Lily’s heart was beating so fast her chest ached. She tried to sit up, but she felt like she’d just swum the four-hundred-meter relay by herself.

The sun was filtering through the curtains high above her head. God, that window. Lily couldn’t stand to look at it, but she still kept glancing up to make sure there was nothing on the other side.

What time was it? What day was it?

Lily propped herself up on her elbows and reached for her phone. Across the room her dress hung on the closet door, freshly ironed and pure white in the sunlight.

Right. It was the afternoon of the homecoming dance. As if Lily didn’t have enough to deal with already.

She sat up slowly and blinked down at her phone screen. It was an hour before they had to leave for the dance. She should’ve already started getting ready. So should Maria.

Where was Maria? She was never in the room much anymore, but she knew today was homecoming. She knew how important it was.

Maria was guaranteed to win homecoming queen. She probably would’ve anyway with Delilah out of the picture, but now that her best friend was dead, not a single person would dare vote against her.

It was the same with the Kingsley Prize. Last week, the other finalists withdrew from the competition, leaving it all for Maria.

They’d gotten everything they wanted. Lily’s dreams should be nothing but bunnies and rainbows.

If only Maria would start sleeping here again.

Lily shed her clothes and stepped into the shower. She only had time for a quick one, but she couldn’t resist letting the steam rise up around her, luxuriating in the knowledge that they’d won. As long as no one else got in their way, they were golden.

If only this school weren’t so damn full of distractions.

Lily climbed out of the shower, wrapped a towel around herself, and sat on the toilet to blow-dry her hair. She usually just threw it into a braid while it was still damp, but tonight she and Maria both needed to look perfect. They needed to be perfect. So she took her time, drying her hair carefully with a round brush so it would be neat and smooth before she curled it.

The hot air from the dryer combined with the humidity from the shower, and Lily could feel herself starting to sweat. She stood up and dropped the towel, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain as she put her weight on her bad leg.

As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw Delilah’s laughing face again. Lily stumbled, grabbing onto the sink to keep from falling.

What the hell was wrong with her? She scrubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand. This time she didn’t see Delilah. She saw Brandon’s body on the stretcher as they carried him away.