Piyumi, age fourteen, was relatively content. A year had passed since her first encounter with Mylene, and her life had a sense of stability now. She continued to carry out jobs for Morpheus with Mylene after school and the money was good — a bit too good for the work she did, actually. She had a sneaking suspicion Mylene only allowed her to assist with the easier jobs. There was no way the White Terror was being relegated to only stealing cars and hitting the occasional house or store. That would just be bad business practice. 

In any case, Piyumi couldn’t complain. She no longer went hungry or lived in fear that the roof over her head would disappear. There was one thing, however. A part of her worried that she’d broken Miyuru the night she’d all but denounced him as her father. Since then, Miyuru would make himself scarce whenever she was home by vacating to his favourite bar downtown or locking himself up in his room. She’d sometimes hear the sound of crying from the other side of his door, but she'd found time and again that she couldn't bring herself to ask what was wrong. There was a pair of ghosts living in her house, each so desperate to avoid the other, it was a wonder why they bothered living together at all. 

The bell signalled the start of recess but Piyumi made no move to stand as her classmates began to mill around her. Her mind was locked onto a memory from the day before.

“This is your last chance. Fail the maths test tomorrow and there’ll be serious consequences.” 

Mr. Gross had stomped off before Piyumi could ask what those “serious consequences” would specifically entail, but she knew it couldn’t be good. She stared down at her open notebook, the pages filled with absentminded doodles with nary a mathematical equation in sight. Unlike other subjects, maths wasn’t something she could just bullshit, which was why she was most definitely and royally fucked. 

The idea of ditching class popped up in her mind, but she pushed it aside. She’d just have to make up the test later, and Mylene wouldn’t be pleased to find out that Piyumi had been skipping school. Strangely enough, the White Terror, despite being a high-school dropout herself, was adamant that Piyumi keep attending school. It was the one thing Piyumi couldn’t get her friend to budge on. Well that and meeting the boss, but she was too scared to bring that up again. 

“What are you doing?!” 

Piyumi turned to see a boy recoiling into his seat at a neighbouring desk. Hunter Watson-Jones had just transferred to her high school that morning after moving in with his mother full-time, and judging by the way the hulking upperclassman was leaning over his desk, he'd already become a target for the dregs of the student body.

“You don’t understand the position you’re in, mate.” The bully slammed his fist into the table. “Give me your money and we won’t have any problems!”

Piyumi saw fear surge into Hunter’s eyes. His hand quivered as it pulled out a leather wallet from his pocket. Just as the bully was about to grab it, however, it was plucked out of Hunter’s grasp from above.

“Wow,” Piyumi whistled. “Score!” 

“What the fuck?!” The bully rounded a searing scowl in her direction. “That’s mine!” 

She gave the boy a smirk, recognising him as Nate Stone, a senior student who often looted his underclassman for cash. It was pathetic, really. Did nobody earn their keep the good old-fashioned way these days? 

“Really?” Piyumi pulled a student ID card from the wallet. “Because I don’t think your name is on here. Coincidentally, I actually changed my name to Hunter Randulph Watson-Jones yesterday, so…”

Nate lunged at her, but she easily stepped out of his way. “You shouldn't mess with me, mate.” She shoved the wallet into her uniform pocket before making a show of cracking her knuckles. “I shit out dime-a-dozen bullies like you after eating them for brekkie.” 

If the vein jutting from Nate’s forehead got any larger, it was going to burst. “Bring it on, bitch.”

Piyumi shrugged as if she was disappointed by Nate’s response. She took a few steps forward, cocked back a fist and then- 

Grabbed Hunter’s arm and hightailed the absolute fuck out of the classroom. 

“Hey!” Piyumi heard Nate bellow behind her as she dragged Hunter through the door. “Get back here!” 

With thundering footsteps hot on their heels, Piyumi flung Hunter out of the way before slamming the classroom door shut just in time for Nate to crash into it and fall to the ground. She knew he wouldn’t be subdued for long, so she seized Hunter’s hand again and ducked into a nearby passageway.

After catching her breath, Piyumi peered over the corner. She saw Nate burst through the classroom door and look around the hallway before he took a path away from their hiding place.

Thank God.

She pulled herself back into the passageway and sighed in relief. Honestly, she had no idea what she would’ve done if her fakeout hadn't worked. While hanging out with the White Terror had taught her a move or two, Piyumi wasn’t stupid. Nate was a full three years older than her and twice her size. She would’ve been eviscerated.

Besides, as Miss Adventures loved to say, “fight with your brain, not with your fists.” Sometimes that meant she had to pick her battles. 

“Here.” Piyumi tossed the wallet back to Hunter. “I think this belongs to you.” 

Hunter looked at the wallet in his hands as if he couldn’t quite believe it was there. “You’re not keeping it?” 

“That was just something I said to get that troll off your back, Now, he’ll come after me next time, not you.”

“But didn’t he see you drag me out of there? Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose?” 

Piyumi blanched. As Miss Adventures loved to say, “fight with your brain, not with your fists.” Apparently she’d fought with neither. 

“You have a funny way of saying ‘thanks’,” she muttered.

“Oh, how rude of me!” Hunter snapped up straight, face flushed with embarrassment. “Thankyou! Thankyou very much!” 

Piyumi eyed the boy in front of her. She didn’t really know what had compelled her to get involved in his business in the first place, but it was probably the way he reminded her of a squirrel — skittish, earnest and just pitiful enough to spark a protective urge. Well, no matter. If Nate tried anything with her later, she could just sick Mylene on him. 

“Well, it was nice meeting you, Hunter!” Piyumi plastered on a pleasant smile. “I’ll see you later!” 

“Wait!” 

Piyumi paused mid-step at Hunter’s call. She turned to see the boy sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck. 

“Um, could you please show me where the canteen is?” The dimple dinging Hunter’s right cheek deepened as he gave Piyumi a tentative smile. “It’s my first day, and, yeah, the office gave me a map, but I don’t really know…”

God damn it. Two and a half years of cultivating an aura that she’d prefer to be left alone and she’d gone ahead and made herself approachable. 

“Sure thing, dude,” she said, realising it would just be easier to show him the way and get it over with. “Follow me.” 

While the locker bay was always congested at recess, it was the quickest way to Hunter’s destination. Piyumi winced as warm bodies pushed and prodded against her as she squeezed herself through. She didn’t have to fear losing Hunter in the crowd, however. She could hear him blurt out apologies to every person he brushed up against behind her. Well, that was the case, until- 

"Hunter! There you are!” 

Piyumi whipped her head around, confused when she saw Waliyha squish herself through the throng towards them.

“Um, can I help you?” Hunter was equally as puzzled. 

“I’m Waliyha Nadir, the Student Council Representative for Year Eight,” the girl in question said. “I’m supposed to show you around today. Do you need help with anything?” 

“Oh, I’m fine, actually. She was just showing me where the canteen is.” 

Waliyha turned to where Hunter was gesturing. Bewilderment washed over her face when she saw Piyumi, but it was quickly replaced by a conspiratorial look.

Piyumi suddenly felt very, very nervous. “Well, now that you’re here, Waliyha, there’s no point in me being around. I’ll see you-” 

“Nonsense!” Piyumi felt a hand grab her own. “We’ll all go!” 

And before she could register what was happening, Piyumi suddenly found herself sitting on the courtyard grass with Waliyha and Hunter, the latter with the snack he’d bought from the canteen in hand. Piyumi couldn’t help but shoot Waliyha an incredulous look. 

What kind of witchcraft…? 

“So, your name is Piyumi, right?” Hunter said rather shyly. “I like your hair colour! I didn’t know the school let students dye their hair.” 

Piyumi snorted, rubbing the end of her ponytail between her fingers. “Nah, it doesn’t. This is one hundred-percent natural, unfortunately.” 

“What?!” The blush on Hunter’s face was so bright, it could’ve signalled ships at sea. “Uh, I just mean, you don’t see that shade of red everyday…” 

“Well, my mother’s a queen from another realm,” Piyumi shrugged. “At least, I’m pretty sure she is. Either way, it’s from my mother’s side. Genetics, huh? Gotta love ‘em.” 

Hunter looked stunned but Waliyha just rolled her eyes. “You’ve been using that same joke since primary school,” she said. “Stop teasing. Be nice.” 

Waliyha still remembered that? “Yeah, you’re right,” she said, pushing down her surprise. “My bad, Hunter.”

Hunter gave her a small smile, before his gaze fell onto her empty hands. She saw his eyebrows rise before his line of sight drifted back to the food in his lap. “I forgot to grab something from the canteen,” he said, getting to his feet. “Be right back.” 

Piyumi arched her head to watch Hunter walk away, only to let out a yelp when she turned back and suddenly found herself nose-to-nose with Waliyha.

“Can’t escape me now, can you?” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Oh, drop that fake smile, Piyumi. It hasn’t worked before and it won’t work now.” 

Damn. Things were just not going her way today. “You’re relentless, you know that?” 

The grin on Waliyha’s face grew even wider. “I have a proposition for you.”

“I’m flattered, but you’re not really my type.” 

“You should be so lucky. Word on the street is that Mr. Gross is out for blood. Specifically, yours.” 

Crap. With everything that had happened, Piyumi had completely forgotten about her impending doom. “Yeah, so?” 

Waliyha flipped open the large binder she lugged to the courtyard with triumphant gusto. “Tada! Notes for the test! You can use them to study, if you want.” 

Piyumi’s heart spiked with hope. Her hand reached out towards the binder before it was cruelly yanked away at the last second. 

“Ah, ah, ah,”  Waliyha tutted. “The best things in life are seldom free, Piyumi. Remember that.” 

Piyumi narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”

Waliyha hummed with a fake thoughtfulness. “You could swing by Mum’s auto repair shop after school today. It’s been years, and I know she’d love to see you. And you could check out the motorbikes! That’s been an interest of yours lately, right?” 

“...You’re relentless, you know that?” 

A smirk curled up Waliyha’s lips as she held out a hand. “I’m not the ace of the debate club for nothing.”

Piyumi clicked her tongue. She was meant to meet up with Mylene in the evening, but- 

“Fail the test tomorrow and there’ll be serious consequences.”

Her stomach churned. She had to pass. She didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she didn’t and the school attempted to get her father involved. 

Waliyha raised an expectant eyebrow. Piyumi sighed as she reached over and shook the girl’s hand. If evil geniuses were real, then Waliyha fit the bill to a tee. 

“Um, am I interrupting?”

“Not at all.” Waliyha gave Piyumi a meaningful look as she handed her the binder. “In fact, why don’t you join us after school to visit my mum’s auto-repair shop? The more the merrier!”

Hunter positively glowed as he sat between the two girls again. “That’d be great! Oh, and also-” 

It was then he let the snacks in his arms spill onto the grass. “A little thankyou for all your help today,” he said. He picked up a packet of chips and placed it in Piyumi's free hand. “These are especially good,” he beamed at her. “The milk bar my mother owns is the only one in the area that carries them and they sell like crazy.”

For a moment, all Piyumi could do was look down at her hands. One held the bag of chips, the words Collins’ Original Crinkle Cut staring back at her, while the other was clasped around the binder, the tabs cascading down its side bright against the grass. She suddenly felt quite light. It was as if the sound of Waliyha and Hunter’s happy chatter would be enough to carry her away, far away, to some place that was just away. 

And wouldn’t that be nice? 

A lump formed in Piyumi’s throat, but she refused to cry. Banishing her rising emotions to a deep part of herself, she swallowed thickly and gave Hunter an accusatory look as she held up the chips he’d given her. 

“This a new form of guerilla marketing I don’t know about?” 

“No, I- '' Hunter suddenly stopped, noticing the smugness bleeding onto Piyumi’s face. “I’m never going to get used to your jokes, am I?” he sighed defeatedly.