Jessica was hunting down that book about Sintria she'd spotted in the school library. Other students shot her puzzled looks—she was practically sprinting through the stacks. She had to find it, convinced it held some vital clue. But no matter how hard she searched the last spot she'd left it … it was gone.
"Did someone swipe it?" Jessica muttered as she rifled through the bottom shelf.
"Looking for something?"
Jessica froze when Joan's face peeked through the shelf gap. She'd been in such a rush that she straightened up, trying to play it cool.
Joan circled around and ended up right in front of her. "You seem to be missing something important," he guessed.
"Nah, I'm just—um—searching for a book," Jessica stammered.
"What book? Maybe I can help."
"Help?" Jessica's eyes lit up. "It's a book on the history of an old hotel built with seven demons. The title's Sintria."
"Fantasy stuff?" Joan asked.
Jessica bit her lip. If she admitted she thought it was real, he'd laugh. She just nodded.
"Last I heard .…" Joan trailed off, thinking.
From a distance, Winter watched Joan and Jessica talking. He looked annoyed. With big, purposeful strides, he bumped Jessica's shoulder, sending her handful of books clattering to the floor.
"Winter!" Jessica snapped, glaring, but he just gave her a cold look and walked off.
Joan crouched to help her gather the fallen books. Jessica's heart fluttered—this was the kind of simple kindness she craved from a guy she liked. Their faces ended up inches apart, and her breath hitched.
"Is he your friend?" Joan nodded toward Winter.
"Y-yeah," Jessica sighed. "We're not exactly on good terms right now."
Just then, a pair of long legs in white sneakers stepped between them. A familiar voice rang out, "Well, well—just like in the movies."
Jessica looked down. It was Sion Kaidan. "Have you ever actually watched a movie?" she shot back, annoyed.
"Looking for this?" Sion held up a chunky, dark-red 500-page tome—Jessica's book.
"What?!" Jessica's eyes went wide. She lunged for it, but Sion backed away.
"Come on, hand it over!" she pouted.
"What's in it for me?" Sion grinned, hand outstretched.
"What kind of reward?" Jessica huffed.
"Meet me on the roof." Sion's grin turned sly, and he strolled off.
***
Realizing she had no choice, Jessica dashed to the school rooftop. She burst through the door to find Sion already lounging there, casually leafing through the book.
"About time," he said without looking up.
Jessica panted, clutching her chest. "Why'd you make me come up here?"
"What's so special about this book anyway?" Sion replied, eyes glued to the pages. "It's just origin stories, causes and effects, proof images, tragic stories of past guests. Nothing about us."
"You're totally lying! There's got to be a clue in there. Give it!" Jessica reached, but Sion snatched it out of reach again.
"People will always think it's fantasy," he shrugged.
"Whatever! Hand it over!"
"Catch me if you can," he teased, bouncing on his heels.
Suddenly Sion leaned back a bit too far. The drop below was insane. "Chill!" Jessica yelled—but gravity didn't care. Sion slipped off the ledge.
"Nooo!" Jessica screamed, rushing forward, peering over the edge. But … no body. He'd vanished.
"SION! SION KAIDAN!" she yelled, pounding the ground. "I KNOW YOU'RE HIDING—COME OUT!"
She looked frantic, ripping at her hair. "COME OUT! DON'T PLAY ME!"
But there was no sign of him or the book. Jessica fell to her knees, shaking, tears stinging her eyes.
***
Back in class later, Jessica found her classmates in chaos, pulling everything out of their bags. Even her own was strewn with supplies.
"Winter, what's up?" she asked the guy who was helping Giselle dig through her things.
"Know where Giselle's new phone is?" Winter snapped.
"No idea."
"Check your locker!" Giselle ordered.
Jessica's stomach twisted. She swore she didn't take it. Still, Giselle jiggled the locker key from her pocket, opened Jessica's locker … and there it was: a pink-cased smartphone.
"Thief!" Giselle screamed.
Jessica's head spun. "I swear it wasn't me! Someone must've planted your phone in my locker—"
SLAP!
Giselle's hand slammed into Jessica's cheek. Jessica clutched her stinging face, eyes wide with shock.
"You deserve every bit of bullying you get," Giselle sneered. "You act all innocent, but you're a crook!"
"B-but, Giselle, I really have no idea why your phone ended up in my locker," Jessica pleaded.
"Then who else?" Giselle shot back. "You had the key! Once a thief, always a thief. And Winter—don't you dare hang out with her anymore. I bet all the stuff she gives you is stolen too!"
Winter laughed, eyes cold. "Could be," he shrugged. "Maybe I'll just burn it all later."
Jessica's cheeks burned. Even Winter didn't believe her anymore. She leaned in, jabbed a finger at her forehead, and hissed, "I don't need a thief-flirt like you in my life. You never even ask if I'm into the things you like—you just ramble about yourself. I've been looking for any excuse to get away from you, and now I have one. We're done."
Jessica swallowed hard, blinking back tears. Her words stung even more than Sion's trick yesterday. She said nothing as Winter turned and walked away. All she could do was watch her retreating back, then let the tears fall freely down her cheeks until the hallway quieted out.
She hated this.
Sadness, shame, anger, and betrayal swirled inside her, and her sobs grew louder.
***
Hidden in the ceiling rafters above the corridor, two boys watched her fall apart. They were Sion Kaidan and Sollon Paegastun—silent witnesses to Jessica's breakdown.
"Did you plant that phone?" Sollon asked Sion.
"I'd never frame her. She knows I know," Sion smirked, eyes fixed on Jessica.
"You next?" Sollon probed.
"Finish your part first," Sion replied, passing the red-dark book to Sollon. "Hide this in my library. If she reads it, things get complicated." And just like that, Sion was gone.
Sollon stayed behind, watching Jessica wipe her tears before gathering her books and walking off.
***
Jessica trudged down the road toward the bus stop—hot, humiliated, tears still fresh—when a loud voice jarred her head up.
"HEY, YOU LITTLE JERK!"
Lucy stood at the bus stop, clutching a huge school project on the bench.
"Come help me carry this home. And don't scratch it!" Lucy barked.
Jessica grabbed the giant foam-and-cardboard model—half a meter by half a meter—and squeezed onto the already-full bus. She crouched in a corner, cradling the project.
When the bus stopped at the next stop, so many people piled on that Jessica got totally squeezed. She was doing her best to shield the mini-school model from being jostled, but—
Screech!
The bus braked hard, and a guy lurched into Jessica. Pinned in the corner with the cardboard board and foam pieces, the base bent and bits flew everywhere.
Lucy's jaw dropped. Her eyes went wide, fists clenched as anger boiled over. Jessica's lips turned pale and her skin broke into a cold sweat.
"Hey, driver—move!" Lucy screamed at the bus driver.
She yanked Jessica off the seat and shoved her so hard she tumbled onto the pavement.
"You stupid brat!" Lucy spat. "You just destroyed my group project that's due tomorrow! You can't even do one job right!"
Lucy crouched and grabbed Jessica's hair, yanking her head up. Jessica's shoulders shook as she sobbed.
"I don't care—today you're remaking it, got it? I swear, if I get in trouble because of you—" Lucy shoved Jessica's head again as she snarled, "You worthless—"
She stood up and, before walking off, kicked Jessica's side.
Jessica curled up on the dirty curb, shaking and crying her eyes out. Her uniform was soaked with cold sweat, but nobody even looked her way. Today was the worst day ever.
"Every day … do I have to cry every single day? Am I so awful that I can't be happy like everyone else? Am I a bad person? I'm not bad … so why … why can't I feel what they feel?" she sobbed between hiccups.
"I just … want to be happy."
"WAAAH!" Jessica suddenly screamed in frustration. Luckily the street was deserted—otherwise she'd look insane.
"WHY?! WHY DO I HAVE TRAITOR FRIENDS?! WHY DO I HAVE A TERRIBLE SISTER?!"
"WINTER, YOU JERK! YOU THINK YOU'RE SO GREAT? IF YOU WERE IN MY SHOES, YOU'D CRY BLOOD!"
"AND YOU, LUCY! DO YOU THINK YOUR LEG'S BROKEN SO YOU CAN'T CARRY YOUR OWN PROJECT? I HOPE YOUR LEG REALLY BREAKS!"
"YOU TWO ARE THE WORST! I JUST WANT TO BE LIKE YOU!"
Jessica curled tighter, knees pulled to her chest. She knew she sounded crazy—she was the dumbest girl crying on the hot sidewalk.
Tap, tap, tap.
Leather shoes clicked on the pavement. Jessica didn't look up; she buried her face in her arms.
"Sion."
He crouched beside her. His fox-like eyes gleamed, lips curving into a creepy grin as he whispered in her ear,
"I'm a descendant of Leviathan, ruler of hellish seas. I save humans from envy and jealousy. I can ease the burden of souls who suffer like you. Still don't want what you desire with my help?"
Jessica lifted her head, expression blank, eyes locking on his.