“But it’s not okay!” Mary argued. “Mrs. Batterson probably is saving up for something!”

“But it’s just laying there!” Max shot back. “Why would a teacher display a pile of money in front of seventeen year old’s if she didn’t want it stolen?”

“She was in a rush!” Mary steamed, clenching her tiny fists. “It’s her money. Stealing isn’t right!”

Mariah backed up from the doorway and shook her head to clear it. The voices were back. She had thought that they would’ve left her alone when she came back from juvie, but they had been much louder than before.

She took a deep breath and glanced down at her feet, where schizophrenia was resting. She stepped away from her frog-like monster and shuddered.

I won’t steal. Mariah repeated to herself inside her head. Stealing is wrong. I’ll get sent back to juvie and I don’t want that!

“But you need the money!” Max screamed, reacting to her thoughts. “What’s gonna happen when you go back home and the rent will be due and you’ll have nothing?!”

“But she can earn money in other ways!” Mary retorted, stepping back into the conversation. “the teacher will be heartbroken and she’ll get angry! If we get caught, then we’ll be in even more trouble than we’re already in!”

Max rubbed his hands together. “If we get caught” he stressed, showing his wolfish grin. “Do you have any idea how quick and secretive Mariah can be when she wants to?”

“That’s not necessarily a good thing!” Mary shouted, her ghost-like hands tugging on Mariah’s arm. “Come on, Mariah! We don’t wanna go back to juvie now, do we?”

Without responding, Mariah walked away with a horrified expression.

During the dispute with the voices in her head, Schizophrenia had been talking to her in his deep, croaky, raspy voice.

“You. Are. Nothing.” He croaked, pointing his long, gnarled finger at her. “I. Control. You.”

“Shut up!” Mariah whispered fiercely to her monster. “Why do you always get like this when they’re arguing?”

By now, Mary and Max had floated back to her. “What? Now we’re just a ‘they’ to you now?” Max goaded. “You’re nothing without us! Without Mary and I, you have no personality, no feelings, no nothing!”

“Shut the hell up!” Mariah screamed and covered her ears with her hands, startling a couple of younger students passing by. She was long past the point of caring what other people thought of her.

She looked down at Schizophrenia, and she could have sworn that his lizard yellow eyelid slid down into a wink. And Max and Mary disappeared in a whiff!

“Thanks, Frog-face.” Mariah smiled at her monster. In response, Schizophrenia walked behind her and leapt onto her back. His skinny, lanky arms wrapped around her neck, and they set off down the long hallway.

Back home.

School didn’t seem all that appealing anymore.