Flyers about the upcoming art show covered the walls and lockers at school. At my locker, I found Tone waiting. She was typing away on her phone. Students were hanging around at their lockers, talking and laughing. They looked at me and whispered among themselves. I couldn’t determine if it had something do with Uta’s present yesterday or if it was their normal hated behaviour. It was likely both. I suspected today would not be my day.

“What happened yesterday? You left before I had time to catch up with you.”

“Skipped my remaining classes,” I answered absentminded.

“I heard bees buzzing about Uta. He and Witt got into it.”

It was no surprise how gossips spread like wildfire around the school. Even in Uta’s weakened state, he could break Witt in half if it had got to that point.

“Uta dropped by to see how I was doing,” I said, avoiding her gaze.

“How sweet. Few of us are lucky enough to have a vampire boyfriend who comes to check on them,” Tone teased.

I couldn’t let her know what happened. She could never know Uta or Yasu fed on Linda. Speaking of… I looked up and down the hallway, searching for Linda. It wasn’t something I do but after yesterday…

“Hey, have you seen Linda this morning?”

Tone shifted her gaze from her phone. “Why would I look for her? Already can’t stand her stupid brother.”

Biting my lip, I popped my locker open. “I have this project I need her help on,” I lied. “And since I don’t know too many…”

“Brainiac? I don’t know about Linda, but you can check Benjie. You need it and he’s got it. It comes with a price though.”

“What’re you talking about?”

She motioned across the hall with a single nod of her head. I noticed Benjie. He looked at me and smiled.

“If you need him to do your homework, give him a peepshow.” I looked at Tone, totally bowled over at the turn our conversation had taken.

“How would you know?”

“How do you think I passed my exams?”

“Study!” I offered.

“Like that would help much. I’m not looking forward to spending my summer in school. I did what I had to.”

“Tone! You and…” I laughed so hard that my books fell, and I bend to retrieve them. I didn’t know which was more shocking: Her messing with Benjie or his surprise at being close to a girl.

“Shut up!” Tone beamed and went back to messing with her phone. I exchanged my books and tried to file the conversation to the back of my mind.

Something still bothered me about Linda. Every now and again I looked around for her, blood rushing fast through my veins like a tube ready to burst. I knew I needed to stay calm. She’ll be fine. I tried to console myself and checked my hair in the mirror pasted on my locker door and relieved it was still normal.

I passed a few more minutes by annoying Tone before I felt someone embraced me from behind. I spun.

“What did I tell you?” I snapped at Witt. “Don’t touch me like that.”

“You need me to handle this fool?” Tone met Witt’s eyes with scorn.

“You make a lot of noise for someone who should be invisible.”

“You must be stupid talking to my friend like that.” I snapped my fingers up and down his face. “I got this,” I assured Tone.

“All right. Catch you later because this idiot is making me disgust.” Tone marched down the hallway.

These two didn’t get along. They were always at each other’s throat. Sometimes, I wanted to put them in a boxing ring and watch them beat themselves up. Tone disappeared around the corner and I shifted my gaze to Witt and found his eyes slowly moving up and down my body. I glimpsed students watching us, taking in every movement. No doubt this will be a headline around the school.

“Aren’t you afraid your girl sees you talking to me and gives you a whopping?” I asked.

“That’s what you are thinking about?” He pushed himself up on me.

I stepped away. “You ever get exhausted messing with me?”

“No. It’s fun. Check it out? You’re blushing.” He pointed at my cheeks.

“That is not blushing, fool. I’m having an allergic reaction.”

“Now that’s cold.”