“We’ll keep Linnea away from here for now.” I know how impossible that sounds. This is her room. She could be here any minute.

“Will you go find the cleaning stuff?” Lucas says. “I’ll stay with Kate.”

Normally it would be the other way around, but that was before I turned into a monster.

Kate still hasn’t looked at me. She’s sitting on the corner of the bed, as far away from me as possible.

I should say I’m sorry, but the words get stuck in my throat.

I struggle to my feet and walk to the door.

“Fender?”

I look back. Lucas has a strange look in his eyes. I’ve only seen that expression on his face once before, in the hospital a year ago. Kate and I were hugging, and over her shoulder I saw Lucas looking at me in exactly that same way.

“Yes?”

He pauses.

“Be careful.”

“Okay.” I look back at Kate, who is rocking slowly back and forth again. Can I ever put this right?

My legs shaking, I step out into the hallway and close the door behind me.

How am I supposed to persuade a housekeeper to lend me her things?

Maybe I should just go to the nearest supermarket. But where is it?

“Fender?”

Startled by the sound of my name, I turn around.

There, standing in front of me, is Linnea.

Linnea

“Linnea.” Fender gives me a strange look. “Hey.”

A few strands of hair are sticking out of his bun and his shirt is crooked.

As always, there’s an awkward silence between us, but this one lasts even longer than usual.

“Is Kate in there?” I ask finally.

“No.” Fender blocks the way. “No, she’s not.”

His eyes are darting nervously back and forth. What’s going on? Is he scared I’ll tell Kate and Lucas what happened outside?

“I want to go past,” I say.

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“We need to talk,” says Fender. “About what just happened.”

I shake my head. “No need.”

“Please.” I’ve never heard Fender say that word before, certainly not to me. “Come with me.”

Fender leads the way to their room and holds the door open. “Just for a minute.”

I hesitate. What if he attacks me again?

But then I remember what Claus said. I can run away from Fender, but on Monday I’ll be back in the classroom with him.

“Fine,” I say. “But yeah, just for a minute.”

I walk into the room and sit down in an easy chair. Fender lingers at the door.

“I…I want to apologize. For…”

“For trying to strangle me,” I say, finishing his sentence for him.

Fender blushes a little. That’s a first too.

“Yes,” he says then. “Yes, that.”

There’s another silence.

Where are Kate and Lucas? Still in the bar? I’m starting to get impatient.

“Was there anything else?”