Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five


    “We got Maccas,” Daniel’s voice called through Lila’s door later that night. She sighed, rolling off her bed and bringing her heat pack with her. She shuffled down the stairs and found her parents separating meals out for everyone in the dining room. They were extraordinarily quiet, but both smiled at Lila as she walked in to the dining room.


    “Hello,” Lila said as she received her plate of food – a double cheeseburger and some fries. Her Mum passed her a chocolate thickshake and continued fussing about with the other plates.


    “Hello,” Lila’s Dad replied with a grim smile.


    “How was the meeting?” Lila asked tentatively. Both of Lila’s parents halted for a moment.


    “Does Clare know?” Lila’s Dad queried, his eyes drifting upwards, towards where Clare’s bedroom was.


    “Yeah. We told her after our meeting in the office. You know she wouldn’t have left us alone, after she noticed literally everyone was in a meeting without her.”


    Lila’s Dad nodded. “In that case, Daniel can fill you in over dinner.”


    “That sounds serious,” Lila said as she bit into a chip.


    “It is,” Lila’s Mum interjected, setting out the plates for Daniel and Clare at their usual spots. “But not terrible.”


    “That’s good-” Lila’s response was interrupted by the elephant-like clomping of Daniel’s feet, followed by Clare’s much lighter ones, down the stairs. They both filed in to the dining room and took their places. Their parents took their places as well and everyone sat in total silence for a few moments.


    “Uh… the atmosphere is pretty tense, guys,” Clare said nervously. “What’s… going on?”


    Daniel glanced at their parents before sighing, rubbing his forehead. “So… you know how we told you about the… business I was running at school?”


    “Ya,” Clare replied candidly, tossing a couple chips in her mouth.


    “So… I had a meeting with the Headmaster, and Mum and Dad were there too.”


    “Uh huh,” Clare nodded, noisily unwrapping her burger.


    “The school’s sanctioning it.”


    “That’s great!” Lila said, brightening immediately.


    “In a way,” Daniel sighed again. “Just the Uber Eats side of things. Not the loans.”


    “Oh. Is that bad?” Lila queried, tilting her head.


    “No… but it means I’ll have to let go some of my staff, since we’re downsizing in a way,” Daniel grimaced. “School’s taking a 30% cut of the profits, which is fine. I would’ve been happy with 50/50, but Asher talked the Headmaster down on Monday. Mr Lockwood also said that the loans I’ve currently got can keep going, but I need to individually assess each one and see if they can pay it back in a couple months. If not, then I can’t charge interest. Which works for me.”


    “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad,” Lila said, exchanging a look with Clare.


    “They’ve giving me a new spot to sit in, something more suitable, and I have to pay rent. Uh, oh and a teacher has to supervise the operation each morning tea and lunch.”


    Lila pressed her lips together. That… would put a damper on Livi’s group.


    “The Headmaster is going to announce it tomorrow. He agreed to keep my name out of it, thank God. Essentially, they’re going to say that the Banker was a trial for the school and now they’re implementing it properly. But… essentially, I have to keep it running until I graduate.”


    “Why?” Lila was perplexed by this decision.


    “They’re thinking of making it more into a co-curricular-type activity, which means… it’s now running for the foreseeable future. If I find someone who can take it over for me, then they’ll allow that, but that also means my cut goes. Which I’m not necessarily attached to, but I’d like to see it through ‘till the end. I’ll find someone in Grade 12 and train them up.”


    “Ah. Well… some good, some bad, I guess,” Lila commented, biting into her burger.


    “I’ll take what I can get,” Daniel smirked. He stretched his arms above his head before unboxing his Big Mac.


    Lila wondered for just a moment if Elise or Isaac had a hand in this McOrder, but kept this thought to herself as she ate her dinner.


    “By the way, um, can I stay over at Asher’s from Saturday to Sunday?” Lila piped up after a few minutes of silent eating.


    Lila’s Mum narrowed her eyes at Lila before sighing. “That’s fine. Can’t say no now, anyway.”


    “Thanks Mum,” Lila beamed, eating with more fervour than before. She caught sight of both Daniel and Clare smirking at her, but she didn’t want to engage with either of them on the topic.


    Once dinner was over and Lila reheated her heat pack, she trudged upstairs. She contemplated going to bed straight away, but instead knocked on Daniel’s door.


    “What?” he called, sounding rather annoyed at having been interrupted.


    “It’s me.”


    She heard a heavy exhale before he said, “Fine. Come in.”


    Lila did so, seeing him lounging at his desk, a YouTube video on his screen.


    “What’s up?” he asked, swivelling to face her.


    “Just… wanted to check on you.”


    “I’m fine,” he shrugged. “It went down a whole lot better than expected, but as you could see, Mum and Dad weren’t so thrilled with the outcome. I think they were hoping the school would just shut it down.”


    “That’s fair. I… also wanted to say… I mean, this is it.”


    “What’s it?”


    “You’re no longer doing underground activity,” she smirked, leaning against his door. “You’ve made it. You gonna go with a new name now? The Banker doesn’t really fit with the whole Uber Eats thing.”


    “Hmm… you’re right, it doesn’t…” Daniel trailed off for a moment before shaking his head. “Nah, I like the Banker. Sounds mysterious.”


    “Well, it won’t be mysterious from tomorrow.”


    He waved a hand dismissively. “My identity will still be hidden.”


    “We’ll see about that.”


    “Why, you gonna rat me out to the rest of the school?”


    “Nah. Just… well, things have a way of coming out more often than not.”


    “I suppose I’ve had good luck in keeping it hidden for the past several months,” Daniel relented. “At least with Uber Eats, though, it’s not as though I’m doing anything worth fighting over. Loans… are a bit more dangerous.”


    Lila shivered. “Yup.”


    “I still think about Uncle Daniel,” Daniel murmured. “I wonder… what he was thinking, in the end. If he thought he’d got his just desserts. And… I wonder if he saw Mum, watching him die.”


    Lila placed her heat pack on Daniel’s desk and pulled him into a hug whilst he was still seated on his chair. “Those are some big thoughts,” she whispered. He was rigid for a moment before he sighed, awkwardly patting her on the back.


    “Trying to be a big man,” Daniel said meekly as she broke away, a half-smile on his face.


    “You can slow your roll on that one,” Lila replied, grabbing her heat pack again and stepping back. “When’s your birthday again?”


    Daniel rolled his eyes. “I’m offended and disappointed that you don’t know.”


    “C’mon, there’s so many of us. My brain’s only little.”


    He snorted. “23^rd of September. As it has been the last 13 years.”


    “Good to know.”


    “Again.”


    “Again,” she snickered, and he rolled his eyes again.


    “Anyway,” he said, his eyes flickering to his desktop. “Was that all?”


    “For now. Oh… and I’m proud of you. You’ve done a lot this year. And I’m glad that it’s turned out like this – with the school sanctioning it. Hopefully it’ll feel like you can breathe again.”


    “Huh,” Daniel looked contemplative. “It never occurred to me that it felt like I couldn’t… but now that you’ve said that… that’s exactly what it’s felt like.”


    She gave him a small smile. “It’s a relatable feeling.”


    He raised an eyebrow. “How so?”


    She shrugged. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”


    “I would. If only to help you, too,” he said softly.


    “Aww,” Lila cooed. “Ew.”


    “Shut up,” Daniel tutted, chucking a stress ball that he had on his desk at her. “Don’t accept my help.”


    “It’s good enough to know that you offered,” Lila smiled. “Thanks.”


    “Yeah, yeah,” Daniel muttered, his face pink. “Get out.”


    “Roger that.”


    ***


    That Friday morning, Lila didn’t share any classes with Asher. So, by the time she was released for morning tea, she felt a rush of giddiness when she saw him outside her Bio classroom, his hands in his pockets.


    “See you guys next week,” Lila said to Cecelia and Lucas, who were bantering about something yet again. They bid her goodbye and she exited the doors and right into Asher’s arms.


    “Hey,” he murmured, his arms wrapping around her in a comforting cocoon. She nestled herself in his chest for a moment before stepping back, a bright smile on her face.


    “Hey to you, too.”


    “You seem much better,” he observed, taking one of her hands in his. “I’m assuming you rested well?”


    “I did,” she confirmed with a nod. “Especially after the news Daniel came home with.”


    “Ooh. That sounds promising.”


    “It is. A bit of good, a bit of not so great, but overall not terrible.”


    “A lukewarm review. My favourite.”


    She giggled, which attracted the attention of Elise and Grace, who were just ahead of the both of them. They turned around, theirs faces equally relieved.


    “Lila! We were so worried,” Grace beamed.


    “I’m alive,” Lila said. “Thanks for taking me to Sickbay yesterday, you two.”


    “No worries,” Elise replied, waving a hand. “Just glad to see you’re okay.”


    “Thanks,” Lila repeated with a smile. They all headed to the locker room as a group, though Asher remained rather quiet. Lila did check on him every so often with a curious glance, and he simply squeezed her hand in response.


    After securing her morning tea and laptop in preparation for English, Lila turned to see Asher, standing there with his own morning tea and laptop, plus a serious expression on his face.


    “Let’s go,” he said, gesturing to the exit. Lila nodded, saying goodbye to both Grace and Elise.


    Once out of the locker room, Asher gave a long, heavy sigh.


    “I don’t know how you’ve been managing to be around Grace,” he said solemnly.


    “Is that why you were so quiet?”


    “Yeah. Biting my tongue the entire time.”


    Lila gave him a sympathetic look. “I just used that excuse you gave me, about studying. But… truthfully, when I said I was thinking too much, it was the truth. Grace… said something about people not liking meddlers. Like, friends who want to intervene in relationships. Uh, Elise feels very strongly about you ‘forcing’ me to study, which is why it was brought up.”


    “Ah,” Asher breathed. “So you started applying that to the idea that we need to talk to Grace about her relationship?”


    “Of course.”


    Asher was silent for a few moments. “Well… I think meddling applies a bit differently when there’s the law.”


    “I guess… but…”


    “I mean, the law’s the law.”


    “I know, but it’s not as though you obey every single one of them.”


    Asher’s face turned pink and he looked straight ahead, avoiding her gaze. “True… but you don’t need to be so harsh with it.”


    “It’s not like I obey them, either,” Lila reminded him gently. “We’re in the same boat.”


    Asher sighed again, running his fingers through his hair. “I know that. Anyway, it’s D-Day for another illegal operation,” he said meaningfully, nodding towards the lab that they were steadily approaching. It all seemed the same as it had been, with a smattering of students here and there, and no movement from the lab itself. Lila wondered whether Daniel had given Livi’s group any notice yet as she settled into her usual spot on the lawn. Asher sat down in his, absently taking a bite of his apple.


    “Reckon anything’s going to happen today?” he asked quietly, gesturing towards the lab with his shoulder.


    “Maybe not at morning tea… but their whole world is about to be rocked at Assembly, that’s for sure.”


    “Right, right. You didn’t actually say what happened with Daniel yesterday.”


    Lila filled Asher in quietly, and he nodded at appropriate points.


    “That all makes sense to me,” Asher finally said. “Pretty much lines up with what I thought would happen. I kinda knew that the loans were a no-go, based on the Headmaster’s reaction on Monday, but otherwise the Uber Eats stuff is lucrative enough that it should be fine. Over the past couple of weeks, the Uber Eats profits have overtaken the loan profits – only because more people are using Uber Eats than loans. So, it’ll be a hit in the beginning, but Daniel won’t notice it after a while.”


    “Yeah,” Lila murmured, casting a glance over at the door. It swung open, and out came Jason once again, strolling down the walkway with his phone to his ear.


    “Did Daniel say whether he told Livi and her group about any of the changes?”


    “He didn’t, but I don’t think he would’ve just yet. He seemed a bit tense with the idea of firing some of his employees. I reckon he’s still thinking about who and how to do it.”


    “Instantly get rid of Livi,” Asher said shortly. Lila snorted.


    “Were we gonna follow Jason today?” Asher asked after a second or two passed. Lila shook her head.


    “Nah. Jake and Zack seem to be the ones doing the deals. Even if we follow Jason, I just think he does the phone calls or whatever to organise drops. It’s not as if we’d be able to listen in and understand what’s going on.”


    “Makes sense,” Asher replied, looking up at the sky. Then, he smirked. “I would love to be a fly on the wall when Daniel fires Livi.”


    “I still don’t know if he would,” Lila shrugged. “She’s an ass, and making things difficult, but she might just leave on her own after the sanction gets announced.”


    “Oh. That’s true.”


    As soon as the words left his mouth, Asher sat up straight, pointing towards the walkway behind Lila. She turned and spied Daniel making his way to the lab. He didn’t have his own bodyguard today, which Lila found interesting. Had he already fired him? If Lila recalled correctly, his name was Lachlan…


    “You reckon we’re gonna hear some screaming?” Asher chortled.


    “If we do, I’m gonna bust in there and slap everyone involved.”


    “I don’t doubt it.”


    Lila leaned back on her hands, watching as Daniel took a deep breath before entering the lab. She hoped he’d be okay.


    “If you want, we can go in too. Maybe get Uber Eats for next week?” Asher suggested. Lila shook her head.


    “Being conveniently there would be suspicious, don’t you think? Daniel can handle it on his own.”


    “You think so?”


    “I have faith.”


    Lila continued her watch on the lab door, eating her morning tea as she did so. Then, after a few minutes passed, the door slammed open and a clearly agitated Livi stormed out. The rest of the Grade 12s filed out behind her like a swarm of cockroaches. All except for Theo.


    “Did someone murder Theo?” Asher sounded hopeful. Lila pushed him with her leg.


    “Don’t be silly.”


    “I’m not. I can be, though. I hOpE soMeOnE mUrDerEd thEO,” Asher said the last part as though he was an underwater clown.


    “Horrifying,” Lila quipped. He gave an exaggerated clown-like laugh and she nudged him with her leg again. His laugh returned to normal and she let one slip, grinning at him.


    The answer to Asher’s hope came in the form of Theo slinking out of the lab with a smirk. Daniel followed closely behind Theo, looking rather unhappy.


    “What do you reckon Theo stayed behind for?” Lila asked Asher idly.


    “What do I reckon? Do you not see the absolute mountain of textbooks in his arms? Bro probably stayed behind to take inventory first before hauling them out of there.”


    Lila snorted. “Guess so.”


    “Either that or Daniel talked to him about something. The what, I have absolutely no idea. But, if you’re that invested, I’m sure you could ask him about it.”


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    “Nah. I don’t really care. Was just curious for, like, half a second.”


    Asher appraised her for a moment before looking away, a small smile on his face. “Good.”


    “Are you still jealous of Theo?” Lila asked after a brief pause.


    “J-Jealous? Me? Never,” Asher replied awkwardly. He cleared his throat. Lila gave him a doubtful look.


    “I… guess I can’t pretend, huh. I did already tell you that I was upset that you went on a date with him…” Asher trailed off, looking towards the walkway. “Well… sometimes, when I remember, I get a bit mad, I guess. I dunno if jealous is the right word, since… well, he tried to kiss you and you rejected him. But… for me… well, we’ve kissed a whole lot.” His voice dropped as he looked into her eyes. “So, I don’t think jealous would be the right word. Since you chose me.”


    “I did,” Lila smiled. “I’m glad that you know that.”


    He sighed, breaking eye contact with her. “I think I’ll always be mad at him, though.”


    “As long as you’re self-aware,” Lila laughed.


    “What do you mean? I’m always self-aware.”


    Lila raised an eyebrow.


    “… After I have a good think about it.”


    She chuckled and he joined in. They continued to sit there in silence, with Lila only half-monitoring the door. She didn’t think there would be anyone else in there anyway, especially since Daniel left, so she didn’t need to keep such a close eye on it.


    “Besides,” Asher smiled, “having a sworn enemy is kinda fun, don’t you think?”


    Lila smirked. “Sworn enemy?”


    “Yeah. Enemy of the state. State being you and me, of course.”


    She playfully rolled her eyes at him, and he nudged her with his leg. They started speaking about other things – innocuous things – before Asher checked the time with a frown.


    “Jason hasn’t come back yet.”


    “Maybe someone’s told him they’ve all scattered?”


    “Maybe… or maybe he’s doing his own deals.”


    “An interesting prospect. Hold on – he’s the Head Boy. Assembly’s next.”


    “Ah, good point. He’s probably doing something prestigious and totally not befitting him.”


    “What’s the time?”


    “Time to start dawdling that way.”


    Lila reluctantly stood, and Asher followed suit, taking his rubbish with him. They immediately headed towards the Gymnasium instead of the locker room, since they didn’t need anything besides themselves for Assembly.


    “By the way,” Lila said casually as they walked, “did you talk to Isaac?”


    “Isaac? About what?”


    “Well, about his worries about his review and all that. I don’t like seeing him avoid Elise like that.”


    “Ah. Well, he seemed relatively normal in class yesterday, after he snapped at me. He did say sorry, which was pretty normal for him. I think he’s probably fine now. I didn’t bother talking about it directly though, no.”


    “I hope Sunday goes well,” Lila murmured.


    “I hope so too. I mean, even if it doesn’t, at least we’ll be going together. Ooh, then I can show you my favourite dinosaurs.”


    Lila smiled sincerely. “That sounds really cool.”


    “Not that they have every dinosaur there. That’d be crazy. But there’s some Aussie dinosaurs that they’ll be showcasing. You know, surprisingly Australia has a shitton of dinosaur digs and discoveries. They say it’s because Australia was the bottom of the ocean or something.”


    “That’s pretty cool.”


    “Yeah, so…”


    Asher continued on with his dinosaur related facts, swinging her arm gently. His eyes were lit with the fire of his passionate knowledge, and she couldn’t help but smile in response. His enthusiasm was infectious. It reminded her of the special insights she received from him about Shakespeare-related things in English, back at the beginning of last term. Having such a knowledgeable boyfriend, who delighted in his knowledge, was, thus far, a great choice – a source of endless entertainment, even if she didn’t quite understand what he was saying.


    Asher and Lila split off upon reaching the Gymnasium, heading to their various class groups with reluctance. She found Elise and Grace already seated, with a spot saved next to Elise for Lila. She slid down the row and sat down, trying to keep her nerves about the Banker in. She wondered what would be said about it all, and whether or not it would be accepted by the rest of the student body.


    She didn’t have to wonder for long, though, as the rest of the school filed in. The procession moved through, as usual, with a smug-looking Jason and rather subdued-looking Harper moving up the stairs and sitting in the usual spots reserved for the Head Boy and Girl.


    Once everyone was settled and quiet, Mr Lockwood took the stand, shuffling some papers for what seemed to be an inordinate amount of time. Finally, he cleared his throat.


    “Ladies and gentlemen, we will begin today’s assembly with an announcement,” he said, his voice rather grave.


    He paused, taking a sweeping glance around the room. Then, he nodded as though satisfied by whatever it was he saw.


    “Some of you may be aware of an initiative that Forestglade College was trialling. After some careful consideration and thought, the College has now finalised its arrangements and will making it an official part of this College’s offerings.”


    Lila, instead of watching Mr Lockwood, kept her eyes on Jason. He still seemed rather smug – which, to Lila, seemed as though he had absolutely zero idea of the bombshell that the Headmaster was about to drop. The idea made Lila chuckle internally, though she tried not to look suspicious.


    Mr Lockwood changed the slide to showcase a large banner – ‘Partnership with Uber Eats’, underneath which was the subheading ‘Lead by students’. There was a picture of a generic paper bag, the Uber Eats logo, and a bunch of Forestglade College students who had clearly long-graduated. Lila watched eagerly as Jason’s face dropped, his eyes almost bulging out of his head. She was sure that, if he wasn’t the Head Boy, he’d get up and walk off.


    “If you’ve used this service before, please be aware of some changes,” Mr Lockwood said sternly. “It’s new location will be housed in classroom 1.01 at the bottom of the library, to increase the distance between the carpark and the service for safety. Students who are not affiliated with the service are not to go to the carpark except for the instance that they’re leaving early. The service will be monitored by a teacher during morning and tea, however students will be taking and disseminating orders.”


    He cast a severe look around the room before continuing.


    “Card payments are preferred, though students may use cash. Please also be aware that ID cards aren’t connected to this service, though they may be in the future. Now, the purpose of this initiative is to prepare students with some on-the-job learning about how to run a business. If you have any enquiries, including about wanting to be a part of this initiative, please contact administration via the details here,” he gestured to the new slide that appeared which had a bunch of contact details.


    “Finally, the last major change is that loans,” he paused once more, giving a quick glare to the occupants of the Gymnasium. The atmosphere felt almost suffocating, but before Lila could asphyxiate, he continued, “are no longer permitted on campus.”


    At this, Lila saw Jason’s face pale considerably. If someone had said that they’d seen a ghost and pointed out Jason as the ‘ghost’, she would probably believe them. Were loans a big part of the morphine ring? Lila had thought that it was just cash – but… considering how addictive morphine was, she supposed that loans would be a big part of it.


    “Any that are ongoing at the moment are subject to review, and the where-to regarding those loans will be communicated directly to those affected students. An email regarding the service will be sent to you all early next week along with instructions on how to access the service and the procedure. Now, these changes will come into effect properly on Monday, so if anyone has orders under the old system, please do collect them from the current meeting place.”


    Mr Lockwood turned to look at the next slide. It looked like awards were up next, which Lila eagerly tuned out, her mind instead occupied by the truthfully hilarious reaction of Jason to the news. She had noticed that while his face was going through a million emotions at once, Harper’s was as subdued as when she walked in to the Assembly. Daniel must’ve been forthcoming with all this information to Livi’s group, which explained why Livi stormed out.


    Somehow, the idea that none of Jason’s lackeys informed him of the changes either also amused Lila. Perhaps they weren’t as close as they seemed.


    Her curiosity about what they would do next – particularly at lunchtime – was burning within her. Would they keep up the same routine? Mr Lockwood had said that the changes wouldn’t be in effect until Monday – so perhaps they would just go through the motions…


    Assembly otherwise proceeded as normal, and Lila was glad for it to be over. She was surprised, really, with how short the segment on the Banker’s operation was – but perhaps it was for the best. The whole business was rather widespread at this point, so lingering on it for too long probably would have bored the entire student body before the true boring parts happened.


    She wasn’t glad that the Grade 11 cohort was picked for packing away the chairs though. None of her cohort seemed happy either, as they groaned about stacking the chairs into groups of ten and walking through the large opening in the back of the Gymnasium, stacking them in the storage room underneath the pool.


    Lila gloomily stacked a group of five before she heard some whispers of conversations that intrigued her.


    “So the Banker… run by the school… whole time?”


    “Why… cancel… loans?”


    “… could’ve… Uber Eats this whole time?”


    “Gotta tell Ayla…”


    “Don’t… bank card…”


    “Aw man… wanted… loan… bets…”


    “… dangerous…”


    “… Livi… still there?”


    “Probs…”


    “… juice.”


    Juice? Lila whipped her head around to try and see who said that. Unfortunately, with the echoey nature of the Gymnasium, the absolute bedlam of getting the chairs stacked, and the other types of conversations and gossip going on, it was impossible. Did whoever say that mean juice… or juice?


    “Need a hand?” Asher had appeared next to Lila, causing her to jump slightly.


    “I’m good,” Lila said, finding a sixth chair just ahead of her and stacking it.


    “You sure? I was reading up on… periods,” he whispered the last word as though it was a world-ending secret, “and, well, exhaustion is really up there as a symptom.”


    “I mean, I am, but stacking chairs is more mind-numbing than difficult.”


    He gave her a shrewd look before efficiently stacking four chairs together and plopping them on top of her stack of six so quickly that she only realised what he was doing after he already began carrying the stack away by himself against his back.


    “W-Wait, let me get the back at least,” Lila protested. He halted, bending his knees. She grabbed the legs at the bottom of the stack and they moved through the crowd towards the designated drop off point.


    They returned at a leisurely pace, before more gossip floated to Lila’s ears.


    “… Asher… Lila… dating?”


    “… under… rock?”


    “Huh?”


    “… term started, dummy…”


    “Oh… cute.”


    Lila stifled her giggle, though it seemed as though Asher had also caught that bit of gossip.


    “Love latecomers to the party,” he said as he winked at her, causing her heart to flutter in her chest for a moment. He dusted his hands off and surveyed the rest of the Gymnasium.


    “I reckon we could start heading off to English,” Asher said, looking back down at Lila. “There’s only those two rows at the back left, and it looks like everyone’s swarming over there.”


    “I don’t think we’re supposed to leave before it’s all done…”


    “What’re they going to do? Make us stack non-existent chairs?” Asher’s eyes twinkled as he said this.


    “You really have turned into a rebel,” Lila laughed, nudging his shoulder.


    “Eh, I’ve never liked the whole stacking chairs thing, goody-two-shoes or not,” he replied playfully.


    “Can you two stop flirting and help get this wrapped up?” The commanding voice of Mr Johnson caused Lila to immediately jump into action. Asher followed suit, and they separately helped students carry the final stacks to the storage room.


    They returned to a satisfied-looking Mr Morrison, who dismissed them to their classes. Lila and Asher began meandering over to English, talking a little bit about the Assembly as a whole until they were sufficiently distant enough from other students.


    “So…” Lila began, casting a quick glance to see if anyone was within earshot. No one was, so she continued. “Did you catch Jason’s face?”


    “During the announcement? Of course I did. He looked like he was constipated, until it looked like he passed away to the afterlife.”


    Lila snorted. “That’s exactly what I thought. I hadn’t realised just how white he is until today.”


    Asher snickered. “Not everyone is blessed with spice like we are. Though, I’m far more white-washed.”


    “Eh, you still count,” Lila grinned.


    “Thanks,” he grinned back.


    “Any theories?” Lila asked after a few moments of silent walking.


    “About?”


    “Well, about what’s going to happen at lunch.”


    “Ah. Well, if I was Livi’s group, I’d just pretend everything was normal until I figured out a plan.”


    “I’d probably do the same… unless I already had a backup plan to follow. Do you reckon they have one?”


    “Doubtful,” Asher replied, shaking his head. “From what I’ve seen of them, they all seem to be ‘live in the moment’ types. Which is fine… unless you’re trying to commit crimes. But the thing about most criminals is that they’re ‘live in the moment’ types. If they weren’t, then they’d probably decide against doing crimes.”


    Lila glanced at him and he instantly looked away.


    “W-We don’t count, obviously,” he said stiffly. “Besides, our crimes are to uncover other crimes.”


    “Uh huh,” Lila smirked. “That’s what we’ll say it is.”


    “A-Anyway,” Asher coughed, “I guess we’ll have to see after English. Speaking of…” he gave her a look that made her feel as though she should run in the opposite direction. “Made any progress on your assignment?”


    “No,” Lila replied dejectedly.


    “Hope you bring your thinking cap tomorrow,” he said, though not unkindly. “Just try and put something down in class today, alright?”


    “Okay…”


    He chuckled, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head. “You don’t need to look so cute when you’re sad like that.”


    “Sorry…”


    He shook his head, a smile on his face. “I feel like you’re doing that on purpose.”


    “I swear I’m not,” she pouted, this time actually attempting to look as cute as possible.


    “Dammit, Lila,” he replied, looking up at the sky. “I can’t with you.”


    “I think you’ll find that you can,” she grinned, pulling him forward by the hand. “C’mon, we’re already late.”


    Ms Shard seemed displeased at the tardiness of the Grade 11s that afternoon, though Lila was glad that they were so late – it meant that they didn’t have as much time to mull over the draft that was due next week.


    She did catch Asher giving her laptop some shifty glances every so often, but she gave up on trying to look engrossed in her assignment. Given the agenda for tomorrow at his place, she really wasn’t keen to put effort in just this second.


    He gave a soft sigh, but otherwise didn’t say anything to indicate his thoughts on Lila’s lack of effort whilst they were still in class. It was a different story, however, once they were dismissed for lunch.


    “Lila,” he said seriously, “are you sure you’re going to get this draft done for next week?”


    “… Positive.”


    “You’re quite avoidant with this.”


    “I’m not normally. But… well… I just feel so dumb every time I look at the poems I chose.”


    “You still have time to choose new ones, especially since you haven’t really started on your draft.”


    “I guess, but… I feel stupid when I look at any poem.”


    “That’s a problem.”


    “Isn’t it?”


    They dropped the conversation for the moment, with Asher seeming deep in thought. A part of her hoped that he was thinking about a solution for her predicament, but another was frustrated at her inability – or perhaps it was more refusal – to think of one on her own.


    They arrived at the locker room, splitting ways as usual, with Lila shoving her laptop in to her locker with an exasperated sigh.


    “Doesn’t sound good,” Elise said, having popped up behind Lila, armed with a lunchbox and water bottle.


    “What doesn’t?” Lila asked, immediately looking back at her laptop. Had she broken it?


    “You, silly,” Elise replied, digging around in her lunchbox for a moment. “Want a biccie?”


    “No thanks,” Lila responded. “The lunches Asher brings are always chockful of sweets.”


    “Lucky,” Elise lamented. “Wish I had a boyfriend who gave me lunches.”


    Out of the corner of Lila’s eye, she thought she spotted Isaac backing away from the aisle. Had he heard what Elise said? Or was he still avoiding Elise?


    It didn’t seem as though Elise had noticed as she victoriously dug out a biscuit and bit into it with relish. “Not that my lunches are bad anyway,” she added, taking another bite of her biscuit.


    “Lila, I’ve been thinking,” Asher’s voice preceded him as he rounded the corner and marched down the aisle, two lunchboxes slung over his wrists. “But I really need you to do some of your English work tonight.”


    Lila sighed, hanging her head. She’d hoped to escape today with not touching English at all.


    “At least look carefully at the poem-”


    “Asher,” Elise’s voice was inflamed with an annoyance that instantly reminded Lila that Elise was not pleased with Lila’s lie that Asher was forcing Lila to do schoolwork.


    “Elise?” Asher blinked down at her, as though she’d just spawned right in front of him.


    “Leave her alone with the schoolwork shit,” Elise grumbled. “Her grades are fine just as they are. Just because you’re the Dux doesn’t mean she has to suddenly be the Proxime Accessit.”


    “Whoa,” Asher raised both hands in defence, the lunchboxes swinging on his wrists. “I-”


    Elise stood in front of Lila, as if to shield her from Asher. “It’s so unfair of you to expect that much of Lila randomly like that. I know you guys have only been dating for, like, a couple weeks, but I thought you were best friends before that. Plus, you guys worked on that English project together, so you really should know her capabilities-”


    “Elise-” Asher attempted to interject, but she overrode him entirely.


    “It’s really controlling, forcing Lila to try and get her grades up. I mean, how is anyone supposed to measure up to your standards anyway? Not even the runner up can – that’s why they’re the runner up. And, back to the controlling point, first it’s grades, then what?”


    Elise was breathing heavily now, her anger coming off her in waves. Lila lightly held on to Elise’s shoulders as she sidestepped her.


    “Elise, thank you for being concerned,” Lila said softly, “but he’s not forcing me. I had the wrong word choice. Sorry for giving you the wrong idea.”


    “That is so not convincing,” Elise huffed. “That’s exactly what a victim says!”


    “I’m not a victim-”


    “Again!”


    “Elise-” Lila’s attempt at calming Elise down was halted by Asher himself.


    “C’mon,” he muttered, grabbing Lila’s wrist. “If she’s not going to listen, then it’s not worth it. Let’s go.”


    Lila stumbled as Asher pulled her towards the exit. Lila looked back at Elise briefly and saw that she looked incredibly upset. How many more things could go wrong by Sunday?


    They rounded the corner in silence, Asher still pulling her along until he eventually let go. She could see that he was trembling. For a moment, she thought it was in anger, but she realised that he was also upset, rather than angry.


    “What’s wrong?” Lila queried, bringing her hand back to his and squeezing it tightly. He feebly returned the squeeze.


    “I… just don’t like the idea that… I’m victimising you,” he murmured, his voice wavering with emotion. “That’s the last thing I want.”


    “I know,” Lila said reassuringly. “I really do. Remember, I trust you, Asher. I know you wouldn’t do something like that.”


    “But it disturbs me to think that other people think that I would.”


    Lila sighed. “I did tell you that Elise felt strongly about the idea you were forcing me to do schoolwork, but I didn’t think she’d try and confront you like that.”


    He paused for a moment before gesturing for Lila to continue walking towards the lab.


    “Even if I don’t like it… I’m really glad that Elise is there for you like that,” he eventually said. “It makes me feel better to know that if I was doing something fucked up, she’d at least try to put me in my place.”


    “She’s a bit like that,” Lila agreed. “I’ve always felt lucky to have her in my corner. But… she can be a bit stubborn, too. I don’t know how we’d be able to convince her that you’re not actually forcing me to do schoolwork, and I still don’t have a good enough excuse to avoid Grace – especially if we take that one back.”


    Asher exhaled deeply. “A problem for another day, I think. Maybe we can workshop it tomorrow arvo.”


    Lila nodded, glad that he didn’t seem to be quite as upset as before. They approached the lab, finding that the outside was just as bustling and popular as usual for a lunchtime – but the lab itself looked strange.


    Lila and Asher exchanged a glance.


    “Are we too late? Did we miss them going somewhere?” Asher asked quietly, craning his neck.


    “I dunno. Sorry I took so long.”


    “Not your fault,” Asher murmured, still looking towards the lab. “Let’s go. If they’re in there, we can see about putting an order in for next week.”


    Lila followed Asher’s lead down the walkway to the lab door, which they both peered in to. It was the lack of lights that struck Lila. Usually, Livi’s group had the main lights on at the very least if they were in there.


    Asher tried the door, only to find that it was steadfastly locked. His hand leapt to his blazer’s lapel but Lila gently touched his arm.


    “There’s too many people. You haven’t tried this lock before. Let’s not try and lockpick it.”


    He looked down at Lila before sheepishly lowering his hand. “Sorry. I got a bit over-confident there. Ever since I got this kit, no door has seemed like an obstacle.”


    Lila chuckled. “All good. Let’s try and find a place to sit, in case they try and come by.”


    The spot that they usually inhabited was taken over by a different group of students, so Lila and Asher looked around to find any spare spots. There was one right in front direct line of sight of the door, but with no other alternative, they had to take it.


    Lila and Asher sat down, simultaneously opening their lunchboxes which were filled with an assorted array of deli sandwiches.


    From where they were sitting, they both had clear line of sight of the door. No one approached it, though Lila did see from time to time that Nate appeared before the ravenous crowd of students.


    The absence of the Grade 12s after the sanction was announced did perturb Lila somewhat. Where did they go? Was this part of their backup plan? Were they together, or had they entirely disbanded?


    “On Monday, what do you reckon about having Tuckshop?” Asher asked suddenly, causing Lila to look up at him in bewilderment.


    “Sorry?”


    “Well… just as I said. On Monday, I reckon we should get Tuckshop. Maybe play a card game or two.” His gaze was meaningful and Lila immediately nodded.


    “Yeah. Let’s get Tuckshop on Monday.”


    He smiled at her. “Great.”


    Their conversations slowly morphed into casual chats and banter, with neither of them addressing Elise’s confrontation, the morphine ring, the Banker situation, Grace or Isaac. It seemed that they had plenty to talk about outside of those things.


    Lunch finally finished with no appearance from anyone in Livi’s group. It seemed that they had well and truly abandoned the lab, which surprised Lila. Lila had thought that they would at least keep it as a base of operations for the morphine ring, particularly if a lot of people already knew it’s location. Though, perhaps not having a base served them equally as well, if their drops were calculated to look entirely innocent by virtue of environmental disguises.


    “Notice anything?” Asher asked her as they both stood up, stretching his hands to the sky.


    “Nope, besides the lights and locked door.”


    “I didn’t either. It really looks like they just up and left it though, when you look at some of the desks.”


    “Yeah. I was just thinking though, what if they tried to come back but the school already changed the locks?”


    “I feel like that’s too productive for Forestglade College.”


    Asher shrugged. “The labs have some expensive stuff in them. I was surprised to learn, when I first went into one, that students just had free access to them in class. It would make sense to lock it properly after each lesson, and change the locks so that people can’t just wander off around here. Not sure why the teachers haven’t done that so far.”


    “Beats me.”


    They headed back to the locker room, with Asher seeming glad to see that neither Elise, Grace nor Isaac were standing in Lila’s aisle.


    “I’ll see you after class,” he said gently, taking his hand away. “You’ve got Design last, yeah?”


    “I do,” Lila smiled. He didn’t even need to check his phone to know that.


    “Alright. I’ll meet you there.”


    “Okay. Thanks, Asher.”


    “No worries.”


    ***


    Mr Dillon released Lila’s Design class with a distinctly un-cheery attitude. It was rather expected of Mr Dillon, though it seemed to dampen exactly none of Lila’s classmates’ attitudes in being set free for the weekend. Some of the more eager ones filed out in a rush, Lila being one of them, and she was pleased to see Asher waiting for her, as promised.


    “Do you literally run everywhere to get to my classes?” she asked, slipping her hand into his. He laughed.


    “I’ve told you plenty of secrets, but that’s one I’ll keep,” he said playfully.


    “You totally do.”


    “Busted.”


    She giggled, curling her arm around his. “I’m glad. It seems like you’re eager to see me.”


    “Of course I am,” he said candidly as they trekked back to the locker room for the final time that week. “You’re my girlfriend.”


    She beamed, squeezing his arm. “And you’re my boyfriend.”


    Tomorrow would mark two full weeks of being able to say both of those things. It felt like time was flying by so quickly – yet it felt to Lila as though they’d already been together for an age.


    She packed her school bags and placed her hat on her head, turning to find Asher already silently demanding her bags from her. She laughed as she passed them along. She was glad that he still seemed to find joy in carrying her things for her.


    Though she really wanted to talk a lot about what happened that week in its entirety, she was also incredibly aware that they shouldn’t mention it whilst on campus still – at least, if they wanted a fulsome conversation. Waiting for tomorrow, especially with the rematch against St Peters on their turf – sounded painful, but she managed to keep those thoughts to herself.


    They passed Ms Shard, who was on hat duty this afternoon, with a polite goodbye to her. She eyed them both, but said nothing of the fact that they were touching – instead preferring, it seemed, to say goodbye back. She followed up the goodbye with another reminder about the draft – which made Lila cringe – before barking at a hatless student to stand before her.


    “So, tomorrow,” Asher said quietly once they stood outside Lila’s bus stop. “You asked your parents if you could stay over?”


    “Yup. I’ll be staying over.”


    “Good… uh, I think the museum visit was planned for 10am on Sunday. If we’re still going, that is. I feel like somehow it’s all become such a mess that I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone cancelled.”


    “Nah,” Lila shook her head. “I thought that too, but I know Elise and Grace are very responsible with that kind of thing. Especially since Elise specifically booked time off from Maccas for this. Besides… even if it’s awkward, it’s not like we need to roam around the museum as a group.”


    “All good points.”


    “Besides… if they all decide to cancel last minute, it’s not like we couldn’t go, just the two of us.” Lila felt shy as she raised this with Asher, who’s face looked tinged with pink.


    “I… guess we could,” he said after a moment. “It’d… be our first real outing, as boyfriend and girlfriend.”


    Lila grinned, leaning in to his shoulder. “Yeah.”


    Asher seemed ready to say something else when the school bus screeched to a halt in front of her bus stop. Lila despondently took her bags from him and made to get on the bus when he pulled her back by the wrist.


    “Going without a kiss?” he asked, his eyes looking sad at the prospect.


    “Of course not,” Lila replied, her face splitting into a wide beam. “Just testing you.”


    “Well, don’t do that again,” he murmured before leaning down and giving her his promised kiss. She reciprocated before he stepped away, a forlorn smile on his face.


    “Get home safe. I’ll see you tomorrow.”


    “You too, Asher. And get some rest for the game tomorrow.”


    “I’ll try. Promise.”


    She hopped on the bus, taking her usual seat and keeping an eye on him out the window. He remained at her bus stop as usual until it pulled away. She leaned back into her seat, her face turning into one of longing. At least there was light at the end of this tunnel – she’d be seeing him tomorrow, and even staying over.