I look at the boy opposite me. Is this the same Lucas I woke up next to at camp? The boy who dragged me through the hardest time ever?

All I really want to do is turn around and walk away, but at the same time I know I’ll never see him again if I do. I never want to have that feeling again.

He deserves to be punished, but not like this.

Even Linnea rescued me from the window, although she hated me.

In a reflex, I reach out my hand and grab Lucas. With a sharp tug, I pull him away from the edge and we fall backward together onto the roof.

The gravel jabs into my body and I feel Lucas’s weight on top of me.

It’s over.

Review

Linnea

Isolde hasn’t moved. She’s been sitting on the floor this whole time, with the wig in her hand.

Kate and I stare at her, without saying anything.

Fender and Lucas are sitting out in the hallway, a few feet away from each other. They haven’t said anything about what exactly happened between them, but I can guess.

I’m mainly happy they’re both back, even though the thought that Lucas kissed me makes me nauseous. I was an Isolde replacement for him as well. The girl with the blue eyes and the blond braid.

Kate reaches for my hand and entwines her fingers with mine. I want to pull my hand away, but I leave it there.

This is not the time for a fight.

“Linnea van der Zee?” Kate and I are both startled by a voice behind us. When we turn around, we see two police officers.

“Yes, that’s me.”

“You’re the one who called us?” The male officer looks at us. “Can you explain exactly what happened?”

I look over at Isolde. The edge of her mask is visible where her real hairline begins.

How did she disguise herself so well? There’s no sign of her scars or her damaged eye.

But more important: how did she manage to identify so closely with a character who was based on the person who started all this misery?

Claus seemed completely real.

At least for a while.

“No,” I say quietly. “I can’t.”

“Let’s go to the station to continue our discussion.” The female officer looks at Isolde. “Your parents are going straight there.”

We just told the officers everything, but Fender had to keep stopping because it became too much for him. Kate and I took over from him then. We worked together like a well-oiled machine.

Isolde starts moving. Throughout the whole story, she’s been staring at Lucas, but he hasn’t even glanced back at her.