Lunette remained in her seat, heart racing. She had finally met with the brothers again and she wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad sign. Lunette stared at her melting yogurt and began to shovel it into her mouth as she stood. She placed her drink into her bag and walked to the last few classes of the day.

Her math course went by smoothly, it was a section review to prepare for the upcoming test on Monday. But when Lunette reached her oceanography class, she met a familiar set of eyes. She averted their gaze and sat in her assigned seat located in the second to last row next to the window.

“You have something hanging off you.” The voice unexpectedly pointed out, now right next to her. She inhaled sharply as Silas whished his hand by her shoulder as if he were shooing away a bug.

“What?” Lunette examined her shoulder. There was nothing there and she was sure there was never anything.

“Huh.” Silas looked at her for a moment and then shook his head. “It’s nothing, you just had a pest.” Lunette sat down quickly, trying to look away from him and hoping he would do the same.

After most of the class had filled the room, she decided to look behind herself once again. Sure enough, Silas was looking at her intensely. It bothered her that he was staring, he clearly shouldn’t be, and it was awkward. Much to her relief, the student who sat behind her found their seat and Silas strode away.

Lunette leaned her forehead onto her wrist, staring at her notebook, trying to avoid even accidentally looking at his face. Silas had made his way over to the professor and was now talking with him. The teacher, Mr. Semmel, pointed to an open seat in the last row. Thankfully to Lunette, this seat was located on the other side of the room. But as the class progressed, Lunette felt a growing tension coming from that same direction.

When the last bell of the day rang through the halls and classrooms, Lunette leaped from her seat and headed straight for her locker. She wanted to be as far away from Silas as she possibly could. From his arrogant nature to his intense stare and stalking, she wanted nothing to do with him. As she placed her books into her locker, it suddenly dawned on her that she would have to deal with him. Lunette slammed her locker, abusing it yet again, and slipped on her navy jacket.

The walk home from school felt uneasy. A familiar feeling of being watched. Yet, whenever she turned and glanced around the landscape, there was nothing but a few classmates returning home. The town buildings came into view as Lunette cut across the fields and properties of a few residences. The grass squished underneath her shoes, still muddy from the earlier downpour, and the air had a crisp but dry feel to it. It wouldn’t rain for a while but there was a slight fog coming in from the ocean.

Lunette glanced over her left shoulder and looked towards the ocean. The breeze that flew in brought the smell of the salty water and the fish from the ports. Just as her feet met the pavement of the sidewalk, she noticed a car parked on the street ahead. As she approached, she recognized it as the sheriffs. A bad omen parked right outside her family’s business.

Lunette hesitantly opened the door to her family’s shop, looking back at the car as she walked in. The door fell heavily back into place once she stepped inside, the bell at the top of it ringing throughout the store. Lunette eyed the driver and passenger seats of the vehicle, finding it completely empty.

“Lunette?” Tatiana’s voice called out from upstairs. Lunette turned her head to the back room and began her ascent up the stairs.

“What’s-” Lunette began to question, entering the apartment. The door was wide open as if her family was waiting for her. Lunette stood in the entranceway and stared at Tatianna, Dalia, and an unknown woman in their kitchen. Dalia sat in a chair by the table while Tatianna walked over to Lunette.

“Hey,” Tatianna smiled, her arms folded across her chest, “This is sheriff Janice Stacker.” She motioned her head to the woman standing by the fridge.

“Hello, Lunette.” The woman greeted her with a strong voice. She stood slightly shorter than Tatiana, who roughly reached five-foot-nine. Her short mousey hair was tied back in a low ponytail.

“Hi.” Lunette returned her greeting and then looked worriedly between Tatiana and Dalia. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing too big darling.” Janice reassured, smiling to Lunette. She had a far paler face than Tatiana but looked around the same age. The sides of her eyes wrinkled, and her high cheekbones rose as she smiled. “I would just like to ask you a few questions about last week.”

Lunette gulped. A familiar band started to tie within her abdomen and her muscles tensed. “What about last week?” She asked, now gripping the strap of her bookbag.

“Well, I’d like to ask you about Jason, Jason Hastings.”