“I already knew Isolde before she came to our school. Did you actually know that?”

What’s Lucas talking about? I take a step forward.

“We met at camp. For days, all we did was kiss. I was really upset when we had to go home. Little did I know that two weeks later she’d step into our classroom.”

What is he talking about? All three of us saw her for the first time that day. I remember the moment well. I immediately had the feeling that I was walking more upright, as if someone had put a string on the crown of my head and pulled upward.

“That first day, I took her aside and kissed her, but she didn’t want to anymore. The day after that I tried again, but then she told me that I liked her more than she liked me.”

Lucas has gone crazy. He’s making this up. He has to be.

I’d have noticed if there was something going on between Lucas and her. They were right under my nose every day!

“And then she started to like you. I could see it happening, but I couldn’t stop it. I didn’t want it to get out of hand like that, but she didn’t understand. She thought the two of you belonged together.”

“We did,” I say.

“You did not!” Lucas screams. “What we had was real. I’ve never felt that way about a girl before!”

His words make me dizzy.

“I couldn’t look at the two of you. You were touching someone who belonged to me.”

“But she was my girlfriend,” I stammer. “Not yours.”

I look at him. Lucas inches backward. His heels touch the edge of the roof.

“You had everything and I had nothing. Kate is head over heels in love with you, but you never even noticed. Linnea was the first one not to fall for you. In fact, she hates you.”

Is that why Lucas kissed her? I shake my head.

“Please step away from the edge.”

“Why should I?” Lucas moves back a little more. His heels are over the edge now. One gust of wind and he’ll fall.

“It’s all over, Fender. When I saw that wrecked room, I already had a suspicion that Isolde was behind it. And when I heard the name Claus, I was sure of it. She wanted to punish me for what I’d done. And she involved you guys because it’s our fault she got mutilated.”

“But it wasn’t like that!”

“We murdered her, that’s how it feels to her. She’s insane.”

“Don’t talk like that about her.” I take two steps forward.

“Stupid Fender, are you still in love with her? After all these months? Even now that you know I had her first?”