It did not blow over by the time Lia woke up an hour before noon. She rolled out of bed, shuffling through the house in her pajamas. Her mom was in the kitchen, and her father was at work. Her mom made her eat at the table, and Lia managed a few spoons of cereal before she remembered the blood caught in the pitted cement of the picnic table where Cassidy had died. If she stared long enough at her cereal, they looked the same. She retreated to her room for the rest of the day.

No one from the football team is here, Gem texted her at lunch. The table they eat at is empty, and Peter yelled at some freshmen when they tried to sit there. Devon’s here, though, and he is out of it. I don’t think he’s heard a word anyone has said.

Great, Lia texted Gem back. Sad and thinks his not-girlfriend is a serial killer.

IDK it seems more “everything sucks” than specifically I KISSED A KILLER, you know? He’s been chewing the same bite of his sandwich for like three minutes.

Gem sent her a picture: Devon at a table with Faith, Georgia, and Mateo. Devon stared off into space, a sandwich in one hand, and Mateo stole his chips. Faith struggled to cut the chicken in her homemade salad with a fork. Georgia reading instead of eating. A few seconds later, Gem called her.

“Hello?” Lia said. All she could hear was the rumble of the cafeteria.

“Hey, Devon,” Gem said. “Have you talked to Lia?”

“I heard the police talked to her yesterday,” said Faith. “Is that true?”

“I don’t know anything,” Devon said quickly. “I don’t have my phone.”

God, did he turn it over to the cops, or were his parents just worried?

“She is super obsessed with Assassins,” said Faith, and there came a sound like her teeth clinking against metal. “I knew playing that game was a bad idea.”

Devon said nothing, and Georgia snorted.

“Like not playing would’ve helped,” she said. “It’s Lia. Lia obsesses. It’s what she does. Unless they arrest her, I doubt it was her.”

Lia sighed. That was comforting at least.

“Still,” mumbled Faith. “It’s weird.”

“I don’t want to talk about this,” Devon said quickly. “Gem, can I talk to you?”

And Gem hung up. Lia sat on her bed, flipping through her journal and ignoring her phone until another text message came.

He wants to talk to you, Gem said, but his parents took his phone and he has orchestra tonight. So I don’t think he thinks you’re a murderer.

Small mercies.

Lia told her mom she was going to take a nap after an early dinner. Her parents usually left her alone in the evening, and the last twenty-four hours seemed like they would be the same. Her mom didn’t even check on her for the hours after lunch until knocking on her door around five. She said Lia had to eat, and Lia agreed. She played along, and she played nicely. They had to think she was doing what they wanted.