Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Seven


    Lila eyed her Dad carefully over dinner that Monday night. She''d promised Asher she''d ask what her Dad did with finalised investigation case files, but now that they were eating dinner as a family she wasn''t sure she had the courage.


    Her Dad looked the same as he usually did – intent on eating his dinner, but cracking dad jokes every so often to the chagrin of everyone around the table. Daniel also seemed to be back to normal with her, having flicked her on the way past to sit down. She considered checking in on him again but, for now, she needed to focus. Ask questions without sounding suspicious. A task that required all her concentration.


    She picked a natural lull in the conversation about Daniel''s touch footy progress, wiping her mouth of spaghetti sauce with a napkin.


    "Dad, I''ve been wondering."


    Her Dad looked up at her, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Sounds like I''ve got to brace myself. Fire away."


    "It, um, occurred to me that I don''t really know what happens when an investigation is over."


    His expression changed from curiosity to suspicion. "What''s up with the question?"


    "I was just curious. Since, well, our chat in the study with Asher and Daniel meant-"


    Her Dad''s eyes darted to Lila''s Mum and Daniel before he cut her off. "Right." He took another look at Lila''s Mum, who seemed just as curious about his response as Lila felt.


    "The investigator looks through the case file before the admin team tidy it up and prepares it for archiving."


    "Archiving?"


    He nodded, now seemingly piquing the interest of Daniel and Clare, too. "It gets put into deep storage. Since the files range from employment matters, criminal matters, personal matters, all sorts, they all have different retention thresholds. Timelines that they need to be kept in storage in case there are appeals or anything arising from the actions taken in relation to the findings. To make it easier, we just have a permanent retention policy but since we''ve been doing this for quite a while, we needed to go offsite for archiving."


    "Oh. Where''s that?"


    "There''s a company based in the city."


    "Oh. Do clients get a copy of the file?"


    He looked surprised. "Definitely not."


    "Even if they pay?"


    At once, his expression turned grim. "I''m not in that kind of business, Lila. Confidentiality is very important – including maintaining confidentiality of our investigative techniques and our investigators."


    "Sorry."


    Her Dad readjusted his glasses. "Don''t be. It is a fair question, albeit offensive."


    "Sorry, Dad."


    "You''re alright, kiddo. Still thinking about career paths?"


    "Yeah. Um, investigation sounds cool."


    Her Dad chuckled, which eased the tension building in her shoulders. Perhaps she could inch towards what she really wanted to know now.


    "So, uh, when you archive things," Lila said tentatively, looking back down at the remnants of her spaghetti, "does that include the stuff in your office?"


    He paused long enough for her to get nervous once more. "That''s an interesting question."


    She gave a short, anxious laugh. "You know me. Interesting questions all the time."


    She wasn''t sure whether that made it worse, but his narrowed eyes relaxed. "I told you a while ago that the files in my office are copies."


    "Yeah, but, like, what do you do with them when you''re done?"


    "Since they''re copies, I just leave them at home. What I bring back home is such a small part of the file for easy reference anyway so it doesn''t need to go back to the office."


    ''Then where''s Asher''s Dad''s file?'' Lila bit her lip, unsure what to ask to prompt him to tell her something that could hint at where it''d gone. With the way that his eyes were narrowing once more, she could tell that her time was running out before he''d start asking questions of her instead – questions she didn''t want to answer.


    "Well, hang on," Daniel interjected, causing everyone to stare at him, "what happens when your home office gets full?"


    Lila''s Dad chuckled again and Lila had never felt so grateful for her brother''s intrusion into a conversation in her life.


    "I look through everything that was closed in chronological order from date of closure, double-check that I''ve got everything saved onto the electronic file and then shred enough to make space," her Dad replied simply, his probing eyes no longer on Lila.


    Shred them? There was a shredder in the home office, but Lila had never thought to check whether there were scraps of paper in there. Except… if something had been shredded, she wouldn''t be able to jigsaw it back together. He''d recently upgraded his home shredder to a micro-cut version – something which had been cool when he demonstrated it to them but was now incessantly frustrating. At the same time, though, perhaps she''d be able to get the gist from whatever remains were there which could provide her with the answer she needed.


    Aside from that, the Helen Wagner file had been closed far before Ivaan''s file. So why was that still there if he shredded his files in chronological order from the date of closure?


    Then, there was the fact that Lila and Asher had provided her Dad with hardcopy originals of what they''d found in the farmhouse. Surely he wouldn''t shred that. But if he didn''t take his home office files back to his PI office, then… what happened?


    "What about when you receive original documents?" The question had escaped her lips before she could conduct a risk-benefit analysis of said question. His eyes darted to her Mum, who continued to watch on with mild curiosity. From her Mum''s reaction, it seemed that her Dad had kept his promise to not tell her Mum about Lila''s investigation into the morphine ring. If she took advantage of that possibility, then she might be able to squeeze a bit more out of him…


    Her Dad rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses, evidently resigning himself to answering her question. "I scan it at home and take the originals back with me to the main file. Kiddo, this is an awful lot of questions. Is there something in particular that you want to know?"


    "No, Dad," Lila responded swiftly. "Just curious, like I said. Especially since… well, recent events-"


    "Alright," her Dad interjected with another quick glance at Lila''s Mum. "I understand."


    "Understand what, my dear?" Lila''s Mum asked, holding her cup with both hands, her eyes shrewd – as though she knew something was amiss.


    "I''m gonna head on up for some more study," Lila announced, getting up from the table. "Thanks for letting me know, Dad. Being an investigator really sounds interesting."


    Something flashed in her Dad''s eyes – was it excitement? Or acquiescence? "If you do well in your studies, I''ll consider having you be an intern at the PI office over the summer holidays."


    "Really?!" Lila''s exclamation was only a notch under a squeal as she leaned on the dining table towards her Dad. "You seriously mean it?"


    He laughed, all his scrutiny melting in an instant. "Of course – if it''s something you''ll still be interested in by then."


    "I mean, I don''t see why it wouldn''t be," Lila grinned. "I''ve been in the PI office before, but ''intern'' implies I''ll actually be doing something for investigations, right?"


    "Sure does," her Dad smiled fondly. "I''ll figure out what I''ll have you working on since you''re still in school, but it sounds like good motivation for you to do well."


    "Yeah," Lila grinned again, stepping back from the table. "Thanks, Dad. Goodnight everyone."


    Her family chorused their goodbyes before Daniel said, "Can I do it too, Dad?"


    "Don''t you have a stupidly successful business?" Clare queried, prompting Lila to smirk as she departed.


    "Yeah, and? Being an investigator does sound cool-"


    The rest of whatever Daniel was saying was lost to Lila as she climbed the stairs, buzzing from her Dad''s suggestion. She hadn''t expected anything like that but, since he offered, her mind was running through all the potential scenarios she''d encounter whilst interning at his agency.


    What would a legitimate investigation even look like? She''d gotten far with uncovering certain truths, but she was incredibly aware of how amateurish it all was. If she had some experience doing real work, then would she be able to upskill enough that she could make headway on finding Asher''s Mum? Or perhaps if she interacted with her Dad''s team more, like colleagues in a sense, maybe she''d see how capable they were – and if she saw how capable they were, she might be able to convince Asher that they could ask her Dad to find Tabitha.


    They hadn''t talked about his Mum''s disappearance for a while. Here and there, he''d mention something about her – wholesome things, like how she''d enjoy a movie he was planning to watch with Lila or a book they were both reading – which painfully reminded Lila how raw his hurt still was and how desperately he wanted to see her again.


    While it should''ve been their main focus, so many different mysteries had managed to pull her attention elsewhere – enough so that the disappearance of Asher''s favourite person had fallen to the wayside. At the same time, she really didn''t have a clue about where to go next with it. The Police knew she was missing, which was good, Lila supposed – except for the fact that it seemed like they were doing jack shit about it.


    ''Like how they''re doing jack shit about these murders.''


    That might not be fair. After all, she wasn''t privy to anything about that investigation. Even so, it really felt like nothing was being done about it. The murders had been so graphic, so horrifying, yet there were no new press releases. Not even a suspect profile had been released to the public. Not even anything to reassure the public that they were taking it all seriously.


    She flopped onto her bed with a sigh. She''d never had reason to question the effectiveness of the Police force before, but how could she not? Piper had only died in early July, and now Jason had died in mid-August. With how quickly it was all happening, she was pretty sure someone would be next within a few weeks.


    Lila had previously read about murderers and serial killer psychology after Clare had talked about her class on criminal psychology last year. Usually, a crime as vicious as Piper''s murder wouldn''t be a first. Of course, she hadn''t seen Piper''s body, nor did she want to, so there was no way to tell if there were hesitation marks or anything to indicate that it was a first.


    So, who was the first? Tabitha?


    Not that Lila had evidence to suggest that, but… a cool down between December and July sounded reasonable. Hiding the body of their first crime also sounded reasonable. But how would they ever find a body that was hidden?


    Could it be in that park where Piper and Jason had been found? She hadn''t been to Flora Park before. That park could be hiding the clues that she needed – either for Piper and Jason''s murders or for Asher''s Mum''s potential murder.


    She definitely wouldn''t go alone – nor would she tell Asher she thought his Mum''s dead body was in that park. That was a recipe for disaster – or a breakup. With that, her theory in that regard would need to be close to her chest. For all she knew, Tabitha could very well still be alive somewhere… doing… whatever. Since December. Without telling Asher.


    She clapped her face with her hands, resolve flooding through her. For now, she needed to focus on her schoolwork. There wasn''t any capacity for anything else with exams and deadlines looming over her.


    <hr>


    Lila and Asher saw each other bright and early the next morning as usual. Though he was as friendly and tender as he usually was, he was definitely far quieter than normal – a fact she questioned on their walk to their English classroom.


    "Sorry," he murmured. "Just… feeling the pressure."


    "You didn''t seem like this last term."


    He smiled at her, squeezing the hand that was intertwined with his. "Tried to seem cool in front of you and Daniel, you know."


    That''s right – he had spent the lead-up to exams and such holed up in Daniel''s room, redoing the Banker''s books.


    "Besides," he continued, "I''m sure you''re picking up on it more now. I mean, it feels like I know you better since we started dating."


    She returned his smile, stepping closer to him. "I definitely feel that way."


    His smile faded as he added, "Term 3 is the one that counts the most for the award calculations, too."


    "So even more pressure."


    "Yeah. Plus, I… I don''t know how I''d explain my grades slipping if-" he cut himself off and shook his head, his expression changing to one of determination, "-when I see Mum again."


    ''Couldn''t even beat the suggestion she''s dead out of me,'' Lila thought as she tightened her grip on his hand.


    "You will see her again," Lila said softly. "And you won''t have to explain that your grades slipped, because you''ll do well. I believe in you."


    She could virtually see his doubt dissipate.


    "That means more to me than you know," he said, lifting her hand and kissing it gently. "I''m trying not to let the stress get to me."


    "I see."


    She pursed her lips, contemplating whether or not to talk about her Dad''s investigation record-keeping techniques. She didn''t want to add more stress to Asher than necessary, not at this critical time.


    So, she sat quietly beside him throughout English, and even more so during Study right after. His rapid typing on his laptop was the only sound between them until morning tea began.


    "Sorry," Asher said as soon as the clock ticked over. "I don''t like ignoring you."


    "I wasn''t trying to be noticed," she replied, packing away her laptop. "No need to be sorry."


    "Sorry."


    "Asher."


    He grinned at her, taking her bag. "Sorry."


    "Now you''re just forcing it."


    "Sorry."


    "Asher!"


    He laughed, which she joined in with. After grabbing their morning tea, they meandered back towards the library and took their places in an empty meeting room.


    "So," Asher said pleasantly, unwrapping his mandarin, "did you talk to your Dad?"


    Lila kept in her sigh. So much for trying not to stress Asher out. "Yeah, I did."


    "Did he give you any answers?"


    Lila let her sigh out. "Not really. He might''ve shredded it to make room in his home office."


    "Was it particularly full?"


    Lila paused. "Not really. Especially not the last cabinet with the ''W'' files."


    "You haven''t checked the shredder?"


    "Not yet."


    Asher leaned back in his seat, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "He wouldn''t shred the things we gave him, right?"


    "He said he scans originals and then brings them back with him to the office."


    Asher tapped his chin before shrugging. "I reckon he''s shredded it then."


    "Even though he didn''t need the space?"


    "Well, he either took it with him to the office or shredded it. If it''s just a copy, then it''s unlikely he took it to the office, right? So he must''ve shredded it."


    This didn''t satisfy Lila in the slightest, but she begrudgingly agreed. "Must''ve."


    "The why is still mysterious, since he didn''t need the space, but I reckon he shredded it so that you wouldn''t read it."


    "Yeah." She pressed her lips together before sitting upright, leaning towards him with excitement. "Dad said that if I do well, I''ll get to be an intern at his PI office."


    "That''d be cool."


    "Right!"


    The rest of their morning tea was spent speculating what kind of work she''d do as an intern. They both predicted that social media checks would be on the list. Asher guessed that she''d work on a cheating file, and Lila guessed that she''d work on a workplace misconduct file since there tended to be enough evidence to show the conduct happened by the time a PI was hired. She didn''t bring up the idea that she could pass over his Mum''s disappearance to the PI firm, nor that the skills she might learn could be useful in looking into his Mum''s disappearance, though she definitely considered this in the background.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Eventually, they headed back to class and met up once more for lunch. Lila continued to carefully avoid conversations that might lead Asher to feel more stressed than he needed to, which seemed to be successful based on the amount of grinning and joking he did.


    Then, it was time for practice. Lila and Asher slowly made their way to Jacoval, hand-in-hand. At the rate they were going, they''d very nearly miss warm-ups but neither of them mentioned this fact.


    "See you after practice," Asher said as they stood in the hallway to the changing rooms.


    "See you," Lila smiled, accepting her school bags from him. He didn''t move, his reluctance to leave apparent in the way he pressed his lips together, but he eventually headed down the hallway.


    Alice and Willow were still in the changing room when Lila arrived, now eager for her last hockey practice for the year. After their horrible defeat at the hands of Cedar Grove Girls'' last weekend, she''d resigned herself entirely to the fact that there was no chance of progressing to the semi-finals and finals. This probably would''ve devastated Lila last year, but this year… well, she had more important things to do on Saturdays that she''d love more time for – specifically, hanging out with Asher.


    Willow glanced at Lila before looking back at Alice. "I''ll see you both on the oval, yeah?"


    "Yeah," Alice nodded, bending to readjust her shinpads.


    "See you soon," Lila also nodded, crossing over to a spare bit of bench and placing her bag down.


    She heard the door close as she started to change, humming along to a song Asher had suggested she listen to.


    "Thanks, Lila," Alice said quietly after a few moments. Lila turned to face her, having not realised she hadn''t left when the door closed. Alice still looked rather pale, her eyes tired and body slumped on the bench. Despite that, her smile was genuine.


    "You''re welcome," Lila replied with her own smile. "I hope I helped."


    "You really did," Alice said, sitting forwards now. "I''ve decided to keep it."


    Lila kept her reaction as neutral as possible. "Really?"


    "Yeah. I don''t think I''d be able to live with myself if I didn''t."


    "I see."


    Alice looked at Lila for a moment. "I''m really grateful for you telling me about where Jason''s Mum is. Well, was."


    "Was?"


    "Yeah. When I saw her on Saturday, she was going to be released that afternoon. I would''ve missed her if I had gone any later. Then I wouldn''t have met her."


    "How did meeting her go?"


    "Really well," Alice smiled once more. "She''s actually super nice. Like, to the point that I''m wondering whether Jason was actually her son."


    ''Well, that''s unexpected,'' Lila thought, zipping up her bag.


    "He was, of course. They look so similar," Alice added, her eyebrows furrowing with emotion for a moment. "A-Anyway, she, uh, said she''s willing to look after me as much as she can – whether or not I keep the baby. She''d pay for an abortion if that''s what I wanted, but she''d prefer that I didn''t get one. She cried a couple times while we were talking and I realised I couldn''t take this baby from her. She''s devastated beyond belief about Jason."


    "I see," Lila replied gently. "Are you sure you want to raise the baby?"


    "Yeah. I''ve grown really attached and… it''s exciting. I didn''t really know what I wanted to do once I graduated and was thinking of taking a gap year anyway. It''s also terrifying, but I think I''ll be fine. We''ll be fine."


    Though Lila didn''t know Alice too well, she could tell that Alice wasn''t lying.


    "You will be," Lila said encouragingly. "Especially with a mindset like that."


    "Evelyn did say she''d be happy to adopt the baby if I didn''t want it but, for some reason, my heart just hurt when she offered."


    Lila comfortingly patted Alice''s shoulder and Alice looked up at Lila. "She asked me if I had told my parents and I found myself telling her that I was kinda scared they''d kick me out… she said I didn''t need to worry ''cause if they did, she''d let me stay with her. I wouldn''t need to worry about shelter, money or food. When I explained that Jason and I weren''t dating so she really didn''t owe me any of that kindness, she said it didn''t matter."


    "That''s…"


    "Amazing," Alice nodded, her eyes shimmering. "I don''t think I''ve met anyone nicer – especially since it was the first time we met."


    Lila hoped that it wasn''t too good to be true.


    "She wants to get to know me, too. We''re going to go to the shops on Thursday night to look at some maternity things and have dinner."


    Lila blinked at Alice. "She''s allowed to do that?"


    Alice blinked back at Lila. "Yeah… why wouldn''t she?"


    Lila wasn''t sure whether she''d said too much. "U-Uh, you mentioned that she''ll be getting out but isn''t there, like, restrictions?"


    "Oh, right," Alice laughed. "Yeah, she had no idea why she was detained. Said it was a big misunderstanding. That''s why she''s getting out."


    A… misunderstanding? But all the evidence they''d had…


    "They thought she was involved with whatever Jason was involved in, but she swears up and down that she had no idea," Alice explained.


    "And you think she''s being honest about that?"


    "Yeah. She was really confused. It didn''t seem like they''d told her much about what was going on, and all she said was she didn''t know what happened. The Police brought her in for questioning again after Jason died, apparently. She thinks they were hoping she''d ''crack'', but she had nothing to give them. Which, between you and me, sounds absolutely cruel of them to do. She''s also really upset that her partner''s abandoned her, too – so she said I''ve given her hope. Me and whoever this is." Alice lightly touched her stomach, her eyes swimming with unshed tears for the briefest second, before standing up.


    "All this to say, I really owe you, Lila," Alice said earnestly. "If I didn''t have Jason''s Mum''s support, I… I wouldn''t have made a decision. Not yet, anyway. I might''ve ended up resenting everything since I would''ve just let it keep going without actually wanting to ''cause I''d be waiting for a decision that might not come. Now, though, I feel safe to go through with this."


    Lila smiled with relief. "I''m so glad that you feel that way. It''s a hard decision to make but to hear you feel safe to go through with it is amazing. I''m assuming you told Willow?"


    "Yeah. She''s really supportive, too. Excited to be an Aunt, even." Alice chuckled before adding, "She was just as surprised as I was that Jason''s Mum is so nice."


    "When are you going to tell your parents?"


    Alice sighed. "When the baby''s born?"


    Lila wasn''t sure whether to laugh or be concerned, though Alice continued on.


    "Honestly, if it were up to me, never. But it''s not just about me anymore. They deserve to know just as much as Jason''s parents and… with Evelyn''s support, it should be fine. I think I might need to get to know Evelyn a bit more first, though. As much as I want to believe the things she''s saying to me, I was talking to her when she was detained. It''s easy to make promises like that in that scenario."


    So it seemed Alice did consider that it might be too good to be true.


    "Do you have a backup plan in case she''s all talk and your parents aren''t supportive?"


    Alice leaned back, touching the wall behind her with her head. "Backup plan is to try and work until I can''t anymore or sell my car to try and rent somewhere for a little bit. Maybe apply for Centrelink or whatever. Maybe I could stay with Willow''s family, but I don''t necessarily want to burden them. They''ve been good to me for as long as I can remember. Ten years or something."


    Lila nodded, glad that Alice did have a backup plan, loose though it was at this point. Hopefully, she wouldn''t need to actually use it. "Did you get a hold of Jason''s Dad?"


    "No, but his Mum said she''d talk to him. She didn''t think I needed to meet him just yet if I made my decision anyway. She said… he''s not the friendliest person, nor is he particularly generous. I reckon that''s where Jason got his personality from but I didn''t say that to her."


    Lila hadn''t necessarily gotten that impression from the Police interview with Jason, except there was what he''d said – ''I haven''t forgotten why you and Mum got divorced'' – in relation to how much money he had been making from the morphine ring. Was that a character reference?


    Knock, knock.


    "Guys, Ms Wright asked me to grab you," Willow''s voice floated through the changing room door. "Sorry."


    "All good," Alice called, glancing at Lila. "I said all I wanted to say."


    "Thanks for telling me," Lila said as they grabbed their hockey sticks. "I''d love to know how you go with everything. If I can help with anything else, please let me know. I''ll buy you hundreds of nappies."


    Alice laughed heartily, looping her arm around Lila''s. "While I won''t say no to hundreds of nappies, you''ve really done enough."


    "You''ll give me updates, right?"


    "Of course. Let''s get practising before Ms Wright or Charlotte murder us."


    Willow was still standing outside the door and the trio walked towards the oval, talking about their predictions for their last match of the season. Lila kept her eye on Alice throughout practice, pleased that she really looked happy – like her stress had entirely evaporated. Every so often, Alice would need to catch her breath – a fact that Willow and Lila picked up on and allowed for her.


    Most of the other girls took a rather lazy approach to training this afternoon, a fact that Ms Wright didn''t admonish them for. Charlotte, on the other hand, was desperately trying to rile everyone up for their training session, insisting that they needed to keep in shape for the semi-finals and finals. No one wanted to rain on her parade, though Ms Wright did give Charlotte a pitying look every time she mentioned it.


    ''At least we''ve got next year, Charlotte,'' Lila thought as she passed the ball to Willow, who proceeded to go through a cone drill.


    Due to the casual nature of today''s practice, Lila would sneak glances at the soccer boys. The fervour with which they practised today convinced Lila that they would be going ahead to not only the semi-finals but the finals, too. Even Theo, who usually was rather lackadaisical in practice, was working incredibly hard.


    Asher was inside the goal closest to the changing rooms and tossing a soccer ball to Isaac, who would kick it as hard as possible back to him. The ball was almost invisible from Lila''s standpoint, the sound it made when connecting to Asher''s hands sounding painful if he wasn''t wearing gloves.


    "I''m glad you''ve found someone who makes you look like that," Alice chuckled as she passed the ball to Lila, who let it tap her shinpads. "I kinda wish I had that."


    Lila looked down at the ball before shooting it towards Willow with a clack.


    "You''ll have that one day," Lila grinned. "Just might not be romantic."


    Alice looked confused for a moment before grinning back. "You''re right. I will."


    Practice slowly drew to a close, with Ms Wright''s pep talk being carefully worded to avoid the ire of Charlotte, yet was still focused more on having fun rather than winning.


    "See you girls on Saturday," Ms Wright finished with a smile. "Bright and early at Cedar Grove Girls''."


    "Bye, ma''am!" chorused Lila''s teammates as they immediately scattered to the changing room.


    Lila glanced over at the soccer boys, who were still practising with incredible determination, before making her own way to the changing room alongside Alice and Willow.


    "Get some rest, alright?" Lila said to Alice as they reemerged into the hallway outside the changing room, bags slung over their shoulders.


    "Will do," Alice replied softly. "Gotta take care of myself."


    "That you do," Willow interjected.


    Lila waved them goodbye as they slowly wandered off to the carpark. She readjusted her bag, listening as the sound of raucous, boisterous laughter floated towards her.


    She flattened herself against the wall of the hallway, wrinkling her nose to protect against the scent of the soccer boys, none of whom looked to have noticed her as they shoved each other and guffawed.


    Well, none except Asher.


    "Hey," Asher beamed, his scent being one that she enjoyed rather than loathed. He wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand before gently touching her cheek. "I''ll grab my stuff and we can head up to the carpark?"


    "Yeah," Lila replied, holding his hand against her face for a second more.


    "Alright, lover boy," Isaac chastised, pushing Asher forwards with his knee and a grin. "C''mon."


    Lila leaned against the wall again as she waited for Asher to return. Most of the boys had filed through into the changing room now, so Lila took the time to revel in the silence.


    "Hey, Lila," Theo''s voice called her attention. She turned her head to watch his approach from the oval, his hair a sweaty mess. She straightened up, carefully surveying his demeanour. He… seemed like he always did.


    "Hey, Theo."


    He nodded, passing her without another word.


    "W-Wait, Theo," Lila said, turning to him again. He stepped backwards until he faced her.


    "Yeah?"


    "U-Uh… how are you?"


    "Me?" His eyes flashed with uncertainty, glancing at the boys'' changing rooms. "Anxious your boyfriend''s going to deck me."


    "Sorry. You don''t have to talk to me."


    "That was a joke." He sighed before crossing his arms. "A shit one."


    Lila didn''t say anything. He looked at her for a moment.


    "… I can''t believe he''s dead," Theo murmured. "This stupid drug ring… it killed him."


    "You reckon?"


    Theo gave her a dark look. "I''ve never been more certain of anything in my life."


    "Even though he was killed like Piper?"


    "Who?"


    "Um, that girl who was found murdered in the same way last month?"


    Theo blinked before realisation made him nod. "Yeah. Even then. Best way to disguise why someone was murdered is to murder them like someone else did it."


    Lila hadn''t considered that before. The similarities had seemed too close for a copycat… but maybe it was?


    "And my money is that Livi did it," Theo said through gritted teeth. "She always hated him."


    "Livi? Wasn''t she detained?"


    "Everyone else except Jason was released the next morning. They''ve been… pretty pissed at me for not going down with them, so I''ve been getting texts from them."


    "I see." Lila considered this for a moment before shaking her head. "I don''t think Livi would personally do that, though."


    "She wouldn''t, but everyone knows she''s more than happy to use her body to get what she wants."


    "Even murder?"


    Theo shrugged. "Wouldn''t put it past her."


    Lila pursed her lips. "You sound a bit biased."


    Theo placed his hands on his hips, a flurry of emotions flitting across his face. "She was always a bitch, so maybe I am biased. Or maybe… I feel guilty for not trying harder to get them to stop. Besides the fact that he''s dead, they all got expelled just before they could graduate. Everyone except me. And Vi, I guess."


    "But you weren''t involved."


    "I also didn''t report it and get it shut down before it got too big."


    Lila had never thought that Theo would hold himself accountable like this – not that she knew him particularly well.


    "I… don''t think you should hold onto this regret," she said softly, looking past his shoulder. "It''s not like you murdered him."


    "I may as well have by keeping my mouth shut and nose clean. I… I just thought it was entertaining. I watched them go through with it, take your brother''s money, and infect other schools ''cause it was interesting to me. I wanted to see where it''d go from the sidelines. That passivity-"


    "Sure, maybe you were passive," Lila interjected, "but they were expelled because of their actions, not your inaction. They could''ve stopped themselves, too."


    Theo kicked at the ground in frustration before sighing again. "You''re right, but… I can''t stop myself from feeling like this."


    Lila held her tongue just in time – she''d only been a couple of seconds away from telling him that she''d reported the ring. It made her feel just as guilty as Theo was confessing, but she''d surely make him feel worse by admitting that it was his loose lips that started her and Asher''s investigation.


    "I… can imagine that it''s really hard on you, but it''s not your fault. I''m sure you''ll see that one day."


    "Can''t wait," Theo replied bitterly. Then, he smiled at Lila, though it didn''t look very genuine. "Thanks for listening. Said more than I wanted. Sorry."


    "You''re good," Lila smiled in return. "I have that effect on people apparently."


    "Maybe you should be a psychologist. Or a police officer."


    The door to the boys'' changing room opened once more, prompting both Lila and Theo to look that way.


    "That''s my cue to run away," Theo said swiftly. "That anxiety wasn''t as much of a joke as I thought. See ya."


    "Bye."


    Lila watched as he practically sprinted down the hall and past an unimpressed Asher. Theo bumped into Isaac in his haste, the door swinging shut behind him.


    Asher snorted before strolling towards Lila and picking up her bag, Isaac trailing behind him.


    "You know, I''d normally feel jealous, but I think he shat himself when he saw me," Asher smirked.


    "You don''t have to feel jealous," Lila insisted, taking his arm in hers. "Asher, I only have eyes for you."


    His face burst into a brilliant red shade, his smile bright. "Well, how can I go against that?"


    "You two are so corny," Isaac laughed, slapping them apart.


    "Why are you still even here?" Lila frowned.


    "''Cause I can''t teleport home, Lila," Isaac replied as though it was obvious. "Damn."


    Lila rolled her eyes at him and he snorted in response.


    The three of them headed up to the carpark, with Lila and Asher hanging slightly behind Isaac. They bid their goodbyes to him, watching him head into his Mum''s car, before Asher turned to Lila.


    "I only have eyes for you, too," Asher murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.


    The butterflies in her stomach began to flutter. "I''m glad."


    He lifted her chin, his magnetic gaze halting her breath. He leaned in, pausing a mere centimetre from her lips. She waited for his lips to be against hers, but as the seconds passed, it seemed like he wasn''t going to.


    "Asher," she whispered, gripping his shirt. "Don''t tease me."


    "Sorry," he whispered back, his grin lightening his playful tone. "I just… wanted to see what you''d say."


    She frowned and then pressed her lips to his. He laughed before deepening the kiss and pulling her closer by her waist. To her surprise, he continued to maintain the kiss, sending trickles of electricity over her skin. If only they weren''t in a carpark at school.


    He broke away with a dazzling smile, though it dropped slightly. "It''s time for me to go."


    "What about my other two kisses?"


    His smile picked up again. "Coming right up."


    As promised, they shared two more kisses, though they were much quicker than the first. Once he stepped back, she intertwined her fingers with his.


    "I''ll see you tomorrow," she said softly. He squeezed her hands.


    "See you then."


    With that, he returned her bag to her and begrudgingly walked towards Marlene''s awaiting car. Lila watched him go before turning to Clare''s car. Clare immediately waggled her eyebrows at Lila, which didn''t cease until Lila sat in the front and clipped her seatbelt in.


    "Welcome, welcome," Clare smirked. "I thought I''d have to get out and stop you guys before your coaches gave you detention."


    "Oh, shut up," Lila huffed, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment.


    Clare did so, her smirk still on her face. As they began to leave campus though, her smirk fell. Clare tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, a scowl forming. The tapping continued, which started to grate on Lila.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked, turning to face Clare. Clare glanced at her, her scowl relaxing but finger tapping increasing in speed. Lila would''ve preferred the opposite to occur, but she didn''t say anything, instead waiting for Clare to explain herself.


    "It''s… that new chick, Melody."


    "Oh? What''s wrong?"


    "Don''t you reckon it''s a bit soon for her to, like, start adding the bar staff on Facebook?"


    Lila blinked at her sister, perplexed by the question. "What do you mean?"


    Clare tensed her shoulders as she clenched her hands around the steering wheel. "When I went over to Alex''s on Saturday, I saw she added him on Facebook."


    "Yeah? Is… she not supposed to?"


    Clare exhaled deeply. "The dancers at Coolisimo hardly interact with the bar staff. The roles are pretty separate, especially since it''s not encouraged for the dancers to drink before or on shift. The only reason I got close with Alex, really, is because I also take on bartending shifts."


    "And none of the other dancers do?"


    "Just Cherry. Sorry, Bridget. Cherry''s her stage name."


    "Right. Why do you do bartending shifts?"


    "I was curious about it. It looked interesting, so I asked Gabriel if I could. He needed to hire a casual bartender anyway since Alex was back to studying botany, so he paid for an RSA for me and away I went."


    "RSA?"


    "Responsible Service of Alcohol. A certificate that says I can responsibly serve alcohol to patrons. They teach you things about cutting people off, checking IDs, and all that to get certified."


    "Oh. You''re far more trained in a lot more things than I thought you''d be."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Just that you''re so busy, but you never seem run down. Do you do drugs?"


    Clare gave Lila a reproachful look. "Are you purposefully being a dumbass?"


    "It''s an honest question!"


    "So it''s not on purpose. You''re just a dumbass."


    "Hey!"


    Clare smirked at Lila. "No, I don''t do drugs. I just have the time management skills of a god."


    Lila''s eyebrow twitched. "Uh-"


    "Got my ass into gear with time management in school. I did Cheer, remember? That''s a time commitment and a half. Got my license as soon as I could so that Mum and Dad didn''t have to cart me around all the time. There''s comps, practice, exams, camps-"


    "Yeah, yeah, I remember."


    "And I managed to get a good ATAR score."


    "Alright, geez. I get it. Right, so, she shouldn''t know Alex is what you''re saying?"


    "Yeah. I guess." Clare sighed. "I just… well, everyone at the club knows about us now."


    "Could she think you''re friends with her?"


    "I don''t think so. We hardly talked, like I said."


    "I don''t think you need to worry, sis. Did Alex say anything about it? Like, does he think it''s weird?"


    "No… but he did say that she was flirty at the bar the other day after her shift. But she was flirty with him and Eric, so maybe that''s just who she is?"


    "He thought she was flirty and still added her?"


    Clare pursed her lips. "That''s what I said. He just thinks she was trying to be friendly since she''s new. He told her that we''re dating when she kept flirting after he shut her down, then got home and saw the friend request."


    "Maybe she''ll get the picture soon."


    Clare frowned. "Maybe."


    "I don''t think you should be insecure about it," Lila said reassuringly. "You and Alex love each other. She wouldn''t get in the middle of that even if she tried. Besides, he''s with you of all people. You''re great. Even with a fringe."


    Clare lightly smacked Lila''s shoulder before they both laughed.


    "You''re right," Clare said, "I''m just being silly. It''s just being friends on Facebook. It doesn''t mean anything."


    "Exactly."


    Clare relaxed her hands on the steering wheel, which Lila took as a sign that she also relaxed about the topic.


    ''I didn''t think that Clare would get insecure over something like this,'' Lila thought as she turned her gaze to the window, watching the scenery flash by. ''Guess love can do this to even my sister.''


    Privately, though, Lila was quite glad that Asher still didn''t have Holly on Facebook. Of course, Holly had blocked them now, but even before then. Perhaps she would''ve felt just as insecure.


    "Did you talk to that girl again?" Clare asked after a few minutes of silent driving. "The pregnant one."


    Lila nodded. "I did. She''s decided to keep the baby after talking to Jason''s Mum."


    "I see. Does your friend seem happy about it? She''s not being forced to, right?"


    "I reckon she''s happy. She said it was exciting, actually. She was thinking of taking a gap year anyway."


    "That''s good, then. It''ll probably be a few gap years but she''ll work it out. From what you told me, she seems to think things through."


    "Yeah, though she doesn''t trust her decision-making skills since she ended up in this situation."


    "Eh, things happen," Clare said with a wave of her hand. "I''d say it''s this part now that''s more important."


    "I think so too."


    "She''ll learn to trust herself more when the baby comes, I''m sure."


    "Yeah."


    "Is his Mum supportive at least?"


    "Definitely. She''d even take her in if her parents kicked her out."


    "Damn."


    "Yeah, it''s pretty incredible. She told his Mum that she wasn''t dating Jason and his Mum said it didn''t matter, she''d still look after her – even if she didn''t keep the baby. Of course, she''d prefer my friend to keep the baby."


    "Of course."


    "Thanks for your advice, Clare. She really appreciated it and she even said that she might not have made a decision if she hadn''t talked to Jason''s Mum and then might''ve resented the baby in the end. I don''t think she''s going to resent it now."


    "That''s what I''m here for. Big sisters are advice givers, you know."


    "I know."


    Clare eyed Lila as she slowly crawled the car up their driveway. "Not that little sisters can''t be advice givers. You''re decently okay at it."


    "Thanks, I guess."


    Clare snorted as she pulled up the handbrake. Lila flashed her a grin before scrambling out of the car and grabbing her things.


    Lila spent the rest of her night studying, her thoughts drifting here and there to what Alice had said. She really was glad that Alice seemed content with her decision, though Lila couldn''t help but wonder about what Evelyn had told Alice. Did she really not know a thing? Alice was convinced, but… could she be pushing aside red flags because Evelyn''s offer was so tempting?


    ''I''ll have to tell Asher tomorrow,'' Lila thought as she pulled the covers over herself and plugged her phone in. ''He might have an idea…''