila we should get to class!” Elise squeaked, pulling Lila to her locker.


    “Asher’s just joking,” Lila laughed.


    “I’m not,” he called out, waving at them both. “See you in PE.”


    Lila felt her face turning red as she returned his wave. It seemed that he was having too much fun with this excuse he’d made up to get Elise and Isaac to stay away from them at break.


    “What did you do to him, Lila?” Elsie queried in a low voice once Asher departed. “He’s like… so forward and confident now.”


    “Nothing,” Lila replied shortly, opening up her locker. “I’ve noticed it too, but I think… he’s just happy that we’re finally dating.”


    “I mean same, but damn girl. I kinda thought he’d be ultra submissive, since he’s been pining after you for so long.”


    Lila flushed again. Submissive? Asher? She wasn’t quite sure that fit him, especially after their conversation on the weekend.


    Elise left Lila to go to her own locker and get ready for class. Lila pulled out her gym bag and almost closed her locker when she remembered Asher’s excuse for Grace – that Lila was meant to be studious because he was forcing her to be, which meant less time for social interaction.


    She reluctantly pulled out her laptop bag as well before closing her locker with a sigh.


    “Ready for class?” Elise asked, clutching her books to her chest a few moments later.


    “Sure,” Lila shrugged. They set off, with Lila giving Elise a sideways glance. Elise seemed to catch on to this.


    “What’s up?” she asked with a small smile.


    “Did you end up talking to Isaac?”


    Elise’s smile dropped. “No. We didn’t have morning tea together today.”


    “I see… do you reckon he’ll be fine by the time we go to the museum?”


    Elies shrugged. “I couldn’t tell you. I like him, but it’s not like I can read his mind. I hope so, otherwise it’ll be really awkward.”


    “No kidding.”


    Speaking of really awkward, Grace was already set up inside the PC classroom for once. Her eyes looked red and weary, her face slightly puffy. Had she been crying?


    Concern fluttered within Lila. Had Ms Alexander seen them? Was she breaking up with Grace because of it? Or did they have a fight about something else? Even if Lila was doubting whether Grace should be dating Ms Alexander, she still saw that Grace was happy… was being the operative word at the moment.


    “Whoa,” Elise murmured, sitting down immediately. “What’s wrong?”


    “Nothing… well, not nothing. I got into a fight with my… partner,” Grace replied, her voice strained. “I… asked if she could go to the museum with us and she freaked out.”


    ‘Grace actually asked? That’s brave…’ Lila thought as she reached out to touch Grace’s shoulder comfortingly. Grace went rigid for a moment, staring at Lila with wide eyes, before tears began to flow.


    “I thought you were mad at me,” Grace sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the wrists of her jumper.


    “I’m not mad at you,” Lila said softly. It was the truth, after all. But… even so… the lingering imagery of Ms Alexander and Grace in the spare Performing Arts classroom coloured her tone.


    “Are you sure?” Grace’s voice was small and trembling. Lila was starting to panic. What was she supposed to do? Asher would know… surely.


    “Y-Yeah,” Lila replied, avoiding Grace’s beseeching eyes. “Just… been a bit more involved with study. Since Asher’s forcing me.”


    “Forcing you?” Elise looked worried now.


    “I guess that’s a strong word. Um… basically, he’s just… concerned that my grades are a bit low… for him. So… I can’t really be so social at the moment.”


    Elise’s face immediately changed to one of anger. Grace lightly touched Elise’s arm.


    “Elise, it’s not the worst thing in the world,” Grace said quietly. “Getting better grades hurt no one, and it’s to be expected. He’s the Dux, after all.”


    Lila breathed a sigh of relief. She’d bought it.


    “Even so, that’s a bit much, don’t you think? Controlling, even?” Elise pressed.


    “I’m fine with it,” Lila said hurriedly. “Like Grace said, getting better grades hurt no one.”


    Elise looked doubtful, but dropped the topic. Lila pulled out her laptop to play the part of a studious student. She may as well lean into it, if she was going all this way to make a point.


    Neither Elise or Grace bothered Lila for the rest of PC, though Lila looked up every now and then. It seemed that Grace was happier, now that Lila had said she wasn’t mad at Grace. It was a fact that made the guilt still hiding within Lila grow, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it for now.


    Once they were released from class, Lila booked it to the Gymnasium, hardly saying goodbye to either Grace or Elise. She didn’t get very far until she bumped into Asher, also on his way to the Gymnasium.


    “I’d ask if you wanted to walk together, but you look like you’d rather run,” Asher chuckled.


    “I-It’s not that,” Lila huffed. “I… just can’t stay in PC for longer than necessary.”


    Asher gave her a sympathetic smile before taking her gym bag and laptop off her shoulders. “Alright, let’s go.”


    They split off once they reached the Gymnasium to get changed and met once again inside the basketball court. It was freezing in here, but Lila combated this by doing some dynamic stretches. Asher followed suit, an amused expression on his face.


    “This your routine for hockey?” he asked, following her lead in trying to touch his toes.


    “Kinda? I don’t really follow a routine. I just do what everyone else does. Why, what’s yours?”


    “Involves a lot of running and leg kicks,” he replied, raising his hands above his head. “Pretty funny to watch. Not so funny to do.”


    “You don’t like stretching?”


    “I’m ambivalent, but there’s only so many times you can hear Mr Kovac barking about ‘sexy circles’ and ‘kicking your bum’ before it gets a bit weird.”


    “I think my limit’s once, thanks,” Lila shuddered. He laughed.


    “Good lunge, Asher,” Ms Wright said approvingly as she briskly marched past them both. “Hope you’re ready for the match against St Peters, you two.”


    “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Lila sighed, standing up straight and pulling her arm across her chest.


    “I’d say that’s the spirit, but it doesn’t sound as confident as I’d like,” Ms Wright replied. “Do we need another training session to get that confidence?”


    “No ma’am. I’m super confident. The most confident.”


    Ms Wright shook her head disapprovingly before moving to the front of the class. It seemed like the sport on today’s agenda was basketball again. Lila wasn’t exactly sure whether Ms Wright ever had lesson plans for these things, or just showed up and picked whatever she thought sounded like a good idea at the time. Not that she’d ever ask Ms Wright…


    Asher was in the opposing team again, though Lila was on the sidelines for the first round. She was starting to feel the beginning stages of her period, so was grateful for the reprieve for the moment. She was also grateful that it was starting now, rather than the day of the match.


    Again, there was no Ayla today, which was gradually becoming the norm. Lila sat a few metres away from a pair of girls in her class – Isla Douglas and Rylee Lawrence. They tended to keep to themselves, this pair. In fact, Lila would’ve hardly noticed them if she wasn’t sitting just nearby.


    From what she knew of both of them, they weren’t exactly popular, nor unpopular. Sort of in the middle, which Lila supposed was where she sat too.


    “… Ayla…”


    That caught Lila’s attention. She wasn’t sure which of the two girls were talking about Ayla, but she strained to catch the rest of the conversation.


    “… Hospital – poor thing…”


    “… Why?”


    “… Not supposed to say… Mum’ll kill me…”


    “It’s just me…”


    “Guess… fine… attempted…”


    Isla gasped incredibly loudly, her hands over her mouth in apparent shock. It jarred Lila, a reaction that big, and she tried to pretend she wasn’t actively eavesdropping as Rylee looked around.


    “… Dummy… quiet…”


    “S-Sorry… shocking…”


    Did Rylee’s Mum work at a hospital? Actually, was Rylee’s Mum supposed to be telling her daughter the status of patients? Lila shook her head – clearly that was something she didn’t need to think too hard about since it didn’t seem relevant to the information she’d received.


    She brought a hand to her chin as she contemplated what Rylee had said. Attempted what, exactly? Was it Ayla that had attempted something? The only thing Lila could think of was suicide – but why? Ayla hadn’t ever seemed gloomy…


    Though, from her experience with her Uncle Adrian, gloominess wasn’t a prerequisite for that kind of thing. Did something trigger it? Something… like Piper’s murder?


    Or had Ayla tried to do something that ended up being dangerous? Lila couldn’t exactly think of anything that would fit that, besides maybe a risky U-turn while learning how to drive or something like that. Maybe she tried to do a stunt while practicing for Dance that went wrong?


    “Lila,” Asher’s voice drew her out of her thoughts and she blinked up at him. His hand was extended to her and she instinctively took it. He helped her stand.


    “Yeah?” she asked, looking around at the court. Her question was virtually answered for her as Isla and Rylee were on the court, readying themselves for a match.


    “They’re subbing me out,” Asher explained. “Your team called for you, but you seem really deep in thought. Something wrong?”


    “Not necessarily,” Lila shook her head. “I’ll explain after class.”


    “Can’t wait to hear it.”


    He sat down where she’d been sitting, giving her an encouraging wave. She trudged over to her disapproving teammates who gave her the run down of the points at the moment before separating into their various roles. Again, basketball was not her sport of choice, but she tried her best to work with her team.


    Class ended with Asher’s team winning today, which he seemed chuffed about – despite the fact that he stayed on the sidelines far longer than he’d been in the match.


    They split off again to grab their things before meeting up to go to the locker room.


    “Ready to dash?” he asked with a grin.


    “We’ll have to, won’t we?” Lila asked with a touch of despondence. She was starting to feel exhausted with life in general now.


    “If we want our spot, probably.”


    Lila and Asher hurried off to the locker room, their speed discouraging any form of conversation. She shoved her things into her locker and Asher appeared beside her, huffing with their customary lunchboxes.


    “Let’s go,” she smiled, taking hers from his hands. They raced to the lab, past Elise, Isaac and Grace without greeting either of them.


    It was fortunate that they had made getting here such a desperate priority. The grassy area outside the lab was almost full already, but there was some room where they had been sitting over the past couple of days.


    They weaved through the groups of lounging students, settling in to their usual seating arrangement. Lila looked towards the door of the lab, noting that there wasn’t any movement.


    “Finally,” Asher said faintly as he unzipped his lunchbox. “Could hardly catch my breath.”


    “Thanks for hurrying.”


    “I’m just as invested as you are, Lila. ‘Course I hurried.”


    She laughed, opening her lunchbox as well. A sticky honey-soy chicken stir fry today – one that certainly lived up to the word ‘delicious’.


    “I’d ask if you want this to be heated up, but I reckon you’d sooner beat me up for compromising our activities,” Asher teased, glancing over his shoulder quickly. “No movement?”


    “None,” Lila confirmed, taking a sip of her water. “I was thinking that maybe someone from the outside is doing the drops. Y’know, someone who’s always roaming around, rather than the people who are cooped up in that lab.”


    “Could be. If the network is of any decent size, probably. But I reckon there’d be more than one person doing it – even just as a method to avoid getting caught. It gets suspicious if it’s the same shady person doing shady things each time. Much less so if it’s a bunch of shady people occasionally doing something shady.”


    “True.”


    They fell silent, with Lila still keeping watch of the door. She slowly ate her food, still watching.


    “You look really tense,” Asher chuckled. “Relax. Even if you miss them, I’ll see them.”


    “Can’t help it,” Lila responded. “I just… want to get the evidence. To help our Dads and stop what’s going on.”


    “Whether you’re tense or relaxed about it, it’ll happen. Come, let’s switch gears for a bit. What were you going to say in PE?”


    “Oh!” Lila leaned forward, her enthusiasm in telling Asher what she’d heard completely relieving all the tension in her shoulders. “I think I know where Ayla is.”


    “Ayla?”


    “Yeah. I heard Isla and Rylee talking about her in PE.”


    “Right… who?”


    Lila gave him a heavy, exasperated sigh. “Isla Douglas and Rylee Lawrence. They’ve only been in our class for, what, the whole year at this point? Heck, you probably danced with them for semi practice.”


    “Oh. Wait, Rylee Lawrence?” He frowned as he placed a finger to his forehead. “Lawrence…”


    “Is the name familiar?”


    “Well… there’s an Agnes Lawrence who retired a few years ago as Head Nurse of the Mental Health Ward at my Dad’s hospital.”


    “I’m surprised you remember that.”


    He glanced at her. “Dad holds these galas at the end of the year for hospital staff. Says it’s a morale booster. They give awards at the end. He’s been taking Mum and I for years. She was the longest serving staff member before she retired. Got an award for it and everything.”


    Lila pursed her lips. Agnes Lawrence sounded a bit old to be Rylee’s Mum, plus Ayla’s potential hospitalisation would have only been recent – over the holidays at the earliest.


    “But… Agnes’ daughter-in-law was making her way up the ranks, I thought,” Asher said carefully. “Dunno her name, but she certainly carried some kind of prestige amongst the others ‘cause of Agnes. Agnes was really well liked. If I visited Dad at the hospital as a kid and she saw me, she’d give me a lollipop and show me the books they keep for the patients. They were mainly at a child’s reading level, with heaps of pictures and colours, even though it was for the Mental Health Ward rather than the Children’s section.”


    “She sounds really sweet.”


    “She was,” Asher had a fond smile for a moment before he continued on. “Anyway, so, Isla and Rylee were talking about Ayla in PE?”


    “Yeah. Well, Rylee said something about her Mum killing her, since she wasn’t supposed to tell. And, look, the info I got was really fragmented, but basically Rylee said something about Ayla, ‘hospital’ and ‘attempted’.”


    “… Was that all you got?”


    “Yeah,” Lila sat back, suddenly deflated. It really wasn’t a lot to go off of.


    “Rylee’s Mum actually would kill her,” Asher said after a slight pause. “Patient confidentiality and all that. She’s not supposed to saying anything to Rylee at all.”


    “Isn’t that more Rylee’s Mum’s fault?”


    “Yes. But not many people believe in accountability, I find.”


    Lila sighed. “It’s not enough to get excited over.”


    “It’s more info than you’ve gotten these past few weeks,” Asher said sensibly. “I know you’re still worried about her. Or curious, whichever.”


    “I’d say a bit of both,” Lila murmured. Then, she sat up straight.


    “Asher,” she whispered, her eyes not moving from her targets. “Jake and Zack. They’re on the move.”


    “Shit, really? Something’s happening?” Asher’s face looked nervous and he made to look behind him when Lila grabbed the lapel of his blazer.


    “Don’t look back. Let’s just… get up for now. Slowly,” she said quietly, swiftly letting go.


    He nodded and they did so, zipping up their half-finished lunches. Jake and Zack seemed to be following the same path that Jason usually took. Her eyes had drifted to the bumbag around Zack’s waist again and she watched as he buttoned up his blazer, concealing it as they passed her line of sight.


    “They’ve just gone down that path to the carpark. Let’s go,” Asher said in a low voice, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her towards said path.


    Lila tried to soften her footsteps as they walked down that way, her mind spinning. Finally, after two days of nothing, they were on the move. Would they see something today?


    Lila and Asher rounded the corner, spotting Jake and Zack just ahead, climbing some stairs at the end of the aisle, behind the lab that wasn’t used by Livi’s group. Asher and Lila exchanged a quick glance before wordlessly following behind. Jake and Zack seemed to be deep in conversation, laughing about something or other. Were they openly discussing a deal, or just hanging out?


    Though… seeing that Jake and Zack operated as Livi’s main bodyguards, Lila found it hard to believe that they’d leave their posts to simply hang out. Technically, they hung out all the time in the lab, after all.


    Jake and Zack cleared the top of the stairs, immediately turning right. From Lila’s mental map, right would take them towards the Counselling Services building. Was one, or both, of them scheduled for counselling now? Lila felt slightly awkward, if that was the case. It seemed almost intrusive.


    She didn’t mention anything to Asher as they also cleared the top of the stairs, trailing behind Jake and Zack. It really didn’t seem as though they’d caught on to the fact that they were being followed, which Lila was privately grateful for. It seemed that most people were that way inclined – something for her to keep in mind if she needed to follow anyone again.


    Lila kept a close eye on Jake and Zack as they walked along the road to the Counselling Services building. But, instead of heading down into the building, Jake and Zack carried on, bumping shoulders and guffawing about something Lila couldn’t quite catch from this distance. Not that she really wanted to, either. There was something unnerving about it.


    Sickbay was just next to the Counselling Services building along the same road. Did they need to see the School Nurse?


    The answer, it appeared, was no, as both Jake and Zack continued past the Sickbay as well. Where were they going? With how carefree and unhurried Jake and Zack seemed, perhaps they weren’t going to a deal after all…


    The stairs down to the Tuckshop came into view and Lila expected Jake and Zack to pass these, too. But, as they guffawed once more, they descended these stairs at a leisurely pace. Were they just getting lunch, or maybe some post-lunch desserts?


    “Hey, you’re frowning up a storm,” Asher murmured, shaking Lila’s hand. She glanced at Asher, who smiled at her. “Relax,” he reminded her. “Want an ice cream?”


    Lila laughed. “Too cold for ice cream.”


    “Never too cold for ice cream.”


    She shook her head, her mood lightening up considerably. Asher was right. Feeling relaxed whilst tailing Jake and Zack was much better than being so tense the entire time.


    Lila and Asher paused at the top of the stairs, watching as Jake and Zack carried on through the eating area next to the Tuckshop. Yet again, neither Jake nor Zack looked behind them, or even up, to see Lila and Asher.


    They exchanged a glance before heading down as well, keeping a safe distance from Jake and Zack.


    “The boyyyyys!” a loud, booming voice met their ears before Lila and Asher entered the shaded food court.


    A group of five Grade 12 boys were sitting around a large table, a deck of cards dispersed between them all.


    “Hell yeah!” Jake replied, roughly pulling up a chair into the circle, sitting backwards on it. He exchanged a handshake with the two guys next to him. “How far you guys in this one?”


    “Not far,” the owner of the booming voice said, leaning over to grab a pile of the cards. “Want in?”


    Zack also pulled up a chair, and Lila and Asher passed by them. They again took the diagonal approach, making sure to not be within either Zack or Jake’s line of sight, as they sat at an empty table that was slightly higher up than the one Zack and Jake were sitting at. They arranged themselves so they could both see the large group of boys, who were starting to get rowdy as they progressed their card game, and from this angle, they had a decent view of the table, too.


    “Just looks like they’re playing cards,” Asher muttered, tapping his fingers along his lunchbox that he rested on their table.


    “I guess you can’t bodyguard that well if you’re playing cards,” Lila whispered. “They probably can’t really do that in the lab.”


    “Guess not.”


    Was a drop part of the card game? It really didn’t seem that the boys were talking about much besides the game they were playing, not that Lila could truthfully hear much with any clarity due to both the distance and the excited banter they were throwing around in reaction to each other’s moves.


    Asher unzipped his lunchbox, pulling out the rest of his stir fry. Lila looked at him apprehensively and he shrugged.


    “Sitting outside Tuckshop with no food? That’s more suspicious than the rugby boys playing card games.”


    “They play rugby?”


    “Most of them. There’s a couple of tennis players in there too, and I think one does rugby and touch footy, but they’re all in Grade 12 at least.”


    “Anyone who doesn’t do a sport?”


    Asher’s eyes drifted over to the group before he cocked his head to the side. “Actually… no.”


    Was this a clue?


    Lila followed Asher’s lead in eating the rest of her lunch as she waited to see if they would do something different. Lunch continued to pass them by, to the point that both Asher and Lila finished their food. Asher glanced at his phone.


    “There’s five minutes left,” he said quietly. “We have to head back to the locker room.”


    “But…”


    “I know. But it really just looks like they’re just hanging out. Today’s a bust, too.”


    Lila pouted, but obediently began to zip up her lunchbox. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something strange.


    The card game seemed to have wrapped up, and Zack and Jake were both helping to collect the cards – until Lila saw that, in fact, neither of them had cards in their hands. She tapped Asher on the shoulder, jerking her head towards the group.


    Two small glass bottles were in Zack’s hands and accepted by two of the boys directly opposite him. Jake stood, making as if to reach couple of the cards at the other end of the table before Lila saw that he had instead picked up an envelope. It was so swift that if Lila had blinked, she would have missed it. In fact, by the time she realised what she had just seen, it was far too late to take any pictures. Her heart dropped as this sunk in, and she wished she could rewind time.


    “Good game, boys,” Lila heard Jake say. The envelope swiftly disappeared from his hands and he started genuinely helping to pack up the card game. Zack followed suit, passing along cards to the same booming-voiced student.


    “Shit,” Asher whispered, standing up abruptly. None of the students who had played the card game looked in his direction. “We missed it.”


    “Well, not really,” Lila replied in a hushed voice. “We saw something – but we didn’t get proof of it.”


    “C’mon, let’s go before they see us here. Plus, I can’t miss the start of Advanced Maths – I have a couple questions for the teacher.”


    Lila didn’t need to be told again. They departed without another look at the Grade 12s, hurrying up the stairs two at a time. They speed-walked down the road to the locker room, neither saying a thing. Lila was still pondering what she’d seen and how it operated. If they weren’t already paying careful attention to that group, they wouldn’t have seen anything at all. Nothing was amiss. Nothing was even addressed – just a bunch of guys, playing card games. An activity that plenty of students all around campus did during break times. Heck, even during PC.


    ‘How many exchanges have I walked past and not noticed?’


    For some reason, this question was even more chilling than she expected. She’d expected a shady, underhanded deal in a secluded spot, with only one witness, besides the dealers, to the whole event. But that group – there was at least five, before Zack and Jake joined. And no one said a single thing about the exchange. How many times had they all received these drugs before? Or… were some of the boys just now unaware that an illegal exchange happened right under their noses?


    Lila wanted to skip class so she could talk to Asher about the whole thing, beginning to end, but she was running late for her Modern History class too. They parted ways in the locker room, with Asher seeming apologetic at the idea that he would have to run off right away, rather than say a proper goodbye.


    Once Lila was seated in Modern History at her usual table with Elise and Grace, she could hardly keep still. Her mind was throwing around all sorts of theories and concerns regarding what she’d seen. At least it served as a nice distraction from her woes with Grace for the moment, though.


    “Lila,” Elise whispered after ten minutes, “everything okay?”


    “Fine,” Lila replied, also in a whisper. “Just… antsy.”


    “For?” Grace asked quietly.


    “… The weekend.”


    “That’s still a little bit away,” Elise noted, her voice low. “You’re really that excited?”


    “Yup. Studying so much has made everything else feel so much more exciting.” This lie fell out of Lila’s lips far quicker than her mind registered what she was saying. Elise raised an eyebrow at Lila.


    “Lila, I think you need to say something to Asher, about this rule or whatever it is-”


    “It’s fine,” Lila cut Elise off, finally stopping her legs from shaking underneath the table. “Seriously.”


    “Elise, I know you’re worried, but you might be getting close to meddling in their relationship,” Grace whispered. “No one likes meddlers, even if you think there’s something wrong with the relationship. From what I can see, this is harmless.”


    Lila closed her eyes, her mind being split into two facets now – one which was still thinking about the morphine ring, and the other now thinking about Grace’s relationship with Ms Alexander.


    ‘No one likes meddlers, huh…’ Lila thought with a sigh. ‘God-fucking-dammit.’


    If she was lost on what to do about Grace before, she was now entirely blind on any resolution. Speaking to Grace would be a difficult conversation to begin with, but if Lila was seen as meddling? She might lose Grace as a friend entirely. But then, if she kept being so weird with Grace – something she still couldn’t help, even though it was somewhat better today – then she might lose Grace anyway.


    “Lila, you’re really pale all of a sudden. Do you need to go to Sickbay?” Grace queried, her voice warm and soothing.


    “Actually, yeah,” Lila said, standing up. Their Modern History teacher, Mrs Popovic, looked over at Lila in alarm from her desk. At the very least, today was meant to be spent working on their assignment, so Lila wasn’t interrupting a lecture.


    “Ma’am, I don’t feel well,” Lila murmured, clutching her stomach. “Can I please go to the Sickbay?”


    “By all means, Lila. You don’t look well,” Mrs Popovic fumbled around her desk for a notepad. She wrote down a crude note, confirming that Lila was allowed to be in Sickbay, and passed it along to Lila. “Do you need someone to go with you?”


    “I-I should be fine…”


    “I think Elise and Grace would disagree,” Mrs Popovic said kindly, looking over at Lila’s friends. “You can take them both.”


    Lila really didn’t want to take either, but if she was going down this route anyway, she may as well heed Mrs Popovic’s suggestion.


    Elise and Grace had already packed away Lila’s things, their faces anxious.


    “Mrs Popovic said you can both take me,” Lila reluctantly said. Elise and Grace both stood, with Elise slinging Lila’s laptop on her shoulder and Grace holding Lila’s bookbag.


    They departed as a trio, with no one speaking. Lila did notice Elise and Grace sneaking peeks at her every so often, but didn’t feel up to talking. Her head was too full of what she’d seen at lunch, and what to do about Grace. Plus… she was really starting to cramp.


    “Hello,” the school nurse, a matronly kind of woman known affectionately as ‘Debbie’, greeted upon the trio’s entry. “Who am I seeing today?”


    “Lila, ma’am,” Elise quickly said, pointing at Lila. “She’s not well.”


    “Thank you, ladies,” Debbie smiled. “I can take it from here. Lila, do you have a note?”


    “I-I do,” Lila said, stepping forward and passing Debbie the note from Mrs Popovic. Elise and Grace shot Lila a tentative look.


    “We’ll see you later,” Grace said, opening the door. “If not this afternoon, then tomorrow.”


    “Yeah,” Lila weakly agreed.


    “Keep us updated,” Elise added, holding the door to let Grace out. “Feel better soon.”


    “Thanks, guys.”


    Elise and Grace both left, the door swinging shut behind them.


    “Alright, Lila, what seems to be the matter?” Debbie asked, gesturing for Lila to come forward.


    “I… have bad period cramps,” Lila murmured. She cast her eye around the Sickbay, seeing that all the beds bar one child-sized bed were empty.


    “Oh dear,” Debbie said sympathetically. “Have you taken Naprogesic before?”


    “Yeah.”


    “Any allergies?”


    “No.”


    “Alright.”


    Debbie rummaged around the medicine cabinet behind her, pulling out a packet of Naprogesic. She deposited two of the pills into Lila’s awaiting hand. “Water’s just over there. Take two, and have a lie down. The day’s almost over, so if you’d like to stay here until then, I won’t tell anyone, besides your next teacher. Unless you’d like me to call a parent or guardian to pick you up?”


    “I… should be fine, after these start working,” Lila said tentatively.


    Debbie smiled warmly at her. “Any bed will do. You can pop your bags next to it. I’ll just register your attendance.”


    “Thank you.”


    Lila took the medicine as instructed and placed her bags at the bed on the far end. She took her shoes off and pulled the thin blanket over herself as she rested on the plasticky mattress. It wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences, but better than being cooped up in class.


    With nothing else to do, Lila started to drift off despite her mind being so hazy. Even though she’d just said that it was wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences, something about just existing in Sickbay always made her so sleepy. Did Debbie put something in the water?


    Lila chuckled absently to herself from the thought, her senses dulling as she fell into a deeper sleep. Surely that’d be illegal…


    Not that legalities stopped a lot of people, apparently. Herself included…


    Lila wasn’t exactly sure how long it had been since she started sleeping when she awoke to the sound of a commotion by the door. She opened her bleary eyes and found that she was facing the wall.


    “Y-Young man!” spluttered Debbie. “For the last time, what are you doing here?”


    “Where’s Lila?”


    “I’d like to know who you are first-”


    “Lila!”


    Lila turned around on the bed, an effort that was surely far more tiresome than normal, to find Asher looking over Debbie’s head and towards her. She’d never seen him so worried about anything in particular – let alone her. Debbie, by contrast, seemed to be fuming even from the back of her, her arms outstretched in an attempt to block Asher from stepping any closer. It was comical, really, given Debbie was probably at most 5’2”, but Lila sat up, trying to figure out what was going on so she could defuse it.


    “Debbie, that’s Asher – my boyfriend,” Lila said feebly. “He’s… probably checking on me.”


    Debbie looked back at Lila before turning back to Asher, her body language rather irate.


    “Since you are not ill, I will only give you a couple of minutes,” Debbie said sternly, lowering her arms. “Next time, answer my questions first before waking up the whole Sickbay.”


    Lila glanced around. She was actually all alone now, but supposed that, for the moment, she was ‘the whole Sickbay’.


    “Sorry, ma’am,” Asher responded, immediately brushing past Debbie and crossing over to Lila. Debbie sighed before toddling back over to her desk, shaking her head.


    “Asher, what are you doing here?” Lila asked as soon as he approached. He grasped her hands in his, his eyes glistening with concern.


    “Elise and Grace told me you left Modern History to go to the Sickbay,” he replied, squeezing her hands. “Your hands are freezing.”


    “It’s just how it is in here,” Lila responded, though her cheeks were beginning to feel warm now that he was here. “What time is it?”


    “It’s about 2.20,” Asher said, his eyes flickering to the clock beside her. “I couldn’t come earlier.”


    “You shouldn’t have come at all. I’m fine.”


    “People who are fine don’t ditch class and go to Sickbay, Lila. What happened? You seemed okay at lunch.”


    “I was thinking too hard,” Lila chanced a playful grin, but it didn’t seem to land. He continued to look at her expectantly and she sighed. “Plus… I started cramping.”


    “Cramping?”


    Lila squirmed slightly. “Yeah. My period.”


    “Oh.” His eyes darted down her body for a moment before he nodded. “Does it normally hurt this much?”


    “Normally… I just take a whole bunch of medicine. But…” She paused. Was now the time to tell him that she was on the Pill, and that this first period on the Pill was unpredictable?


    “Alright, Asher, time to go to class,” Debbie called from behind her desk.


    “But?” Asher asked quickly.


    “But… I didn’t have any on me. It took me by surprise.”


    “Ah. Makes sense. Um, will you be okay?”


    “Asher-”


    “Just a moment, please,” he whipped around to face Debbie who sighed again. She gestured at him to go on.


    “Thank you, ma’am. Uh, anyway, you’ll be okay? O-Or do you need me to make up an illness?” He added the last part in a whisper and Lila smiled, shaking her head.


    “I’ll be fine. Just need some rest. Thank you for checking on me.”


    “Are you going to go to class?”


    “Probably not.”


    “Alright. I’ll come straight here.”


    “You don’t need to-”


    “No, I do,” he kissed her hands gently, squeezing them again. “I won’t be able to forgive myself otherwise.”


    “Okay,” Lila smiled at him once more and he let go of her hands.


    “Rest well, okay?”


    “I’ll try.”


    He walked back to the door, seeming to hesitate for a moment. He turned around.


    “I… I’ll see you later.”


    Lila nodded, not trusting her voice to carry that far to him.


    “Thank you, ma’am,” he said politely to Debbie with a nod, slipping out of the door. Debbie sighed again, bustling over to the water station. She poured a cup of water and passed it along to Lila, briefly placing a hand on Lila’s forehead.


    “Not the politest fellow, but he seems sweet enough,” Debbie said with a chuckle. “Cares about you a lot. Now, how are you feeling?”


    “Still sore,” Lila responded, taking a sip of water.


    “Drink that all then rest some more, okay?”


    “Thanks, Debbie.”


    “I don’t even think he knew my name,” Debbie commented as she started to walk away.


    “Probably not,” Lila said. “He never takes off sick. He’s, um, really dedicated to schoolwork.”


    “I see,” Debbie seemed rather miffed by this statement but settled back behind her desk.


    Lila drank the rest of her water before lying back down. She couldn’t stop the smile that was forming on her face. She hadn’t expected Asher to check on her, and it made her happier than she dared to think that he had.


    She was woken once more, this time by Debbie’s gentle voice.


    “Lila, it’s time,” Debbie said, stepping back. “School’s over and that boyfriend of yours is here again. I’ve made him wait outside this time. I don’t think he’s happy.”


    Lila gave a small laugh. “Probably not.”


    She slowly stretched before getting out of the bed, putting her shoes on and collecting her things. She thanked Debbie, who pleasantly smiled at her in response, and found Asher standing just outside, his arms crossed in displeasure.


    “I wanted to wake you up,” he said once she closed the door behind her. “That nurse told me I had to stay outside.”


    Lila smiled again, taking one of his hands in hers. “Her name is Debbie. She seemed upset that you didn’t know.”


    “How am I supposed to know?” Asher huffed, taking her bags off her with his free hand. “I’ve never been to Sickbay. Got lost on the way there.”


    Lila giggled. “I know you haven’t been. I told her that.” She paused for a moment before stretching up on her tiptoes. She gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, and his annoyance seemed to instantly melt away.


    “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “For checking on me.”


    “Of course I did,” Asher replied, seeming bashful now. “I’m not a monster.”


    She giggled again, leaning into his arm. “I know.”


    They set off towards the locker room, with Asher talking about the reaction to him being late for Mandarin class. It seemed to be a big deal, given the fact that he was hardly ever late, and his description of the gasps and looks of suspicion he’d received made her laugh.


    Once they grabbed their things, Asher walked her to the bus stop as usual, his demeanour far more relaxed now. Lila thought that this reaction was probably because he could see that she was okay – which she was. The medicine had worked wonderfully, and a nap helped stave off some of her exhaustion.


    “Alright, well, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Asher said once they stopped at her bus stop. Lila eyed the teacher on hat duty – Mr Morrison again.


    “I’ll see you then. We… we have a lot to do and talk about,” she said softly.


    “We do,” Asher confirmed. His eyes darted to her lips before meeting her gaze again. “Especially since Daniel’s having his meeting this afternoon with your parents.”


    “I almost forgot. I’ll have to see how it went when they get home,” Lila said, her own eyes drifting to his lips. Just… one kiss goodbye couldn’t hurt…


    Her bus screeched to a halt beside her, and she sighed. It seemed like their ‘kiss’ could only be a peck today. He passed along her things before speaking.


    “Goodnight, Lila. Rest up, okay?” Asher said, pulling her into a hug. She hugged him back with a small nod.


    “I will. You too.”


    He laughed, rubbing the top of her back. “I’ll try.”


    She narrowed her eyes at him, about to admonish him, when he leaned down, capturing her lips into his, his thumb brushing her cheek. He broke away with a smile, continuing to caress her cheek for a moment.


    “See you tomorrow, Lila.”


    She sighed, preferring to leave today behind with a kiss as sweet as that one, rather than her telling him off for his sleeping – or rather, not-sleeping – habits. “See you then, Asher.”