Later that day, I was hanging out with Halley, Devyn, and Anna at my apartment off Wyandotte. Halley was on a mission to get me out of my “post-dropout slump,” which apparently involved dragging me to Devonshire Mall to see a movie and maybe flirt with someone with a half-decent haircut and an income. Devyn showed up with an iced coffee for me and way too much lip gloss for herself, while Anna brought the sarcasm and sour gummy worms.

We were halfway through a chaotic pre-movie makeover—Halley trying to get me to wear heels, Devyn messing with my eyebrows, Anna throwing popcorn in the air like confetti—when we heard the sound of a moving truck outside.

"No way," I muttered, getting up and peeking out the window.

Halley gasped like she’d just seen her ex on a date. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

"It’s them," I said, squinting. Sure enough, the same four strangers from the cafe were unloading boxes into the townhouse directly across the street.

Devyn nearly dropped her iced coffee. "Well. Things just got interesting."

"How is this real life?" Anna asked, mouth half-full of candy. "It’s like you manifested your own personal gothic soap opera."

"They better not be loud," I said. But I was already way too curious.

We watched them move in like total creeps. Veronica was barking orders, clearly in charge. The guys worked in silence, moving like they'd done this a hundred times before. Alexander—yes, I’d learned his name from the barista—carried a heavy crate like it was a shoebox.

"Okay, but they're hot," Devyn said.

"Too hot," Halley agreed. "Like suspiciously hot."

"Watch them be vampires," Anna said casually.

We all laughed. But I didn’t say anything. A weird chill ran down my spine.