“Yeah, of course.” Devon gestured to the empty seats. “What is it?”

She studied the shelf of old props. “Just some notes. You know her—a journal on Assassins but nothing for class.”

Lia couldn’t tell if she had picked up the knife.

“To be fair, it has been a rough month.” His hand was a white-knuckled fist against his leg. “Have you heard back yet?”

“No, you know how it goes,” Faith said, sighing and shrugging. One hand dropped into her pocket. “It must be nice to have everything taken care of already.”

Devon laughed, and the sound rattled awkwardly out of his tense mouth. “I suppose. It’s a bit daunting. There are very strict guidelines for keeping the scholarship.”

“I know.” Faith walked to the back of the room, dragging her hand across each desk. She stopped across from Devon. “I thought you wanted to go out of state? Can you still? You should. I would.”

If she took another step, Faith would see Lia in the reflection. Lia crept to her left, eyes on Faith’s reflection in the glass. The other girl did nothing but stare at Devon.

“I already signed the paperwork,” Devon said with ease, as if the words weren’t the nails Faith needed to hammer his coffin shut. “I worked quite hard for it. It seems rude to pass it up.”

“So rude,” said Faith. “It’s always best when we get what we deserve.”

“Do you deserve the scholarship?” Devon asked.

Lia flinched. He couldn’t be baiting her. Lia pulled a metal mechanical pencil from her pocket. She couldn’t see them anymore.

Faith sniffed. “Of course I do. Just like you said. I worked quite hard for it.”

Metal clicked against metal. Devon inhaled sharply.

“It might not even go to you,” Devon said. “What are you going to do? Kill your way through every single high school in the district till you get it? They know about the emails. They can track your IP address.”

Lia held still. Now Faith knew that he knew. That sound must have been the knife, but Faith didn’t know it was fake. Devon was drawing all her plotting out from her and putting on a good show for the hidden camera. All Lia had to do was let it play out.

“My dad’s a lawyer. I’ll be fine. Lincoln High has the highest test scores in the district. Like some Park Hills student scored higher than me. Please.” Faith laughed. Her phone clattered to the floor. “Pity Lia stole my phone. She’s been so unpredictable this semester, don’t you think? Probably the game and grief.”

“That’s very…” Devon hummed and took a deep breath. “Everyone worked hard for their scores. What makes you think you deserve it over us?”

“I’m not sure I deserve it more than you, but in a way, I do,” Faith said. “Because I’m going to do more with it.”

“Really?” he asked. “That’s your justification?”

She still hadn’t admitted to murder. Lia’s limbs were so tense she feared she would never move again.