Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Three


    Lila had managed to submit her Maths assignment on Monday night, working immediately on the next as soon as Turnitin sent her receipt to her email address. Usually at this point in the term, she would feel rather overwhelmed by the lack of time she had left to complete her assignments. This term, though, there was no overwhelm – just progressive anticipation for the weekend. She''d started working on these far earlier than usual and now she had just two to hand in.


    So, when it was time for her to go to bed having achieved quite a bit, it felt like a private reward to remember the kissing and touching she''d shared with Asher at morning tea. She drifted off, a smile on her face with one hopeful question on her mind – could they reenact it in the privacy of his rumpus room?


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Lila ran through an internal list of the points she needed to adjust on her Modern History assignment as she pulled out her HPE bag from her locker that Tuesday morning, her spirits high. Then, a warm hand on her shoulder jolted her as if it were a lightning bolt.


    "Gee," Asher laughed, his voice as warm as his hand. "I don''t think I''ve had that reaction before."


    She immediately spun to face him, scrutinising every centimetre of his face. Her face broke into a wide smile.


    "You kept your promise."


    He laughed again. "I''m surprised you can tell."


    She straightened up. "Of course I can. I''ve memorised your face, you know."


    He lightly plucked her HPE bag from her hands, his face pink. "I''ve memorised yours too," he murmured, avoiding her eyes. "I can tell you slept."


    She grinned. "I did. I slept very well."


    "Any reason for that?"


    Lila slowly closed her locker, hoping to find the words in the time it''d take to do that. With dismay, she hadn''t by the time her lock clicked and she turned back to face him.


    "… I kept thinking about morning tea," she eventually said, hugging her torso. "I can''t explain why, but it helped me sleep."


    He paused. "I see."


    "I really like it when you touch me," she whispered, trembling ever so slightly. Again with the sudden nervousness – was she feeling this way because she still didn''t know where he was at with the whole intimacy thing?


    He took a deep breath, his ribcage visibly expanding from the force.


    "I''m glad," he said after exhaling, turning to the exit. She was disappointed by the shortness of his response, though she couldn''t think why. He''d already said he liked touching her yesterday – what else was she looking for?


    "Did you manage to hand in your Maths?"


    She fell into step with him as she responded in the affirmative, their conversation smoothly moving on to more topics.


    Just like that, they easily slipped into the routine of their daily life, with jokes, smiles, and engaging discussions. To have found someone she could easily lose track of the time and herself with was truly a blessing, her smile never fading even as she changed into her sports uniform.


    "You look really happy."


    Lila jolted for the second time that morning. Her eyes landed on Ayla who, by contrast, looked pretty unhappy.


    "D-Do I?"


    Ayla nodded, lacing up her shoes. "Yeah. Any reason?"


    Lila faltered. Ayla glanced at her, seemingly noticing her hesitation.


    "I''d love to hear a happy story right now."


    "W-Well, I don''t have a story as such but… I was just thinking about how lucky I am to-" she cut herself off, hooking her bag up.


    "To?"


    Lila winced. "To… be with Asher."


    "Ah," Ayla breathed. The silence that followed was stifling, but Ayla''s eventual reaction was even more so. "You reckon?"


    Lila assessed Ayla''s expression. She seemed tired, though Lila hadn''t seen her not be tired this whole term. She also didn''t seem angry with Lila – in fact, there appeared to be some mild interest in her answer.


    "Yeah. I''ve forgotten what my life was like without him, actually," Lila finally said.


    "I see." Ayla''s lips quivered as though she was about to break down into tears, but she held it together for now. "I''m scared of forgetting what my life with Piper was like."


    A crushing statement so early in the morning made Lila sit down next to Ayla.


    "Have you ended up seeing the counsellor like I suggested?"


    "I made an appointment for later this week," Ayla replied, a forlorn smile on her face. "I hope it helps."


    "I think it will. Talking about it all helps, doesn''t it?"


    Ayla nodded before bringing her knees to her chin. "I ended up confessing to my friends about everything yesterday. I hadn''t meant to tell them everything but I just couldn''t stop talking which is normal, I guess. Most of them are supportive but… Jackson left the group. Said he couldn''t be friends with a ''lesbo'' or whatever he said, even though we''ve been friends for years and nothing''s changed. I think Belle might want to leave too, but that''s mainly ''cause I know she likes Jackson. Most of all, though, even the friends who''ve stayed and are supportive… I know their opinion of me has changed. I''m just too scared to ask them how."


    From what Lila could recall, Jackson did soccer with Asher – which meant she''d see him tonight for their end-of-season celebrations.


    ''What an asshole,'' she thought as she watched Ayla tremble.


    "Worst of all is… well, Brittany hasn''t left or anything like that but… she''s been way, way too quiet. Aside from Piper, Brittany''s my closest friend. Her silence is killing me."


    Lila held in her instinctual sigh. It didn''t sound like the best outcome, but at least it wasn''t the worst.


    "Did clearing the air with your friends help a little?"


    Ayla shrugged. "It did until Jackson made a scene. I wouldn''t be surprised if the whole school knows by the end of the week but… I don''t really care anymore. Haven''t cared about much recently."


    "Seems like Jackson''s not someone you''d want to be friends with."


    "Yeah… but we''d been friends for years and I had no idea he felt like this. I feel kinda stupid for ever thinking we were friends."


    "You''re not stupid for that," Lila said firmly. "If he wants to be a dick about it, he can go be a dick by himself. At least your other friends have stayed."


    Ayla sighed again. "Yeah."


    "I think Brittany might be shocked, that''s all," Lila said comfortingly. "She probably just needs some time."


    Ayla nodded, her eyes glazed over for just a moment. Then, she stood up, stretching.


    "Well, I think it''s time for class," she said lamely. They both exited with Lila almost immediately coming face-to-face with a worried Asher.


    "You took a while," he said, his eyes darting to Ayla before resting on Lila. "Everything-"


    "Let''s go," Lila said, pulling him towards the Gymnasium.


    "O-Okay."


    Lila thought she saw a shadow of a smile cross Ayla''s face before she was quickly left behind in their haste.


    Ms Wright was already at the front of the class, but it didn''t seem she''d gotten to the roll quite yet. Lila and Asher quietly sat down before her, though not quietly enough.


    "Morning, Lila. Morning, Asher. You two attending the celebration this afternoon?" Ms Wright asked sternly, looking over the rim of her glasses at them both.


    There wasn''t any room to say ''no'' with a look like that. They both nodded and Ms Wright smiled.


    "Good, good." She then gave three sharp claps, calling for the attention of their classmates. It seemed that today would entail basketball.


    "You know, I don''t think we''ve really had a formal assessment for PE this year," Lila commented to Asher as he helped her up.


    "You do know that Ms Wright''s clipboard isn''t just a showpiece, right?" Asher replied with a small chuckle. Lila spun to see Ms Wright''s clipboard sitting forlornly on the floor where she''d stood and Lila looked at Asher again.


    "That''s not just for the roll?"


    "Nope. She evaluates our performance through the sports we play. I think at this point though, it''s all pretty chill. The grade doesn''t actually do anything for our GPA, since it''s more a Government initiative to make sure we''re at least a little bit active. It''s completely dropped next year unless you elected to take Fitness, which I think nets you a Cert in it."


    "Seriously?"


    He grinned. "What, you think the Dux is going to lie to you about that?"


    She flushed. "Not at all. I''m just surprised you knew all that."


    "I had to evaluate all the options when I was choosing my electives."


    "Even though you knew you were basically going to do the Suicide Six classes?"


    "''Course. If there was some configuration that gave me a better advantage, I would''ve done that instead. Just meant I needed to look into all the configurations. That''s why I decided against Biology and went for Mandarin."


    "Do you guys talk about anything interesting?" Connor''s intrusion into their conversation immediately sparked violence in Lila''s heart. "You guys are dating but you''re talking about schoolwork? You''re so boring."


    Lila spun to face Connor, who was holding two vests clearly meant for Lila and Asher.


    "Butt out," Lila said shortly, taking both vests.


    Connor defensively held his hands up. "Bro, I was just asking. No need to get so mad."


    "You just said we were boring," Asher said, his eyes narrowed. "I don''t think that''s ''just asking''. I''m happy to continue where we left off in February if you wanna start some shit."


    Lila frowned, trying to think about ''where we left off'', but it seemed that Connor had immediately understood. He shrank back before scuttling to where the vests were sitting and grabbing fistfuls more.


    "He''s all talk," Asher said disapprovingly, scowling in the direction that Connor had disappeared to.


    "February?" Lila asked, looking up at his face.


    He blankly looked back at her before his expression softened. "Yeah. When we were practising the dances for the semi-formal."


    In a flash, Lila remembered exactly that – when Connor had continually tried to touch her lower back, or even more, before Asher had told him off, looking as if he was about to punch Connor. Now knowing that Asher had realised that his feelings for Lila hadn''t disappeared despite having a girlfriend, his reaction back then made a lot of sense.


    "Valentine''s Day, right?" Lila clarified. Asher nodded.


    "Yeah. I was pretty close to punching him."


    "I remember."


    "He does too, it seems." Asher chuckled. "Good."


    Lila pressed her lips together, lest her want to say ''I love you'' slipped out.


    "Looks like we''re on different teams," Asher said disappointedly. "See you after class."


    "What? Oh. Yeah. Try not to lose, alright?"


    "Against you? That''s like asking me to fistfight a bear and win."


    She snorted. "Not sure how I feel about being compared to a bear."


    "I wasn''t saying I''d fistfight you," Asher replied with a bemused smile. "Though, I''d definitely lose if I tried."


    "Why? You''re pretty strong."


    "Besides the fact that I don''t want to hurt you," he said softly, looking at the court in which his team was settling their positions, "I don''t think I''d stand a chance against you if you''re giving it your all. I''ve already said that you''re pretty relentless."


    Lila blinked. "Uh, being relentless is nothing when there''s strength."


    "I wouldn''t be so sure. A-Anyway, it doesn''t really matter since I''m not going to fight you."


    "Now I''m curious, though."


    He looked at her like she''d just announced she''d taken a spaceship to school. "Jesus, Lila, that''s not something to be curious about."


    "C''mon. Fight me," she grinned, putting up both of her fists.


    "Lila, I''m not going to fight you," Asher said flatly, though his lips twitched with amusement.


    "C''mon, just a little fight?"


    "I don''t think you can just have ''a little fight''. It''s either a fight or it''s not."


    "Fine. Fight me mediumly then, you coward."


    He laughed, shaking his head. "No. Besides, I don''t think medium fights exist, either."


    "Aw," Lila pouted. "Why not?"


    "Well, first of all, our teams are glaring at us because we''re already wasting time, and secondly, I don''t want to."


    "Damn."


    He laughed again. "You sure are full of fire today."


    "Enough fire to fight you."


    "Lila, you''re going to make me choke," he chuckled, lightly pushing her towards her side of the court.


    "Is that a fighting invitation?" she immediately asked, putting her fists up again.


    "No!"


    "Lila, Asher, please stop flirting and go to your teammates," Ms Wright barked, startling them both. "Otherwise I''ll have to mark you both as having not attended."


    Ms Wright didn''t have to tell them twice.


    Class finished up with Lila''s team winning, though it was only by a point. Lila changed as quickly as she could and met up with Asher with a grin.


    "So, have you thought about fighting me?"


    "Lila," Asher sighed, though his eyes had a playful twinkle. "I''m not going to fight you."


    Lila huffed. "I can''t believe you''d deprive me of finding out how we''d go in a fight."


    "It''s simple. You''d win and I''d lose."


    "Nuh-uh. You''d win and I''d lose."


    "Fine, then-" she gasped in excitement but he continued without meeting her eyes, "-you''d lose and I''d win. Happy now?"


    Lila contemplated this before shaking her head. "No. Not the same as actually trying."


    He chuckled. "Then I guess you''ll just need to stay curious."


    She huffed again and he wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "You''re adorable."


    She relaxed in his grasp, though her heartbeat was anything other than relaxed. She felt him shake with laughter and she looked up at him with a frown.


    "Stop laughing at me."


    "I''m not laughing at you," Asher insisted. "I''m just feeling… happy."


    "Happy?"


    "Well, yeah. You make me really happy."


    "You make me really happy, too," Lila mumbled, unexpectedly feeling shy. Butterflies thundered in her stomach and she reached a hand up to his arm, squeezing it gently. "Happy enough to fight you."


    He chortled. "Are you ever going to give it up?"


    "Probably not."


    "See, you''re relentless."


    "Then relent."


    "No can do." She felt him kiss the top of her head before he let go of her entirely. "Not for this."


    "I''ll make you one day."


    "No, you won''t."


    "Yes, I will."


    "Why are you so persistent with this?" he laughed again.


    She paused, trying to think. One answer sprang to mind, though she wasn''t sure if she should tell him. The way he looked at her though, his eyes shining with curiosity, made it hard to keep it to herself. Would she sound too weird?


    "I… I figured out that I really like your hands on me," she murmured, looking at the road before them. They were nearing the Applied Tech building, so if she managed to explain herself fully she could easily run away and hide from him in her classroom.


    "Sorry, what?" he blundered.


    "S-So, if you fight me, I''d get to feel them again. N-Not that the way you touch me at the moment isn''t enough, like with hugging and holding hands, but I just… want to know more about how it''d feel if you touch me in other contexts."


    He didn''t speak, instead making spluttering sounds for a moment. She grabbed her bag from his shoulder and started to hurry along to class when he finally said, "Lila, if you want me to touch you, you can just ask. You don''t need to try and start a duel."


    Yeah, no, she was far too embarrassed to continue the conversation now.


    "Yup, okay, bye, see you later," she said hurriedly, gripping her bag with urgency now. "Bye!"


    She sprinted the rest of the way to her classroom, curious but ultimately refusing to look back and see his expression.


    It was lucky that she''d already finished her Design assignment, for she wouldn''t have been able to concentrate on getting it done today. Her mind was still reeling from her conversation with Asher and she wasn''t sure how to get it to stop. She''d really slipped up. Was there any way she could save it?


    She hadn''t figured it out by the time morning tea started. Asher was waiting for her as usual and, for the first time, she really wished he hadn''t.


    That was until he smiled at her and her wish faded in an instant.


    "Ready for morning tea?" he asked as soon as she stood before him.


    "Yeah," she replied, turning her gaze towards the floor.


    "Let''s go."


    He attempted some innocuous conversation but she gave him one-word answers, if any, all the way to the locker room. It wasn''t as though she wanted to be rude, but she was afraid of saying too much again.


    She closed her locker after grabbing her food with an internal sigh. Should she suggest eating with their friends today?


    "Library?"


    Lila raised her head to see Asher fidgeting with the sandwich bag containing his morning tea. Her internal sigh became external and she walked towards him.


    "Yeah."


    "We don''t have to if you don''t want to."


    What did she want? She wasn''t sure.


    "The library''s fine."


    He didn''t respond for a second, though his fidgeting increased. Why was he so fidgety?


    "If you say it''s fine, then let''s go," he finally uttered, turning to face the exit.


    Neither spoke until they''d settled into their chairs in a spare meeting room. Lila didn''t even intend to speak as she unzipped her sandwich bag and pulled out her mandarin.


    "… So, about earlier," Asher said quietly, instantly making Lila''s shoulders bunch up. She stared at the pith of her mandarin, trying to identify any particular patterns within. He continued.


    "Uh, I just wanted to say that you don''t have to be embarrassed when you''re telling me what you want."


    She placed her head on the table. Despite him saying that, all it did was make her feel far more embarrassed.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "I feel like I made it worse," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "I''m being serious, though."


    Lila made a sound of discontentment.


    "Lila?"


    She turned her head to the side so she could speak. "I get what you''re saying, but I can''t help but feel embarrassed. It''s a new thing, that you''re touching me more than usual and kissing me for longer and I''m really enjoying it. It''s selfish of me to ask for more, I know. Especially since… I don''t know where you stand on the whole with us being more… touchy. So, I''m sorry. And I''m sorry for trying to incite violence, even if it was jokingly."


    Asher sighed heavily. "Lila, I-"


    "I''m sorry but can we talk about something else?"


    "Sure, but-"


    "Please."


    "… Okay." There was a moment of silence before he said, "I saw you walk out of the changing room with Ayla. Did you guys talk again?"


    Lila gradually sat up. "Yeah. She''s going to see a counsellor at the end of this week."


    "That''s good," Asher said genuinely. "That should really help her."


    "Yeah. Especially ''cause she ended up telling her friends everything and it didn''t really go as well as she''d hoped."


    "Really?"


    Lila nodded. "Yeah. Jackson decided he''s homophobic and left the group after Ayla told them yesterday. Apparently, one of the girls wants to follow him ''cause Ayla reckons she likes Jackson. Then Brittany, Ayla''s closest friend besides Piper, has been really quiet, despite being a Gossip Queen."


    "Ah." Asher leaned forward on his desk, looking contemplative. "Sounds on par for Jackson, to be honest."


    "What, that he''s homophobic?"


    "Yeah," Asher nodded. "He''s always been a bit like that with the guys. Hates Theo, but he learned to live with it ''cause he likes soccer more than he hates gay people. At least, that''s what I''d thought. Maybe he hates them more than I''d guessed."


    "That''s really sad for Ayla, though."


    Asher shrugged. "Jackson''s loss. I mean, him leaving the group means he left the rest of them, not just Ayla, and there''re quite a few people in that group. Besides, Ayla doesn''t seem like a bad person. Not like Piper, in any case."


    "Yeah… I just feel really sorry for Ayla. She''s going through it and it seems like she can''t catch a break. Even if the rest of her friends have stayed and seem supportive, she''s scared to know what they actually think."


    "I would be too."


    "She also thinks it won''t be long until the whole school knows, basically, but she doesn''t care about it – or much, really."


    "While I''m glad she doesn''t care about the whole school knowing, I''m not so glad that she doesn''t care about much."


    "I know. I''m hoping that seeing a professional can help with that, too."


    "I hope she doesn''t get bullied," Asher said darkly. "That would suck."


    "Yeah. I feel a bit guilty since I recommended she tell her friends and it ended up like this."


    "You couldn''t predict their reactions."


    "I know, I know."


    Asher stretched out a hand to Lila''s and she let him take it, though she almost wanted to move it out of his reach. Once he did take it, she felt herself relax again. She wondered when she''d stop being stupid, but concluded that it was unlikely to happen anytime soon.


    "We also heard some interesting things yesterday," he said gently, as if he could sense her spike of anxiety.


    She eagerly sat forward and he chuckled.


    "We did," Lila breathed, trying to remember the bits of gossip she''d heard at Tuckshop yesterday. "It surprised me but also didn''t surprise me that people think Jason and Piper dated. I mean, he''d date anyone-" she paused. "Actually, I remember him saying he didn''t date, and Livi said he preferred older girls."


    "Well you can have a preference, but if you''re someone like Jason, I doubt it''d matter much."


    "I guess so. Though, with the whole dating thing, I''m pretty sure that''s true. I mean, he wasn''t dating Alice. Besides, Piper was far too obsessed with you to even look at anyone else, so that''s all debunked," Lila said, tapping her fingers lightly on the table. "Someone also reckons there''s a serial killer."


    "I''ve been thinking about the whole serial killer thing. As much as I hate the idea, I think I''ll have to agree with you on that," he said unenthusiastically. "Even though there''s only two now, there may have been a first to ''get practice''," he added with a shiver. "Maybe even one that the Police found but haven''t reported on. I mean, it only really got out with all the details because of that jogging journalist. Or… there''s more to come."


    "I definitely hate that idea the most."


    "Yeah." He audibly swallowed before shaking his head. "You need to keep safe."


    "You too."


    "Of course." He pressed his lips together. "A-Anyway, there were people who openly talked about buying morphine."


    "I mean, they''ve already basically said they won''t get the users in trouble, so they may as well talk about it," Lila replied thoughtfully. "Plus, I think Jason was the one who''d organise the deals, even though it was Zack and Jake who''d make the drops."


    "Yeah, I mean, he was the one talking on the phone all the time. If the killer is a student… then it''d be obvious who to target if you felt wronged by the ring. And that''s why your brother''s tactic of not dealing with people and keeping his identity hidden is a good one. Seems like people still don''t know that it''s Daniel running the thing."


    "I''m glad it''s stayed that way," Lila sighed.


    "There is the bonus that he''s in Grade 9," Asher snickered. Lila nodded in agreement, her mind swiftly moving on.


    "Then… there was Ms Alexander."


    Asher snorted. "Yeah, the teacher who apparently killed Jason. For what purpose? Who knows."


    "I''m getting worried that people are catching on to her and Grace, though," Lila replied with a frown.


    "If people catch on to them, they can report Ms Alexander and we''ll be innocent. Actually, maybe we should start some more specific rumours-" he stopped talking as soon as his eyes met hers. "Kidding."


    Lila sighed again. "You''re not necessarily wrong in thinking that''s a good idea, but Grace would always blame us even if someone else reported Ms Alexander. That''s just how it''d go."


    "You''re right. Sorry."


    "Don''t be."


    There was silence between them for a moment before Asher glanced at her. "Did you hear that someone went to Flora Park?"


    Lila straightened up. "Yeah. I''ve actually been thinking of going."


    Asher immediately shook his head. "No."


    Lila pouted. "But I wanna see."


    "Lila, there''s a literal murderer hanging around there."


    "What''re the chances that they''ll strike again at the same park? Besides, we already know that Piper wasn''t at the park when she was taken. Jason was last seen at the police station. Therefore… the park is safe. Until there''s a dead body to be placed. In which case, they''re already dead anyway." Lila made a satisfied sound as she waited for Asher to consider her points.


    He frowned. "Lila… what if you find the next dead body?"


    She could feel the excitement burst over her face and he looked horrified.


    "No, that sounds like a terrible idea," he insisted.


    "But-"


    "Lila, I''m serious."


    "I''m serious too! Asher, I want to know more about all this. Not knowing makes me feel unsafe."


    "You''re not going to know more about it if you go to the park."


    "How would you know?"


    Asher hesitated. "The Police would''ve taken all the evidence away."


    "I''m not saying I necessarily want to find evidence. I just want to know why the killer, or killers, keep choosing that park and that park bench. I mean, there must be a reason, right? Doing it twice in the same spot sounds like a recipe for getting caught and they haven''t. Aside from the fact that it seems purposeful, how have they gotten away with it?"


    He grimaced. "You… really think you''ll feel safer if you went there?"


    Lila nodded. "The unknown is terrible. The known is also terrible, but at least I don''t have to wonder."


    "The… unknown is terrible," he conceded, his eyes looking down at the table between them.


    ''Besides,'' Lila thought, ''there might be clues about Asher''s Mum there… if she was the first victim.''


    She still wasn''t going to tell him her theory about that.


    "Fine. We''ll go," he said, though his lack of willingness about this was evident in his tone.


    "This weekend?" she asked, her own tone pleading.


    His gaze met hers. "No."


    Her shoulders slumped in disappointment.


    "You wouldn''t want to be rushed, right?" he said reluctantly.


    "Rushed?"


    "Well, we are hanging out this weekend, but exams start next week," Asher reminded her. "So we would need to study."


    Lila groaned. She''d forgotten about that. "You''re right. School holidays, then."


    He looked relieved. "Yeah. School holidays."


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    The rest of the day carried on as usual, with Lila focusing once more on her assignments during PC. Since she''d handed in her Maths assignment, that class was dedicated to revising for the exam.


    Even lunch with Asher was quite usual, both taking the time to talk about what they wanted to do during the school holidays together, aside from visiting Asher''s Dad''s hospital and Flora Park. It helped Lila de-stress, having such goals in mind, and it seemed to help Asher, too.


    Japanese involved more furious studying for upcoming exams, and finally Modern History consisted of ignoring Elise''s attempts to draw Lila and Grace into conversation about things that weren''t relevant to Modern History.


    ''It definitely does suck when you''re the only one who''s handed in the assignment in your group of three,'' Lila thought as her eyes caught Elise''s crestfallen expression once more before Lila looked over her assignment yet again. At the very least, Elise seemed chattier than she had been for a while. Was that purely because she''d already handed her assignment in?


    By the end of the lesson, Lila had one final once-over of her assignment and also handed it in. Grace still looked busy and truthfully stressed out of her mind. There were only five minutes left of class, so Lila slowly packed away her things, hoping it would stretch out the time. It didn''t and now Elise had gleefully noticed Lila''s lack of things to do.


    "Lila, Lila, did you hear the rumours about Ayla?"


    Lila sighed. Seems like Ayla''s prediction was right.


    "Yeah," Lila replied. "Crazy."


    "I thought you would''ve been more scandalised," Elise frowned. "She was in love with Piper, you know."


    So that tidbit was also making the rounds.


    "Yeah, I know."


    Elise''s frown deepened. "You knew before, didn''t you?"


    "Yeah, like, at morning tea," Lila lied, zipping and unzipping her laptop bag.


    "Nah, nah, like before," Elise insisted, leaning in. "Your lack of intrigue tells me so."


    Lila blinked at Elise. "Lack of intrigue? That''s certainly a phrase."


    "Never mind my phrasing," Elise said shortly. "When did you find out? And you didn''t share?"


    Now even Grace was leaning in, her assignment evidently forgotten.


    "At camp," Lila said dejectedly.


    "WHAT?"


    "Elise, settle down. I know class is almost over, but please," Mrs Popovic called from the teacher''s desk. The trio looked at Mrs Popovic, who continued talking to a student who had asked for help.


    "You didn''t say anything," Elise whisper-yelled. "Why?"


    "It was hard to when she''d been crying to me about Piper''s murder," Lila replied awkwardly. ''Plus, Grace and I weren''t talking then…''


    Grace looked just as awkward as Lila felt, her attention returning to her laptop.


    "Ah, yeah it would be," Elise said in breathless understanding. "She''s pretty brave, though. I mean, she basically outed herself to the whole school just now."


    "Where''d you even hear the rumour?" Lila asked. "Ayla told me she only told her friends yesterday at lunch."


    Elise waved her hand dismissively. "At Tuckshop, of course. That''s where all the rumours are."


    "Tuckshop, aye…" Lila smirked at Elise. "Did Isaac shout you some food?"


    Elise''s face flushed. "N-No."


    "He totally did," Lila grinned. "Otherwise, why would you be looking like that?"


    Elise pressed her lips together before sighing. "Fine. Yeah. He did today. Said it was for all the McHelp."


    Lila hung her head. "Not because he likes you?"


    "Lila, drop it. He doesn''t like me," Elise replied, her face flushed even deeper.


    "I say he does."


    "He doesn''t."


    Lila frowned. Then, an idea came to her – but would it be too cruel?


    "See, you can''t even say he does-"


    "Actually," Lila said, her tone both incredibly serious and careful, "I think I can say that."


    Elise''s eyes fluttered in confusion. "Huh?"


    "Well, he liked me, right? So, I''d say, as his ex, he definitely likes you."


    Elise winced. "E-Even so, that was a while ago, wasn''t it? Maybe he''s changed."


    "Nope," Lila emphatically shook her head. "He likes you."


    Elise now looked entirely uncomfortable and Lila smirked. There was no way she could refute this.


    "I-Impossible," Elise finally said. "You''re just mistaking him for being friendly-"


    "Class dismissed. Don''t forget your assignments are due tomorrow at 4pm," Ms Popovic called, her voice increasing in volume as the cacophony of students getting up grew louder.


    "I''ve got a shift, so I''ll see you tomorrow," Elise remarked, instantly hurrying out of the classroom, beating all of their classmates for the privilege.


    "… Lila, I think you should leave it," Grace said quietly as they both stood in Elise''s wake.


    "She''s being so stubborn," Lila replied. "Like, unreasonably stubborn."


    "Look, I think so too, but maybe you can try again next term or over the school holidays. She''s already stressed with it being this point in the term."


    Lila pursed her lips. Grace was right, but… well, when Lila enjoyed the company of Asher, now that they were dating, her stress melted away. If Elise had the same feeling with Isaac, then that''d help her stress too, right?


    "Grace, being with your partner is nice, isn''t it?"


    "Nice? I mean, that''s one way to put it. It''s more than just nice, though."


    "Well, yeah, but don''t you think Elise deserves it?"


    "Of course I do. I just think you''ve tried all you can, you know. Now''s not really the time. It''s not like they could hang out or go on dates with their busy work schedule along with handing in assignments and studying for exams."


    Lila sighed, placing her bag on her shoulder. "You''re right."


    "Let''s go home," Grace smiled. "You should also stop stressing yourself out trying to get them together."


    "Yeah… except I''m going to Jacoval."


    "I thought your hockey season was over?"


    "Yeah, we''re having this joint celebration thing for the end of the season tonight."


    "Alright. I''ll go ahead then. See you tomorrow!"


    Lila watched as Grace left the classroom and waited a beat before heading out herself.


    "There you are," Asher smiled as she approached. "I was thinking you''d gotten carried away with the time again."


    She slipped her hand into his. "Nah, just letting Elise and Grace go first."


    "Ah, righto."


    "What do you reckon''s going to happen at the celebration?" Lila asked.


    "I''d bet it''s going to be a pizza party probably," Asher replied thoughtfully. "It seems to be the easiest to organise for teachers."


    "I reckon there might be doughnuts, too."


    "Pizza and doughnuts – that''s a good combo."


    They continued to theorise as they wandered over to the locker room and even still as they walked over to the oval.


    A smattering of pop-up tables were laid out on the field, upon which were soft drinks, cups, plates and doughnuts. The hockey girls and soccer boys who were already here stood in team groups, looking nervously at the other gender every so often.


    "Hey, guys!" Isaac called, cheerfully waving them over. It was a far cry from how he''d been the last time Lila saw him.


    Lila elbowed Asher. "Elise said that Isaac bought her Tuckshop today."


    "Did he?" Asher replied, looking down at her in surprise. "Nice."


    "Maybe we could grill him-"


    "Let''s not," Asher smiled. "He was so freaked out by our last attempt, I think we should let him just enjoy the party. Besides, didn''t you have another mission here?"


    Lila cast her eyes back to one of the groups of hockey girls. Christa was one of the girls who kept looking back at the soccer boys – particularly in the direction of the group containing Harrison.


    "I''m right here!" Isaac called again, his waving increasing in intensity.


    Lila and Asher exchanged a look before heading over to him. He had a plate with a plain glazed doughnut in the hand that hadn''t waved at them.


    "Heya," Isaac said, immediately shoving said doughnut into his mouth once Lila and Asher reached him. He swallowed in such a way that he looked like a pelican and Lila fought hard to not laugh. "Thought you guys went blind."


    "Nah," Lila said, looking around again. "Just seeing how the party''s going."


    "Mr Kovac and Ms Wright went to grab the pizzas," Isaac explained. "Otherwise, no one''s really mingling. It''s pretty awkward."


    "No kidding," Asher replied.


    "Looks like we both won the bet," Lila grinned. "Pizza and doughnuts."


    It was at that moment that Ms Wright and Mr Kovac, armed with pizza boxes, descended the hill. As though this brought everyone to life, all the students swarmed their coaches, chatting excitedly about the food.


    "Hey, hey, settle down," grumbled Mr Kovac, holding his boxes high above his head. "Let us put these down first."


    Everyone took a step back, which allowed the teachers to set the boxes down. At that point, the rest of the hockey and soccer players had arrived and moments later, the pizzas were divvied out. It seemed to ease the previously uncomfortable atmosphere and students started to mingle.


    "So, loser," Isaac began, shoving pizza in his mouth. "That''s hot!"


    "Yes, other loser?" Lila snorted, delicately taking a bite of a slice to test how hot it was. He was right – it was hot. Unsurprising, given how close the pizza shop was.


    Isaac huffed, fanning his mouth. "I… was going to ask…"


    "Dude, just breathe," Asher laughed. "We''re not in a rush to talk."


    Isaac did so and eventually tried again. "I was going to ask what your plans were for all your free time," he said. "Since we still have our training sessions after this week."


    "Study, probably," Lila replied, taking a bigger bite of her cooled pizza.


    "You could watch if you wanted," Asher said tentatively, eating some of his pizza.


    Lila glanced at him, seeing that his face was slightly pink. "I might," she smiled.


    "Eugh, you''ll make me throw up with your antics," Isaac frowned. "Stop looking at each other like that."


    "I thought you were taking a break from your rudeness," Lila retorted.


    "You''re right. Sorry," Isaac said, his eyes distant.


    "It''d take getting used to," Asher said, looking between them both. "It''s okay."


    Lila was about to add to that when Asher nudged her, gesturing towards Christa. "She looks a bit lonely over there."


    Christa was hovering by the tables, looking nervously around. Lila nodded.


    "I''ll be back in a sec," she said. "Did you want a drink or something?"


    "Nah, I''m right."


    "What about you, Isaac?"


    "I''m good."


    Lila headed in the direction of Christa, a smile on her face.


    "Hey, Christa."


    Christa jumped. Then, her face relaxed. "Oh. Hey, Lila. What''s up?"


    "Another season done," Lila said, her tone light.


    "Yup. We get to do it all again next year," Christa replied. She pulled her lips to the side as if losing herself in thought.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask," Lila said quietly, "but… do you have a thing for one of the soccer boys?"


    Christa nearly dropped her cup onto the table, catching it just before it could splash her.


    "N-Not at all-" she spluttered.


    "Not even for… Harrison?"


    Lila had never quite seen someone become almost neon red before.


    "W-Why would you say Harrison?" Christa squeaked.


    "You keep looking at him," Lila replied matter-of-factly.


    Christa sighed. "… He''s kinda cute, don''t you think?"


    "Uh, not for me," Lila said swiftly.


    Christa sighed again. "I want to talk to him, but… I get really shy. I only manage to talk to him about class and he always seems so surprised."


    "Keep trying if you do like him," Lila replied encouragingly. "I should just say though… he can be a bit creepy."


    "R-Really?"


    "Yeah, well… earlier in the year he tried to grab me."


    Christa frowned. "That… doesn''t sound good."


    "He might''ve changed," Lila said. "I''d keep an eye out, though."


    Christa glanced at where Harrison was standing, laughing with Will Reedy and Theo. "… He''s really cute."


    "You should try and go for it. I mean, now''s a pretty good opportunity."


    Christa looked incredibly unsure. "I-I''m not brave."


    "Sure you are. That''s why you''re a Defender. You have to come face-to-face with all the terrifying Attackers."


    "That''s more your job."


    "Still doesn''t mean you don''t do it."


    Christa picked at the rim of her cup. "You really think I should?"


    "For sure. And, you know what, I think he''d even be receptive."


    "You think so?"


    "Definitely." ''''Cause he''s a bit of a creep,'' Lila thought, but she didn''t say that. She''d already mentioned it to Christa… so it was up to her to decide what she wanted to do.


    "Thanks, Lila. I''ll… think about it."


    "Good," Lila grinned. "I''m rooting for you."


    Christa glanced once more in the direction of Harrison.


    "Those Grade 12s are a bit intimidating, though."


    Lila eyed Theo before looking back at Christa. "Nah. They''re alright. ''Specially Theo."


    "Theo?"


    Lila nodded.


    "Alright. Like I said, I''ll think about it."


    Lila poured herself a cup of soft drink and grinned at Christa. "Good luck!"


    Christa gave her a nervous smile and Lila turned, ready to head back to Asher and Isaac when Alice beckoned her over.


    Lila obediently did so, sipping her soft drink.


    "Hey, Lila," Alice said, her face pale and weary. Willow was rubbing Alice''s shoulder, looking concerned. They were otherwise far apart from other students.


    "Whoa, what happened?" Lila asked, her eyes darting between the two. Alice looked grim.


    "I thought… I should let you know that I got kicked out on Sunday, since you''ve been helping me a lot."


    "Shit, really?" Lila''s eyes flew wide open, panic immediately flooding through her. "Oh my God, I''m so sorry."


    Alice shrugged, taking a bite of her pizza. "It''s… not fine and I wish I hadn''t been, but it''s what it is. Evelyn took me in straight away and it''s… pretty weird, actually. There''re so many pictures of him around the house. Thankfully, I don''t have to stay in his room." She shuddered, though Lila could tell it wasn''t from the cold.


    "I''m… surprised that you''re not more upset," Lila said softly.


    Alice shrugged again. "I was expecting it. I cried all night on Sunday, then a little bit yesterday but I''m feeling pretty okay now. I think it''s because Evelyn''s so nice. She really takes care of me. At the moment, she''s still not working but she''s made some smart investments in the past so she doesn''t need to for a while – so she''s pretty devoted to making sure I''m okay."


    "That''s… incredible," Lila replied, genuinely surprised.


    "I know. I''m just more upset that my parents don''t want to know their…" she trailed off, her eyes glistening. Willow rubbed Alice''s shoulder with more force.


    "A-Anyway, that''s all I wanted to say," Alice said meekly. "Asher keeps looking this way."


    "Right," Lila said, looking between Alice and Willow. "If you need anything, let me know, okay?"


    "I will," Alice smiled, though it wavered more than Lila felt was okay. She stood for a moment before Alice gestured for her to go to Asher.


    "See you around," Lila said before turning. Alice and Willow bid their goodbyes and Lila started to head over to Asher and Isaac, feeling worried for Alice being an understatement. It would be incredibly weird to be hanging around all those photos of Jason in a scenario like Alice''s, aside from the pain of total rejection from Alice''s parents.


    She took a sip of her cup and continued on her way, seeing that Asher and Isaac were engaged in some kind of conversation. She took note of the groups that she passed along the way, seeing that many of the girls and guys had formed larger groups, each one more rowdy than the last.


    Then –


    "… bitch was gay all along-"


    Lila stopped dead in her tracks, suddenly feeling as though she''d been dumped in a bucket of ice water. She whipped her head around to face the owner of the voice, though she knew before she saw him. Jackson.


    He was talking to some Grade 10 boys, who were all nodding along to his story. She felt sick, frozen in place as Jackson continued his tirade.


    "She just needs some good dick to turn her straight."


    ''That''s quite the opposite of how it works,'' Lila thought.


    "Yeah," piped up one of the Grade 10s. "You should go for it."


    "Maybe I should," Jackson replied. "She''s hot enough."


    ''I think the fuck not,'' Lila thought. Jackson''s group slowly turned to her. It seemed like her thought was more of a yell.


    "Huh?" Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow at Lila. "What would you know? Are you gay too?"


    "Doesn''t matter if I am or not," Lila said hotly, her drink splashing slightly. "I can guarantee no one wants your dick, straight or gay."


    Jackson''s face flushed red.


    "Plenty of chicks do," he said defiantly.


    "In your dreams."


    Jackson stalked towards her and in an instant, both Asher and Isaac were between Lila and Jackson.


    "The heck is going on?" Isaac asked Jackson, his tone less than impressed. Asher gripped Lila''s arm, gently tugging her in such a way that she was more concealed behind him.


    "Asher''s dumb slut-"


    Thump.


    Before Lila could fully register what happened, she saw Jackson reeling backwards, clutching his face. Asher wasn''t beside her anymore and was instead being pulled back from Jackson by Isaac, whose face was white.


    "Oi-"


    "Shut the fuck up. You''re the dumb slut in this equation," Asher''s voice flew from his throat like a poisoned dart, his struggle against Isaac''s grasp nearly lifting Isaac''s feet from the ground. If it were anyone else besides Isaac, Lila was sure they would''ve been tossed to the ground so that Asher could have another go at Jackson.


    The Grade 10s immediately dispersed, seeking refuge in other groups, the panic clear to Lila in the sounds that they made as they rushed off.


    "Asher, c''mon-"


    "No-"


    "He''s already down," Isaac said firmly, dragging Asher back. "It''s not worth it."


    "Not worth it? He-"


    "Uh, boys? What''s going on here?" Ms Wright''s shrill voice, reminiscent of the whistle she usually wore, cut through Asher and Isaac''s argument. Asher stopped struggling and Isaac stepped away from him.


    "He hit me, ma''am," Jackson whined from the floor.


    "He started going for Lila," Asher spat. Lila grabbed the back of Asher''s blazer to prevent him from lunging at Jackson, though she knew it wouldn''t really stop him if he was motivated enough.


    Ms Wright''s eyes flashed. She maintained her composure as she fully turned to Lila.


    "What happened, Lila?" she asked, folding her arms in displeasure.


    "He… was talking about someone who''s recently come out as gay, ma''am," Lila said vaguely. "A girl. Um, he said something about giving her some ''good dick'' or whatever to ''turn her'' straight. I… happen to know her and it''s not right, ma''am. It''s disgusting. So, I told him off. Then, he started going towards me and called me Asher''s dumb slut and now here we are."


    Ms Wright inhaled sharply. "Is that true?" she asked Isaac, who nodded.


    "We heard the end bit and tried to stop Jackson from going for Lila but…" Isaac looked uncertainly at Asher, who sighed.


    "Sorry, ma''am. Sorry for losing my cool, Jackson."


    Ms Wright narrowed her eyes, as if she was trying to make a decision about what to do next.


    Jackson wearily sat up, his face twisting with discomfort.


    "It''s my fault," he said, as though it were painful for him to say. "I started shit."


    Ms Wright''s mouth twitched, though she didn''t say anything about Jackson''s swearing.


    "I''m in half a mind to punish the both of you," she said slowly. Asher stiffened and Jackson hung his head. "But… I think this has been resolved," she finished reluctantly. "I don''t think I need to explain that you shouldn''t talk about or to people like that, Jackson, and you shouldn''t resort to physical violence, Asher."


    "Yes, ma''am," Jackson and Asher said in unison.


    "If I see trouble between the two of you again, it''s automatic detention," Ms Wright noted sternly. "I''ll be telling Mr Kovac about this, too."


    She swiftly turned and headed back to the tables, where Mr Kovac happened to be inspecting the leftover pizzas.


    The four of them were left in incredibly awkward silence.


    "I thought Ayla was your friend," Lila said quietly after a beat.


    A dark look crossed Jackson''s face as he stood up. "I thought she was going to be my girlfriend."


    He dusted himself off and walked away from them before they could react.


    "… Huh?" Isaac''s voice was not quite high-pitched as he spun to face Lila and Asher. "What just happened?"


    Lila sighed. "Have you heard the rumours?"


    "Rumours? Oh. About Ayla liking Piper or something?"


    "Yeah. When Ayla told her friendship group, Jackson called her a ''lesbo'' and left them. It seems like he''s butthurt about the fact that she''s not into guys and therefore won''t ever be into him."


    "Ah," Isaac looked back at where Jackson had gone before looking sympathetically at Lila and Asher. "I''d say ''poor guy'' if he wasn''t an asshole about it just now."


    Asher finally unclenched his jaw and gently held Lila''s shoulders, forcing her to face him. "Are you okay?"


    "Yeah," Lila replied. "Thank you for defending me."


    He closed his eyes, his jaw flexing. "Sorry for drawing attention to us."


    "I''m sure whatever he wanted to do would''ve drawn attention," Lila said softly. "No need to apologise for that."


    "Then… sorry for losing my cool."


    "I would''ve too."


    Asher pursed his lips, staring at her for a moment longer. "You sure you''re okay?"


    "Very."


    "… Alright."


    "Are you okay?" she asked, apprehensively touching the knuckles along his right hand. His fingers twitched and he didn''t speak for a beat or two. Then, he exhaled deeply with a shake of his head.


    "I still feel my heartbeat in my ears," he said quietly. "I haven''t been that pissed in a long while, but I''m okay now that I know you are."


    She gave him a small smile, gently raising his right hand to her lips and kissing his knuckles. They felt far warmer than usual, but she couldn''t see whether there was anything wrong with them in this lighting.


    The atmosphere remained uncomfortable for a few moments until Isaac suggested some more food and drinks.


    None of the trio spoke about the altercation with Jackson and instead, conversation slowly drifted towards a book series Isaac was recommending.


    The night drew to a close soon after with speeches from Ms Wright and Ms Kovac about a season well done. There were extra cheers for the soccer boys and then they were all dismissed. Both Isaac and Asher walked closely on either side of Lila all the way to the carpark.


    "See you tomorrow," Isaac said once they reached the peak. "Lunch with the group, yeah?"


    "Yeah," Asher said quietly.


    "See you," Lila said. Isaac nodded and headed off to his Mum''s car.


    Lila could hear the muffled beats of Clare''s music and started to walk in that direction, Asher following closely behind.


    "Hello," Lila said to Clare as she opened the back passenger door. Asher loaded her bags into it and, strangely, Clare didn''t respond. Lila closed the door and turned to Asher.


    His eyes still looked worried and she placed her hands around his neck. He automatically held her waist and he sighed.


    "Sorry," he murmured.


    "Asher, it''s okay. Remember what you said about how defending yourself is always okay? Defending others is the same. I appreciate it. Thank you."


    He looked conflicted and she reached up, capturing his lips in hers. He reciprocated, though there wasn''t the usual underlying passion that they normally shared. They separated soon after.


    "Goodnight, Asher. Please don''t worry about it."


    "I''ll try. Goodnight, Lila."


    Lila slid into Clare''s car and buckled herself in, watching Asher in the window as Clare silently pulled away from the carpark.


    "What''s up with you?" Lila finally asked after they had long left the school.


    "Me?"


    "Yeah, you. Are there other people in this car?"


    Clare exhaled heavily, her hold on her steering wheel tightening. "I… had my bartending shift last night."


    "Oh, yeah. Did you manage to talk to Melody?"


    Annoyance crossed Clare''s face. "No. She kept dodging me as much as possible until our Manager said that we wouldn''t be working on shift together anymore. We might be before or after each other when we dance, but we definitely won''t be on the same shift. It''s a bit annoying, but at least I have first preference for shifts."


    "Ah. Do you think she''s avoiding you on purpose?"


    "Of course. She decided to start a war and now she''s playing mind games. What worries me though is… she''ll be on shift with Alex."


    "I''m sure nothing will happen," Lila replied. "After all, Alex is head over heels for you."


    Clare pursed her lips. "Yeah, I hope so. Fuck with me, it''s whatever. Fuck with him… and I don''t know what I''d do."


    Lila was quite sure Asher would relate to that statement – as much, if not more, than Lila did, at least.


    "Like I said, it should be fine, sis. Being separated is probably for the best."


    "Not probably. Definitely."


    That sentence hung in the air as Lila and Clare fell quiet. After everything that happened today, Lila felt exhausted – too exhausted to tell Clare what had happened at the celebration. She resolved to tell her at some point, though. She''d probably get a kick out of it.