Contents

The Truth Is A Lie

Publishing

Prologue

Part 1

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Part 2

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Part 3

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Afterword

Also by Rania Stone

About Rania Stone

THE TRUTH IS A LIE

by

Rania Stone

PUBLISHED BY:

Imagine Press Inc.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-998357-00-0

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-998357-01-7

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-998357-02-4

The Truth Is A Lie

Copyright © 2024 by Rania Stone

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the publisher’s prior written permission.

This is a work of fiction. The characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locations are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Imagine Press Inc. does not control or have any responsibility for any author or third-party websites referred to in or on this book.

Prologue

How could I be expected to know what was coming? The future isn’t written, and the past is just the future with a flashlight on, still murky and dark, with flashes of memory.

Foreknowledge would have saved me from the nightmare that was coming. A crystal ball would’ve saved a life.

But I didn’t have that luxury.

The murder would happen.

There was no stopping it.

I never thought it would be like this, being unable to speak or move. I thought it would be like I saw in movies, but it’s worse—much worse than I could have ever imagined. 

At least the voices stopped. I’m finally at peace. 

I’m no longer innocent—not after what I’ve endured.

I’m not regretting or taking anything back, even though I may never return.

There was a risk. I knew that, but I was willing to take it. 

Let it be if this is how the truth finally comes out.

Just let it be … 

Part 1

Chapter 1

“Sophia, this house is amazing,” my mom said. “It’s exactly what we were looking for.” She opened the thick beige curtain, allowing sunshine to fill the room. “And the view is beautiful with all these trees surrounding the property. Of course, it won’t be like the island, but it’s the best we’ve seen. I’m so happy we rented it.”

Mom glowed with pride and happiness but carried a sadness like dirt under a clean carpet. I could see it. I was always able to.

I set down my luggage and smiled warmly. It was my first home away from home—finally. I needed this. Eighteen may be just a number, but for me, it was the start of my own marathon of life. I took a deep breath and stepped into the living room. 

“Are you happy, sweetheart?” Her face radiated love as she opened her arms wide. I hugged her tight, trying to collect as much love as possible from that hug. I would miss her, and she would miss me.

She sniffed and stepped back as she hid her face.

“Mom?” I said, trying to meet her eyes. “It’s okay. You will come to Athens, and I will come to the island. Also, we can call on video. Everything will be fine.” I touched her hand.

“I know, honey. I’ve always dreaded this moment. You know I hate goodbyes. I get too emotional. Don’t mind me. I’m happy for you.” She wiped tears as we faced each other, speaking without speaking. A horn broke the silence.

“I have to catch the ferry back.” Mom grabbed her purse, looked at me again, and left before bursting into tears. I glanced outside to wave at her before the taxi took her away, trying hard not to cry. The truth was that I’d miss her too much. All the safety I felt as a tiny girl when she wrapped me in the covers and kissed my forehead goodnight wouldn’t be there. It was time to spread my wings, even though I had no idea how to fly. The island was safe and predictable. Athens was neither. 

With my back against the door, I scanned my new apartment. It had everything I needed. The owner often rented it to students and knew what style they wanted. Simple and cozy with warm colors. For me, it was fine. The spare room could accommodate anyone who wanted to visit. 

I had a lot of work to do, though. Cleaning, putting my stuff away, buying groceries, making my bed, and all the annoying but necessary things needed to make the house a home. For a moment, I longed for our cleaning staff services, but I shook my head. How would I be independent if I relied on others to do whatever I needed? 

I carried my luggage to my room and jumped on my bed. The next day was my first day at college. It would differ totally from everything I was used to. I was so excited to start my new life. 

How could I know what was coming?

Chapter 2

Five Days Before The Murder

I couldn’t sleep. I checked my alarm every hour, afraid I would oversleep and miss the bus—though to oversleep, you have to be asleep in the first place.

I kept tossing and turning, getting up, drinking water, and changing sleeping positions till six in the morning when my alarm rang. The night was finally over, but my eyes were heavy. I got up and had my coffee while staring at the wall as if my brain was sleeping. I got ready, put on some decent clothes and light makeup, and tried to brush out a rebellious strand of hair. There’s no second chance to make a first impression, right? 

The bus stop wasn’t far, as the house had the perfect location. It was close to a hill covered with trees and everything I could need in a minute’s walk—better than the island, where if I wanted to buy something, I had to walk a hundred steps up to the grocery shop. 

I was ten minutes early waiting for the pick-up. A bus with the school’s name pulled over, and the door opened. I stepped in, said good morning to the driver, and headed toward an empty seat. All eyes were on me. I averted my eyes, not liking the attention, but I’d get used to it. Soon, I’d know every name and wouldn’t feel weird.

All the back seats were taken, so I sat near the middle. I was the only one who didn’t have a seat companion, but that was okay. I was better alone at that point. Everyone was smiling and exuding positive energy, but the driver tapped his watch and checked his mirrors.

On the island, we had to endure more than half an hour’s drive over the mountain. There was only one high school on the island, so the buses went to all three villages to collect the students. You were done if you missed the bus—there was no way to go to school. Often, the driver had to wait for sleepyheads.

Minutes later, a thumping and heavy breathing sound reverberated throughout the bus. It was followed by, “Thank you. Your patience will be rewarded in the future.”

A girl with red hair entered the bus.

“Finally, the queen arrived,” someone behind me said.

“You made us all wait, Your Highness,” another person whispered.

“The star always has to make an entrance,” the girl said, making her way down the aisle while grabbing the tops of different seats to hold on as the driver accelerated.

“You are?” She looked at me and then at the empty seat next to me.

“Sophia.”

The girl sat beside me without introducing herself or asking if the seat was taken. I guessed she thought I should know her name.

“So, Sophia, what are you doing in the big city?”

“What do you mean?”

“I can tell from miles away that you came from a village.”

“You know,” I twisted sideways to stare at her, “you didn’t even tell me your name. I can tell from miles away that you are a spoiled little rich girl who thinks she can do whatever she wants. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, Gucci bag, shiny shoes. The seat is taken. Now move.” Our eyes met briefly. Then I nudged her shoulders gently. 

Voices emanated from the back. We had an audience. 

Her green eyes widened from excitement. “Calm down, silly. I’m just joking around. I’m Fotini. I like you.”

“Unfortunately, I can’t say the same,” I said with a smirk.

This is how our friendship started.

Chapter 3

The school had the best reputation and facilities, nothing like any other college in Greece. All the professors had big résumés, and the students were rich or high achievers. I am both, so I never thought fitting in would be a problem. However, I hadn’t realized until now that I was too naïve.  

The bus arrived on time to school despite the traffic. During the drive, Fotini and I discussed the boring things people say when they first meet, like where you’re from, how old you are, etc. I was prepared for these boring conversations, but I wasn’t prepared for Fotini. I must admit she had a healthy sense of humor, and she made me laugh. 

When we exited the bus, Fotini grabbed my arm and rushed me to the entrance, where an Ariana Grande lookalike awaited.

“I want you to meet my best friend, Maria.” 

“Hi.” I moved closer in case she wanted a handshake, but Maria didn’t move. I wondered if she was having a bad morning.

“Maria’s studying finance. We’ve been best friends since high school.” Fotini grabbed her shoulders and squeezed her. Maria grimaced but kept her eyes on me. “What did you say you’re studying?”

“Tourism, and I didn’t say anything since you didn’t ask.”

“So, newbie.” Maria ignored my comment and raised her hands, gesturing at all the people. “You need to get to your class before everything is flooded with all the little birds that want to learn. Head up to the third floor, the second door to your right with the Number 3 sign. Just grab the best seat because that would be the one you’ll have for the whole semester.”

Maria smiled while watching me.

I just nodded and gave her a thumbs-up. I didn’t ask for guidance but would take it for new friends’ sake. 

“Have the best first day,” Fotini shouted as I started to the stairs, feeling her stare at my back.

When I visited the school before registering, I clearly remember that my class was on the ground floor when the principal’s secretary showed me around. I also remember thinking I was unlucky since I really liked the view from the upper floors. I guessed they had changed it. Things like that can happen.

I rushed to the classroom Maria told me about, and she was right. No one was inside. I stepped in, closed the door, and picked the chair in the second row. That was my favorite. I wouldn’t be in the first row and look like a nerd or have all the attention on me, nor would I be in the back row, so I could still pay attention.

The bell rang. I heard all the noise from the corridors and stared at the door to see who would come first. I touched my stomach, anxious to see who my classmates would be. Maybe I would meet a cute guy, too. 

Minutes passed, and I was still looking at the door. What’s going on?

I stood and started to the door. I turned the handle to open it, and to my surprise, it was locked.

Was someone blocking it? Shit.

I banged on the door in case someone was outside. Nothing. I went back and searched my bag for my phone. I’d call the school. There was no way I’d be stuck in there.

No signal. For real? 

I stood next to the closed door and called for help. Nothing. I stomped across to the windows, but they were all firmly locked, and no one was outside. I took a big breath, trying to calm down. I felt my heartbeat in my head. How embarrassing was this, and how would I get out of here?

I suppressed tears at being such a loser. Did Maria tell me to go to this classroom on purpose? Or did I mishear her? 

Forty-five minutes passed while I banged on the door.

Then the bell rang again.

This was my chance.

I went to the door and hit it with my knuckles. No one seemed to hear it. 

I was ready to give up when I heard, “Hello?”

“Hi, I’m locked in. Please open the door.”

Then the door just opened. A tall, athletic guy with short brown hair stared at me, his eyes wide.

“It was open,” the guy said, and I frowned.

“No, it can’t be.” I took a step back and then went for my bag. The guy was still looking at me. “I’m sorry. I forgot how to be polite. Thank you for opening the door.” I squeezed by to get away from there as fast as possible while my skin burned from anxiety.

I had to pull myself together and start the day from scratch. I went downstairs, trying not to think about what had just happened. Was the door open all along? How could that be?

With great relief, I went to the girls’ bathroom. I saw myself in the mirror, and it wasn’t good. I looked like shit. I splashed some water on my face, added a little makeup and a quick fix of my hair, and I was ready to go again, even though my heart was still racing. 

I stepped out and scanned the corridor, and there it was, my class, not with a sign of a number but with the name of my field. 

“Tourism studies.”

Now that I missed the first hour, I ran to find a seat. To my surprise, everyone was just coming in and settling. Only the first-row seats weren’t taken, so I sat and then felt a tapping on my shoulder. 

“Were you at the theater?” a girl with crooked teeth whispered. 

“No, I missed it,” I replied, staring at her teeth. I didn’t mean to do that, but they were so crooked.

“You don’t need to stare. I struggled to be here. I wasn’t born rich like you.”

“I’m so sorry.” I turned and looked forward again.

What a shitty start this was.

I made my first unfriend/unfollow.

Chapter 4

The day passed with introductory speeches from the professors and awkward introductions with the students. During the breaks, I didn’t leave the classroom. I didn’t want to explore the school after what had happened. Staying in made me feel safer. At least it was one hundred times better than the old high school on the island. Freshly painted, well maintained, modern technology. Everything a student would dream of, but I wanted to go home. All I was thinking about was how I was stuck in this place like I was locked in a cage. 

One part of me wanted to confront Maria, and the other didn’t want any trouble. I was there to study, no drama, no gossip.

The final bell rang. I stood, grabbed my bag, and stormed outside, hitting some shoulders and whispering sorry. A deep breath of fresh air made me feel better. I headed toward the bus stop and saw the guy who opened the door for me talking to a teacher I had today, Mr. Tellis. They were having an intense conversation. The moment they saw me, they stopped, or at least that’s what it looked like, and Mr. Tellis went back inside the building, giving me a hint of a smile as he walked by. 

A herd of students flooded the walkway heading toward the buses, so I didn’t stop. But Fotini strode up and hugged the guy. When she saw me, she smiled and waved.

“Hey, Sophia. Come meet my boyfriend.” 

I furrowed my brows. That’s a funny coincidence. “I met him earlier.” I moved closer and smiled.

“Is that so?” Fotini frowned, seemingly perplexed.

“Hi, I’m Nasos.”

“I’m Sophia.” Thinking how stupid I acted, I blushed, and Fotini saw that.

“I thought you had already met.” Fotini took a step back.

“Well, not properly. Someone told me to go to the wrong classroom and locked me in. After an hour of losing my shit, I was grateful that Nasos heard my voice and opened the door.” I pursed my lips and smiled, trying to calm the growing rage.

Fotini tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Maria told me the wrong classroom, and then someone locked me in.”

“Are you for real?” Maria was behind me, evidently listening to my explanation. 

I spun to face her. “Of course I am. Ask Nasos where he found me.” 

All of us girls looked at him.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, and I don’t want to be in the middle.” He raised his hands. 

“Come on, honey, tell us. It’s okay, just a little misunderstanding.” Fotini caressed his cheek.

His face changed briefly as if Fotini put a spell on him. 

“I was on the third floor when I heard a call for help and opened the door. Then I saw this girl, clearly upset. She grabbed her bag and raced out.”

“And?” I said, drawing their attention to me. “Why would I go to the third floor? Especially when I don’t even know the school?” Silly me. I thought I had proved something.

“Listen, Sophia.” Maria studied my face. “I understand that the first day might have been stressful, but I want you to think,” Maria paused, “why would I do that to you? I told you to take the second turn and go to the third door. Not the third floor.”

I looked at Fotini, and she nodded confirmation. 

“And who locked the door?”

“Sophia, remember? The door was open,” Nasos added. 

Now, all three of them were looking at me with unveiled sympathy. I hated that condescending look. I didn’t know what to say. Could I have misheard? And what about the door? Why didn’t it open for me? 

“I’m sorry, I guess I misheard, went to the wrong classroom, and then panicked.” I spoke words I didn’t believe. I wanted them to stop looking at me like that.

“It’s okay, Sophia,” Fotini said as she watched the students get on the school bus. “Do you want to go for a walk? We have a spot where we like to hang out. It’ll be cool if you come with us.”

“I’m tired. Maybe another time.” I resisted the urge as I wasn’t comfortable enough to spend more time with them. I already had a foul taste in my mouth from what happened. What if following them brought me more trouble?

“Don’t be a nerd,” Fotini said while Maria nodded.

Then I thought that if I wanted to make any friends on my first day, this was my chance. I barely spoke to any classmates, and being suspicious all the time would only keep me isolated. “How am I going to get home? I’m still new here.”

“Taxi?” Fotini exclaimed the obvious.

“Okay, let’s go.” I took a deep breath and smiled. New beginnings mean people should get out of their comfort zone. Otherwise, what would the “new” be?

“You’ll meet the others, too. They’re probably already there,” Fotini said while taking steps toward the exit. Most of the students had left the college grounds. A few groups were chatting as they walked to the exit. 

I didn’t even ask who the others could be. Since I didn’t know anyone, it wouldn’t matter anyway. 

 We headed out as a group and walked the perimeter of the college. Fotini talked to Nasos about how boring her day was and that she felt the year would last forever. Nasos agreed to whatever she said. I thought he would agree if she told him to walk on one foot for miles. 

Maria walked beside me, silent at first, then said, “You’ll love our spot. The best part is that we’re not supposed to be there.”

Maria’s last words echoed trouble. I had never done anything wrong in my life. I was raised in a loving family that completely understood and loved me. I had amazing friends who, unfortunately for me, stayed on the island.  

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.” She winked.

At the end of the building was a metal fence separating the college from a large piece of land surrounded by trees. It seemed like a typical public park, but based on the sign, it was private property. 

“Come on.” Fotini cocked her head and looked at Nasos as Maria scanned the area to see if anyone was watching. Since the coast was clear, Nasos pulled up the end of the metallic fence.

I looked at Maria.

“Someone had done it before us, don’t worry.” Maria crouched, passed under the fence, and signaled me as Fotini was behind me and Nasos was holding it.

So, naïve as I was, I followed them, even though I knew it was wrong.

Chapter 5

“Where are we going?” I asked after ten minutes of walking uphill. All I could see were pine trees and small bushes.

“You’ll see,” Nasos replied.

We were reaching a little hill with some old, demolished houses. I couldn’t see what was special until I reached the top.

“What a view,” I exclaimed. “I can see all the north suburbs.” It was totally different from the island view I was used to.

“I was sure you’d like it.” Fotini moved beside me, catching her breath and staring at the view. “No matter how often I see it, I still enjoy it.”

“Is it illegal?”

“Does it really matter?” Fotini scoffed. “Come, let’s see if the others are here.”

Nasos and Maria were heading toward a house in somewhat better condition, so we followed them. As we got closer, I heard voices. 

“Hi guys, not bad for the first day, huh?” Maria yelled and bothered everyone with her volume. 

Nasos hugged Fotini, and they went inside the house. I stayed behind, wondering if I wanted to step into more trouble. If someone called the police, we would be charged with trespassing. Then I thought that maybe I should just leave. Doing something I wasn’t supposed to be doing added more stress to my already horrible first day.

Fotini lunged out, grabbed me, and pulled me inside. “Let me introduce you to Sophia. Today was her first day at a new school, away from home.”

I cringed but smiled, looking at a boy and girl sitting on concrete blocks.

“Stefanos.”

“Nataly.”

 I stood there wearing my awkward smile.

“Come, Sophia, sit with us.” Nataly tapped her hand beside her. 

“Why did you miss the last hour?” Maria asked.

“Boredom,” Nataly said bluntly.

“So, Sophia, tell us more about you,” Stefanos said. Maria moved closer to him and kissed him. She wanted to make sure I knew he was hers. Although I couldn’t see why she thought she needed to claim him before me.

“I come from Amorgos, a small island in the Cyclades. My family runs a hotel there. I want to be educated and gain experience because it’ll be mine one day.”

“Oh, that’s amazing.” Fotini sat on a block near Nasos. “You are so lucky. I always wanted to visit Amorgos.”

“You sound as if you’re interviewing for a job.” Nasos chuckled. 

“Brothers, sisters?” Nataly ignored Nasos’s comment.

“I have one brother.”

“Older or younger?”

“Older. He’s abroad studying for his PhD.”

“And where is the drama?” Nataly lit a cigarette. 

“Why does she have a Marlboro? Don’t you have the weed?” Stefanos glanced at Nasos.

“Shut up, idiot.” Nasos glared at him.

“Our little princess wouldn’t know things like that.” Stefanos glared at me. “Do you think they don’t smoke on the island in the winter? How do you think every winter passes?”

“Guys, chill. I come from an island, not from another planet.” I laughed. “Do what you want. None of my business, but …” Everyone stared, waiting for my next sentence. “I won’t tolerate anyone calling me princess.” Everyone sighed deeply. I laughed on the inside. “I mean, princess? Really? Just call me Sophia.”    

“Cool.” Nataly puffed her cigarette.

“So, what about you guys?”

“We are all in our second year,” Fotini said. “We’ve known each other since high school. They study finances. Not me.” Fotini spoke on their behalf.

“Well, this is what parents want.” Nataly dropped the ash from her cigarette and puffed again. “We do as we’re told.”

“That’s on you. I do what I want when I want.” Fotini messed with Nasos’s hair. He pulled his head away with a grimace.

Stefanos got up, stretched, and adjusted his jeans. Maria did the same.

“Okay, we’re going for a short walk.” Stefanos smiled, and Nasos high-fived him as Stefanos stepped out, with Maria following him.

“So, Sophia, do you live alone?” Fotini broke the silence.

“No.”

“So, someone is waiting for you?”

“My mom’s staying with me. Then she’ll leave, and my aunt will come. Having a place in Athens is great when you live on the island.” I was lying. I didn’t want people to know that I was alone. I didn’t feel safe enough.

“Oh great, then can I meet your mom?” Fotini asked, and I wondered why she would want to meet my mom.

Nasos pushed her a bit.

“What?” Fotini looked at him, frowning.

“That sounds like a great idea. My mom will be thrilled to meet my new friend.” I tried to sound enthusiastic, but I had no idea how to get myself out of it.

“My ass hurts from sitting on that block. I’d better go home.” Nataly stood and stretched.

“I’m late. I’d better leave, too.” I got up.

“Oh, come on, don’t leave.” Fotini also got up, grabbed Nataly’s hand, and made her sit down.

“Fotini, I have things to do, and my cat is waiting for me.”

“So your cat is more important than us?” Fotini’s tone changed. She wasn’t smiling.

Nataly smirked. “Well, I’m sorry, but—”

“You’ll stay here,” Fotini said in a defiant tone.

Nataly didn’t move.

“We are a team, a family. We all leave together.” Fotini’s tone had softened.

I didn’t know what to do, so I stared at Fotini for … permission. Thinking about it sounded so pathetic.

“Sophia, you can go if you want to. It’s your decision whether you want to be a part of our little school family.”

Starting what was likely to be a series of bad decisions at that moment—I stayed.

Nasos smiled, and Nataly’s face reddened.

Fotini took her phone and opened Spotify. She put on “Bohemian Rhapsody” and sang along.

Of course, I knew Queen’s famous song. The fact that Fotini tried to sing made it more awkward than it was because she was completely tone-deaf. Nataly was laughing as Nasos acted the part by shaping his fingers like a gun and pointing it at each of our heads—putting us out of our misery.

Then we all joined in, “Mama Mia, let me go,” and burst out laughing.

The fun ended when Stefanos stormed in, hands on his knees and out of breath. “Maria fell in the mine. She’s not moving.”

We all froze.

“There’s a mine?” Everyone looked at me like I was a complete idiot. “What were you doing there?”

“How stupid can you be, Stefanos?” Fotini bagged her things, then stood and faced him. “Of all the places.” She shook her head. “Where is she?”

“Follow me.” Stefanos led the way, and we walked for five more minutes. It was already getting dark.

An old sign warned us not to enter the mine area, but we did anyway. At the end of the road, there was a tunnel. We all turned on our phone flashlights and kept moving. Rocks, dust, and decay created a creepy scene. I had been to caves, but a mine? I can’t say I liked it.

“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Nataly mumbled.

“What?” Fotini asked. “Have you fallen here too while you were fucking?”

I instantly caught the again part. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

“Maria, we’re here,” Stefanos shouted.

There was no response. He raised the flashlight and pointed. “She fell into this hole.”

“How?” I wondered aloud.

Nasos leaned closer. “You know how. They were both in heat and then …” Nasos gestured with his hands and smiled. Everyone was staring at the hole, edging closer.

“Hey guys,” Maria said from the bottom. 

We shone our lights into the hole. She was covered in dirt, and blood smeared her face. “Where is Mrs. Papadopoulos?”

Everyone looked at each other.

“What are you talking about?” Fotini shouted.

“I was looking for her. She must have been around here.” Maria stared up at us.

Fotini whispered something to Stefanos, but I couldn’t hear.

“Honey,” Stefanos shouted. “You must have hit your head. We’ll find a way to get you out.” He turned to us. “Now what?”

“Let’s call the police,” I said. Everyone gave me a mean look.

“Sophia.” Nasos’s voice rose. “You know we shouldn’t be here, and you suggest calling the police. Surely, you are smarter than that.”

“Okay, then, how are we going to get her out? Since all of you are so smart, do you have a rope? Do you have a ladder?” The minute I spoke, I realized we may actually find something helpful in this abandoned place.

“Let’s search,” Fotini suggested before I said anything further. “Stefanos will stay and keep her company.”

With phones in hand and our flashlights on, we split up and tried to find something useful. I went deeper into the tunnel, hoping to find some sort of rope. I found a pile of garbage that someone seemed to toss from a hole above. I looked up, but it was too dark to see anything.

It wasn’t the typical house garbage. It was like someone had taken up a house renovation and dumped all the junk. I moved around the garbage bags, some sticks of wood, and plastic wrap. In the buried trash and dirt, I found a steel cable. I used a metallic tube to dig it out, but it wasn’t big enough, so I found a thick piece of wood. I put the wood under the cable reel and forced myself onto it.

Then something caught my eye.

Was that dried blood?

Who knows what could have happened here in the middle of nowhere? Maybe it was red paint from the renovations. Everything here was so creepy. My mind was making shit up.

I tipped up the cable reel and got it out. As I lifted it, something shiny caught my eye. I moved closer with my flashlight. A bracelet with a blue stone reflected the light. It was exactly to my taste and fit my wrist perfectly. I didn’t want the others to see it, so I put it in my pocket.

“Shit, I can’t find anything.” Fotini’s voice echoed in the dark.

“Guys, I found something useful.” I walked toward Stefanos. He took the reel from my hand and unwrapped the cable. Then he dropped one end to Maria and held the other end. We all gathered around as well.

“Honey, try to climb.” Stefanos stared down at Maria, who was squinting from the flashlights.

She laughed. “There’s no way. I can’t do this. Be serious.”

Stefanos groaned. “Can’t you at least try, baby?”

“Come on, Maria.” Nataly glanced at Fotini for approval. “You can do this.”

“Okay.” Maria grabbed the end of the cable dangling in front of her.

Maria put her weight on the cable, and Stefanos lost his balance. Maria fell back, and so did Stefanos.

“You are an idiot, a fucking idiot,” Maria yelled and then touched her head as if someone had hit her. “Oh, my head is going to explode.”

“Someone should go down and help her.” Fotini looked at all of us.

“I’ll go.” It didn’t look that hard to jump into the hole. I was always athletic and in good shape. Dance classes helped a lot, too. Also, it wasn’t that deep—about ten feet.

I lowered myself over the edge and then jumped the remaining distance. After dropping to my knees when I landed, I scrambled to my feet and faced Maria.

“Maria, are you okay?”

She nodded.

“C’mon, jump on my back.”

With a lot of effort and several failed attempts, Maria managed to climb on my back, grab Stefanos’s hand, and finally get out of the hole.

They all looked down at me, smiled, and then, without a word, left me alone in the hole.

“Guys, come on. Seriously?”

I stood there silently for five minutes, which felt like an eternity. I couldn’t believe that this was happening again. Then Fotini and Nasos came back.

“Where did you go? What the fuck?” My pulse throbbed in my head from the pent-up anger.

“We wanted to make sure that Maria was okay.” Fotini threw the cable as Nasos held the reel.

I don’t know how I managed to climb out, but I did.

“Let’s all go home,” Nasos said.

I was too frustrated to speak at that point. I’m not afraid of the dark. I’m used to walking at night. The island doesn’t have the lights that you see in the city. Many times, I had to walk in absolute darkness, but I felt safe. I couldn’t say the same here. We were all walking down the hill like a failed parade. Finally, we reached the bottom and climbed through the metal fence.

“Now what?” I looked at Fotini.

“I already called a taxi. It’s on the way.”

“I didn’t hear your call.”

“Silly, it’s an app. We’ll know who the driver is and how much it will cost. Don’t worry, he’ll drop us home. Remember, we take the same bus in the morning?”

“Seems like you girls have it all figured out,” Nasos said. “I’m going the other way, so …” He grabbed Fotini and kissed her passionately while he fixed his eyes on me.

That was odd.

Fotini smiled and waved goodbye to Nasos. I waved, too.

The taxi was there in no time. We were both tired and didn’t talk much. My home was first. I gave some cash to the driver and left the taxi.

“Goodnight, Fotini. See you tomorrow.” I waved, and she blew me a kiss.

Minutes later, I showered, put on my pajamas, and ate whatever I had in my fridge. I’d just stuffed my mouth when my phone rang.

“Hi, Mom.” I quickly chewed and swallowed.

“Honey, how was your day? I missed you so much.”

“Oh, it was good. Just a normal day at school. Are you okay, Mom?”

“Yes, I’m fine, and everyone says hi.”

“Oh, I miss you all. Can we talk tomorrow? I’m so tired.”

“Okay, as you wish. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

That made me feel bad. I knew my aunt, grandmother, and mother were there to hear my voice. I didn’t want to lie, but I didn’t want to talk about it either.

I had no idea that the worst was yet to come.

Chapter 6

Four Days Before The Murder

I wish I had a good night’s sleep. All the things that I hadn’t processed from yesterday came to haunt me in my dreams. Alone in the classroom, alone in the hole, in places I shouldn’t be, the faces of my new friends. Everything was a toxic soup in my brain that kept polluting me like poison during the night.

I wanted to text my BFF from the island, but I didn’t. I wanted to tell my mom everything, but I didn’t. I wanted to stay in bed, but I couldn’t.

Nothing was going in my favor, and my bed was so comfortable—I felt safer skipping school than going to class. I lingered on the thought for a while but decided to get up. Everything would be all right. I knew where my class was and my schedule. After school, I would go directly to the bus, and that was it. No interactions, no trouble.

I slipped into my jeans and a T-shirt. Even though it was October, the temperature was still high. I could hear my mother’s voice telling me to take a jacket so I wouldn’t catch a cold. Greek mothers. I took one, though, and smiled.

I was at the bus stop earlier than I should have been, watching videos on my phone to pass the time. 

“Good morning.” Fotini’s loud voice startled me. 

“Good morning.” 

“How are you?”

“I’m fine, you?”

“Fine.”

We spent one minute in silence until the bus came. We both got on. I waved at some classmates and sat in an empty seat. Fotini sat beside me. I wished she’d left me alone.

“We didn’t see you at the breaks yesterday. Where were you?”

“I was at the library,” I lied. At least I knew where it was from the tour they gave us when I came to register with my mother. 

“What were you doing there?” Fotini scoffed.

“I like books.”

“We like books, too, but we are together. We always stay together, no matter what.” Fotini looked at me as if I had done something wrong. Geez, the abandonment issues she had. 

“What type of books do you like?” she asked.

“Psychological thrillers mostly.”

“Really?” Fotini seemed surprised.

“Why do you have that face?”

“You seem the type who would read cozy romance.”

“No.” I shook my head. “Not me.”

“So, what did you last read?”

“The Drowning, by Jonas Saul.”

“Did you like it?”

“One hundred percent.”

“Maybe I should put it on my to-be-read list.” She looked away. “When the bell rings, just come to the cafeteria. We’ll be there.”

“Okay, got it.”

We both looked at the window and then Fotini broke the silence.

“I haven’t asked you. Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No, should I?” 

“Yeah, you should have one. I’ll get you one.” 

I didn’t know which was weirder. She answered as if I was asking for her permission or thought it was her job to find me one. I always thought the island girls were quirky and people would be more normal in Athens. One of my delusions, I guess. What is the definition of normal, anyway?

“Do you mind if I listen to music?” I pulled out my headphones.

“Oh no, go ahead.”

I had no idea why I kept asking for her permission. I mean, I only met her yesterday. What was wrong with me? 

“Give me your phone number.”

“Yeah, sure.” I gave mine, and she gave me hers. Her lock screen was all her friends together, smiling. Mine was my island because Amorgos represented everything in my life that couldn’t fit on a small screen. “Do you have Instagram?”

“No,” she said.

The bus stopped, and we all got out and headed to the campus. One of my classmates, I didn’t know his name, grabbed my arm as Fotini walked away. I looked at him, annoyed, and pulled my arm from his grasp.

“Why are you hanging out with her group? Don’t you know?”

“Know what?”

“They are not for you. Stay away,” the guy said.

I left hastily before Fotini saw him talking to me.

My stomach squished as Fotini came back to walk with me.

“You look weird. Did that guy say something to you?”

“He apologized for stepping on my toe on his way out.” Another lie. 

We walked together until we reached the building, said goodbye with a smile, then parted ways. Before I entered my classroom, I heard my name and turned around. I saw Fotini at the stairs, mouthing the word cafeteria. I gave her a thumbs-up and then entered the class. I left my bag on my desk and headed to the guy from moments ago.

“What was that about?” I hissed.

“Nothing.”

“Come on, don’t be like this. You can’t just warn me and walk away.”

“Why?”

“Because you can’t.”

“Who says?”

“Good morning, class,” Mr. Tellis said, and everyone took a seat as he set his papers on the desk and looked at us all.

“So, yesterday, we had our general talk. I told you who I am and who I want to be, and you shared your vision of life. Today, it’s business. No games, no talks. You will be the future CEOs of the hotel industry, and some of you may change how we see things. If you want to be part of the change and not a follower of the change, you have to prove it. Not to me, I’m just a teacher, but to yourselves. Because you will be the future of Greece.” Mr. Tellis paced near his desk. As he spoke, he looked each of us in the eyes as if this speech was for the person he was piercing with his gaze, not for the entire class. 

Everyone was silent, absorbed by his speech. It seemed no one was even blinking or breathing. The bell rang, and we were all still sitting. No one dared to get up unless he said so. Fotini and the others would be waiting for me. They would think I did it intentionally if I didn’t show up. 

The bell rang. No break for us. Another hour passed, and when the bell rang again and the lesson was finally done, we all bolted out of the classroom. I wanted to talk to the guy again, but first, I had to meet my new friends at the cafeteria. I found them sitting at a table with a bunch of snacks. 

“Where have you been?” Fotini asked.

“Mr. Tellis didn’t let us have a break.”

“Sit with us,” Nasos said.

Fotini gave him a side-eye as if she was the one who should tell me what to do.

“How are you, Maria?” I asked.

“I have this awful headache that I can’t get rid of.” Maria rubbed her temples.

“Do you have bruises? A goose egg?”

“No, nothing.”

“You should see a doctor.”

“Nah, I’m fine.”

“Geez, you’re stubborn,” Fotini said.

“Yup, you definitely are,” Nataly added.

Stefanos was deep in thought until Nasos poked him.

“What?” he snapped.

“Why the long face?”

“You shouldn’t be talking.” He glared at Nasos.

“Feed him something,” Fotini said. “He’s always cranky when hungry, like a little baby.” Fotini mocked him with her last words. She glanced at Nataly, who got up to get him food. All Fotini had to do was glare, and everyone obeyed. 

“I don’t want anything,” Stefanos said.

“Shut up.” Fotini huffed and signaled Nataly to go anyway. Fotini turned her attention to me. “So, little island girl, what will you do today after school?”

I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go to that creepy place again.

I examined the faces at the table, wondering if everyone even wanted me in their company. Maria seemed indifferent. Stefanos was looking at Fotini, Nasos was staring at the V neckline in my T-shirt, and Fotini’s eyes were fixed on Nasos. That was awkward, too awkward. Before I answered, Nataly came back with a sandwich and another guy.

“Guess what? I bumped into George from the tourism class.” Nataly handed the sandwich to Stefanos, who immediately took a big bite.

“Hi George, what’s up?” Of course, Fotini spoke first. 

“Do you want to come to my party on Saturday?” George looked at us, and his eyes stopped at me.

“Sure, we will.” Fotini grinned wide. “There’s no way we’ll miss the best event of the year.”

“Cool.” George waved and left. Then the bell rang.

Everyone stood, said their goodbyes, and headed out. Fotini grabbed my arm and told me, “See you later.”

The truth was that I didn’t want to hang out with them. I wanted to meet more people, but on the other hand, I wanted to talk to George. He looked rather cute, and we were in the same field. So, maybe we would have a lot to talk about. 

It didn’t take me long to get back to my classroom and my seat. The teacher came in right behind me, so I didn’t have a chance to talk to the guy who warned me. At least I heard his name. 

He was Philipos Sotiriou.

Chapter 7

On the next break, I wanted to find out more about Philipos, so when the bell rang, I went straight to him before he left class. He had just gotten up and was putting his books away. 

“Hi,” I whispered.

“I’m not telling you anything, so don’t waste your time.”

“Philipos, I need to know if I’m in any trouble. You should speak up if you truly wanted to warn me.”

“It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have said anything.” He avoided my gaze.

“Do you want to walk with me outside?” 

Philipos finally looked at me. “No.” He left me watching his back as he sauntered away.

The crooked teeth girl came close. “What do you want to know?”

“How is this any of your business?” I didn’t want to sound rude, but I did. I don’t like people watching me.

“I thought I’d give you one more chance, but clearly, you don’t deserve one,” she said, accidentally spitting on me while talking. Eww.

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to speak like that. It’s just in closed societies, like my island, people know everything about everyone, and I don’t like it. People I don’t know recognize me and monitor what I’m doing or not doing, and honestly, I’m tired of it.”  

The girl stood motionless for a few seconds. Then she gave me her hand. 

“I’m Stella.” She smiled.

“I’m Sophia.” I smiled back. Another weird friendship started.

We took our books and headed to the next lesson. 

“There’s a reason I know things about your new friends.”

I stared at her.

“I know someone who used to be in their friend group.”

“Who?”

“Pavlos.”

“They’ve never mentioned him. Where is he now?”

Stella scratched her head. “Actually, I have no idea.”

We slowed as we approached the classroom. The bell rang.

“Can you tell me more about him?” 

With a cunning smile and a glow in her eyes, she said, “See ya,” and entered the classroom. I followed her in, but there was no empty chair close to her. So, I had to be patient.

My phone vibrated. I answered it.

“Where have you been?” Fotini asked. “We were all waiting for you.” She sounded pissed that I didn’t show up.

“I’m sorry, the teacher held us longer.”

“Liar.”

I instantly felt my whole body burning from anxiety. How could she know?

“Why would I lie about something like that?”

“I saw students from your class in the cafeteria. So … please. Don’t underestimate my intelligence.”

“Some kids had finished early and left, and some stayed behind. Come on—”

“Okay.” She hung up.

I had no idea what was going on. Was she upset? Did she lie to me so I would be honest with her? Was she fine now?

The lesson started. My mind was elsewhere. On the second day, I thought of all the events since yesterday instead of focusing on my well-paid studies. I have always been curious, and that didn’t help much. It would be better for me if I minded my own business. The teacher asked me a question and caught me being distracted. Shit.

“Ms. Theologitou, doesn’t my lesson appeal to you?” Professor Marantou asked.

She sat at the desk looking at me, and her glasses lowered on her nose. She had that old-school strict behavior. In a past life, I swear she was an evil nun.

“I’m sorry. I woke with a terrible headache.” I lied again and rubbed my temples.

“I woke up with a headache, too. But I’m here, aren’t I? I don’t have an excuse not to teach you, so you don’t have an excuse not to be present.”

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” That was all I could say. She was right—there was no excuse. I also realized that I’m good at lying. If you ever asked me if I lied, I would say no, definitely not, and that would be a lie. 

I had many questions for Stella and Philipos, but time was limited. So, I chose to check on Fotini first. I didn’t want her to be upset with me. When the bell rang again, I went to the cafeteria, but no one was there. 

“Where are you guys?” I texted Fotini.

No answer.

One thing about me is that I can’t even think I did something wrong or upset someone. That’s why I mostly lie. So, in this case, feeling that Fotini was mad at me turned my stomach, so even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, it felt like I had. 

Since I couldn’t find them in the last breaks, I arranged with Stella to meet after school. There were various cafeterias and restaurants just a five-minute walk away. 

I checked at the bus stop when we left school, but nothing. No sign of Fotini or any of the others. I was getting upset, slowly but steadily. I couldn’t resist the urge and texted her as I walked with Stella. 

“Where are you guys?”

Nothing.

“Are you punishing me?”

Nothing.

“Are you done chasing them around?” Stella asked.

“I’m not doing that.”

“Yes, you are. Stop texting.”

“I wasn’t texting them.”

“Really?”

“I was texting my mom. Do you want to see the messages?” I lied again.

“I don’t care enough.” Stella pointed to the cafeteria where she wanted to go. She was right, too honest but right. 

We entered the coffee shop and got a table, then ordered coffee. Stella didn’t appear to be taking care of herself as she should since she was attending a rich person’s school. Her long brown hair needed a cut. She wasn’t wearing makeup. She looked older than her age. Her eyeliner was applied wrong to her hooded eyes, and she was dressed in a weird color combination. It left me wondering if she could make friends looking like that. All I could think of was that she looked strange for an eighteen-year-old girl.

“Stop judging me.”

“I’m not judging you,” I replied, even though I was.

“Yes, you are. I can tell by the look. I’ve seen it too many times. But you know, I absolutely don’t give a shit.”

She was upset. She breathed faster, and I saw a vein pulsing in her temple.

“I didn’t, but I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. My only thought was that you have pretty blue eyes, but how you apply your eyeliner doesn’t show how pretty they are.” It was the first time I saw a hint of a smile on her lips. The waitress brought our coffees, and we both leaned back in our chairs to make the waitress’s life easier. 

“So, Stella, tell me about you.”

“Oh man, please.”

“What did I say wrong?”

“For us to have an actual conversation, I need you to stop pretending, stop the niceties, and be real. I’m too smart for that shit, and I also hate chit-chat. I don’t like fake plastic people who only care about their appearance. I only care for people who care how they behave and what they do in their lives.” She paused to sip her coffee. “The only reason I agreed to come with you was to find out where Pavlos is. One day, he was here. The next, he wasn’t.”

“What do you know?” I didn’t apologize or make things better because, with her attitude, it could only worsen. 

“Pavlos was hanging out with them for some time. He confessed to me that these people have a lot of secrets. He wanted to get away from them, but something terrible happened. He was involved, and he was stuck.”

I sipped my coffee, thinking what the hell? “So, what happened to him?”

“I told you, one day he was here. The next, he was missing.”

“Did someone notify the police?”

“What do you think?” Stella rolled her eyes.

“Any clues?”

“Zero.”

“What did his family say?”

“That the last days before he went missing, he kept more to himself, seemed distracted and unhappy.” 

“Maybe he ran away.”

“He wouldn’t do that.”

“How would you know?”

“Because all of his clothes were left behind. If he ran, wouldn’t he at least take a suitcase? Or something for a few days?”

I sighed deeply, feeling the sadness in my gut. “What do you think happened to him? Any theories?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I want to find out. I need to find out.” Her voice broke on the last sentence, and her eyes watered. 

“He must have been very important to you.”

“He still is.”

“What do you want from me?”

“To learn more about them and collect whatever information they never told the police.”

“I can just ask them.” 

“Yeah, right. Ask them, and they will immediately open up and tell you everything. Geez, you’re that stupid?”

“I’m not stupid. I don’t like to do things behind their back. It’s not fair when they’ve treated me so well.”

“Okay, live your fantasy. We have nothing more to talk about.” Stella opened her bag, left some money on the table, and walked away without saying goodbye.

I didn’t know what to think of that. Then my phone vibrated.

A text. I opened it to read, “We were at the hospital because Maria was getting worse.”

“Oh, no.”

“If you were with us, you would have known. Are you a part of our family? Because if you are, then you failed today to stand by us. If you’re not a part of it, then goodbye.” 

I took a deep breath. I felt bad thinking they did it intentionally while Maria was at the hospital. I hadn’t even considered her. What about Stella, though? I could see Fotini’s effect on me, so it was not hard to relate why Pavlos couldn’t get out. 

“I’m a part of the family.” I finally texted back without knowing that was another bad decision.

“Good. See you tomorrow.”

Chapter 8

Three Days Before The Murder

I didn’t see Fotini on the bus the next morning. Of course, I didn’t sleep well. Anxiety had taken over as if there were another person inside of me. That other me who didn’t listen to the real me. I tried to convince the anxious me that I wouldn’t be in any danger, that there was nothing I could do that would be against my beliefs, that I was safe and sound. No, whatever I explained to the anxious me, it wasn’t listening. 

My heart was racing, and I was covered in a cold sweat. I even thought of not going anywhere. If I stayed in my bed, nothing bad could happen. But no, I wouldn’t do the anxious me the favor of locking myself inside. I needed to focus on why I was there in the first place. No warnings about my friends, no missing guy, no nothing. All these distractions made me behave like I was staggering on a rocking boat.

The bus came in time, and I had the luxury of being alone and watching outside the window while listening to my music. Lana Del Rey always calmed me down. I didn’t look for Philipos as I didn’t want the confrontation. When the bus arrived at school, and we all stepped out, I saw Fotini exiting a car, holding Maria’s hand to help her get out. I felt terrible that I had no idea what happened the previous day, so I sprinted to them and hugged Maria. She was taken aback. I guess I was too friendly or too emotional—or both.

“Wow. Easy,” she said.

“I’m so, so sorry that I wasn’t there. I feel terrible.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” She tried to make me feel better.

“Well, don’t do it again. Ever.” Fotini glared at me. “I slept at her house yesterday. This is what we do when our friends are in need.”

“Fotini, sometimes things happen. I didn’t know, okay? I couldn’t know. You could at least text me and tell me what happened, and I would be there. So, technically, it’s more your fault than mine.”

Fotini’s cat-shaped green eyes widened under her thin eyebrows. She didn’t like my comment. Stella passed by without even looking at me. What was that all about?

“Who is she?” Fotini asked as we walked toward the entrance while Maria silently walked beside us.

“She’s in my class.”

“It’s a mistake.” Maria stopped walking. “I shouldn’t have come. The doctor advised rest. I can’t believe my parents didn’t believe me. Do I have to be in the ICU to skip class? This is mean.”

I wondered what kind of parents didn’t take their children seriously. It also made sense why Fotini stayed with her because she wouldn’t have support if her parents were like that. I felt bad for Maria. 

I moved in front of her. “We will take care of you if you need something. Fotini has my phone number. She’ll text if I can help in any way.” I pointed at Fotini, who softened her look. 

Maria stared at me with her mouth half open as if she didn’t know what to say. 

I took her hand and squeezed it softly. “I mean it.” 

“Sometimes I wish I could tell the whole world what’s going on,” Maria said.

“What do you mean?” Fotini gaped at her.

“Nothing, my headache is too intense to have this conversation. Don’t mind me.”

“Come on, don’t you see we all came to help you?”

“I’m not talking about that. Well, never mind,” Maria said. 

I stepped away and raised my hand to wave goodbye, even though Maria gave me a weird vibe. Then, we separated and headed to our classes.

Stella was waiting for me at the entrance. “So?”

“So, what?” I stepped inside and sat on my chair. She came behind me.

“Have you decided?”

“No.”

“When are you going to decide?”

“Listen, I’m very confused with everything, and honestly, I don’t want to be. This is too much. I don’t know what happened to your friend, and I don’t want to know. I also don’t want to behave like this with other people.”

Stella frowned and leaned on my desk. “I hope you won’t be the next one who’ll go missing because then I won’t have the chance to tell you I told you so and rub it in your face.” She left me speechless with acid in my stomach. I didn’t like her last comment. 

Mr. Tellis arrived in the classroom holding papers that he passed out. All the female students were staring at his lips. The way he spoke with his deep masculine voice captivated everyone’s attention. But how he moved and ran his fingers through his thick blond hair made the females hold their breath. The impact some people had on other people fascinated me. You can’t write this in a manual. It’s just the way it is.  

“What I want you all to do is write an essay about where you see yourself in five years and why. It will tell me a lot about you and how we can work together.”

That was easy. I knew exactly where I was going to be. I wrote fast enough to be the first to hand in the paper. He took it, read it, and gave it back to me. I was confused.

“Your attention, please. For this essay, don’t settle with your life being all roses and sunshine. Imagine the worst-case scenario and think that a version of it will happen. Then, go deeper and reflect on what you would do. Ms. Theologitou, let’s imagine that your family hotel doesn’t exist. What would you do then?”

“Die,” I said instantly, and I heard giggling.

“That’s an easy way out. Try again.” He gave me another paper. 

I was lost. What would I do if there was no hotel?

“I wouldn’t have a hotel, but I would still have my family to back me up.” I spoke too loudly. Everyone looked at me.

“Ms. Theologitou, you need to find out who you are, your strengths, and your capabilities without your family as a crutch.”

He was right, but I didn’t like hearing it. I felt offended even though I shouldn’t be. Imagine saying that to Fotini. I wonder how she would react. An hour later, he collected the papers. He scanned through each and then set them down.

“This class has potential.” Then he continued the lesson. When the bell rang, and everyone left, I stayed behind to speak to him. Stella and Philipos gave me a side eye and exited the classroom, but not together.

“Sir, may I speak with you for a moment?”

Mr. Tellis nodded. “Of course.” He set his pen down and met my gaze.

“Why is it so bad to have a family?”

“I never said it was bad. I just said it’s convenient and safe. I believe you can make it on your own. I believe in you.”

That made my heart flutter. It felt like I was blushing. What a stupid, naïve girl I was.

“Thank you, Mr. Tellis.” I left with a smile and headed to the cafeteria.

Everyone was sitting and sipping coffee already. Maria was the center of attention as she seemed in pain. 

“Good morning.” I grabbed a chair. 

“Morning,” everyone said under their breath as if they were still dreaming. 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed my support. Please, to ensure this never happens again, all of you should have my phone number.” I showed them my number. They saved it on their phones, sent me short text messages, and added me to their group chat. 

They seemed so bored, on their phones, with no interaction. 

“We’re all going to the party, right?” Fotini broke the silence.

“I guess so.” Nataly’s eyes widened as if she had just woken up.

“The truth is that George has an amazing house.” Nasos sipped more coffee.

Stefanos nodded. “Last year’s party was a huge success. This boy is filthy rich.”

“What was so special about it?” I asked.

“DJ, dancers, and fireworks,” Maria said. “A pool bar that served cocktails, themed decoration. It was just perfect. Although, I’m unsure if I can make it with this headache, and it’s all your fault.” She looked at Stefanos.

“How is it my fault? You walked backward and fell.”

“Yes, because you were scaring me with your spooky shit.”

“Anyway,” Nasos cut off their conversation. “I know his house like the back of my hand. I stayed there for a week when my parents had to take a business trip. They’re good friends with George’s parents. I can give you all a tour.”

“The house is so big that it needs a tour?” My eyes widened.

“Yeah. It has an underground cellar, a tennis court, a panic room, a gaming room, eight bedrooms, and I don’t even know how many bathrooms.” 

“Wow. I can’t wait to go now,” I said. 

“We’ll have a blast.” Fotini smiled for the first time since yesterday. 

“Get new clothes,” Nataly said. “Do our hair and makeup. Geez, now I can’t wait.”

The boys exhaled as if they were on a girl’s planet.

“What will you wear?” Fotini asked me.

“I’m not sure yet.” I had absolutely no idea what would be appropriate. I didn’t want to wear something out of fashion and embarrass myself.

“Whatever you girls wear, you will look amazing.” Nasos glanced at me. “I’d love to see you all in small dresses.” He was still looking at me while Fotini gave me a side glare as if I could control who would be looking at me.

“Last year, Mr. Tellis came, too.” Nataly wanted to change the topic.

“Escorted by his gorgeous wife,” Stefanos said.

“He’s married?” I hadn’t seen a wedding ring.

“Apparently.” Fotini was playing with her red hair, looking at her phone. 

The bell rang. It felt as if they had given us five extra minutes. Everyone got up and headed to their class. Nasos headed my way. 

“I thought your class was upstairs,” I said.

“Yeah, it is. I need to do something first.” He rushed ahead. Now, I was curious. What was he up to? I followed him. It was easier than I expected because there was a lot of movement from the students, so I wouldn’t be spotted easily.

He went straight to the library.

That’s weird.

I entered with caution and hid behind the bookshelves that separated the categories. I could see him pacing back and forth two corridors away. He stood there while someone gave him a book, then he left. I rushed as I didn’t want to be late for class. I was looking for Nasos when I bumped into Mr. Tellis and spilled his coffee all over him.

“I’m sooo sorry.” I stepped back as he stared, flabbergasted. 

“Ms. Theologitou, you are trouble. Do you know that?” He started toward the restroom.

“I’m terribly sorry,” I called after him.

“You should be. Go to your class. You’re gonna be late.” He shooed me away.

Curiosity killed the cat, I thought, and ran to my class. Of course, I was late. I knocked, got in, apologized, and sat while everyone watched me. 

“We’re not in high school,” Mrs. Marantou said. “If someone is late, don’t even bother to come to my lesson. Are you allowed to be late at your job? The answer is no. So, don’t be late. Ever.” She spat the last word.

Of course, I would be late again.

Chapter 9

As soon as the bell rang, messages from our group popped up on my screen before I got up from my chair.

“I can’t make it.” Nataly’s face appeared on my screen.

“I’m going to grab one more coffee,” Nasos typed.

“I’m staying with Maria.” Stefanos. “She may go home after all.”

Fotini texted, “ …” She was clearly upset. 

I didn’t bother to type anything, but I went to the cafeteria to buy a coffee. I was so curious about what Nasos was up to. He could have just told me he was going to the library and needed a book. Or maybe that wasn’t my business, so he didn’t say. Who knows.

Nasos had just gotten his coffee when he saw me in the line. 

“I didn’t know you were coming.”

“I didn’t know either.” I smiled.

“We haven’t been able to talk much. You hang around, but we know nothing about you.” Nasos said as my turn was near. 

“Fotini knows a lot, so that’s something.”

“Fotini wants to know everything and control everything. Sometimes, it’s tiring. Every day, same thing.” He sighed. “I need a break.”

“One latte, please,” I ordered and looked at him in his eyes. “A break from what? Your life, school, her?”

The barista gave me my coffee, and I walked with Nasos to the corridor.

“Sophia, since you’re a part of this family, there are some thi—” He didn’t have time to finish his sentence as Fotini jumped up and hugged him.

“I didn’t know you would come, too.” She looked at me, and I felt as if I’d done something wrong.

“I didn’t know either.” I let out a nervous giggle. “See you guys.” I left without hesitation. The last thing I wanted was for Fotini thinking I liked Nasos. He was cute but taken—it was more like he was owned. 

Philipos was tapping on his phone between the classroom door and the corridor.

“Hi,” I said. “Can I come in?”

“Oh, yes.” He stepped out of the way. 

“When you grow balls, you know where to find me,” I whispered in his ear. Maybe I would hit a nerve with that insult, and he would tell me more.

“Nice try.” He smirked.

“Damn.” I smiled and took my seat as the bell rang. Maybe instead of pushing him, I should try to be his friend. He would eventually speak up.

Stella was already sitting and glaring at us. 

The school day passed without drama. Maria went home, escorted by Stefanos this time. Maybe he could convince her parents that she needed to stay home and that she hit her head and wasn’t faking it. Nataly texted that she needed time to glow up, whatever that meant. 

Only Nasos, Fotini, and I were at the exit, which felt awkward. The last thing I wanted was to watch them make out in front of me.

“Bye, guys. I’m taking the bus home.” I tried to escape.

“No, come on. You too?” Fotini exclaimed.

“Well, I don’t want to be a third wheel.”

“I have something to do anyway,” Nasos said. “I won’t stay long.”

“It seems you always have something to do.” I couldn’t resist the urge to say.

“I’m a busy guy. What can I say?” He laughed it off. Of course he would.

“Well,” Fotini said in a disturbed tone. “We don’t want to keep you away from your ‘something to do.’ So, talk later?”

“Come on, baby, you know how it is. I’ll come by your house later and watch a movie, okay?” Nasos lifted her chin and gave her a slow-burning kiss. I looked away. “I’ll see you later, babe.” He stepped back.

“You said you had time,” Fotini complained and kicked her foot like a spoiled little girl.

“I changed my mind. The sooner I get it over with, the better.” He waved goodbye to both of us and left.

Now, it was just us.

“So, what do we do?” I hoped she would prefer to split. 

“Can I come to your place? I don’t want to go home and be bored.” 

“Sure. We missed the bus, though.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pay for the taxi.”

The taxi arrived fast, and we were at my house less than half an hour later. 

“I didn’t even know that houses like this still exist.” Fotini stared at my place. “This is beautiful.”

The house Mom and I found was special. It had a big garden, and it was on the second floor. The owners used the ground floor as a storage area, but I didn’t mind. They told me that they rarely came by, and if they did, they would tell me first. The location was unique as it was the last house before a hill full of trees. The beautiful garden in the front reminded me of our Lakki Village Hotel on Amorgos. Bougainvilleas hugged the staircase that led to my secure front door. Roses and blossomed bay trees completed the colorful scenery.

“Let’s go inside.” I signaled Fotini to follow me as she was still looking around. I took my keys from my bag, unlocked the door, and we stepped inside. I immediately opened the shutters everywhere to have natural light and my bedroom window for fresh air.

“Where’s your mom?” she asked as I took off my shoes in the other room.

“My mom?”

“Yes.”

“On the island.”

“When did she leave?”

Shit! I had forgotten that lie. “Yesterday.”

“Your house is cozy. I wish my house was like this.” Fotini placed her bag on the sofa.

“How is your house?” I sat and signaled Fotini to sit as well.

“Big, too big. We have all kinds of furniture, but it feels empty. Sometimes, I feel like I live in a hospital with no warmth.” She stared at the window. 

I felt a sadness for her. “What about your parents?”

“My parents?”

I nodded.

“My mom took a job in the UK to stay away from my toxic dad, and now I’m stuck with him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. You must miss your mom.”

“Not really.” 

She surprised me with that comment and saw it on my face.

“Well, I meant, not anymore. At first, it was hard, but then it wasn’t. I got used to her absence like people do when somebody dies. At first, they’re sad, and then they’re not that sad, then they move on.” 

“What about your dad?”

“My dad is a controlling freak who doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Sometimes, he throws me bones of affection and encouragement, and I fall for it. Then, the next day, he’ll tell me how worthless I am and destroy everything. I wish I had normal parents, and then maybe I would be normal.” Fotini sighed.

“Oh, come on, define normal. No one is normal. We just all hide it. The ‘normal’ ones hide it better than the others. That’s the only difference.”

“I like that. You’re different. What about your parents? How are they?”

After what she said, I didn’t want to tell her that my family was amazing and that I had the most supportive parents in the world.

“Well, my parents are a boring, average family. We have our problems as everyone, but we manage.”

“See? This is normal.”

“No, this is average. Love glues us together.” 

“I want that.” Fotini sighed.

“Maybe you can try more with your family, be the glue?”

“I already have a family. My friends are my family.” She spoke with intensity.

“Friends are a type of family.”

I could tell she didn’t like my comment as she pushed up to stand. “Can I look around?”

“Sure.”

Fotini went through my organized but unused kitchen, touching all the edges of the kitchen counter. Then she pulled away the thick curtain to see the view. 

“That’s a nice view.”

“My mom liked it, too. That was one of the reasons we rented this house.”

Fotini walked first to the second bedroom with a bed and a closet.  Then she stepped into my bedroom, which was clean and tidy. My bed was made, and my clothes were folded. 

“Your room is neat. I’m messy.” She again touched the edges of all the pieces of furniture and my belongings as she walked in, and then she froze.

“Where did you find this?” She pointed at the bracelet I found in the mine.

“Oh, I found it in the mine as I was looking for something to help Maria get out of the hole.” 

“It’s pretty.” She held it in her hands and then returned it to the table. “Everything is pretty. You’re pretty. You have a family, a beautiful house, and a job to go to when you’re done. All that’s missing is a husband to fulfill your dream.”

I burst out laughing, and she laughed, too. 

“Well, thank you for letting me come. I enjoyed my time here.”

“That was it? Can I get you a coffee?”

“I need to go home and study. I have a demanding new teacher, and I need to be prepared. Besides, Nasos will visit, and it will take me some time to walk home.”

“Okay, then.” I escorted her to the door and we hugged. I felt sorry for her. Her emptiness made me realize how full my life was with everything. She left with a smile, and I went back into the bedroom. I couldn’t wait to have a shower and change clothes.

After my shower, I donned comfy clothes and sat on the bed with my notes. I pulled out all my books. I always liked to peruse my new textbooks, even in elementary. I was curious to see what new things I would learn throughout the year—and the addictive smell.

Then I noticed that I didn’t see the bracelet on the table. I got up, searched under the bed, and searched the floor but found nothing.

Did she take it?

And if so, why?

Chapter 10

Two Days Before The Murder

I woke up with the voice of my mom calling me. Unfortunately, it was only my imagination. I missed her. We texted each other goodnight, but that was about it. I got up and did my usual routine. I took my books, sunglasses, and earbuds and headed to the bus stop. Fotini was already there.

“Good morning, pretty girl. You look so cool with your sunglasses on. Bad bitch vibes.”

We both laughed. “Good morning. You look gorgeous yourself,” I said, and I meant it.

Fotini wasn’t just pretty. She was exotic and exuded mystery. She also knew how to put on makeup and take care of herself. Every day, her look was flawless. 

“Well, thank you, it’s not bad hyping each other up. We should do that every morning.”

I smiled but was dying to ask her why she took my bracelet. In the end, I chose not to. I didn’t spend any money on it. So technically, in my head, she didn’t steal it. Besides, I didn’t want to ruin the day.

“Any news about Maria?”

“We spoke on the phone. Her parents agreed to let her stay home. She will only miss today and tomorrow since after it’s the weekend.”

“I hope she can come to the party.” I didn’t care if she came or not, but I had to sound polite. I didn’t even like her. I felt sorry that she hit her head, and I didn’t do my duty as a friend, but that was about it. I still believed that she locked me in that classroom, though. Maybe she liked pranking people. I don’t know. 

The bus stopped. We hopped in and grabbed our usual seats. 

“You’re in a good mood today.” I watched her face radiate happiness.

“Nasos made sure of that.” She smiled.

“Oh, now I get it.” The impact relationships have on our lives blows my mind every time. If she argued with Nasos, I would talk to different Fotini today, one that was grumpy, upset, and edgy. 

“He gave me this.” She showed me a bracelet. 

“Oh wow, it looks like the one I found.” Is that bracelet mine?

“He kissed my neck, then told me to close my eyes and put it in my hands. It has been so long since he last gave me a gift. Sometimes, I felt he was with me just for the sex.”

In my head, I was screaming that she stole it, but out loud, I said, “That’s nice of him.”

Fotini was glowing. For a second, I wondered who the delusional one of the two of us was. I opened my mouth and was about to say things I would regret, but I stopped when I saw her texting Nasos.

“Sophia thinks that the bracelet is amazing. Thank you so much.”

“You deserve the world, baby.”

I stared at the texts, perplexed. It must be another bracelet. Mine is probably still in my apartment, lying somewhere, and I couldn’t see it. Maybe I knocked it off something as I passed with my towel. Perhaps it’s caught up in a cloth. I decided to let it go. 

Soon, we arrived at school. I still had in my head what Philipos and Stella had told me about my new friends. I wasn’t as interested in Philipos’s words as in Stella’s. I wanted to learn more about Pavlos but didn’t like how Stella wanted me to do it. Rat on my new friends—that’s not how to start a true friendship. One that would last.

Fotini and I walked to the school entrance, discussing our day. We were both meeting new teachers and being introduced to new courses, so it wouldn’t be that dull. Nasos sneaked from behind and kissed Fotini’s cheek while looking at me. I had no idea why he did that. Was he thinking that I was jealous or something? I saw Stefanos and Nataly heading in and waved.

“See you later,” I shouted and went to my classroom. I sat on my chair and waited for the bell while randomly looking at the entrance. Then I saw Nasos walk by. Was he going to the library again? Five minutes later, he returned, followed by our new teacher, and before she closed the door, I saw Mr. Tellis walking from the same direction that Nasos came from. What were they up to?

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I fished it out of my pocket just a second before the teacher sat.

It was Maria. “I’m bored at home. Can you guys come and hang around?”

“No phones,” the teacher blurted out.

I put it back and then felt the vibrations from all the messages. I was curious to check but resisted the urge, which proved challenging. 

Mrs. Katsarou would teach us hotel management. I already knew everything she discussed, which made the time pass slowly and torturously. I have been working since I was eleven, cleaning rooms and being at the restaurant wherever I was needed. Then, when I grew older, I helped at the reception and checked deliveries. I knew a lot already. We were a family of strong, independent women who knew how to get things done.

I had a weakness, though. Anxiety, fear of failure, and inability to meet my family’s expectations kept me from achieving more.  

The teacher turned her back, and the person behind me passed a note forward.

Opening it carefully, so as not to draw attention to myself, I read. “What if he committed a suicide? What if he knew something, and they killed him?”

What would I do with Stella? The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t know them. I had just met them all. They could be or do anything. All I know is that they were friendly, and we all went to the same school. I didn’t even know their last names, and if they told me, I forgot them. I only knew that I didn’t enjoy behaving like a bitch in general unless I was provoked. I turned to glare at Stella, and she shrugged. 

The bell rang, and finally, I could read the messages.

Fotini: “I’m bored AF.”

Stefanos: “I’ll swing by after school.”

Nataly: “I’ll come before school ends.” 

Maria: “Thanks, bestie.”

Nasos: “I have a lot of things to do, sorry.”

Maria: “I guess it is an important job, more important than your friends, right?”

Nasos: “My friends know me, and don’t judge me.”

Maria: “…”

It appeared that they had it all figured out. Maybe something was happening in his family that he didn’t want to tell anyone. I decided not to think about it again. 

I could go home after school, but I needed coffee right now, so I went to the cafeteria. The line was longer than usual, as if no one had coffee in the morning before going to school. Would I even have the time to drink it? I stayed in the line anyway since I had nothing better to do.

“Good morning,” an unfamiliar voice behind me said.

I turned to stare at George. “Good morning.”

“I don’t remember your name.”

“It’s because we weren’t introduced.” I smiled. “I’m Sophia.” I extended my hand.

“I’m George. Nice to meet you.” We shook hands, and both smiled awkwardly. “You’re coming, right?”

“On Saturday, you mean?”

He nodded. 

“Yes, of course.” The queue moved again.

“I want to get to know you better. You seem like an interesting person.”

“I would like that, too.” I blushed like a teenager. Luckily, it was my turn. I ordered, took my coffee, waved at George, and left. 

I was always shy with boys. You can’t experiment with relationships on the island because everyone would know and talk behind your back. Then they would tell your whole family. So, at the beginning of any relationship on the island, you must hide it. Private moments in nature were common. If you had boyfriends, then you were labeled easy. If the boys had girlfriends, they were labeled experienced. Patriarchy at its finest. That was one of the reasons I wanted out. 

I hated sneaking out. It was stressful but also exciting. My father would have been shocked if I told him I wasn’t a virgin. So, in Athens, I could do whatever I wanted with whoever I wanted, and I liked George. Tall, athletic, with brown hair, a beautiful smile, and green-gray eyes—my type. I needed to go shopping with Fotini and chose something sexy to wear on Saturday. 

On my way out of the cafeteria, I bumped into Fotini.

“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been texting you.”

“Why, what happened?” I was so absorbed with George that I didn’t notice my phone vibrating in my pocket.

“I’m bored,” she said as if it was my fault.

“Okay?” I smiled.

“I wanted to hang out with you, and you were nowhere.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not.” She turned to leave.

“Hey, Fotini, wait.”

She stopped.

“Do you want my coffee?” I pointed at my cup.

“No, you’re not drinking real coffee. You’re drinking a fucked-up version of it with all this milk and sugar and cinnamon and syrup and everything you add.” She smiled, grabbed me by my arm, and we walked out of the cafeteria.

“You know you’re a gem, right?” she said. “No one has offered me their coffee. They’re all used to taking money from me first and then everything else.”

I felt sadness for her again. We talked a bit, then the bell rang, and we returned to class.

Nataly was waiting for me at the door to my class.

“Hey, where have you been?” I asked. “I keep coming to the cafeteria, and you aren’t around.”

“I know what you’re trying to do.” She hissed at me.

I jerked back, surprised. “Oh, yeah? What am I trying to do?”

“You want to steal Fotini from me.”

“What?” I huffed. “That’s ridiculous in every sense.”

“Stay away from us,” she hissed and stomped away.

What the fuck was that all about?

I entered the classroom, sat, and stared at nothing, astonished.

I could see what was going on. Nataly wasn’t Fotini’s favorite anymore, and that made her jealous. I wasn’t sure if I should tell Fotini about it or ignore her completely.

Geez, there was so much drama over nothing.

The worst was yet to come.

Chapter 11

When school ended, I texted everyone that I had a headache and was going home. I was fine. I just needed to call my mom in peace and do some thinking. Four days of school felt like an entire semester. I got on the bus, took my usual seat, and put on my headphones. Seconds later, Fotini came and sat next to me. I forced a smile.

“Hey, are you okay?” She held my hand.

I watched her for a moment. “I thought you were going to visit Maria.”

“I will. I needed to check on you first.”

“I’m tired, and I have a headache. I’ll be fine. I need some time to wind down.”

“Okay, we can go to your house and hang out for a while. We don’t need to go anywhere.”

“That sounds great.” I tried to smile. We? I didn’t have the guts to tell her I needed time alone. Why wouldn’t she go to Maria first anyway? 

Then she talked about the school day, the teachers that annoyed her, and how she wished they were dead. At that, she laughed. Dark humor was her favorite. The bus reached our stop, and we exited. 

“What’s your opinion on Mr. Tellis?” I asked as we were walking toward my place.

“He’s so handsome. If he made a move, I’d totally cheat on Nasos.”

That left me with my mouth open. “I meant as a teacher.”

“Oh, the first thing that comes to my mind is sleeping with him. Next, I’d say that he’s an excellent teacher.” She giggled, pulling a strand of hair from her eyes.

“Why’s he hanging around with Nasos?” I asked, studying her face.

“He isn’t hanging around. Mr. Tellis is his career counselor.”

“Oh, that makes a lot of sense,” I mumbled, thinking how stupid I was watching them and even following Nasos to the library.

We arrived at my house’s corner just as someone wearing a hoodie ran away from us at full speed.

“Hey, wait,” I yelled, taking a few steps after him.

“Don’t bother, let him go,” Fotini shouted so I could hear her. “I know who that is.”

“You do?” I stopped as the person had already turned the corner ahead.

Fotini moved toward my house’s front door. I ran back to stand beside her.

“Who was that? I couldn’t see from the distance. And why did he run?” 

Fotini’s answer was to point to my home like a haunted entity.

I opened my front gate and my door and stepped inside. “Make yourself at home.” I opened the shutters.

I went to the bedroom to take off my shoes.

“You remember yesterday when I showed you that bracelet?” I said loudly so she could hear me. “I can’t find it now.” I moved toward the door but jumped back.

Fotini startled me as she stood on the other side of my door.

“You’re startled?” She smiled. “You’re silly.”

“Let’s go to the living room. Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Tea?”

“No, thanks. I had enough of that at the cafeteria today.”

We sat on the couch facing each other. 

“So? Who was he?” 

“I thought you would recognize him.” Fotini looked at me.

“I didn’t get a good look at him.”

“I didn’t either, but it looked like Philipos.”

“From my class?” I frowned. “How? And why?”

“His body type fits, and he has done it before.”

“What has he done?”

“He tried to break my family apart.”

I settled into the couch. “How about you tell me the entire story?” 

Fotini sighed deeply. “We were going to the same high school, and he was hanging out with us. Everything was fine until we went to college. He was alone, stuck in high school, and then he became paranoid. He started saying shit about us being evil, that we’re manipulative, and our goal was to hurt people.”

“But why would he say these things? What provoked him?”

“We moved on. Life moved on. We’d grown up, but he hadn’t. That’s life, you know.” 

“And what did he do to break you apart?”

“He was spreading rumors, approaching each of us and saying we all spoke ill about each other. Sowing toxic seeds.”

“Oh, that’s mean.”

“Did he approach you?”

I hesitated and then nodded. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because he wouldn’t tell me why I shouldn’t be with you guys. I would tell you if he said something personal, but he didn’t.”

Fotini sighed again. “He’s such a pain in the ass.”

“I’m not convinced it was Philipos, though. We attended the same classes all day.”

“Did you see him on the bus?”

I tried to remember. “No, I don’t think I did.”

“See, that would be him then. Fucking weirdo. Don’t talk to him again. Ever again.” Her voice was authoritative. It wasn’t a suggestion. It was a command. 

“Well, we are in the same class. I may have to talk to him.”

“Only if absolutely necessary. If he messes with my family, he’s messing with me. I’ll warn him to stay away from you. We thought he knew that staying away from us was the rule.”

“I can deal with him.” I got up. I needed to drink water. My mouth was dry, so I brought one to Fotini, too.

Fotini got to her feet. “I’m happy I came. I don’t even know what he would say to you in the future or do to you.”

I frowned. “What do you mean, do to me?”

“He was obsessed with Nataly, so much that he tried to rape her. He didn’t succeed because she fought back. He didn’t expect that.”

“Oh. My. Gosh.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Did she press charges?”

Fotini huffed. “No, it was her word against his. No proof. So we let it go.”

I was in shock. I couldn’t believe that I wanted to be his friend. I was so naïve and inexperienced. My island was a safety bubble. No one could hurt me. I was safe.

“I wish you’d told me this on the first day.”

“Really? And say what? Hi, I’m Fotini. Nice to meet you. In your class, you have a weird psycho potential rapist.” Her eyes widened. She said the last sentence as if she were broadcasting exciting news from a TV studio. “I can barely stand his presence on the bus. I pretend he doesn’t exist. But I know he does.” She grabbed her bag and started for the door. I followed. “I’m going to see Maria. Lock your doors.”

“Thanks for everything.” We hugged. 

“That’s what family is for.”

She left me wondering why she even came in the first place. Her home must be a terrible place to be.

Now I was alone and paranoid. I locked the door behind her, closed the shutters and the windows, and went online to find alarm systems. Who knows what could happen? 

My phone rang. It was my mom.

“Hi there, remember me?”

“Hey, Mom. I’m sorry I didn’t call. How are you?”

“I’m fine. Everyone’s fine. How about you, though?”

“I’m fine, Mom.”

“That doesn’t sound like the enthusiastic girl I left behind.”

“It’s a heavy program, but I’ll manage.”

“We miss you.”

“I miss you, too.”

“Do you eat anything?”

“Yeah, I take care of myself.” I lied. I don’t even remember when I last ate. I wanted to cry, so I kept the phone call short. “Mom, say hi to everyone. I gotta go. I need to study.”

“Take care of yourself. If anything is troubling you or you can’t deal with something, you know what you should do, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

There was a moment’s pause, and then, “Do I need to worry about you?”

“No, I’m fine. Everything is fine.”

“All right, sweetheart. Kisses.”

I could barely hold back my tears. I was so optimistic about everything, and now it feels like the world is an ugly place, not a place to explore but a place to run away from as fast as possible. What a bad day. I couldn’t even think how I’d deal with everything happening—the bracelet, Pavlos, Nataly.

My anxiety was taking over. I thought I was done with all that shit. I had Xanax in case of an emergency. Was it an emergency, though? My therapist told me that when I’m facing a stressful situation, I should take Xanax before it appears in my body as psychosomatic or a stress attack.

So, I had a shower, boiled some instant noodles, and had a Xanax.

I turned off the lights, and my brain dumped every thought until nothing was left.

And I slept.

Chapter 12

One Day Before The Murder

I woke up feeling anxious. I hated that feeling. I didn’t want to go anywhere, but I had to try. I got up, put on my clothes, and distracted my anxiety by putting makeup on, fixing my hair, and spraying my favorite perfume. 

I walked to my door and stood there for a minute, trying to think positively. Then, an ugly thought hit me. Why did I dress myself up when a potential rapist was around? I shouldn’t be looking pretty. What if I provoke him? A burning sensation went through my body. 

Anxiety attack. Great, and the day had just started.

Fotini was waiting at the bus stop. 

“Good morning.” I greeted her first.

From a very young age, we were taught all these kinds of wishes that we tell each other to be polite. The primary rule was saying good morning when you first see someone in the morning.

“Good morning. Did you sleep okay?”

“I tried. How is Maria?”

“She’s doing better. She’ll stay at home today as well.”

“How is she handling it?”

“She’s bored. I believe we’ll get a text from her again.”

The bus arrived, and we got on. I scanned the people already sitting on the bus to sit far from Philipos. He was at the back with his head aimed at his phone. My heart skipped a beat.

“Don’t look. Just ignore him.” Fotini touched my hand as we sat. Then she was studying my face. “You look so pretty today. Who do you want to impress?”

I shrugged. “Me?” I was embarrassed.

Fotini giggled. “Cool, you did a good job.”

We spent the rest of the ride in silence. Inside, I was freaking out about being on the same bus with Philipos. I hid it well, though. No one could tell. People think that when someone has inner demons, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, and guilt, it’ll show through. But the truth is that the biggest battles happen within, where no one can watch. Sometimes, they find out when it’s already too late. So, I was alone. Sitting next to Fotini, but feeling all alone.

The bus stopped at the school. I rushed off as if someone was chasing me.

Fotini followed me, and ran to catch up. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I don’t want to be near that creep.” I glanced back to spot him.

“Listen, nothing’s going to happen. You’re safe.” She held my hand. “Nothing will happen to you. I’ll make sure of it.”

I saw Nataly glaring at me as I looked away from Philipos. 

“Nataly, come.” Fotini waved at her, and she came.

“Good morning, girls.” Nataly faked a smile. 

“I’ve got to go.” I waved and rushed through the entrance. The last thing I wanted was to face Nataly and her shit.

I was one of the first students to enter my classroom. I sat back and watched as one after the other filed in. Philipos emerged from the hallway and approached me with his head down.

“Are you happy now?” He lifted his head.

“What the fuck?” I exclaimed. Half of his face was bruised and swollen. I couldn’t see that on the bus as his head was down.

I stood and examined his face. “Who did this to you?”

“I fell.” He walked to his seat.

I caught Stella standing by the door, watching. She raised her hand to her mouth, then rushed to him.

“What happened?”

“I fell. Stay away from me.” He tapped something on his phone.

Stella sat. I sensed her eyes piercing my back as I pulled my phone and started typing into the group chat.

Sophia: “What did you do to Philipos?”

Fotini: “What do you mean?”

Sophia: “His face is bruised.”

Nasos: “Okay, cool.”

Sophia: “?”

Fotini: “We had nothing to do with it. We were all at Maria’s.”

Nasos: “Someone gave that piece of shit what he deserved.”

Fotini: “I’d shake his hand, lol.”

If it wasn’t them, why was he mad at me when I should be mad at him for stalking me? And if they didn’t do it, then who did? 

I struggled to breathe momentarily, so I got up and went to the bathroom to hide. I took some deep breaths and focused on calming down. Then, I returned to the classroom. Mrs. Marantou had already stepped in. Shit. 

“You again?”

“I’m so sorry. I had an emergency.” I sat. She didn’t say anything, luckily. My mind was racing, though. I tried to concentrate with no success.

The bell rang, and I froze. I turned and saw Philipos still tapping into his phone. Stella got up and approached him. They talked and glared at me as if I had done it. I couldn’t sit and endure that shit. I got up and faced them.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I had nothing to do with it.” 

“You know.” Stella looked me up and down. “I thought you were different, truly. But you’re just like them. A hypocrite that prefers to hide.”

Philipos didn’t even look at me.

“If you would just tell me what happened, I can help.” I meant it, even though I was still afraid of him.

Philipos stared at me as if I was a piece of shit. Like I was the bad guy. It increased my frustration, and I realized that all hell would break loose if I opened my mouth. Sometimes, not expressing myself and keeping my mouth shut is the wisest thing to do. Because if you really want to prove a point, you can’t do it when you’re angry or when the other person isn’t ready to listen.

I couldn’t stay in the classroom a minute longer. I tsked once, grabbed my books, and left.

At lunch, my group—except Maria and Stefanos—were in line, waiting to buy a coffee. 

“What did you do to him?” I asked Nasos.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Why is he blaming me?”

“How the fuck would I know?” Nasos frowned.

“Hey, he’s trying to break us apart again, don’t you see it?” Fotini actually made sense. “As far as I know, he could’ve done that to himself just to get you. He’s sick. I told you.”

“Why are we bothering to explain anything to her?” Nataly said. “Just tell her to go fuck herself.”

Fotini gave her a piercing look. “Shut your mouth. Now.”

Nataly gawked at Fotini, exhaled in anger, and stormed away.

“She gets jealous, I know. That’s why I need to keep her in line.” 

People were already looking at us. I stood there, hating the attention.

“I have an idea to change the mood.” Fotini sounded enthusiastic.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“Let’s buy something to wear tomorrow.”

“One Freddo cappuccino with extra milk, please,” I said. 

“And two Freddo espressos,” Fotini added. 

With coffees in hand, we exited the cafeteria. 

“So, what do you think?”

“Okay.” I needed something nice to wear, and at least I wouldn’t be at home freaking out.

Nasos edged around in front, then spun backward to face us. “You know, girls, I’m not coming, right?”

“This is a girl thing,” Fotini said.

I nodded. “Cool.”

Sometimes, I wondered how smart Nasos was. 

For the rest of the school day, I avoided Philipos and Stella as much as possible. I couldn’t get why Stella was mad at me either. I needed to warn her to stay away from Philipos. I would do it on Monday when things had calmed down. If Philipos does something bad, it would be on her, not me.

You can’t save someone that doesn’t want to be saved.

Chapter 13

In the last hour, we had Mr. Tellis. I liked his lesson, so it took my mind off things for a while. He asked me to wait until the class ended because he needed to talk to me. Everyone left, and when I approached his desk, he stood up.

He cleared his throat before he spoke. “I can see you are different. You were raised differently. Stay true to yourself. Don’t be a reaction to other people’s actions.” His gaze pierced my soul and gave me a light shiver. 

“What made you say that?”

“I’ve had many students over the years. I’ve studied their expressions and body language, learned their goals, and guessed right all the family troubles they were going through. People aren’t what they seem. They have multiple personalities depending on their roles: father, husband, friend, student, and teacher. Just be careful that what happens here, in this school, doesn’t change you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tellis.” I averted my gaze. That was insanely weird. I had no idea what his warning was about. Maybe it was his way of telling me not to hang around with Fotini and her friends. “Are you coming to the party?”

“Sure, are you?” He lowered into his chair.

“Yes.”

“Great, see you there.”

I waved goodbye while he remained seated. When I stepped out, I took another deep breath. Now, I was wondering if that was just a random piece of advice or a warning.

Fotini was waiting for me at the main entrance to the school.

“What took you so long?” she asked.

“I had a weird conversation with Mr. Tellis.”

“Oh, he did the mentoring shit to you, too?”

“Yeah, it was so weird and out of context.”

“He does that to students he likes. It’s his stay-you speech.”

“What do you mean by ‘students he likes’?”

“I mean likes, not in a sexual way. I wish it were like that, though.” Fotini smiled at the thought and played with her curly red hair.

“So, are we going shopping?”

“Hell yeah.”

“Where’s Nataly?”

“Who knows? When I told her we would go shopping, she became furious and left. What can I do? I protect her, but I can’t babysit her constantly.”

“Where are we going?”

“Let’s walk to the city center first.”

“Sure.”

I couldn’t wait to buy something sexy. I wanted George’s attention. But wait. He may already have a girlfriend. How stupid could I have been? I hadn’t even asked.

“Do you know if George has a girlfriend?” 

“Oh my. Little Sophia has a crush.”

“Come on. Are we in kindergarten?” Then I felt my cheeks redden.

“A girlfriend?” Fotini shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of, but I don’t really know the guy. Nasos might know if you want to ask him.”

“Nah, I’ll find out myself when the time is right.” My eyes stopped at a storefront with nice shoes. “Did you speak with Maria?”

“Yes, she’s better today. She may come to the party tomorrow.”

“Okay, great.” I didn’t care if she would be there. I’m hanging out with them mainly because of Fotini.

“I need to get something off my chest, and I can’t tell the others,” she said without looking at me.

“Oh, what is it?”

“Do I have your word that you won’t speak to anyone about it? You’ll keep it between us?”

“Sure.”

She took a big breath and paused. “Never mind.”

I spun toward her. “You can tell me.”

“Maybe not.”

“Okay, well, I’ll be here when you feel like sharing it then.”

There was an awkward silence. I wondered what that was all about.

I broke the silence when we crossed a busy road. “So, tell me about you.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“I’m an only child.”

“What do your parents do for a living?”

“My father is an investor, and my mom is a scientist.”

“Oh, that’s awesome. How did they meet?”

“My mom was working on something and approached my dad’s company for funds. Then they realized how awesome they both were and got together. How did yours meet?”

“On the island. It’s easy. Everyone knows everyone, and when there’s chemistry, everything works out.”

Fotini’s style of walking was drawing the attention of almost every man as they stared at her. Thin, curvy, curly red hair, green eyes. I could only wish to look like her.

“Let’s go in here.” She pointed at a clothing store with a fancy storefront and then stepped inside.

I followed her in.

“Hi.” A girl our age welcomed us. “It’s so nice to see you again. What can we do for you today?”

“Show us two sexy evening outfits.”

“Whatever the beautiful ladies want.” The girl scrutinized me head to toe and then headed to the back of the store.

“I come here to buy something no one else will wear.” Fotini grinned. 

The girl came out holding two different outfits. One tight, short black dress with a big V-cut on the back and a pair of low-waist leather pants matched with a silver see-through top.   

Fotini instantly went for the leather. “You always know what I like.” She took the outfit to try it on. There was absolutely no way I would wear something that revealing. I’d be too embarrassed. I took the black dress. As I slipped into it, I realized the V-cut wasn’t just big; it was huge. It reached the top of my butt.

We came out of our changing rooms at the same time.

“Wow, you look stunning.” I stared at Fotini. “Even though I can see your tits.”

“Honey, that’s the point. You’re supposed to see the tits. Turn around. I want to see your dress.”

I made a little strut as if I were a model and then turned.

“Nice, round ass.” She slapped my butt.

I smiled. “Is it too much?”

“That’s funny. Look what I’m wearing.” We both laughed.

“Okay, we’ll buy both. Put in on my credit card,” Fotini said to the girl.

“Oh no, I’ll pay mine. I’ve got the money.”

“I know you do. Think of it as a present. It’s okay.”

“Thank you.” I hugged her. “That’s so sweet.”

We went to change. During these moments, I had forgotten everything that gave me anxiety. I was back to being happy with no second thoughts running in the background.

The moment I stepped out, I almost bumped into Nataly.

“You decided to join us?” Fotini exited the other change room.

“I need something to wear as well.” Nataly turned to face me.

If a look could be poisonous, I would be dead.

“Okay.” Fotini gestured for her to move. “Let’s go back inside.”

“No, thanks.” Nataly crossed her arms over her chest.

“What is the matter with you?”

“You’re asking me that?”

I stepped back as we were all standing at the entrance to the changing rooms.

“I was used to being the third in your life. But now fourth?”   

Fotini leaned closer to her. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Nasos and Maria came first. I got that. Next was Pavlos, then Pavlos was gone, so I went back to my place.” She jerked her head toward me. “But now her? Really? I’m tired of this.” Nataly’s frustration was clear. Her chest was moving fast, her eyes had a weird shine, and she moved her shoulders as she talked. We had turned into a spectacle at the back of the store. A few people were looking at us now.

The minute she said Pavlos, though, Fotini raised her finger before her closed mouth.

“Nataly, this isn’t the time or the place for this discussion. You’ll buy clothes tomorrow. Go home. Now.” Fotini’s tone was firm, leaving no room to challenge her.

Nataly obeyed, though. She stepped back, turned, and walked away, unfolding her arms to swing at her sides as she picked up speed.

That was one of the strangest interactions I ever witnessed.

“Okay, now that that’s solved, do you want to buy shoes, too?”

I shook my head, my eyes still on Nataly’s back. “I’ve got shoes. Do you want new shoes?”

“I have as well. Lots of them.”

“So, what do we do?” I wanted to go home and chill, but I was afraid that my anxiety would kick in if I spent time alone. 

“Let’s go check on Maria.”

We exited the store and stood on the sidewalk.

I didn’t want to admit it to her, but I didn’t like their chemistry. When those two were together, they exuded a dark aura, a bad vibe. It felt as if Maria revealed Fotini’s bad side. 

“I’ll go home. I need to do my laundry and stuff anyway. But I have a question for you.” I found the courage to finally ask and saw the anticipation in Fotini’s face. “Who is Pavlos? I’ve never heard you guys talking about him.”

“Because he is worthless. I’ve banned any discussion about him.” 

“What did he do?”

“I told you that I’ve banned any discussion about him.” She spoke that last part through clenched teeth.

“Okay. My bad.” I didn’t realize she’d get that upset. 

“So, are we still going to see Maria?” Fotini switched moods at the snap of a finger. 

“I don’t know. I’m kinda bored.”

We were in front of a square with benches and a fountain in the middle. Fotini moved over, sat on a bench, and pulled her phone from her front pocket. She patted the space beside her. I sat next to her and saw she was texting Maria.

“How are you?”

“I’m feeling so much better. I’m out with Stefanos.”

“Will you be back soon?”

“No idea.”

“What will you wear tomorrow?”

“No idea.”

“Will you do your hair?”

“No idea.”

“Fuck you.”

“😂”

Fotini huffed and put her phone away. “Sometimes she is so immature, I can’t deal with her.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t want to go home. I’m bored. Can I come to your place?”

“Sure,” I said without hesitation, even though I’d prefer her not to come. But what could I say to someone who had just bought me an expensive designer dress? Also, I still didn’t want to be left alone.

We took a taxi. The driver left us a one-minute walk from my place. My mother warned me not to let drivers know where I live. She was right, so I did as I was told. It’s better to be safe than to be sorry. Stepping into my garden was always an experience. I took a deep breath to inhale the aroma of the flowers.

“I hate flowers,” Fotini said.

“Really? Why?”

“They’re pretty, needy and fragile.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Everything,” she said as we were climbing the stairs. “You can’t make it in this world if you’re like that.”

“So, flowers can be like that.”

She said nothing as I fished the keys out of my bag. 

We went inside and placed our bags on the sofa. I didn’t open all the shutters and windows as usual, only the living room’s.

“You’re afraid. Aren’t you?” She grinned as if fear made someone inferior. 

“A bit.”

“He won’t come near you. Not on my watch.”

“Thanks for telling me, but realistically, that can’t happen.”

“What do you mean?” Fotini furrowed her eyebrows and leaned toward me.

“You can’t always be around. Your dad will be waiting for you.”

“Oh, he doesn’t care. Since my mom left, he has had all kinds of bimbos hanging around our house. That’s one of the reasons I don’t want to be there. I can’t kill them all.”

That comment took me by surprise, but she burst out laughing.

“You know I say shit like that to shock people, but I can’t hurt a fly.”

“I’m the same. The can’t-hurt-a-fly part, not the other.” I giggled. “Do you want to watch a movie and order a pizza or something?”

“What kind of movie?”

“What do you like?”

“It’s better to tell you what I don’t like.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t like romance and comedy.”

“I don’t like them either. Have you seen The Usual Suspects?”

“No.”

We took off our shoes, ordered a pizza, and watched the movie on Netflix. Then Fotini called a taxi to go home. She said she was too sleepy to go on foot, even if it was only a ten-minute walk.

We said goodnight, and she left.

I texted my mom goodnight as well, and I took half a Xanax to ensure a good sleep before tomorrow’s big party.

That was the last normal night of my life.

Chapter 14

The Day Of The Murder

I tried to suppress the feeling of anticipation coursing through me. I couldn’t wait to go to the party. I would meet so many people and hopefully spend some time with George.

I opened all my shutters. It was a wonderful, bright day. I made coffee and sat at my desk to browse social media. Nobody seemed to be on Facebook anymore. Everything was happening on Instagram. I uploaded some pictures of the school and my area for my family and friends to see. They were all so happy, and my posts were filled with positive comments and love.

I got up and took my new dress out of the bag. I took a picture of the front side of the dress, which my family would approve of. I went to my closet and found my favorite black shoes with a silver bow. Then I searched for the bracelet again. I couldn’t let it go. I was sure that either Fotini’s was identical, or she stole it. She must have had magic hands if she had stolen it because I didn’t see her take it. I searched under the bed, in the shower, in the kitchen, on the sofa, behind the sofa cushions. It was nowhere to be found.

My mind was racing again. Why would a rich person like her steal a damn bracelet? And why would she lie about it? And then have Nasos lie about it as well. I gave up. I opened my jewelry box and chose the perfect earrings and necklace to match my new dress. Then I made the bed and placed everything on top of it. That was an Instagram picture. #newdress #partynight #collegelife #thebestisyettocome.

I posted and then waited to check the likes and the comments. This day would be endless. I couldn’t wait for the evening. My phone vibrated. 

Maria: “What time are we meeting today?” 

Fotini: “The party starts at 20:00. So, meet at 19:30?”

Maria: “My house?”

Fotini: “Yes, it’s closer to George’s house.”

Nasos: “👍”

Stephanos: “👍”

Nataly: “👍”

Sophia: “Where is it?”

Fotini: “We can go together. Be at my house at 19:00.”

Sophia: “Where is your house?”

Fotini: “I’ll send you the pin.”

Sophia: “Okay.”

Around 12:30, I had absolutely nothing to do. I was bored studying, cleaning, and doing anything inside the house. I got dressed and opened my front door. Maybe being outside would change my mood. 

Then I saw someone jogging. It reminded me of all Thursday’s events that I had placed at the back of my head. I was there only a week, and so many things had happened. So much drama for no reason. I could ignore everyone and do my own thing, but I didn’t have the strength to do it. My therapist told me I have unhealthy dependencies or attachments to people I don’t know that well, and I trust people too much. He was right. I just didn’t like that he was right, and every time he mentioned it, I fought back.

Next week, I should schedule an appointment to regulate my anxiety again. Also, maybe he had answers to everything that bothered me. Maybe I didn’t have enough clarity to decipher things.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. Fotini sent me the pin on the map. I immediately zoomed in to see where she lived. She was close to a souvlaki place. That gave me the idea to explore the neighborhood and have something to eat. I went to my bedroom, put on my shoes, took my purse, and headed out. I was looking at my phone every step of the way. Since I was new, I felt insecure without a map. Of course, I wouldn’t get lost, but having my phone with me made me feel safer. 

Fifteen minutes later, I was at the souvlaki place. I ordered a juicy gyros wrap and a Coke. In two minutes, it was gone. I was so hungry that I didn’t notice the sauce dripping on my jeans. The last thing I wanted was a stain. I took my things and went to the bathroom. I put some soap and water on the stain. I saved the jeans, but I looked stupid. I reached for the hand dryer, and when it turned on, I lifted my leg to dry it.

Exiting the bathroom, I searched for the waiter to pay my bill. Surprisingly, I saw Fotini and Nasos sitting at a far table. I smiled and headed toward them, but when I came closer, I stopped. They were arguing. They were too invested in their debate to see me.

I hid behind a big flowerpot and listened.

“You have always been a selfish bitch. Don’t you get that I’m doing this for us?”

“Oh, shut up. Making this about us when it’s clearly about you.”

“After everything I have done for you, you dare to say shit like that?”

“What are you even talking about? We’re in this together, and you didn’t do anything for me. All you wanted was to save your ass, as always.”

“Pavlos was right. All we are is a bunch of failing failures.”

“The rule …”

“Fuck the rule, Fotini, fuck everything. Fuck you. I’m done.” A chair scraped, and someone left. I peeked. Fotini was alone when the waiter brought the menu. They’d been fighting before I came.

She scanned the restaurant as if she’d sensed someone watching her. I gave the waitress five euros without talking, nodded, and left. I didn’t want her to see me at all because I would ask questions she may not be ready to answer. I’m too curious to let a scene like that go.

I’d meet her at her house later, anyway.

Fifteen minutes later, I was back home. I hoped she would have texted me by now about their fight, but she hadn’t. I was sure she’d be texting Maria about it, and that was okay. I didn’t know how long they had been friends before I showed up. 

I removed my shoes, grabbed my phone, and lay on my bed. I’d watch some videos and have a nap.

Then I’d get ready for the best night ever.

Chapter 15

I had set the alarm in case I overslept, which is funny because I always wake up before that annoying sound.

I made myself coffee as I wanted to stay up late. The next day was Sunday, so I could just party all night. After my coffee, I showered, shaved my legs and armpits, and tended to my hair. I put on the sexy dress, makeup, perfume on my neck, behind my ears, and wrists, put on my shoes, and took the fancy purse with money, phone, lipstick, and powder.

The minute I stepped outside, a thought terrified me. Did I look provocative? Would Philipos be there? Would I have trouble with Nataly?

I went back inside and hid a Xanax in my purse. I wouldn’t let anxiety ruin it for me. I closed the shutters, stepped outside, locked my door, and took a deep breath. I was now ready for the best night ever.

As I walked to Fotini’s house, I tried not to pay attention to the stares, the words men whispered, the car horns. I realized I would feel better getting a taxi next time, even if the distance was short.

Fotini’s house was a villa. A thick black metal railing was built at the house’s perimeter. Cameras were placed at the two entrances. I stood at the main entrance and buzzed. 

“How can I help you?” a female voice answered.

“Hi, I’m Sophia, Fotini’s friend. She’s waiting for me.”

The door opened, and I stepped into the garden. Everything was taken care of to the last detail. It reminded me of a corporate building, not a cozy house. Pretty flowers were arranged at the same height, and the bushes were cut into shapes. Outdoor furniture sat next to a BBQ area. I could bet that at the back of the house, there was a swimming pool. Our island home was also luxurious, but it had personality. My grandmother planted all the plants she liked and let them blossom and grow freely. She had designed the outdoor furniture herself, and we had a big swing. All the kids in the family had the greatest memories at our house.

The door opened, and a maid welcomed me. “Ms. Fotini will come shortly. Please follow me to the living room.” She walked softly, as if she was once a ballerina, and showed me the sitting area. I made myself comfortable in their living room.

“May I offer you something to drink?”

“No, thank you.”

“I’ll come back soon in case you need anything.”

“Thank you.” They had certainly trained their personnel efficiently. 

I examined the place. Fotini was right. It felt like a hospital, sterilized, but an expensive one. White sofa, white walls, black table and chairs, dark wooden floor. A big floral painting was at the center of the larger wall. I wondered who the mastermind of that decoration was. If my grandmother were here, she would have laughed. I missed her. Next time, I’d tell my mother to kidnap her and bring her to Athens. That seemed the only way she would leave the hotel.  

Fotini strode into the room.

I stood. “You look stunning.” I meant it.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” She smiled.

“Is your father here? I would love to meet him.”

“He’s never here. And when he is, I wish he weren’t.”

I didn’t ask anything more as I didn’t want to ruin the vibe. “So, we’re leaving?”

“I want to show you something first. Follow me.”

We went through the living room and exited the house. Next to the pool was a small building. I was right about the pool.

Fotini unlocked the wooden door and stepped inside.

I followed. 

“This is where art is born.” She turned on the light. The small place was full of paintings and art supplies. Two large windows would shed light in the morning. I could see her painting there. The theme was common. Loneliness, solitude, anger, violence. A girl alone in a big house, a girl alone in school, a girl alone in the pool, a girl smashing a vase, a girl with a black eye, and many more. Some had a main color theme, black and red, others blue and green. Some paintings were covered. I stepped closer to a covered one.

“Don’t touch it,” she yelled, startling me. “It’s not ready yet.”

“Okay.”

“Do you like them?”

“You are a born artist.”

“Maybe that’s why I’m always unhappy,” she mumbled.

“You know what, on Monday, let’s talk to the principal to see if you can have an exhibition near Christmas.”

“Oh, that’s thoughtful. What if nobody likes my work, though?”

“I like it, and I’m picky. Your art is amazing. I believe you’ll be big one day, and people will beg to buy your million-dollar paintings. Let’s do this.”

Fotini’s face glowed. “Thank you. No one is ever that kind to me.” She hugged me, pulled away, then checked her phone. “Shit, we’ll be late.”

Chapter 16

Maria’s house was on the other side of the region. I had never been to that area before. She lived in an apartment building. The taxi dropped us in front of the main entrance. The outside door was open. We walked to the second entrance, where Fotini buzzed, and the door opened. The elevator stopped at the top floor, and I pressed the button.

“Someone must have been already here,” Fotini said.

A minute later, we were standing outside her open apartment door. 

“I’m coming.” We heard her voice from inside while a woman in her fifties approached the door.

“Hello, there.” She opened the door wider. “You both look stunning.” That was her first comment. “Fotini, has Nasos seen what you’re wearing?” Second comment. Fotini rolled her eyes, stepped inside, and moved to the living room.

What a girl wears must be approved by her boyfriend—Greek mentality.

“You must be Sophia, right?”

“Yes, you must be Maria’s mom.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Katerina, her mom.” We shook hands. 

“Who else is here?” Fotini asked.

“I am.” Nataly came from somewhere inside. 

“You look great,” I told her.

“You too.” She tried to say something nice in case Maria’s mom heard it. She didn’t mean it, though. It was all over her face.

“Sit, girls. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Vodka?” Fotini dropped to the sofa. Katerina gave her an are-you-kidding-me look.

“What? We’re adults. We can start drinking from now if we want to.”

“Stop messing with my mom.” Maria entered the living room.

“Where’s Stefanos?” Fotini asked.

“Oh, didn’t Nasos tell you?” Nataly stared at Fotini as she shook her head.

“He’ll go with Stefanos.”

“Oh, right. I knew that. I wasn’t sure if it was true or if he was playing jokes on me.” Fotini tried to cover her ignorance. After the fight they had, they probably hadn’t spoken.

“Why don’t you all sit instead of chatting while standing?”

“Mom, no, it’s fine. We’re leaving,” Maria said.

We all gathered outside her door.

“Your dad can drive you girls there.”

“Mom, we’ll take a taxi.”

“Are you feeling okay, though?”

“Mom, we want to go now.”

“Promise you’ll call me if you don’t feel well.”

Maria tsked and opened the elevator door.

“Bye girls, be careful.” We heard Katerina speaking as the elevator door was closing.

“You have a nice mom,” I told Maria.

“She is annoying,” Maria said. “Also, she feels bad for not believing me in the first place, and she’s trying to make up for that now, but she just ends up acting stupid.”

“Come on, she’s an angel compared to mine,” Nataly said as the elevator reached the ground floor. The three of them walked to the exit with me behind them. I didn’t get mad or anything. This is how they always were.

We stood on the pavement and waited for the taxi. I wasn’t talking much as they were remembering wild parties from the past. I was never wild. It wasn’t in my character. I felt like I was the grandma of the friend group. Maybe I was.

The taxi arrived. The three girls sat in the back, and I sat up front. I caught the driver’s eye on the big V-cut in my dress. Then he adjusted the mirror to Fotini’s tits. I felt uncomfortable, and that was never good. Whenever I felt this way, it triggered my anxiety, and then the more anxiety I had, the more uncomfortable I felt. Without even realizing it, I held my purse stronger. My safety pill was there.

“Hey Sophia, Sophia,” a voice from behind made me snap out of it.

“What?”

“Is there any guy you want to see at the party?” Maria asked.

“Not really,” I lied. I wanted to see George but didn’t want her to know. What if she told the world and embarrassed me? I didn’t trust her.

For absolutely no reason, I felt my stomach clench. That made me want to go home. I had to resist the urge. Otherwise, I would never have fun and enjoy the good things in life. So, I took a deep breath and told myself everything would be all right. The excitement brought me more anxiety. I was done. Xanax was the only way, so I took it out of my purse and held it in my fist.

The taxi slowed, then stopped. We exited the taxi and stood outside George’s house. 

“That’s a big house. It looks like a hotel.” I looked at the impressive entrance with two big palm trees in front of a round fountain.

Maria pulled out her phone. “Wait while I check where the guys are.”

We waited as more people were coming in.

“I think this party is bigger than last year.” Nataly stared at everyone passing us. 

“I see faces from the first year, too. Did he invite everyone?” Fotini mumbled.

“Okay.” Maria looked up from her phone. “The boys are already here. Let’s go.”

We headed inside.

This family had money and wanted everyone to know. I could tell from the flowers and the balloons that they had hired a party organizer team, and everything was as it should be. We walked through the entrance of the building as a waiter was handing everyone a glass of sparkling wine.

“Woohoo.” Fotini took one immediately. “To us.” She raised her glass and waited for us to do the same. I quickly put the pill in my mouth. 

“To us,” we all said, and had a sip.

I didn’t want to drink more because Xanax and alcohol shouldn’t be mixed. We walked through the immense living room to the open doors that led outside. A DJ was set up on a platform and was preparing his set. 

“He is so cute.” Nataly pointed at him.

“I’m going to walk around.” I wanted to find George. “Anyone coming with me?” If I saw him, I’d like to spend time with him. The girls looked at each other, and then Fotini spoke.

“Nah, we’re going to stay here. We’ll see you later.” That was the last time I saw them that night.

Chapter 17

I began to mingle. There were many people whose faces were familiar, but there were also a lot I had never seen. The DJ went to his deck, and the party started. People were dancing, singing, and drinking. They had turned the lawn into an enormous stage. There were a lot of bar stations offering wine and beer. I would love to organize an event like this at the hotel.

I slowly felt the effects of the pill and relaxed enough to dance. I loved to dance. On the island, I had taken dancing lessons for years. My favorite was spinning at the beach during the October sunsets. 

As I was dancing alone, George joined me. He was a great dancer. When the song ended, I stepped aside, and so did he. He handed me a glass of wine and took one, too. Then he signaled me to walk farther from the speakers.

I followed him.

“I’m so happy you came, Sophia.”

“I’m happy, too.”

“Τo new beginnings.” He raised his glass.

“To new beginnings.” We both drank to that. I shouldn’t have been drinking, but I was embarrassed to say no, or worse, to say why. Some lessons are learned the hard way. As the time passed, I was getting too relaxed and slightly drowsy.

We talked briefly, and he told me his plans, goals, and hobbies. He seemed like the perfect guy for me. We exchanged phone numbers and found each other’s Instagram. Then someone called him. I knew that as a host he couldn’t spend all his time with me, but I was a little disappointed.

As he hung up the phone, George glanced over and smiled at me. “I’ll see you later.” That was the last time I saw him that night.

I decided to check on the girls. I looked everywhere but couldn’t find them. Then I saw Nasos at the other side vibing, holding a drink, and I went over. 

“Hey, have you seen the girls?”

“What?” He looked at me from head to toe. 

“Have you seen the girls?” I asked again.

“I can’t hear you,” he mouthed.

The music was way too loud to allow any verbal communication.

“Let me show you something,” he said—at least, that was what I thought he said.

He grabbed my hand and guided me through the crowd to the other side that wasn’t close to the speakers. 

“What?” I asked.

“What?”

“What did you want to show me?”

“Nothing. I wanted to move over here so we could talk. You look amazing today.” He let go of my hand and touched my naked back.

“Thank you.” I felt uncomfortable, so I eased away from him.

“You know,” he leaned close to my ear, “I saw you talking to George. He was undressing you with his eyes.”

“Oh, really?”

“He doesn’t deserve you. You’re too pretty for him.” He touched my neck.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?” I pulled away from him again.

“No, I’m free.” He grabbed me and then tried with force to put his tongue in my mouth.

“What the fuck, Nasos? Back off.” I pushed him away. 

Nasos then looked at me as if it was the first time he saw me. “I’m sorry, Sophia. Please don’t tell anyone. I’m so sorry. I’m just drunk. Wait, wait here.” I hated waiting anywhere for anything, so I don’t know why I listened to him.

He came back with another drink. He gave me a new one and took the almost empty one I was holding.

“To an everlasting friendship.” He raised his glass.

“Okay, I’ll drink to that.” I smiled, thinking that he was a douchebag and I would need to go home soon. This mix wasn’t good for me.

“Let’s dance.”

I followed him to the lawn dance floor.

At first, I was reserved, but then as the combination of drugs and alcohol loosened me up, I relaxed even more and began to enjoy my time with Nasos.

That was the last thing I remember from that night.

Chapter 18

I woke up feeling nauseous and with a terrible headache. I couldn’t even think. I tried to get up but was dizzy, so I laid back down again. My shoulders and my back felt sore.

For a moment, I thought it was Monday and I should get up and go to school. I reached for my phone next to my bed, where I usually place it and charge it before I sleep. It wasn’t there, but I was too tired to do anything else, so I slept again. 

The second time I woke up, I felt slightly better, still with no concept of day and time. It wouldn’t matter if I lost one day of school. I got up and headed to the bathroom. I peed, yawned, put water on my face, had a shower, and then it dawned on me. The last thing I remember, I was at George’s party. Yes, right. I had a fantastic time. Wait, how did I get home? A mystery. I should never mix Xanax and alcohol again. I should’ve known better.

I went to the living room and opened the shutters. The sun immediately sparked a sharp pain in my brain. I pulled the curtain to hide the light. Then I saw my phone on the sofa. How could we even live without a phone? We are so dependent. I needed to check the time, the day, my life. It was Sunday at 15:00, and I had dozens of missed calls and notifications. What the fuck?

Fotini tried to reach me all night yesterday, then went crazy around 13:00. A lot of unknown numbers.

What happened?

I went to the group chat.

“Fotini: Where are you guys? We are here.

Stefanos: We’ll find you.”

That was it from the group chat. 

Then I saw my messages from Fotini: 

Where are you, gorgeous? We are having so much fun.

Me: I’m dancing.

Fotini: Where? Maria has a headache, so we’re leaving early. Are you coming?

Fotini: I’ve been calling, and you’re not picking it up. 

Fotini: I wish you would answer me. I hate that we’re leaving without you. Well, have fun. Tomorrow, I’ll be waiting for all the juicy details.

The door banged, and I was startled. My headache went insane. 

“Sophia, Sophia, are you inside?” Fotini’s voice echoed through the entire house.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming. Chill.” I opened the door and saw Fotini with swollen red eyes and tears running down her cheeks.

“What happened?”

She hugged me with all her strength, squeezing the air from my chest.

“Thank God you’re alive.”

“What?”

She pulled away to stare into my eyes. “Nasos is dead,” she said as she was wailing.

“What?” I pulled farther away to see her whole face. “What did you just say?”

“Nasos. Is. Dead.”

I immediately sat down as I felt my heart racing and a wave of heat taking over my body. “How? When?” I took an extra breath before the tears gushed onto my face.

“The cleaning staff … found him at George’s house … in the morning.” It took her a moment to finish as she was interrupted by sobs.

I got up, gave Fotini tissues, and snatched some, too. Then, I patted her shoulder to encourage her to sit down.

“How—what happened?” My voice broke. “How did he die?”

I couldn’t recall hearing such shocking news ever before—I’d never dealt with something like this. She sat, and I faced her, feeling the numbness and heaviness of shock coming over me. It was the first time someone I knew in my age group had died. It wasn’t an article on the internet or news on the TV. This was real.

“I don’t know the details. I’m waiting for a call.”

“Who told you? Are you sure this isn’t a bad joke or a prank?”

She broke down again. “Oh, I wish it was a joke. My love, my forever friend, is gone. We had made plans.”

I cried with her. When someone was suffering, I suffered, too. And I felt so sorry for her.

Fotini inhaled shakily. “His mother called me in tears.”

That sentence broke my heart. I could never imagine his mother’s grief. Fotini cried and cried until she had no more tears. I brought her a pillow, removed her shoes, and pushed her to lie on the sofa. Sleep is medicine. She stayed there with her eyes closed. I got up, had a bite of bread, and took a painkiller. The headache should end soon. I couldn’t be too supportive with that kind of headache raging in my skull.

I took my phone and scrolled through the news. It had made the front pages.

“Possible homicide of a nineteen-year-old son of a known wealthy family in the north suburbs.”

Homicide? I read it again. Then, frantically, I went to other news sites. Everywhere was a reference to homicide. My stomach filled with acid.

Someone killed Nasos.  

I tried hard to remember when the last time I saw him was. The previous night’s memories seemed deleted from my brain’s hard drive. I vaguely recalled some moments. I couldn’t even remember getting home or putting on my pajamas. A flash of memory of me dancing and laughing with Nasos appeared. Then I cried. So young, dead. Killed. Murdered. 

Fotini was repeating Nasos’s name in her sleep. Poor girl. How can you continue life with a loss like that? A random thought took over me. Where was my dress? I got up and went to my bedroom. It wasn’t on my bed or under the covers. It wasn’t in the closet, on the floor, or in the bathroom. Where the fuck did I put it? 

I searched the laundry and saw the bracelet I was looking for caught up on my towel’s little thread. I would have found it if I had cleaned my house and done the laundry when I said I would. I hit my head with an open palm. I was going through all the conspiracy theories about Fotini, and I had it all along. That made me feel worse. 

I put the bracelet in a drawer, took off my pajamas, put on some clothes and shoes, and went to Fotini. The search for the dress could wait. I’d possibly put it somewhere, but I couldn’t remember where. I was sure I’d find it.

“Hey, I’m gonna buy us coffee, okay? Will you wait for me?”

Fotini half-opened her puffy eyes and nodded. 

My headache was going away, but I felt horrible, so going out would be the best thing I could do at that point. Five minutes away was a coffee shop. I bought us coffee, cookies, and cheese pies. During that time, I tried to remember more about last night, but it was impossible. Then, I focused on who would want to kill Nasos and why. Who would want to put an end to a young man’s life? I couldn’t think of anyone, but I was new to this area—I didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t know Nasos that well, either.

Back home, Fotini was awake, staring at her phone, and weeping. 

“Here you go.” I handed her a coffee and a biscuit. 

My phone was vibrating. I sat next to her and placed my coffee on the table.

Nataly: Hey guys, wanna meet for a coffee?

Maria: You’re joking, right? 

Nataly: Why?

Maria: Nasos is dead

Stefanos: ???? No way

Nataly: Nooo, this isn’t possible

Maria: Turn on the TV

I glanced at Fotini, and she nodded. I turned on the small TV in the living room. The headline was “BREAKING NEWS,” and a reporter stood outside George’s house. I raised the volume.

“A nineteen-year-old male was found murdered this morning by the cleaning staff …”

Fotini mouthed the word “murdered.”

“We have little information now, but the police are holding a press conference soon. We only know that the nineteen-year-old was the son of a wealthy businessman. He attended a party at the home behind me last night.”

“Have the homeowners come forward with a statement?” the anchorwoman behind the desk asked the reporter in the field.

“Not at this time, but the homeowners will issue a statement soon.”

“Thank you. Now, back to the daily news.”

I turned it off and looked at Fotini. Her phone rang. She turned it off.

“Who could have murdered Nasos?” she asked under her breath while absentmindedly stirring her coffee with the straw.

“Did he have enemies? People who would want to harm him?” I grabbed my coffee. My phone was vibrating. The group was looking for Fotini.

“No, why would he? He was an amazing guy.” She choked on the last sentence. “I can’t believe he doesn’t exist anymore.”

I set my coffee down and hugged her. “Do you want me to tell the guys to come over?” I rubbed her back.

“No, that would make me feel worse.” She leaned away and sipped her coffee. “We all met a long time ago. We were a family. I can’t deal with their grief and mine at the same time.”

Fotini got up. “You know what I should do? I should go after whoever did this to Nasos.” More tears dropped from her red eyes.

“But who would have done it?”

“My thoughts keep landing on one person—Philipos. Only he would hate him that much.”

“Philipos?” I shook my head. “He seems like a coward to me.”

“You don’t know him.” She put on her shoes.

“Where are you going?”

“To face him.”

“Fotini, come on. I didn’t even see him at the party. Let’s say he did it. Is it wise to go meet him on your own?”

“That little weasel must have sneaked in. He hates us to the bone.”

She wasn’t listening to me and was about to leave, so I stood in the way. “Fotini, you’re not thinking straight right now. Actually, you’re not even thinking. Let the police handle it. They will call you for a statement. Tell them everything you just told me.”

“Okay, you’re right. I shouldn’t be losing my shit like this.” She took a step back, and so did I. Then she rushed and opened the door before I could stop her.

“Hey, wait.”

But Fotini was gone.

Chapter 19

We were in a taxi again. Fotini was tapping her hand on her foot while looking out the window. There was nothing I could say to convince her to let it go. Soon, we were outside Philipos’s house. She knew the address since they had hung out before.

“Wait for us,” Fotini said to the driver.

“Sure. The meter is running, though.”

“Fine.” She exited the taxi and slammed the door. I got out as fast as I could.

Fotini stormed to the main entrance door. Philipos lived in an apartment building. She scanned all the buzzers until she found his last name, then pressed the button.

“Hello?” a metallic female voice answered.

“I want to speak to Philipos.”

“Who is it?”

“Fotini.”

There was a brief pause.

“Leave my son alone, or we’ll sue you for harassment.” The female voice cracked.

“Where was he last night?”

“None of your business. Get away from our property.” We heard a man’s voice in the background.

“Where was he last night?” Fotini repeated, her teeth clenched. She hit the wall with her open palm.

“If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police on you and your junkie boyfriend who beat the shit out of my son.”

Fotini looked at me. “Nasos is dead, murdered,” she yelled, her eyes not leaving mine.

“One less junkie in society,” the man said.

Fotini lost it. She hit the wall with her hand again, kicked the door, and yelled at the buzzer.

“Hey, stop, Fotini. Just stop.” I tried to hold her arms, but her rage was so strong that I couldn’t physically restrain her. So I slipped behind her, angled out my leg, and pushed so she’d trip backward. Then I held her wrist so she wouldn’t hit the ground.

She gasped and looked at me, dangling precariously.

“Will you calm down?”

“Okay,” she yelled. “Help me up.”

Veins popped on her neck and forehead.

I grabbed her other hand and helped her to her feet. She shook off the dust from her jacket and gave me a nasty look.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Stop fucking around. We need to leave now. Let the police handle it.”

Like a spoiled little brat, she stomped to the taxi, dropped inside, slammed the door, and gave the driver directions.

The taxi edged away from the curb, accelerated, and disappeared down the road.

She just left me there. “Really, Fotini? Really?”

I stood on the pavement, hands raised so she could see me and maybe rethink her decision, but the taxi didn’t stop.

I didn’t know what to do. I gazed back at the apartment building and headed over to the buzzer.

“Are you still there?” someone said.

“Hi, I’m sorry about Fotini. She left. I tried to stop her. She shouldn’t have come. Please forgive her. She’s in immense pain.”

“Who are you?”

“Sophia. I’m in classes with Philipos.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to talk to him.” I paused. “Please.”

Instead of being afraid and hiding, I thought it would be better to face him and deal with everything head-on.

“No, go away.”

“I’m not leaving until I see him. Tell him I’m here.”

I stood by the entrance without moving.

Moments later, the door clicked open, and a lady stepped outside.

“Who are you?” A woman in her fifties with dyed blond hair and wearing an apron stood with her arms crossed. “World’s Best Mom” was stenciled on the apron.

“I’m Sophia. Nice to meet you.” I raised my hand to shake, but she didn’t raise hers. Her arms remained folded.

“Can you please tell me where Philipos was last night?”

“Why?”

“Because I want to prove Fotini wrong and leave you in peace. Until she knows, she won’t let it go.” I was pretty sure I was right.

“So, you are a part of that group. How dare you come to my house.” She uncrossed her arms to point her finger at me. I took a step back just to be sure.

“Why, what have they done?”

“After Philipos refused to buy drugs from that Nasos junkie, he told everyone that Philipos tried to rape Nataly. When he attempted to explain what really happened, Nasos and his buddy beat him up.” She struggled hard to keep it together. Her eyes were watering, her jaw quivering. “He couldn’t show his face at school and was afraid to speak to the police. So everyone at the school avoided him. He lost his friends’ and teachers’ respect and went to therapy for that.” She paused and sniffed. “I forced him to continue his studies, and I told him the past was in the past, and he should pick a school based on what is good for his future, not based on where the idiots were. He listened to me, and on Thursday, he was beat up again. He didn’t know who did it, but we all know it was them. Maybe he said something wrong? Who knows.”

“Why did you call Nasos a junkie? I never saw him high or doing drugs.”

“Really? That’s what you ask after everything I told you?”

Nasos being called a junkie surprised me more than someone being bullied. I was so used to these kinds of behaviors that my brain didn’t even register it. I guess that’s why these things keep happening.

I looked down. My stomach was nauseous, and the headache had returned.

If all this was true, there could be a genuine motivation to hurt Nasos, even kill him. Philipos must have really hated Nasos for destroying his life. Also, if he had attacked Nataly, he wouldn’t say that to his mom.

The woman stared into my eyes. “He isn’t here. After everything you guys put him through, he went on a field trip with his cousins to relax.”

Her words were sharp. Including me in the comment “you guys” hurt, and I didn’t deserve it.

“I’m so sorry for everything.” I walked away.

I wanted to walk home, but I wasn’t feeling well. The adrenaline and the coffee had made me feel better, but it didn’t last.

I called a taxi and checked the group chat, but nothing was new.

When I got home, I removed my shoes, jumped on my bed, and closed my eyes. On Monday, I would message my therapist. There was no way I could deal with all of this unharmed.

My phone rang and startled me. It was my mom.

“Are you okay?” I heard my mom’s voice filled with agony.

“Of course, Mom.”

“I just turned on the TV, and I saw the news. Did you know that boy?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer, and not get a thousand questions. “I think we were at the same school.”

“Oh my gosh, I can’t even think of the pain that his parents will have.” She paused. “Please promise me you’ll be careful. I don’t like that you are on your own.”

“Mom, I should be on my own.”

“Maybe I should come to Athens and stay until it’s safe.”

“Mom, it’s already as safe as it can be.”

“Find a roommate then.”

“I don’t get along with roommates.”

“I know, but you can try. I’d feel so much better if you weren’t all alone.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to you soon. I love you, little one.”

“Love you, too, Mom.”

I felt like a small girl when we hung up, and my mom’s voice soothed my worries.

I dozed off with the phone in my hand. An image of Nasos’s bloody face on top of me scared me, and I opened my eyes as my heart was racing. What the fuck was that? My mind seemed to be playing horrible tricks on me.  

My phone vibrated. It was the group chat.

Fotini: “Police just left. I’ll have to go tomorrow for a statement.”

Maria: “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling your mobile and your home and texting. Why didn’t you respond?”

Nataly: “Same here, what the fuck Fotini. We all loved Nasos, not in your way, but we all did. Where is the family now, the stick-together shit you tell us?”

Fotini: “Ι don’t want to see anyone right now. Leave me alone.”

Sophia: “Philipos is out of town. He’s on a field trip with his cousins.”

Fotini: “I’m sorry.”

Sophia: “It’s okay.”

Maria: “What are you guys talking about?”

Sophia: “I’ll explain when I see you.”

Nataly: “Now what?”

Maria: “Come over to my place. Let’s be together in these moments.”

Nataly: “Is Stefanos going to be there?”

Maria: “I don’t know. Since he learned what happened, he went silent. People react differently to pain.”

Nataly: “I see. See you soon.”

They didn’t ask me to join them, but that’s okay. I wouldn’t go anyway. Fotini is the link. Without her, I have no reason to hang out with them. I turned on the TV again. Now, they were naming the body, which was all over the headlines.

I read the text scrolling at the bottom of the screen. “Nasos Pappas was identified as the murdered nineteen-year-old at his friend’s house following a big party that more than two hundred people attended.”

I couldn’t believe that my last memory of him was dancing and having fun and then nothing.

Can Xanax and alcohol fuck you up that bad?

I guess they can, and I’m living proof of it.

Chapter 20

I had the worst night ever. When would life become normal again?

I cried myself to sleep, feeling sorry for Nasos, his family, Fotini, Stefanos—everyone and everything.

Then I took a Xanax to try to get back to sleep. The first hours, I slept like a baby. At about three in the morning, I saw the image of Nasos’s bloody face on top of me, and I woke in agony.

I checked the time and got up. My heart was racing. His image looked so real. There was no way I would sleep after that. I drank some water and returned to bed, lying down and turning off the light. As soon as I closed my eyes, I heard a sound. It was like someone was walking next to my bedroom window. I always felt safe on the island, so that feeling was new to me. 

I got up but didn’t turn on the light. If I did, whoever was out there would freeze, and I wouldn’t know where they were.

I tiptoed out of my bedroom and into the kitchen. My phone was my flashlight. I located a knife. That made me feel better.

But now there was no noise.

So, I waited.

I cursed my imagination and returned to bed, but this time with the knife in my hands.

Something clicked in my apartment. More repetitive this time. Was someone trying to open my door?

I didn’t want to let anyone inside at this hour. Even though I felt brave, my adrenaline was spiking, and my heart was racing.

I gripped the door handle tightly, spun it, and ripped it open. A short scream emanated from my throat—more out of fear than bravado—as I held the knife out in front of me.

A dog was on my porch, smelling something in the corner. His tail was smacking my door.

Geez, I was paranoid. Several lights turned on in the house across the street. I guess I woke up the neighbors.

This was embarrassing, so I slipped back inside before anyone saw me.

I took the knife back to bed, where I lay, trying to calm my breathing. My chest moved up and down as if I were running a marathon.

My mom was right. I needed someone with me. There was no way I’d make it alone, at least until they found out who killed Nasos.

What if they didn’t find out? That thought made me nauseous and had me yearning to go back home.

The clock now said it was four. How would I ever go back to sleep? I turned on the TV so I wouldn’t feel alone. Sometimes, I needed the subtle conversations in the background. Besides the fact that it felt like a lullaby, it reminded me of the safety of home. Being tiny, wrapped up in my bed, and listening to my mom cleaning and caring for the house was a noise that comforted me.

I closed my eyes until I heard the alarm, but then I couldn’t wake up. My eyes were too heavy. If there was a desire meter to leave my house, my rate was minus one.

Yet, after what happened, I wanted to learn more. What if the killing wasn’t personal, and it was just a random killer who went after rich kids? Or what if someone wanted to kill our friend group, and I was next?

These thoughts weren’t helping. 

I finally got up and headed to the bathroom. If I wanted to have time for coffee, I needed to get ready fast. I checked my phone, no messages. I went straight to the kitchen, made coffee, and poured it into a Thermos. I took the books I needed for the day and left for the bus stop.

I sipped coffee as I leaned against a signpost. My feet felt heavy, as if I had walked for miles. The day seemed like a big mountain to climb.

The bus was on time. When I got on, there was no sign of Fotini. It made sense. It would be too hard for her. Also, there was no sign of Philipos.

Many of the students on the bus stared at me and whispered. I knew exactly what they were talking about. I just crouched in my seat and turned toward the window. Whatever people were saying about me was none of my business.  

The row of cars near the school was massive. As we approached, the driver told us we should get off and walk if we wanted to be on time. Most of the students agreed, and he opened the bus doors.

I bolted outside to breathe fresh air and walked fast to reach the entrance, but it was harder than I thought.

Reporters were outside the school, trying to get as much information as possible. They were trying to interview any student passing by looking for witnesses and Nasos’s friends. If I had known that, I would’ve worn a hat to hide my face from everyone. I couldn’t stand big crowds. I felt uncomfortable, and then I slipped into my anxiety loop.

I made it to the entrance, but something made me stop before I entered.

A reporter was interviewing Stella, who was holding a picture.

“This is my brother Pavlos. He has been missing since last year. What if the same person killed him? No one cared enough to find out what happened to him. They thought that he had just run away. I know my brother. He would never do that to our family.” She held the picture and rubbed the area where his face was. “If someone has any information, please let us know. Not knowing where your loved one is is torture. We need to know.”

The reporter’s face an image of fake sympathy.

I tried to digest what I had just heard.

Pavlos is her brother?

Why didn’t she tell me that from the start?

Chapter 21

I stepped into school, hidden from the eyes of the reporters, and waited for Stella. She had a class to go to, she wouldn’t be that long. In the meantime, the students came in looking disgruntled and terrified. Some had tears in their eyes and were wiping their faces. A lot of people must have known Nasos. I could hear them talking about the murder. The “who did it” was everywhere. 

Mr. Tellis raced outside, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your interest in finding the murderer of our beloved Nasos, but we are a school first. Please respect our students and our facility.”

The reporters ran toward him en masse as he guided students into the building.

“Professor, was Nasos a difficult student?”

“Have you noticed anything strange the last few days?”

“How will the school handle the security issue?”

The last question seemed to get him. He faced the reporter who asked it.

“What are you suggesting? There has never been a security issue here, and there never will be. How about you guys all go home and leave us alone? If you want to learn more, talk to the police.” He pivoted, entered the school, and closed the doors behind him. 

Stella was one of the last students to enter. She did not want to miss any opportunity to talk to the reporters about her brother. When she entered the main building, I grabbed her arm and pushed her to the side.

“What are you doing?” She looked at me, then lowered her gaze to where I held her.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Pavlos was your brother?”

“Let go of my arm. What the hell.” She jerked and moved away from me.

I stepped closer. “Why didn’t you tell me that Pavlos was your brother?” I clenched my teeth.

“You’re playing stupid. Or, are you actually that stupid?”

Mr. Tellis approached us. “Are you girls doing okay?” He turned to me. “Are you doing okay?”

“It’s harder on the others. I only knew him for a week.”

“Yes, of course, but I’m not talking about that.”

Stella was looking at both of us now.

“What do you mean?” 

“At the party, you seemed off.”

“What are you talking about? When did you see me?”

He took a deep sigh. “Sophia, we talked about the island, and you invited me and my wife to your hotel.”

“Oh, yes, right, I totally forgot about that. Yeah, I was fine, and I am fine. Thank you for asking.”

Mr. Tellis smiled and patted my shoulder. Stella gave me a piercing look.

“You have no idea what he’s talking about, do you?”

I wasn’t sure if I could trust her since she didn’t tell me about Pavlos. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now, why didn’t you tell me?”

The bell rang. Stella glared at me with contempt in her eyes, then left.

This girl seemed to get to me without even trying. It’s as if she wanted to lure me into something. She drops breadcrumbs to get my attention, then avoids me to attract my curiosity even more.

I went to my class. Half the students were absent. I grabbed a seat and waited for Mrs. Marantou to come in. She was late, and this woman was never late. The students whispered and tried to seem like they weren’t looking at me. That behavior would drive me nuts, so I stood up.

“What? Just ask me your damn questions.” Silence. “Ask me already so we can move on.”

“Shut up and sit down,” Stella said from the back seat, and some students giggled.

Mrs. Marantou, followed by the principal, entered the classroom. They were both wearing black and seemed deadly serious.

“Good morning,” they both said under their breath.

Mrs. Marantou took her seat, and the principal stood and studied every face in the classroom. Then he took a deep breath and gave us his speech.

“Students, a tragic event has happened to one of us. We’re deeply sorry for losing Nasos Pappas, a promising student and a good kid. If anyone needs any emotional support to deal with the grief, we have a psychologist on our premises who will be available for as long as you need her. The police asked us for our assistance to gather the names of the guests at the party.” The students looked at each other. “If you have any information that could be helpful, please come to my office.” He paused. “Thank you for your attention, my condolences.” He nodded at Mrs. Marantou and left.

“I have nothing to add. Let’s get to our lesson.” Mrs. Marantou opened her book, and so did we. Even though the lesson was boring, it was comforting to take our minds off things.

I paid attention for as long as possible, then tried remembering what I did on Saturday. I easily recalled telling the girls I wanted to find George and my lovely time with Nasos when he was acting stupid. He regretted it, then we danced, and after that—nothing. It was as if I didn’t exist. I didn’t even remember that not only was Mr. Tellis there, but we carried on an entire conversation with his wife. I wondered what made him think I was a bit off and what time that was. What time did I leave?

But most importantly, when did I last see Nasos? That question made me gasp. I had absolutely no idea when the last time I saw him was. If the police questioned me, I’d look like I was hiding something. The final thought made my breathing more difficult.

I raised my hand. “I’m sorry, but can I go out, please?”

The teacher nodded. I ran to the ladies’ restroom as fast as I could.

I splashed water on my face. When I saw my reflection in the mirror, I let out a short scream—I thought I’d die of fear.

Nasos stood behind me.

Of course, he wasn’t there, and no ghosts are wandering to seek justice. My life wasn’t a movie. However, extreme anxiety is known to cause hallucinations.

I fished out my phone and texted my therapist.

Sophia: “I need a session urgently. As you know, I’m in Athens. Can we schedule a video call?”

Therapist: “You know that sessions work better live, not video calls. And you are in Athens. There’s no excuse. I’m full till Friday. Can I see you on Friday?”

Sophia: “That’s too long.”

Therapist: “Take 20mg Cipralex and 10mg Seroquel in the morning and let me know. Do you have Xanax?”

Sophia: “Yes.”

Therapist: “Use them in case of emergency. See you on Friday at 18:00.”

Sophia: “Okay.”

I needed to go to a pharmacy. I never understood why I could get these meds over the counter, but it didn’t matter. With these, I’d feel better. The anxiety monster on the inside would calm down for a while.

Sometimes, I felt like Marvel’s Venom character. My body is a host of a beast, my anxiety, who fucks me over when he wants to. Whatever I tell him, he just doesn’t listen. He just does his own thing, causing me all kinds of psychosomatic issues and a volcano-like agitation.

Maybe I should ask Venom’s writer how to be free because my therapists can’t kill the beast.

They only can silence it for a while.

***

The bell rang. I didn’t know how I’d stayed that long in the bathroom or what I was doing. It felt as if nothing was real.

My mental health was getting worse by the minute. Maybe I should just go home. But being alone made me worse. I went to the cafeteria hoping my friends were there and wanted to talk about everything.

No sign of them. I felt so stupid thinking that we needed each other. I stood in line, waiting to order a coffee. Afterward, I’d probably go home.

Someone from my classroom, whose name I couldn’t remember, tapped my shoulder.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but you doing okay?”

“I’m trying. Thank you. Nice of you to ask.”

“I mean, at the party, you seemed off.”

If I were older, my blood pressure would be sky-high. “What do you mean ‘off’?”

“You were acting crazy for a while and then tripping out. I went to ask if you needed help, but someone called me away—my ride was there, and I had to go. So, I’m happy you’re fine.”

“Thank you,” I muttered.

What the fuck was I doing? I ordered my coffee like a robot, waited for a minute, then left. I don’t even know why I ordered coffee. I already had a Thermos full. Was I losing my mind?

I didn’t want to admit to anyone that I couldn’t remember because that would cause problems. What if they told me that I did or didn’t do something? I’d have no idea if they were telling me the truth.

Also, if I say I don’t remember, I’d lose all credibility, and people might say I’m on drugs or something.

No, people can’t know. I’d have to be cautious.

I exited the cafeteria with my new coffee and headed outside to get some fresh air. The school had amazing outdoor areas, making me wonder why we were meeting inside. Trees, flowers, and beautiful walkways to the courtyards helped me relax for a while.

The bell rang, but I didn’t go inside. Instead, I walked around. Mental health is supposed to be important, right? I sipped coffee and tried hard to clear my head of these thoughts. Maybe if I did that, I would remember what the guy said. What did he mean when he said “acting crazy”? How did I even get home?

I needed answers, but I didn’t know who I could trust. Maybe Stefanos knew something? I pulled out my phone.

Sophia: Where are you guys?

Fotini: Home.

I needed to talk to them. I didn’t care that she didn’t ask me to come.

I headed toward the exit and noticed Philipos playing basketball with other students. I couldn’t resist the urge, so I headed his way.

“Hey, Philipos,” I shouted. Of course, he ignored me. Is this how you want it?

I walked onto the court, interrupted the game, and took the ball.

“Hey, what are you doing?” someone shouted.

“Don’t you guys have class?” I said, clutching their ball.

“Don’t you?”

I turned to Philipos. “We need to talk.”

Philipos moved up to stand beside me. He smacked the top of the ball, and it fell from my grip. He grabbed it, pivoted, and took a shot. The ball went straight to the basket.

His face was still healing, his eyes were puffy, and he had bandages on his arms.

“Okay. Let’s talk.” He strode off the court. “Go on,” he shouted over his shoulder. “Play without me. I’ll be back.”

I followed him.

Chapter 22

Philipos and I strolled around the school’s perimeter. I had so many questions. I didn’t know where to begin, so being me, I asked what I shouldn’t have.

“Where were you on Saturday?”

“Sophia? Really? That’s what you wanted me to answer? You know—” he stopped walking to face me. “Fuck you and Fotini and everyone else. I’m tired of all this shit.” His pale face reddened in the areas where there wasn’t an injury.

“Why are you offended? You and Nasos weren’t on good terms, and you’re the only one I know who didn’t like him.” I tried to make it better. All he did was tsk and take a deep breath.

“I thought you were smarter than that,” he said. “But you’re just an ignorant village girl who doesn’t know the real world.”

With that comment, he pushed ten different buttons at once. I held my tongue. If I insulted him, I wouldn’t get the answers I wanted.

“Listen, I’ve only been here a week. So, instead of insulting me, you can help me.”

Philipos stayed silent for a few seconds. Then he pointed to a bench. “Let’s sit.”

I followed him and sat.

“I wasn’t here. I was on a field trip with my cousins.”

“When did you come back?”

“Last night.”

“Who hit you?”

“Like you don’t know.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Someone with a mask. I didn’t see his face. So I guessed it was Nasos. Maybe you told them that I warned you about them.”

“What happened between you? Why the bad blood?”

He looked at me and then looked down.

“You can trust me,” I added.

“Can I?”

“Well, what do you have to lose?”

He shrugged and started speaking. “Nasos approached me as a friend, brought me into his inner circle, and I met everybody. Then, when we were alone, he gave me weed. Me being an idiot and thinking I was cool, I tried some. Then, I wanted more. We were having fun until Nataly tried to kiss me. I rejected her. Then she told all her friends that I attacked her and tried to rape her, which was total bullshit.” He clasped his hands together, still staring at the ground. “Nasos and Stefanos beat the shit out of me. No one believed me. It was my word against hers. She’s a popular girl, a good student, and comes from a reputable family. So, I was found guilty by everyone.”

Philipos said exactly what his mother had told me the day before but with more detail.

“How come you rejected Nataly?”

He ran his fingers through his thick brown hair.

“Sophia, I’m gay.” He paused. “And I was in love with Nasos.” Tears ran down his cheeks, which he immediately wiped away, and then he scanned the area to ensure nobody noticed.

“Did Nasos know that?”

“No, I’d never tell him something like that. He could never know. I got over him fast, though, and the love turned to hate. I hated his guts, his whole existence. Someone did the world a favor, killing him.”

My mouth dropped open.

Philipos caught that. “Relax, I’m joking. After he beat me up without even giving me any chance to explain, I was done.”

“What about the source of the drugs? Do you know who his supplier was?”

“No, he kept that a secret.”

“Fotini knows all this?”

“Which?”

“The drug situation.”

“Everyone knows. Not just their inner circle but everyone from school, too. You know how these things work. Please don’t tell anyone. Then the word will spread like a virus.”

“Have you met Pavlos?”

“He hung around after I left. I’d seen them together, though, many times. And then he was gone.”

“Do you think someone hurt him?”

“Nasos could. He was ruthless.”

“Was Nasos in any other trouble?”

Philipos scratched his head while I leaned toward him.

“There was a rumor in high school.” He seemed conflicted.

“Come on, you’ve told me almost everything.”

“The rumor was that he had all the final exams in his possession a week prior.”

“Oh, and where did he get that?”

“Stole them? I don’t know. He had told me it was all made up because some students were upset that he was accepted into this school. And that could be true. I mean, people are mean, but so was he.”

“Geez, and he seemed like such a nice guy.”

“Don’t they all?”

The bell rang. We both got up and adjusted our clothes.

“How come you were out of class?” he asked.

“I couldn’t bear being in there as if nothing had happened, acting normal.” I answered honestly, skipping the anxiety part.

“I could claim the same, but that would be a lie.”

“What do you mean?”

“I feel relieved. Sad but relieved.”

I didn’t want to comment on that. I hoped that the police would verify that he actually was on a trip with his family.

We separated at the cafeteria. I was still holding my coffee cup. I threw it in the garbage and headed to class. I needed to pick up my bag and then leave.

Stella was waiting for me at the classroom’s entrance.

“I was afraid to tell you. Okay? These kids are dangerous. They didn’t know I was Palvos’s sister, so trying to find the truth while being a nobody was easier.”

I pushed her aside to enter the classroom. “Why did you speak to the reporters then?”

“I couldn’t miss the opportunity to tell the world about it. Maybe after Nasos’s death, they would reopen the case.”

“Well, I wish you good luck,” I said, took my bag and left.

I didn’t want to talk to her. I was too upset. She could have been straightforward from day one, but she wasn’t. She could simmer for a while.

On my way out, I saw Mr. Tellis talking to some guys wearing suits.

Were they the police?

“He was a good student,” Mr. Tellis said, making me wonder how good Nasos actually was. As I passed by them, he called me.

“Ms. Theologitou. These officers want to talk to you briefly.”

“Okay,” I said and turned back.

The suited guys looked serious. One was bulgy, and I saw his shirt buttons screaming for freedom. The other was thin and tall, with a stereotypical cop face.

“What can I help you with?” I asked.

“Excuse us, Mr. Tellis,” the bulgy guy said.

“If you need anything else since I don’t have a class this hour, you can find me at the teacher’s office,” he said and left.

We were standing in front of the entrance of the main building, and it was quiet enough to talk as classes were in session.

“We just have a couple of questions. Are you Ms. Sophia Theologitou?” Cop Face asked.

“Yes.”

“We are Dimitris Kostopoulos and Giannis Sigalas from homicide. You knew Nasos Pappas, right?”

“Yes, I met him here a week ago.”

“Were you with him on the night of his death?”

“Yes, we spent some time together.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“We danced, and that was it.”

“What time was it?” Bulgy asked, glancing at his colleague.

“I don’t remember.”

“You don’t have to be specific.”

“I don’t remember. I was having too much fun to pay attention to the time.” They looked at each other again. I didn’t like those looks.

“Where were you around one in the morning that night?”

That was the million-dollar question. I had no idea.

“Home,” I said, hoping for the best.

“Alone?”

“Yes, I live alone.”

“How did you get home?” Bulgy led the questions, and the other cop took notes on his phone.

Wow, two million-dollar questions in a row.

“I took a taxi.”

“Did you call one or use an app?”

“No, I found one on the street.”

“You must be super lucky because that house is isolated. It’s not a road with traffic. Taxis aren’t randomly driving that area.”

“Yes, super lucky,” I said while keeping my composure. My skin and my insides were burning.

“Okay, well, thank you for your cooperation. Please give us your address and phone number if we have more questions.” Once they took down my information, Cop Face gave me his phone, which I added to my contacts.

“Take my card in case you think of anything.” I took the card from Bulgy’s hand.

“Thank you, Mr. Kostopoulos. May I go now?”

“Sure, talk soon,” he said and stepped away.

I wanted to go home and take a Xanax. I was too upset to sit in a taxi, so I chose to walk home even if it took me forever. After the questions, I realized that I couldn’t swear when the last time I saw him was or how and when I got home since I couldn’t remember anything. Also, the comment that guy made at the cafeteria about me acting crazy was weird. I wished a camera could see what I was doing that night.

Even if George had a surveillance system, the police would have it by now.

My stomach filled with acid.

I needed to go to my safe place—fast.

Chapter 23

On the way home, I stopped at the pharmacy and bought my medications. I took them immediately. A feeling of dread and confusion came over me. Soon, the meds would kick in, and I’d find peace. I’d go home, lay on my bed, take a nap to reboot my nervous system, and I’d be fine.

When I got home, the garden door and shutters were open. I never leave them open.

Shit, should I carry a knife with me?

As if walking on thin ice, I made it to the entrance. Someone was talking on the inside. What should I do? Scream? Call the police? Knock?

I crouched and peeked through the window. The curtain blocked the view, but there was a crack. The door opened abruptly, and I jerked. If I were a cat, I would have lost one life right there.

“What are you doing there?”

Stunned, I said one word. “Fotini?”

“Come in,” she said and stepped away from the door.

“How did you get in?” I asked when I saw Maria, Stefanos, and Nataly sitting on my couch.

“Sophia, you gave me the second pair of keys yesterday.”

I did not remember doing that. “Before or after you left me at Philipos’s place?”

“Before.” She smirked.

“Right,” I mumbled, not sure about anything at that point. “So, do you guys want something to drink?” I said before I saw their coffees on the table.

“Sophia,” Maria said. “You’re so amazing. I’m grateful you support Fotini during these difficult times.” Her words were so fake I wanted to vomit.

“Feels like we have our own place now to hang out,” Nataly said.

Stefanos nodded.

That was exactly why I kept my place to myself. It wasn’t their place. It was my place. Mine, mine, mine.

The words echoed in my head, and I fantasized about smashing their heads with the vase my mom gave me to decorate the table. Thoughts are just thoughts, not actions. Although, sometimes, my thoughts scared me.

“Stefanos was telling us that you let loose at the party. That’s awesome.” Maria looked at Stefanos.

“What do you mean?” This development was worrisome.

“Show her,” Maria said, and Stefanos pulled out his phone, tapped on his screen, and sent it to the group chat.

My heart raced at the thought that I had done something I shouldn’t have been doing.

Once my phone vibrated, I clicked to download the video.

On-screen, I was talking to people I’d never met and didn’t remember. I danced provocatively and rubbed myself on random guys. Then, I threw some random girls into the pool and laughed. The faces of those in the background revealed their annoyance.

Stefanos sent more videos.

“Let’s get you home,” George said on camera. “You’re drunk, and you’re embarrassing yourself.”

My cheeks burned as I watched, so I covered my face. I knew what people meant now when they said I acted crazy. The girl in the video behaved as if she were somebody else. I needed to hide from everyone. It was too embarrassing. I needed to apologize to George. What the fuck was wrong with me? I started to cry.

“Why did you take a video?” I asked Stefanos, wiping my cheeks.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would hurt your feelings. I thought you’d laugh. You were so happy.”

I watched everyone’s faces as they stared back at me. “Did you see anyone else taking a video?”

Stefanos shrugged. “Who knows, maybe they did, maybe they didn’t. You can’t tell what someone is doing with his phone anymore, and I also didn’t much pay attention.”

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples in an attempt to recall anything from that night, but got nothing. It was useless.

“The police came to our school.”

“And?” Fotini asked. “Did they arrest Philipos?”

“No, he has an alibi. He wasn’t even at the party,” I replied, thinking about my discussion.

“He’s lying,” Fotini said.

“How would you know? If you’re looking for someone to blame, he’s an easy target.”

She glared at me.

“Didn’t you drive Nasos there?” I asked Stefanos, ignoring Fotini.

“No, we decided to go separately to return home when we felt like it.”

“What was he doing the last time you saw him?” I looked at everyone.

“What were you doing the last time you saw him?” Fotini asked. “We have already discussed the last time we saw him and what each of us was doing. But what we don’t know is what you were doing.”

“Why are you using that tone with me? You think I had something to do with it?” This was making me feel uncomfortable. I remembered everything before the dance, even when he tried to kiss me and apologized afterward. She couldn’t have seen that.

“I’m joking.” She chuckled. “From the videos I saw, you were so drunk that you couldn’t hurt a fly.”

“That’s not funny, though,” I said, getting up. I was tense and felt like the sofa was swallowing me, and I was about to ask a scary question. “Was Nasos a drug dealer?”

“Tell Philipos to shut his mouth, or he won’t have a mouth left when I’m done with him.” Stefanos’s veins bulged as he spoke.

“Please, honey,” Nataly said, “do me a favor and avoid him. This guy is a pathological liar. You know what he did to me.”

“He said you made that up because he rejected you,” I said, looking down this time. Because if that were true, being assaulted is terrible.

“How could that be true? No man ever rejects me. Also, me and Philipos? I mean, what the absolute fuck.” Nataly chuckled and raised her hands.

She had to be right. Whenever I saw her, her style was impeccable, and the makeup was perfect—she looked like a Disney princess without the dresses. Philipos, on the other hand, was just okay. I was utterly confused. I didn’t know what to believe, and the worst part was that I couldn’t even trust myself.

I wanted to be alone, and I couldn’t. I didn’t remember giving my second pair of keys to Fotini. We didn’t even discuss it. If I didn’t give them to her, then she must have stolen them. The truth is that I had them hanging on the key case behind the door. I admit, it’s a stupid thing to do. But again, stealing them and telling me I gave them to her sounds weirder than not remembering.

I zoned out and wasn’t paying attention to their discussion. Stefanos’s phone rang and startled me.

“Yes, it’s Stefanos Politis, of course. I’m coming now.”

We all looked at him.

“It was the police. They want me to come in for an interview.” He stood, put his phone away, and headed for the door.

“What should I do?” Maria asked.

“I don’t know, but they’ll call you soon.” Stefanos left without another word, the door closing behind him.

“I talked to the police, too,” I said.

“When?” Fotini frowned.

“Earlier, I told you they came, but you were so focused on Philipos that you didn’t even think to ask.”

“What did you tell them?”

“The truth.”

“What’s the truth?” Fotini dragged out the last word.

“I told them I didn’t know what time it was when I last saw Nasos, but when I did, he was completely fine.”

“I spoke to them, too,” Fotini said, and they all turned to her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Maria said, visibly upset.

“Because I didn’t want to talk about it. I called you all here, to Sophia’s safe place, to hang out as if it were a normal day. I didn’t want to think about it or talk about it. I didn’t want to feel the sadness. I just didn’t want it today, okay?” Fotini’s eyes watered. Her hands covered her sleepless face.

“I’m sorry,” Maria said. “I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” Maria got up and sat down on Fotini’s lap, held her, and they cried.

Nataly didn’t know what to do, nor did I. So, we just sat and looked at them.

“I need to be alone. Can everyone please leave?” Fotini wiped her eyes.

“Okay.” Nataly got to her feet.

Maria did, too.

They both hugged her again, said goodbye, and left. I wasn’t sure what to do—this was my place.

Fotini got up and hugged me, crying. “Please let me stay with you for a couple of days. I won’t be a burden, I promise. I don’t want to go home. My dad is happy that Nasos is out of my life, and I can’t stand seeing his face. I also have so many memories—I just can’t.”

I took a step back and looked at her. “Listen, Fotini, I may not know the kind of pain you’re in, but I understand. You can stay here for now. I have a spare room.”

Fotini nodded and sniffed. I brought her a tissue.

“Thank you. You’re an angel.” Fotini hugged me. I felt so sorry for her. “I’ll go home and bring some clothes.”

“Great, I’ll be waiting,” I said.

I watched her leave my home, my safe place. Finally, I felt that I could breathe. I never wanted or liked the idea of having a roommate. In my head, they were leaches of privacy and comfort. In reality, maybe it could be different.

I went to my bedroom and checked for a key behind my door. I hadn’t checked when I moved in because I never thought I might need one, but I’d feel better if I could lock it with another person.

I took off my school clothes, put on my favorite T-shirt and shorts, and lay on the bed, my phone in hand. I wanted to re-watch those videos. Maybe then I would remember something. I couldn’t believe that I was acting like that. As if I was on drugs—wait. What if I were on drugs without knowing? Nasos, as Philipos said, was a dealer. What if the drink Nasos had given me had something in it? I wish someone had recorded that.

I sent the videos to my laptop. I wanted to see them on a bigger screen. I placed the laptop on my thighs and pressed the enter button. I behaved like an idiot, and then there was one I wasn’t in. Some girls were dancing and showing off their asses. He must have sent it by mistake.

“Oh my gosh,” I exclaimed, leaning closer to the screen.

Was that Philipos kissing Nasos in the background?

My heartbeat raced as if I was running.

I watched it again and again. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Philipos had lied.

He was there. He saw Nasos. He wasn’t on a field trip, as he told his mom, me, and probably the police. I was so satisfied I had evidence.

But was Nasos kissing Philipos back? I couldn’t predict that in a million years. Wait. I played the video in slow motion. After the kiss, Nasos seemed to push him away.

I froze.

That was a motive.

Rejection has been a motive since the beginning of time.

Chapter 24

I sat across from Fotini in my living room as she scrolled on her phone. I wanted to confront her with questions that had formulated in my head, but I hesitated. Maybe she would give me some answers. Maybe not.

Eventually, she felt my eyes on her and looked up.

“What?”

“I have questions but could never find the right time or place.”

“Shoot. What do you want to know?”

“Was Nasos involved in drugs?”

She grimaced like my question physically wounded her. “No, and why would you even ask that?”

“Because every time I ask, everyone avoids the answer. People have told me things about you guys, and because I just met you all, how am I supposed to know what’s real and what isn’t.”

“Philipos is talking shit again, isn’t he?” Her eyes widened.

“Not only him.”

“What do you mean? Who else?”

“We’ll go to that soon.” I leaned forward. “Tell me, when did you last see any of us that night?”

Fotini set her phone beside her, the grimace morphing into a glare. “You’re a detective now?” Her signature sarcastic tone was evident.

“I’m asking because there are things I can’t remember. You might be able to help me if you’d seen something.”

“We arrived at the party, and then you left. You abandoned us, and you did your own thing. I tried to reach out to you.” She shrugged. “Stefanos was with us the whole time, except when he was videoing you, and Nasos came at the last minute.” Saying his name made her voice crack. She got to her feet and moved to the window.

“What happened with Pavlos?”

“Why do you care about that idiot? You didn’t even know him.” She faced the window, seemingly staring at nothing.

I wasn’t sure if I should tell her about Stella, but again, she’d see it on the news. “His sister, Stella, is in my class.”

“What?” She spun around to gawk at me. “He has a sister?” Evidently, she hadn’t known this. “He never mentioned he had a sister. The only thing I knew was that he was in foster care.”

“Stella, his sister, has been trying to find him since he disappeared. She asked me to …”

“Go ahead.” Fotini waved her hand in a circular motion. “You can tell me.”

 I sighed. “She wanted me to spy on you guys for information.”

Fotini laughed, but it sounded more like a cackle. “Spy on us? That’s ridiculous. I thought he took off and moved away. We had no information. We told all that to the police as well.”

“So there was an investigation on him? If so, what made you think he moved?” I frowned.

Fotini walked over to the kitchen, opened my fridge, and took one of my apples. She bit into it—I wanted to shove the apple down her throat. How dare she use my things without asking me? I bit the inside of my cheek. These thoughts had to stop.

My thoughts don’t define me. I spoke this internally thrice, then took a deep breath.

“I don’t know. I thought he wanted to live alone. When someone takes off, sometimes others don’t understand and call the cops.”

“Did he ever indicate that?”

“He was somewhat of a private person. He told me that he wanted to live alone, away from his toxic environment. He said his foster parents fought a lot, yet he never told me he had a sister.” Fotini took another bite of the apple.

“Did anything specific happen in the days before his disappearance?”

“Well, there was something. His foster father became more and more violent.”

“What do you mean?”

“They were having fist fights.”

“Oh geez, why?”

“When his father drank, he was out of control. That’s why I thought he just moved out to escape him. I can’t forget, though. He just left without telling anyone. Like a coward.”

“Well, maybe he didn’t have a choice. Why is his sister looking for him, then? Wouldn’t she know?”

“Who knows? Let her look for him. Our goal is to find who killed my Nasos.” She moved to retake her seat on the couch.

“What if these things are connected?”

“Hey, Sherlock, they aren’t.”

“How do you know?”

“Because they’re two different things. Completely.”

My doorbell rang. Fotini jumped up and ran to answer it—my door.

“I needed to see you,” Maria said, stepping into my place. “I feel so bad. Stefanos feels like shit, and who knows where he is now? I don’t want to be alone.”

“Okay, shut up. You’re here, aren’t you? Did you bring what I asked?”

Maria wore a naughty smile and took a bottle of vodka out of her bag. “That will help us,” she said, putting it on the table.

“Where’s the juice?”

“Oh, I forgot.”

“You’re kidding.” Fotini frowned, her hands on her hips.

“Of course, I’m kidding.” She pulled a bottle of orange juice out of her bag.

Fotini opened my cupboard and grabbed three glasses.

“I’m not drinking,” I said. They both looked at me. “I’m going for a walk. I need a walk.”

“Are you sure?” Fotini asked as she put the glass back.

“Yes.” I went to my bedroom and closed the door behind me to change. I don’t know how I could put up with sharing my things, my house, my safe place. It seemed unbearable. I changed clothes, put on my tight jeans and a T-shirt, grabbed my phone and money, said goodbye, and left.

There was no way I was drinking after what happened to me at the party.

I thought about texting George but was too embarrassed by my actions at the party.

Then I did anyway.

Sophia: “Hey, do you want to meet?”

George: “Sure, when?”

Sophia: “In ten minutes?”

George: “Oh, okay. Where?”

Sophia: “I’ll be at the main square.”

George: “I’ll pick you up.”

Sophia: “CU.”

George: “See you.”

I had my hopes up since he wanted to see me. I jogged to the square, so anxious to meet him. I watched the cars reducing their speed, guessing which one he would be driving.

Minutes later, a blue BMW stopped.

That was George.

I rushed over, opened the door, and grinned at him.

“Hey, good to see you. I’m so happy we could meet on such short notice.”

“Hey,” he said, his voice void of emotion. “Get in.”

I dropped in the seat and closed the door. He pulled away from the curb.

“How are you doing?” I watched him as he drove.

“I don’t know right now. I didn’t know Nasos too well, but him being murdered at my house freaked me out.”

“I get that. But didn’t Nasos spend a week at your house?”

“Well, yeah, he did, but you can’t really know a person in a week.”

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

George drove roughly five minutes with neither one of us speaking. He drove up a hill where we could see all the north suburbs. The view was beautiful, and the color of the sky composed a pink, blue, and faded orange palette.

It seemed quite romantic—until he kissed me.

He’d parked the car, killed the engine, then, without a word, climbed over the center console and on top of me, his mouth mashing into mine. He grabbed my neck, squeezed my breast, and then his hand headed to my lower region. I tried to resist and fight him off, but he was too heavy on top of me.

“Stop,” I grunted, but he didn’t listen. “I don’t want to do this.”

He unbuttoned my jeans.

“George, what the fuck?” I screamed. “You’re going to rape me?”

Something clicked, and George stopped. He stared at me for a moment, his chest heaving, then lifted off me and retook his seat. He pulled a black pouch from under his car seat and threw it at me.

“Is that what you want?” He spat at me, his eyes filled with pain.

“What is wrong with you?” I looked down at the pouch. “Are these drugs?”

“Since you wanted to fuck everyone at the party, then why wouldn’t you fuck me? I have everything—the nice car, the money, the drugs, so just sit back and take it like the worthless bitch you are.”

I lunged across the gap between us and slapped him so hard that my hand hurt. Then I threw the pouch back at him.

He didn’t move. He probably didn’t see it coming.

“You are a fucking idiot. Someone gave me something, which made me forget what happened. I’m trying hard to figure it out. I called you in the hopes you’d help me assemble the puzzle. And instead of being a gentleman, you came on to me as if I deserved that behavior.” I shivered, feeling unclean. “I’m disgusted and disappointed.”

“You were with Nasos. What did you expect him to give you? Flowers? He’s the school’s dealer. Everybody knows that, but you? Come on. Where did you come from? Another planet?” I wanted to slap him again and again, but I restrained myself.

I was sure Nasos was a dealer, and Fotini lied. Or perhaps she didn’t know. I couldn’t believe she wouldn’t know that, though.

“You’re a fucking idiot. I only met these guys a week ago, and you’re talking as if you have it all figured out.” I stared through the windshield. “Just take me home.” I couldn’t look at his face.

He turned on the car, and we left. I tried to keep my mouth shut but couldn’t.

“I can’t believe your way of thinking. Even if I wanted to fuck everyone, who told you that I would want to fuck you? Why would you treat me that way?” My anger initiated tears.

“I was jealous, all right? Seeing you behaving like that made me sick. I tried to pull you away, but you weren’t listening.”

“So, behaving like that would make it right for you?” I shook my head.

“I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry.” He looked at me at a traffic light. “What can I do to help you remember?”

“I don’t want your help.”

“Yes, you do. I was watching you, so I know what you were doing.”

I paused.

Maybe he could help me after all.

Chapter 25

George parked the car, and we agreed to go for a coffee at the café in the square.

I was still angry. He kept apologizing, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. There’s no excuse for such behavior. People always have a choice. The argument that you made me do it is bullshit.

We ordered coffee and took a seat.

George stared at me across the table, but I couldn’t meet his eyes yet.

“As I’ve already told you, the last thing I remember is me dancing with Nasos. We were talking. He was already drunk, and he came onto me. I told him I wasn’t interested, and then he gave me a drink as an apology.”

“That was nice of him,” George said and sipped his coffee, the contempt in his voice obvious. He adjusted himself on the seat. Something about this conversation was making him uncomfortable. “Maybe you drank too much. Does alcohol affect you like that?”

“I didn’t have that much.” I didn’t want to tell him about my anti-anxiety medication. These conversations had three possible endings. The first would be advice to quit the drugs because they’re bad for me, and I seem fine. The second would be a discussion of whether I’m crazy or not, and the third would be people sympathizing with my problem. These kinds of chats ended with me looking bad, so I wasn’t interested in opening up further. “Just tell me what I did at the party.”

“You danced with everyone. You teased everyone. You were loud and annoying people.”

“Okay, then what?”

“Then you asked me where the bathroom was, and I lost you for a while.”

“For how long?”

“I don’t know.”

I leaned closer. “Then?”

“Then I saw you sitting by yourself, looking around. You seemed quite wasted. I asked you if you wanted a ride home. You told me you had already arranged it. Then something got your attention, and you just left.”

“Did you see Nasos during the night?”

“I saw him dancing with you. Then, honestly, I wasn’t paying attention to him.”

“Where did they find him?”

“Near the back corner of our house is a shed where we keep gardening tools. I have no idea what he was doing over there.”

An image of the interior of a wooden shed came to my mind and made me lose my breath.

“Is your shed made of wood? With a lot of empty shelves?”

“Actually, yes. Have you seen it?”

My stomach filled with acid. I felt like I was suffocating as if there was no air coming or going from my lungs. I had to keep it together, though. My hand shook as I tried to drink water. I don’t recall going to the shed at all.

“I toured your house when I first arrived. I was as curious as everyone else.” I lied. “Did you hear anything about the murder weapon?”

“They were looking for anything that could be a weapon. They told us to evacuate the house, so we spent Sunday and Monday at a hotel. I don’t think they found anything. Unless they did find something and didn’t want it leaking to the press.” He lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “They didn’t tell us shit.”

I nodded, still trying to overcome my anxiety attack. As my skin burned, I tried to continue the conversation. “Who do you think did it?” I managed to ask. “Any guesses?”

“An ex-girlfriend? Someone who had a grudge against him? Who knows?”

“Did you invite Philipos to the party?”

“Who is Philipos?”

“He’s in my class.”

“I invited a lot of people. I don’t remember.”

I stared at him for a long moment, finally bringing myself to look his way. “I’m going to trust you with something. Please, if you ever want to salvage a friendship with me, you’ll keep what I tell you to yourself.”

“Okay.” He nodded and leaned closer.

“Not just an okay. I need a promise.”

“You have my word.”

I pulled out my phone, brought up the video, and showed him the video.

“Do you recognize him?”

“Holy fuck, I didn’t know Nasos was gay.”

“I didn’t know that either. But look, he pushed Philipos aside. Do you recognize him, though?”

“Yeah, I was aware of the Phily drama. Something happened, and then they were both spreading rumors about each other. I was never interested in their rivalry. I didn’t invite him because I didn’t want to stir shit up.”

“Fair enough.” Then, there was a half a minute of silence until George reached out and cupped my hand.

“Listen, Sophia. I’m sorry for my behavior. I really am.”

“Okay.” That was all I could muster at that moment. “I need to use the restroom,” I said, and I left. I wanted to breathe and put some cold water on my face.

I stepped inside. Luckily, it was empty. I washed my hands and wet my face. I couldn’t believe that I had seen the interior of the murder shed. What the fuck was I doing there? I opened my purse and took half of a pill of my Xanax. I needed to calm down as soon as possible. I couldn’t even think straight. Maybe the therapist would help me remember.

What if I killed him?

With that last thought, I went straight to the toilet and hurled. My coffee and my pill shot from my mouth. Cold sweat overtook me. I couldn’t stand, so I sat on the floor and closed my eyes briefly. Then, thinking George would be looking for me, I used what strength I had to get up. Walking slowly, ensuring my hands held something to keep my balance, I reached our table.

“Are you okay? You look pale,” George said and got up to help me.

“Can you please drive me home?”

“Sure.” He threw some euros on the table as a tip, and we left.

I didn’t want him to know my address, but what would he do anyway? If he meant to harm me, he would have done it when we were alone in his car, so I took the chance.

“Thank you for giving me a ride,” I said when we were outside my house.

“Do you want me to escort you to the door?”

“No, I’ll be fine, thank you.” I opened the car’s door, said goodbye, and headed immediately to my door. I slipped my keys in the lock, but the door opened.

Fotini stood there staring at me. “Geez, girl, you look sick.” She saw George and waved. “Did you have fun, at least?” She smiled wide.

“I feel so nauseous I can’t even talk. I’m going to bed.”

She moved to the side to let me in. “Okay, tell me if you need anything.”

I thought I’d feel better as time passed.

I was wrong.

Chapter 26

I lay on the bed, feeling cold. When I have intense anxiety, it affects my whole body and makes me feel sick. Whatever my brain says, the body just doesn’t listen. I have to sleep to reboot my nervous system. I closed my eyes, covered my body with the bed sheet, and took deep breaths until I slept. Nasos’s bloody face terrorized me in my sleep, and I woke gasping for breath, my heart racing. I turned on the bedroom light and headed to the kitchen to drink water.

A voice coming from the other room startled me. “You okay?”

I forgot Fotini was here.

“I’m fine. Just needed to drink water. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said.

I returned to my room, turned off the light, and closed my eyes. I couldn’t stop thinking. I couldn’t get it out of my head that I’d been to the shed. I saw Nasos’s face again with closed eyes. I knew why this was happening. My anxiety was out of control. I took more Xanax, which would calm me down. I sat on my bed in the dark, trying to breathe.

“You did this,” a voice whispered in the dark. I felt goosebumps all over my body.

I turned on the light. I was alone. I turned off the light and took another deep breath.

“You did this.” I turned on the light again and stood. I looked behind the curtains, under my bed. For the first time in my life, a closet looked frightening. I ran over and ripped open the closet. Of course, no one was there. What was I even thinking? That some kind of bogeyman had camped inside?

“Sophia, are you sure you’re okay?” Fotini shouted from the other room. This time, I was happy—I wasn’t alone in the house.

“Did you hear anything strange?” I shouted back.

“Yeah, you walking around and making weird noises in the middle of the night. Is this a habit of yours that you didn’t bother to share?”

I smiled. “No. I’m sorry. I’ll be quieter.”

I went back to my bed and turned off the light. The fact that Fotini was in the other room, plus the Xanax taking effect, made me sleep. Not for long, though. A noise startled me awake as if someone was outside. I thought about the stupid dog wagging his tail, and I relaxed. There was an explanation. It wasn’t in my head.

I was half asleep when I heard that voice again. “You did this.” I don’t believe in ghosts, but what if I killed Nasos and he was haunting me? Me? Killing someone? And ghosts? These thoughts were out of control. There was no logical explanation for what was happening to me. Maybe I was heading into a psychotic episode because all these noises felt so real. I turned on the light and decided to sleep with it on. I didn’t realize it was morning already. It felt as if a minute had passed.

“Let’s go, wake up.” Fotini came in, gave me a cup of coffee, and sat on my bed. I could barely open my eyes.

“What happened to you? You look terrible.”

“I had nightmares all night long.” I sipped some coffee. What could I say? If I told the truth, then she would send me to the psych ward.

“Are we going to school?” Fotini asked as she sipped, too. Even in the morning and freshly awake with puffy eyes, she looked pretty in her purple pajamas.

“I don’t feel like it. I’m too sleepy to do anything.”

“I’m the same. Plus, I have a headache because someone kept waking me up.”

“I wonder who that was.” I chuckled and drank more. “Maybe we can go later. Only miss the first hours.”

“How was your date with George?”

“It started off bad. Then it got better, but that didn’t erase the bad part.”

“What did he do?”

“Too early for that discussion,” I said, sipping more coffee.

“Did he know anything about Nasos?”

“Not really. Not more than the news, anyway.” I didn’t want to tell her anything yet.

“I spent yesterday on the internet, looking for articles about his death. They said that he had multiple stab wounds, and he was found in Georges’s gardening shed on Sunday morning by the gardening staff.” She sniffed. “I can’t believe someone hated him enough to do that to him.” Fotini tried hard to keep it together. I set my cup on the bedside table, moved closer, and hugged her. I couldn’t even imagine how she must feel.

“George also told me that he was a dealer, and whatever people needed, Nasos would provide.” I monitored her response to that. Maybe she would finally admit it.

“He had a side to him I couldn’t understand. I tried to help him get away from it, but he refused. For him, it wasn’t about the money. It was about being in control and outsmarting others.”

“Why would you lie to me, though?”

Fotini looked down at her lap. “Because I didn’t want you to remember him as a junkie.”

“Did you tell the police about it?”

“No.”

“Why?”

She glanced up now. “Because I know his supplier and don’t rat people out.”

“What? You know? Who is it?”

“I can’t say. I’ll be in big trouble if I do. I’ll ruin lives. I don’t want that.”

“Yes, but there’s a crime that cost a life—Nasos’s life. What if the supplier killed him?”

“Then telling puts me and everyone around me in danger, including you.”

“Was he at the party?”

Fotini looked away. She didn’t want to meet my eyes.

“Come on, you can tell me that.”

“Sophia, drop it. It’s too big for both of us.”

“You know I will ask around and find out anyway, right?”

“Okay, if I tell you, do you promise to let it go?”

“I promise.” That was the biggest lie I had ever told anyone. A promise was something sacred that I could never break. Yet, this time, I intended to break it.

“Mr. Tellis was the dealer.” She sighed.

Without realizing it, I covered my mouth with my hand. The police should definitely investigate that angle. Maybe I could call them from a public phone to give them the information anonymously. My brain was working overtime.

“Let’s go to school.” I stood up.

“Sophia, you promised.”

“I know. I just want to go to school. Sitting here will make me feel like shit.”

“Okay, I didn’t expect that.” Fotini raised her eyebrows. “I’m not ready yet. I will go after the funeral takes place because everyone will be looking at me and talking and telling me how sorry they are. I don’t want anyone’s pity. I already had that with my mom.”

“What do you mean?”

“When she left us.”

“Oh, right.” I had forgotten the whole thing. “When will the funeral be?”

“After the police decide to give his body back.”

“I should get ready if I ever want to catch the bus.” I got up and stood in front of my closed closet. I knew there was nothing there, but it gave me the creeps. Fotini left me alone. I dressed and left my bedroom as soon as possible.

I was a bit late. The bus was waiting. When I stepped on, everyone’s eyes were on me.

“Ι’m sorry I’m late,” I said aloud and sat. I felt uneasy, as if I had done something wrong. I looked behind to see if Philipos was on the bus—he was. He must be spreading rumors about me. That’s why they’re looking at me. Maybe they think I did it. Okay, your thoughts don’t define you. Breathe in, breathe out. No one cares about you. They randomly looked because you were late. I pulled out my phone and texted my therapist.

“I need to see you today. I’m heading toward a psychotic episode.”

No answer. It was too early. I put on my headphones and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to think anything. Lana Del Rey was the drug I needed.

Chapter 27

I went straight to class. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Mrs. Marantou came in with her usual strict attitude. I tried to concentrate on her lesson. I thought that would keep my mind off things. It didn’t. Stella sat behind me. When Mrs. Marantou wasn’t watching, Stella passed me a note.

Go back to the island for a while.

I turned and looked at her, but Mrs. Marantou saw me.

“Ms. Theologitou.”

I pretended to focus on the book. Stella needed to explain this to me when the bell rang. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to school. It was useless. My mind was heading in a hundred directions, my heart was beating faster than normal, and all I did was screw myself over. My torture ended as the bell rang.

“What’s with that note, Stella?”

“A warning.”

“A warning of what? Danger? From you?”

Stella shook her head. “I just have a bad feeling. Call it a sixth sense, craziness, I don’t know. I believe you should go back until this is over.”

“Okay, and what if it isn’t ever over? I’ll just stay there because you had a feeling. You know that sounds ridiculous, right?”

“Yeah, it does. However, if there’s something that you want to share, send me a message. I know I’m weird, but you can trust me.” She handed me her phone number on a piece of paper, then took my hand and looked at me. “I want to see you writing my number in your phone.”

I pulled my hand away. “That’s weird.”

“I know it sounds weird, but if you’re in a bad situation, I’m the person you should call. No one else.”

I pulled out my phone, added her as a contact, and gave her mine.

“Thank you.” I paused. “I guess. But I’m not writing it on my hand.”

“Memorize it.”

“Wow. You’re demanding.”

“Just do as I say. Someone was murdered, and there’s a killer on the loose. The more people you can contact if something bad happens, the better.”

My shoulders slumped. “I guess I can’t deny that,” I said and tried to memorize it. The truth was that I was so dependent on my phone that I could only remember my number and my home number. Those wouldn’t help me if I got in a bad situation without my phone. So, I took her advice and noted to myself that I should also memorize Fotini’s number.

“Okay, got it.” I stood up.

She smiled at me.

I had no idea where all this came from. I think that she could be voted the weirdest classmate in history.

After we departed the classroom, I roamed the hallways, trying to remember where I would find a public phone. Then it dawned on me. I’d go to a teacher’s office.

The principal and his assistant had a separate office. All the others shared a big meeting room. Each one had their name labeled on the large rectangular desk. I couldn’t do anything then because the teachers were coming and going. There was no way I could have a private call. I had to come when the room was empty during a lesson.

My phone vibrated. It was my therapist. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time today but could fit me in tomorrow. I wouldn’t say I liked it, but if that were the best he could do, I’d have to spend another night without losing my mind.

I headed to my next class and waited for the bell to ring. Stella was staring at me. It was getting annoying.

“What?” I raised my hands.

Leave, she mouthed and kept looking at me.

“What the fuck, Stella? I thought we were fine. I have your number, the end. Now you’re getting annoying.”

She got up and leaned on my chair. “Since I made public my brother’s disappearance, I had a lot of trouble. Yesterday, someone attacked me with a knife.”

My mouth dropped open, and it felt like I was falling. “Who would do that?” I whispered in a higher pitch than normal.

“He wore a mask. I couldn’t tell. Because you’re new and have nothing to do with the past, I truly think you would be safer away from here since you insist on hanging out with these kids.”

“You’re starting to sound like my mom. Just leave me alone.”

Stella went back to her seat as the teacher came in. My hands were shaking. Things were more serious than I could ever imagine. I mean, yes, murder is serious, but I thought it only involved Nasos and his drug dealing, not that the circle was bigger.

Mr. Kiriakos came in and talked about how the global reservation systems work. All I could think of was that the spiders I saw weren’t real and weren’t crawling under my skin. I spent ten minutes in agony, and then I went to the bathroom to put cold water on my face. If I had ice, it would be much better.

I always carry my meds with me. I should have taken them in the morning before I left, but Fotini was there, and it slipped my mind. I’d relax soon, and the spiders would go away. So, here’s to me and my stupidity. At least I could call if the teacher’s office was empty.

I got up when the teacher was turned toward the blackboard, jogged down the hallway, and entered the office boardroom. No one was there. I saw the phone on the edge of the desk. I sighed deeply and picked it up.

Someone was coming, and I panicked.

I put the phone back and ducked under the desk.

The door opened, and Mr. Tellis’s voice was quite clear. He was talking on the phone. He pulled out a chair.

“No, that can’t happen. He was our best. He knew most people, and they knew what he was doing without ratting him out. The kids were happy. Everyone was happy.” There was a pause. “Of course, he had asked for a bigger cut, and of course, he threatened me. What did you expect? I also had to deal with the other one. He was getting dangerous, and he was making it personal.” Another pause. “No, I had to meet him personally, as he would outsmart the others, and also, if he didn’t see me, he wouldn’t reveal himself. No, trust me, he wouldn’t.” Yet another pause. “Wait, don’t send more until I tell you.”

The conversation ended. I couldn’t believe what I’d just heard. Mr. Tellis, the drug supplier, just said he “had to deal with the other one.” What the absolute fuck was he talking about? Murder?

The phone above me rang. I heard him get up and walk toward the telephone. I crawled farther away, reaching the other side of the room. I would have waited until he left, but then another teacher came in and greeted Mr. Tellis as he answered the phone.

I crawled out from under the desk and clambered to my feet.

There was a witness in the room. Tellis wouldn’t hurt me, but he would know I knew what he’d said on the phone, which was bad.

“Thanks, I found it,” I said, smiling, holding a pen that had fallen from the desk.

Startled, they both left the room.

I ran for the ladies’ restroom.

This was trouble.

I had no proof of anything and didn’t know who I could trust enough to tell.

Chapter 28

I closed my eyes and traveled to my safe place during extreme emotional situations. I floated to my balcony on the island, where I saw a mountain to my left with a white church hanging from its side and a village on the other side. The smell of freshly baked bread teased my nose, chirping birds flew over the bougainvillea, and in the center of my view was Nikouria, the small island in the sea.

I was in my safe place as Mr. Tellis banged on the ladies’ bathroom door. The bell would ring soon, and he would stop. I had locked it and had my back against the door.

I couldn’t believe he was a drug dealer. The one who was motivating students to thrive academically was the one who was secretly poisoning them. The nerve he had was unbelievable. My heart was racing, but I wasn’t afraid. I was furious.

“Theologitou, this isn’t what you think,” he said through the door. “Open the door now. I won’t hurt you. I want to explain.” Pause. “Open the damn door.” Pause. “You little bitch, I have your bloody dress.”

I froze. I couldn’t comprehend his words. The bell rang, and he stopped banging and talking. I opened the door.

He had left.

Did I hear him right? Does he have my bloody dress? Was bloody an expression, or did my dress have blood on it? Was he lying, or was he for real?

I returned to class, and unfortunately, Mr. Tellis was scheduled for this session. I sat on my chair, petrified, and waited for the bell to ring again.

“What’s wrong?” Stella approached me. “Are you okay?”

I looked at her, and for a second, I thought I should tell her everything, but then I didn’t say a word.

“You’re so pale.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“What happened?”

“Not right now—” I had no time to finish my sentence.

Mr. Tellis entered the classroom.

Heat rose on my face. This time, it wasn’t a panic attack. It was a survival instinct. My eyes monitored every step he took as if he would stab me to death in front of everyone.

He walked calmly, in full control, sat on his desk, and pulled papers from his briefcase. I held my breath and stared at him.

Stella looked at him and then at me.

“What the fuck is going on?” she whispered in my ear as she took her seat.

I didn’t respond, and she got up and left, catching Mr. Tellis’s attention. He still didn’t say anything, which scared me more.

Mr. Tellis opened his briefcase, pulled out a pen, then a blank piece of paper, and started writing until the bell rang. When everyone entered, he rose and surveyed everyone’s face.

“Something has come to my attention, and I’d like to address it before we begin today’s lesson.” He paused and looked at me. “I believe I’m closer to my students than my colleagues. Would you all agree?” A lot of the students nodded. “It’s unfair when people spread rumors about me.”

“Rumors?” the nerd of the class asked.

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I contribute to the student community, and my payback is people talking badly behind my back. Do you think that’s fair?”

He turned his gaze to me and paused. I mouthed “no” so the other students would see me.

“So, today, to give you all a heads up, I’m announcing that if I catch anyone doing it, they’ll fail my class. That will be the start of the consequences, depending on the circumstances. Are we clear?”

Everyone nodded, and he returned to his chair, giving me a stern look. At that point, I knew why the students wouldn’t come forward. He held their future in his hands. There was no way I’d ever make someone speak about it unless they had left the campus or graduated.

Then it came to me.

If I found Pavlos, maybe he would spill the beans. That was a big “if,” though, and I already had a lot on my plate—like my bloody dress.

I didn’t pay attention to his lesson. I couldn’t even understand how he could teach after what had happened. Then I realized that was the separation line between people with good intentions and people with bad intentions. The people with bad intentions didn’t care. They could live as if nothing had happened, sleep well at night, and see wonderful dreams.

The lesson ended, and I got up immediately, ready to leave.

“Ms. Theologitou, please wait. I’d like to talk to you,” he said in front of everyone.

I gathered my things while my hands shook. I couldn’t stand so much tension. If he wanted to hurt me, then good luck with that. I held my pencil tight in my hands. If he tried to hurt me, I’d pierce him anywhere I could: the eyes, the neck, wherever I found an opening.

Everyone left. The classroom was empty.

It was just the two of us.

He got up, closed the door, and approached me.

I gripped the pencil so hard my hands ached.

My mom didn’t raise me to be a coward.

I was ready.

Chapter 29

He moved closer, and I lost it. I thought he was going to attack me, so I attacked first.

I raised my hand and aimed at his neck. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it until I dropped the pencil. I tried to bite his arm, but he pushed my head away.

“Stop it,” he said and turned me around.

I tried to bite him again but missed.

He grabbed my neck from behind and whispered in my ear. “I don’t want to hurt you. I want to talk to you. Calm the fuck down. Do you understand?”

I tried to nod, but his grip was too tight to move my head. He let me go. I needed air, coughing and trying to breathe normally as I edged away from him.

“I have your dress, and I bet it’s Nasos’s blood on it. You say anything about me, and I give it to the police.”

I was too stunned to speak. A thousand thoughts assailed me as my heart raced. I had lost my dress. It had blood on it. What the fuck had happened? Did I go home naked?

“What are you talking about?” was the only thing that came out of my mouth.

“You were so disoriented that night, sitting on a chair.” He shook his head. “In a bad shape. We talked, and you seemed off somehow. We offered you a ride home, and you agreed. You sat in the back while my wife Aria and I were in the front. We took you home, and my wife helped you go upstairs.” He stared into my eyes. “The way you were, Aria would never leave you without ensuring you were fine. You went to the bathroom and vomited. With the lights on, she saw that your dress had stains. She asked you about it, but you had no answer. Aria helped you undress, and then she saw that your chest was covered in blood. In a panic state, she ran to the car to tell me. I told her I’d take care of it, and here we are.”

I narrowed my eyes, glaring at him. “You’re lying.”

“Where is your dress then, little girl?”

I stepped back. “There’s another explanation. You’re making shit up because I can’t remember.” I took another step back. “We’ll play this your way. I’ll keep my mouth shut. You’ve all but guaranteed my silence.”

“Am I making shit up?” He chuckled.

“I would never—ever—hurt anyone.”

“What if the anyone tried to hurt you first?” He leaned on my desk. “Just look at how you reacted when you thought I would hurt you.”

“Why didn’t you call the police already?”

“Because Nasos was a prick. If you killed him, if our innocent Amorgian girl was a killer, then he must have done something terrible. And I know you can’t remember, which is normal considering what he must have given you.”

The adrenaline spike passed, and the anxiety was coming in strong now. Stronger than ever since I thought I may have killed Nasos.

“Given me?”

Mr. Tellis went to his desk, gathered his notes, and left the classroom without another word.

The door opened again, and some students, including Stella, came inside, staring at me.

I packed my things as Stella said something, but I couldn’t speak after what happened.

I left the school and walked straight to my therapist’s office.

I waited until it was my time.

Then I entered his office, hoping sanity was on the other side of that door.

Chapter 30

On my island, if you need anything from a simple X-ray to a dentist appointment, you have to take the ferry, as there’s no airport. Naxos, the biggest island in the Cyclades, is three hours away. Life and death situations are handled with an air ambulance helicopter.

Mental health isn’t a priority on a small Greek island.

I met my therapist as a teenager when I came to Athens for Christmas. I was stressed about school and felt constricted on the island, like being crushed. The closed society behavior, the way I had to act because of what people might say, the way I had to speak, the people I wasn’t allowed to talk to because they had a bad name and I couldn’t be seen with them. All of this oppressive nonsense gave me psychosomatic symptoms like stomach aches, IBS, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and random pains that morphed into anxiety. At unexpected moments, half of my head would go numb, and then I feared I was having a stroke. That elevated my anxiety, causing a stress attack. That vicious cycle led me to come to Athens and do all kinds of tests to verify that I had nothing but stress, which was relieving and frustrating at the same time.

Mr. Konstadinidis was recommended to my mom by a family friend. He was a quiet, religious man, with his office near the Piraeus harbor. He listened to my whole story, prescribed me medication, and did meditation and therapy sessions to help me, which they did. I spent two years feeling better on the island.

Then I came to Athens. The environmental change wouldn’t be good, but I had to deal with it. There was no way I would be trapped in one place my whole life. I had to persevere for everyone’s sake—not just mine.

In the waiting area, I tried to occupy myself by watching videos, but the unsettling feeling that everything was wrong and something bad would happen was in my gut. I couldn’t get rid of it because, realistically, this is how things actually were.

Shit.

I annoyed the man beside me on the couch because my legs shook. He set the magazine he was reading on the table, unable to read it.

I couldn’t fight my stimming. Not that time.

The office door opened as my therapist led a woman into the waiting room. She looked as if she hadn’t slept in days.

The man next to me got to his feet, exhaling in relief. “Next time, I’ll bring my anti-vomit pills with me.” He gave me a nasty look as he headed into the therapist’s office.

I mouthed I’m sorry, and he rolled his eyes. I waited another forty-five minutes but felt safer there than anywhere else.

I closed my eyes and tried to meditate. All I could see was Nasos’s bloody face. One more try, I couldn’t give up. Nothing.

I prayed talking to the therapist would help. Time passed as a slow dripping faucet.

The opening of the office door startled me. The man exited as frustrated as when he went inside. Some people can’t unload their feelings that easily, apparently.

“Sophia, come on in.”

I got up, relieved that I wouldn’t have to wait any longer. I entered his office and sat on the chair. When I first went to his office, I thought I’d find a couch like I saw on TV. So, I asked where the couch was, and he laughed, telling me I only got a chair. Opening up to a stranger felt weird—until he was no longer a stranger.

“Sophia, what is going on?” he asked from his chair opposite mine.

“Everything. So many things happened that I don’t even know where to start.”

“Take a deep breath first.”

I took a big breath. Whenever he told me that, I was speaking too fast. “The murdered student was a friend of mine.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. How are you feeling?”

“Like shit, but that isn’t my only problem. I’ve been hearing voices and sounds, usually at night. I’m seeing my dead friend with blood all over his face.”

Mr. Konstadinidis tapped his pen twice against his lips. “In extremely stressful situations, hallucinations can occur. Can you discern the difference between what is real and what is not?”

“Not at the moment,” I said, and he wrote something in my file. “Something else makes me feel like I’m losing my mind.” He leaned forward. “I don’t remember what happened at the party after a certain time. I have no idea how I got to my house and put on my pajamas, although my teacher just told me how. I can’t even find my dress.” He wrote more notes and then looked at me. “My teacher told me that he drove me home, and his wife put me to bed and took my dress that was covered in blood. Why would my dress be covered in blood? I don’t remember.”

He set his pen down. “Sophia, I know you. You are not a danger to society. You can’t hurt a fly.”

“Maybe you don’t know me enough. Today, I attacked the man who said he had my dress.”

“Why?”

“Because I found out he’s a drug dealer, and the student who was killed worked for him.”

“Do you have evidence? Something you could take to the authorities?”

I shook my head.

“One issue at a time. I still don’t see you as capable of murder. However, attacking someone because you feel cornered is reasonable. There’s a big line that separates attack and murder.”

“Mr. Konstantinidis, I need to remember.”

“I understand. Were you drinking?”

“I had Xanax before I went to the event because I was stressed. Then, I had alcohol, which I know was irresponsible. I know. But then I think that Nasos, the student who was murdered, slipped something in the drink he brought me after I rejected him.”

“Hmm.”

I looked down at my shoes. “I don’t remember if I killed him or not.”

He was silent for several moments and I began to feel awkward.

“You have all these clues, and you’re trying to make sense of it. If you start thinking that you killed him, you can even create false memories. Don’t put yourself in that position.”

“You’re right, but the fact that I can’t remember is driving me crazier than I am. I can’t function.”

“Have you talked to your parents about this?”

“No. What kind of question is that?”

“Okay, I will prescribe you an anti-psychotic because the last thing we want is you having a psychotic episode.” He turned to the PC in the corner of his desk and typed. After a moment, my mobile vibrated a notification. The prescription was on my phone.

“Don’t rush things. If something happened and traumatized you, then your brain hid it on purpose. The problem is that with the medication you’re taking, I don’t see you remembering anything. They cause brain fog and dullness. For now, count on other people’s memories. Unless you actually know what happened, don’t tell anyone. You can easily be manipulated, and they can make you admit something you may not have done. Let the police do their job. If there’s physical evidence you did anything wrong, they’ll come to you.” He let out a big breath. “Sophia, I’m on your side.”

I didn’t like anything he said, but he was right. I’d take my meds, and then I’d be calmer.

“I want my dress back.”

“Don’t engage with that man. Stay away from him. He may be lying.”

 I felt so stupid. Since Mr. Tellis was a person of authority, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that he might be lying just to get me.

My therapist placed his glasses on the table at our knees and pushed his chair back, wiping his face.

I’d never seen him like that. Therapists are people, too. They can make mistakes, have feelings, and carry their own trauma as they try to help others. It was the first time I saw him and not the doctor.

He paced back and forth, inhaled, exhaled, and then took his seat.

“I’m sorry, that was unprofessional. I have a hard time with people in positions of trust manipulating others for their selfish needs. Parents, teachers, mentors, even doctors fall into that category.”

“That’s why I want to tell the police.”

“I understand, but you don’t know the people who are associated with this. You may be in very big trouble. Don’t forget, your job is to attend school and study. That’s it.”

I hated when people told me what to do.

“Okay, you’re right. Thank you for your time.” I gave him his payment, not waiting for a receipt, then headed for the door.

“Sophia.” There was a shuffling behind me as he got up. “Let’s schedule our next appointment.”

His last sentence emanated to me as I closed the door behind me.

Chapter 31

I went to the pharmacy at the corner. They don’t know me, which made me feel better about buying my meds from them. On the island, I hated doing that. There was only one pharmacy on my side of the island. Everyone knew the pharmacist, and he knew everyone’s medical problems. If another customer was there, I pretended only to need a painkiller. Otherwise, the villages around Aegiali Bay would know what medications I was on.

In Athens, it was so much easier. I showed them the prescription, and they gave me my meds. That was it. They couldn’t care less. City privilege.

Stella was texting me like a maniac, and my mom was texting me as well. I had to turn my phone off. I didn’t want to speak to anyone. I just wanted to go home. Although it wasn’t that far, I didn’t want to walk for thirty minutes, so I took a taxi.

The taxi driver had the radio on and was listening to the news. “After Nasos Pappas was brutally murdered at a friend’s party, the police have finally confirmed they have several suspects. According to our sources, there will be an arrest soon.”

“Turn it off,” I said, but the driver didn’t hear me. “Turn it off,” I screamed.

“Calm down, lady, okay,” he said, flicking the switch. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

I was so upset I couldn’t answer him. My hands were shaking, and there wasn’t enough air. “Please, stop here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, thank you.” I checked the meter, paid him, and exited the car.

The taxi pulled away, and I caught the driver shaking his head, probably thinking I was crazy—maybe he was right.

I bolted to my house, opened the door, went straight to the kitchen, and poured a glass of water. I guzzled it, drew another, and took my meds.

“Hey, why are you here so early?” Fotini exited her room.

“I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.” I walked by her, went to my room, and closed the door behind me. With my clothes on, I jumped on my unmade bed.

“Tomorrow at 16:00 is the funeral,” Fotini said through my bedroom door. “Thought you would want to know.”

I didn’t say anything. She knew Nasos was dealing drugs and didn’t tell me. Likely, she knows more and isn’t telling me.

“If you need anything, please let me know. I’m here for you.”

Maybe I was being unfair to her. After all, she lost her long-term boyfriend. I closed my eyes and returned to my safe place on the island. Soon, sweet, liberating sleep would come, and I’d hide from everything.

A sound woke me up as if someone had slammed the door. I got up, feeling light-headed, and opened the door. I didn’t even know what time it was.

“Fotini? Fotini?”

No answer. It was dark outside. I looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was 18:00. I had slept a lot but felt I needed more. I went back to my bed. I didn’t want to eat, study, or go out. I wanted to hibernate until they knew who murdered Nasos. I closed my eyes, went to my safe place again, and heard a banging from outside.

“What the fuck?” I got up, headed to the entrance door, and opened it. Nothing, again. Those drugs are supposed to help me, not fuck me up more.

“Why did you kill me?” a voice said. Goosebumps rose on my arms.

“Who’s out there?”

“Everyone knows,” the voice said again.

“Shut up. Shut up.” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Fotini came out of her room wearing her headphones. “What’s going on? Who are you talking to? I could hear you through my headphones.”

I hugged her and started crying.

“Hey, calm down, it’s okay.” She hugged me and whispered in my ear with a soothing voice like my mom would do. Thinking about my mom made me cry even more.

“I want to go home.”

“Come on, what happened?”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that I may have killed her boyfriend.

“Did you hear anything?” I pulled away from her.

“I was listening to music.”

“Can you stay with me?” I hated having to say that like I’m a weak little child.

“Of course,” she said, and we headed to my bedroom. I stood there as she made my bed.

“I can’t believe you moved in here with me when I couldn’t be alone.”

“Bad situations often bond people.” She threw my pajamas at me.

Then I noticed a crimson color on my colorful pajamas that I hadn’t seen before. It wasn’t drops of crimson. It was as if it was a stain. I felt the heat inside me rising again. Was that Nasos’s blood? I raised my head and looked at Fotini.

“What’s up?” she asked. “Are you embarrassed to undress in front of me? Don’t worry, I’ll step out.” She left, clueless of what I was thinking. I stared at my pajamas, shaking. I couldn’t bring myself to wear them. I threw them on a chair and put on another pair.

“Are you okay in there?”

“Sorry, come in,” I said and crawled into bed. Fotini lay next to me.

“Everything is fine.” She stayed still until I fell asleep again. How could I have a life if taking these medications makes me sleep all day?

I heard the voice again in my sleep, but now it matched the face, and I couldn’t wake up. I had images of me walking with him farther from the party’s lights, pictures of me giggling and him laughing, and then him next to me—dead.

“Wake up, wake up,” Nasos told me with dead lips.

Terrified, I got up and found Fotini next to me.

“I’ve been trying to wake you from a nightmare. You were talking in your sleep.”

I tried to breathe slower to calm down. Whatever I saw, it was over.

“What did I say?”

“You were apologizing to Nasos.”

I stayed silent. I apologized for either killing him or not saving him. I must have been there when it happened.

“What’s going on?” Her eyes narrowed.

“Fotini, there’s something I haven’t told you.”

Fotini knitted her eyebrows.

“Actually, there are many things, and you don’t deserve that.”

I sat up and braced my back on the bed.

“Philipos was there. He kissed Nasos at the party. He lied that he was away, and I have Stefanos’s video to prove it. After the kiss, Nasos pushed him away.”

“No way.” Fotini shook her head. “No way Nasos would kiss that pathetic, ugly-faced dork.”

“I can prove it.” I went to my laptop, turned it on, and played the video, where she could clearly see that they kissed, and then Nasos shoved him.

Fotini stared at me, appalled at what she’d just watched. “Philipos could have done it. Why didn’t you take this to the police?”

“I wanted to, but then other things happened. I was too busy.”

“What could be more important than that?” She pointed at the laptop.

I stared at her for a long moment. “I can’t find the dress I wore on Saturday, and Mr. Tellis claims he has it.”

“No, that’s stupid. How could he have your dress? For him to have it, you must have been naked or changed clothes, which doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know, but I can’t find it, and I can’t remember anything after a certain point that night.”

“That doesn’t mean that he has your dress. He’s bluffing. I don’t understand why he would say that to you.”

“It’s because I know he’s the dealer. I overheard him on the phone.”

Fotini leaned toward me. “What did he say?”

“That Nasos is dead and was good at the business and other things. Then he saw me, knew I heard everything and chased me. He confronted me after class and told me about the dress.” No need to tell her about me trying to stab him.

“Shit, he’s dangerous. He acts like everyone’s buddy, while he pushes drugs to the whole south suburbs using students and blackmailing them that he’ll fail them.”

“Why didn’t you do anything about it?”

“Because it’s not my problem. All I could see was that he was a handsome man. If those idiots want to waste their lives, then good for them. No one is twisting their arm to buy drugs. They make a choice.” I was in no mood to debate that. “What did he say about the dress?”

“That he and his wife brought me home. His wife noticed blood on my dress and called him to take care of it.”

Fotini stared at me sideways. “I don’t believe you could hurt Nasos, so call me stupid, naïve, or whatever, but we need to get to the bottom of this.”

A sigh of relief exited my mouth. I don’t like secrets, and the fact she didn’t blame me was a fresh breath of air. “I agree, but how?”

“Let’s all meet after the funeral and try to remember where we saw you, Philipos, and Mr. Tellis. If we figure something out, report it to the police. We owe that to Nasos. He didn’t deserve to die like that.”

I lay back in bed and continued the conversation, but I didn’t feel like myself. I needed more sleep, too.

“I feel better now, but I need to sleep again.” I half smiled because I felt better, but not enough to be alone. However, I didn’t want to be weak in front of the others or a burden.

Fotini smiled back. “I’m going to Maria’s house. It’ll be good for me to get some fresh air.”

“Cool,” I said, watching her leave.

I heard her getting ready in the other room, opening and closing her closet, going to the bathroom, the sound of keys, and then the front door opening and closing.

She was gone. I was alone.

I hoped I wouldn’t lose it again.

Chapter 32

I took more meds before I went to sleep. Everything was about that night. I couldn’t tell if those memories surfaced in my sleep or if my brain made it up to scare me. All I dreamed of was someone pulling my hair and dragging me to a concrete floor. Nasos was screaming, and I was crawling and crying.

Then, a loud bang woke me up.

My eyes were wet when I opened them. Another bang startled me, and then the repetitive voice.

“You did this, murderer. You deserve to die.”

I got up in a panic and held my head as I ran to the bathroom to put water on my face. All of this was in my head—which was the worst part. The meds didn’t do their job, or maybe they needed more time.

Or maybe I was as crazy as fuck, and I need to be hospitalized.

“You did this, murderer. You deserve to die.”

“No, no, I’m not a murderer. Shut up, shut up.” I was screaming and crying at the same time. I couldn’t do it anymore.

I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife.

I could stab myself and end it. The blade was cold on my skin. I’d cut my veins and bleed myself to death.

It seemed easy.

I took a deep breath and cut the surface of my skin. Then I stopped.

I was a coward.

“You did this, murderer. You deserve to die.”

“You did this, murderer. You deserve to die.”

“You did this, murderer. You deserve to die.”

Those words were on repeat in my brain.

I screamed in anguish, dropped the knife, opened my front door, and ran into the night.

Part 2

Chapter 33

Over Two Years Ago

“I can’t fail, Fotini,” Nasos said as we strolled the schoolyard during the break.

“What do you want me to do?” I asked. He turned his gaze on me. “Write the exam for you?”

“No, but it’s close to what I have in mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to go to your mother’s office and photograph the exam answers.” He took a bite of his sandwich.

I loved the way he was thinking. We would all pass with flying colors and go to the private school we wanted, and no one would know a thing. My mom would never say that her daughter had anything to do with it if she ever found out.

“What’s the plan?”

“You steal the keys and give them to me. I’ll go take pictures and bring them back after.”

“And you’ve got the balls to do it?”

“Baby, you know I can do anything when I’m with you.” Nasos kissed me.

I was so excited that I couldn’t wait to put our little plan into motion. I had a side of me that was too curious, and it led me to trouble. I didn’t think thoroughly before I made decisions. I just committed and went for it.

After school ended, I knocked on my mom’s office door.

“Come in.” Her annoying voice from inside beckoned me.

“Hey, Mom, are we leaving together?” I asked.

She sat in her usual seat, marking papers as far as I could see.

“Mrs. Papadopoulos,” she corrected. “While here, we have appropriate distance as professionals.”

“Yeah,” I whispered. Then added, under my breath, “Bitch.”

Her head shot up. “What did you say?”

“I said, Mrs. Papadopoulos, fantastic principal and ruler of this glorious school, how is your schedule? Are you going to leave soon with your amazing daughter in your fabulous car? Or should your daughter run to catch the humble bus with her fellow students?” I smirked.

My mom stood abruptly, almost knocking over her chair, and rushed toward me. I remained still. I wasn’t afraid of her anymore, and she knew that.

She raised her hand and slapped me so hard I lost my balance.

“Don’t. You. Ever. Disrespect. Me. Again.” She growled as I instinctively put my hand to my cheek.

“Mrs. Papadopoulos,” I said through my teeth. “Please take your title, your money, your entire existence and shove it up your ass so hard you bleed, whore.”

Another slap came swiftly, harder than the previous one. I didn’t care. I was used to it. I didn’t have a mother. I had a twisted law enforcer who wanted to raise a mindless soldier. Often, I wish she were dead. It’s better to be an orphan than be raised by a witch.

“I deeply hate you,” I said and left, slamming the door on her usual curses.

I ran home quickly. I wasn’t a marathon runner, and despite being in good shape, I had to stop several times to catch my breath. This time, my eyes weren’t wet because I had a plan.

“Good evening, little miss.” The maid opened the door while I was catching my breath.

“Don’t call me that. We’re not living in the 1800s.” I scoffed and threw my school bag on the floor.

“I’m sorry, Miss. I won’t do it again.”

She was young, three years older than me, and from Albania. My parents taught her to treat us like royalty.

Disgusting.

I bolted to my mom’s office on the ground floor. The trained slave followed me as she was instructed.

“Please, Miss, don’t go in there. It is forbidden.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.” I smiled.

The maid glanced up at the camera, then back at me. She mouthed, please.

She’d be in trouble if I got inside my mom’s office. I walked over to our electric power tower and turned it off. The surveillance cameras would reboot in ten seconds and turn back on using battery power.

I slammed into my mom’s office door, tearing it open, grabbed her second set of school keys from the desk’s drawer, and turned the power back on.

“See, nothing happened,” I said to the maid and laughed. It had been ages since I was that excited. “Don’t you dare say anything to her,” I added. I stood close enough to hear her heart racing.

She nodded.

“Good girl,” I said, leaving as quickly as I came.

I met with Nasos and handed him the keys. Then I left him to wait. He would call me and tell me when my mom was leaving school. Then, he would go back to her office and take the pictures. Usually, after the lessons ended, the school had activities in which many students participated. So his presence inside the school wouldn’t raise suspicion. All he had to do was say that he went to the office to sign up for something or that he came to check them out. And if someone saw him inside Mom’s office, he’d say he found the door open and waited for the principal to return. He had it all figured out.

Nataly, Stefanos, and Maria were waiting at our place, sitting on broken chairs. The place wasn’t anything special. It was farther than we were used to, but we could do our own thing, and no one would see us. We could be free.

Some demolished buildings were near an old mine that was used long ago. A bit farther on was a hole people used as a makeshift dump. Once, we’d gone inside the trash hole using the mine’s entrance and took old chairs and tables, a broken umbrella, and anything else that would make the area more comfortable to hang around. Most of the trash left was building materials. Everything else was fine for our little spot, a total contradiction of our stunning, luxurious homes.

We told everyone our plan since they’d also be taking the exams. We all needed excellent grades with near-perfect scores. Then, we’d be easily accepted to the best private colleges. We’d be able to make our own money and wouldn’t need our parents’ money. I could leave that pretentious life behind.

“Are you afraid?” Maria asked me.

“Afraid?” I giggled. “That’s such a wrong word. I’m fucking excited.”

“What if your mom catches us?” Nataly asked.

“Firstly, this person can’t be called my mom anymore. I can’t even talk to her. I always speak to the principal—not my mom—otherwise known as the community’s VIP.” I pretended to be her by strutting a few steps to make the others laugh. “Secondly, we won’t get caught.”

“My parents would kill me if we got caught,” Maria said, and Nataly nodded in agreement.

“And they will blame me as always,” Stefanos added.

“So, what’s the worst thing that can happen? They’ll give you a lecture? Cut off some money supply? Don’t let us hang out together? We’ll all be eighteen soon, and legally, we can do whatever we want.

“Right. What about money, though?” Nataly stood and paced around the hole.

“We can make our own. Shit, Nataly, don’t be such a pussy about this. You’re ruining it. You’re worrying too much.”

I pulled some coins from my pockets and threw them into the garbage hole. “I just threw those coins to our own Fontana di Trevi, making a wish for you to shut up.” They all smiled, but I could tell they had no idea what I was talking about.

My phone rang. “Baby?”

“We did it.”

“Oh my gosh, so fast?”

“She left earlier than usual, so I had the time to do everything. We have the answers. We did it, love.”

“I’m gonna fuck you so hard you won’t believe it,” I said, and the others giggled.

“I’m coming to bring you the keys. Then you have to hurry home.”

We all jumped and danced around. Nasos showed up and kissed me passionately.

That was one of the happiest moments of my life.

Until …

“What the fuck are you all up to?”

Nasos spun around.

My mother stood there. Watching us.

“Mrs. Papadopoulos,” Nasos stammered.

I was rendered speechless.

Chapter 34

“What were you all looking for?” my mom asked, but no one dared to answer her. They couldn’t even face her. Instead, they stared at me, hoping I’d take the blame.

“We wanted the answers to the final tests,” I said.

“Fotini.” Maria hissed my name.

“Oh.” It sounded like Mom exhaled the word. She placed her hands on her hips. “So you all wanted to cheat? Is that it?”

No one spoke.

“We will march right back to school, and I will call your parents. Then, we will see what sort of severe consequences we can dish out.”

“No,” I said. “Leave us alone.” I waved a hand dismissively.

She stomped up and slapped me, then pulled my hair, yanking me toward her face.

“You little shit. You embarrass me. You’re the shame of my family, of my legacy. I wish I never had you.” She spat the words through her clenched teeth, leaving spittle on my cheeks.

The anger I felt at that moment was wholly unfamiliar. After seeing my friends’ shocked faces, I’d had enough.

“You aren’t even a mother. A loveless disappointment of a woman who belongs in a psych ward. That’s why Dad cheats on you. He can’t stand your ugly ass. No one can.”

She slapped me again, but this time, so hard I tasted blood.

“Please, Mrs. Papadopoulos,” Nasos said. “It was my idea. She didn’t do anything. I forced her. Please leave her out of this—”

“No real mother leaves her daughter to starve for days,” I said, cutting off Nasos. “Locks her in the closet as punishment, breaks a ruler over her back, terrorizes her, and deprives medical care when beaten. You destroy everything you touch. Do the world a favor and fucking kill yourself. If it weren’t for the money, Dad would have left you, and I wouldn’t have to be forced to …” I stopped there—no one could know that secret.

We were greeted with silence from her.

My friends covered their mouths, gawking at us.

My mom lost it, veins in her neck bulging.

She clenched her hand into a fist and punched me in the face.

When I fell, she kicked me in the ribs.

I caught sight of my friends trying to hold her back, but she shrugged them off.

“You ungrateful little bitch,” she yelled as she kicked me again. “You poison your father against me. He belongs to me, don’t you get it? You all belong to me. I made you who you are.”

“Exactly,” I grunted between breaths.

When her foot came in for another blow, I grabbed it and twisted.

She lost her balance, fell, and slid sideways into the hole.

She tried to hold onto my hair in a last-ditch effort to stay above ground.

I screamed.

She let go and dropped out of sight.

Chapter 35

“I killed her,” I whispered as I faced the dirt, my scalp still in pain from the hair pulling, my cheeks burning.

“No, no, no,” Nasos mumbled.

“She can’t be dead,” Stefanos said. “I’ll go and check.”

I got up and shook the dust from my clothes.

What had just happened didn’t feel real. It seemed like I was watching a movie where I was the main character. The only thought was that this was a nightmare and that I would wake up soon.

I followed Stefanos to the mine. I had to see her.

Maria stepped up to block me from entering the mine. “Fotini, don’t go until Stefanos says so. We don’t know her current state. Just wait here.”

I didn’t respond. I just listened.

“It was an accident. It’s not your fault.” Nataly rubbed my back. “She may be alive.” I heard her words, but I could tell she didn’t believe them.

Nasos stood immobile, staring at me. It was as if he wasn’t breathing.

Stefanos exited the mine and puked on the grass.

Without uttering a sound, I bolted into the mine. I knew exactly where the hole was. The light that came through shone on her body. As I neared the body, blood oozed from her head, coloring her dyed blond hair. Her foot rested at a weird angle.

I moved closer, holding my breath.

This can’t be real.

This can’t be real.

This can’t be real.

Shit, she was still breathing—her chest moved.

“Mom? Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

Her eyes fluttered open and turned toward my voice.

I held her hand as she was trying to say something. I leaned to her mouth to listen better. Maybe she would say something like I’m so sorry. Or, I love you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.

“Bitch, you’ll pay for this,” she said while choking on her blood.

I spied a large stone a few feet away.

A smirk formed on my lips. I had that stone raised over her face in seconds.

“Fuck you,” I whispered as her eyes widened.

Then I drove the rock into her cheeks, mashing her nose and destroying her teeth.

I hit her again. And again.

Die

Die

Die

Nasos smacked my arm on the sixth or seventh blow to her face. He took the rock and pulled me away.

“She can’t hurt you anymore, baby. I’m sorry.”

I raised my head and looked around. My friends were huddled together, shaking with fear.

“Help me …” I said, watching them. “Help me drag her body away and bury it elsewhere. We can’t leave her here. Someone will find her.”

“Maybe we should call the police,” Nataly said.

They all nodded.

I glared at her. “What the absolute fuck are you thinking? I killed my mother for you. Now we’ll ace the exams and do whatever we want. No one will ever know.”

“But.”

“Shut up, Nataly.” My voice held a warning. “Just help me dump her body.” I wiped my face with my hands, unaware that my hand was covered in my mother’s blood. “What do you think? That the police will believe we didn’t plan the whole thing?”

They were all staring at each other like idiots. I searched my mom’s pockets. I took her car keys, her wallet, her phone, and all of her jewelry. I would never leave these things for the dirt. They were too good for her anyway. She didn’t deserve them. Especially one bracelet my grandma had given me. She’d taken it from my hand the day I received it.

Then, I tried to pull her body away from the light of the spot. I put all my strength into it, but she was too heavy to drag.

“Are you all just going to stare, or will anyone help me?”

Then they came. They stepped up.

It wasn’t hard for all of us to move her. The mine was abandoned in the eighties. No one would ever come this deep. People only came to throw stuff in the hole and then leave.

Deeper into the mine, we tossed her body into another hole and then covered her with random debris. After that, I scrubbed the area where she had fallen so no one would see the mess I’d made when her face caved inward.

Outside, we shook the dust off our clothes. I got rid of my shirt and gave it to Maria to throw in a recycling bin near her home. Nataly offered me her jacket. Otherwise, I’d only be wearing a T-shirt.

“Tomorrow, you guys will come here. You will dig deeper so she remains buried well. More debris on top will help. Now we need to find her car. I’ll leave it next to the metro station.” Tears sprang unbidden to my eyes. I wasn’t sad, though. I was filled with joy.

My torment was over.

Nasos tried to hold me in his arms, but I pushed him away.

“You don’t need to feel pity for me. I’m fine. Now, you are my family. We will always be together. This will bind us. I have your back. You have mine.” They stared at me as if I was crazy.

“Say it,” I shouted.

“Say what?” Nasos asked calmly.

“Say that you swear on your life we will always be a family and never be apart.”

“I swear,” everyone said in turn.

“Let’s find the car. Maria and Stefanos should go back to school.”

“Do you know how to drive a car?” Stefanos asked.

“Of course I do. I just can’t legally drive, but I know how.”

“Stefanos.” Maria poked him. “I told you she had driving lessons.”

“Now, Nasos and Nataly. Go home so your parents will see you. The less we’re seen together, the better. We all need alibis.”

Nasos handed me the school keys and left with Nataly.

I found my mom’s car near the school. After I scanned the area and saw no one watching me, I got in and drove to the nearest train station. I wiped off my fingerprints from the steering wheel, the keys, and the gear, leaving it unlocked with the keys and her wallet inside. Then I entered the station where no cameras could see me and waited for the best time to slip her phone into a passenger’s bag.

I texted Maria and Stefanos that I was home and didn’t feel well. I said we’d see each other tomorrow. Then I walked home. It took me an hour, but at that time, it seemed the best choice.

I reached my house and froze, staring up at it.

Nothing would be the same now.

I entered the main door and then rang my bell. I loved to see our maid—Megi—run obediently to open the door for her master.

When the door opened, everything seemed normal momentarily, as if nothing had happened. Then, her eyes widened.

“What did you do?” She shook her head.

“What did you do?” I screamed, and she ran.

Even though I was tired, I managed to grab her arm when she went for the stairs. She shook my hand off, and I lost my balance. She tried to climb another stair, but as I fell, I was able to grab her ankle. She fell backward onto me. We became a blur of hair and nails as we tried to hurt each other.

“Fotini!” a male voice shouted.

A hand separated us. As I turned, I saw Pavlos.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as Megi ran up the stairs. I ran after her, and Pavlos followed me. She locked herself in her room.

“Why are you running? What did you do?” I yelled from outside.

“Please, miss. Let me go.”

“I’m not holding you here. You lost it on me. Open the fucking door and talk to me.” I knocked, then turned to Pavlos. “Why are you here?”

“Where’s your mom?” He studied me with contempt in his eyes.

“How the fuck should I know?”

“I was next to her when someone called. My guess is it was Megi. I told her someone had taken the keys to her office.”

I froze. That wasn’t good. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you can ask her yourself, as she’ll be home any minute.”

“Megi, come on out,” I said. “I just want to talk to you.”

She didn’t open the door. Eventually, she would, though. She’d have to.

Pavlos continued, “She said she’d need my help to catch a thief. We returned to the school together. When I saw your thug boyfriend, I called her back. She said she’d take care of it and to meet her here. So, tell me. What’s going on?” He grabbed my arm, and I pulled it back with force.

“Mind your own fucking business and go home. This has nothing to do with you.”

“What was Nasos looking for in your mom’s office?”

I pushed him. “It’s time you left my property. If you don’t, I’ll call the police.”

“You misunderstand, little Fotini. If you don’t tell me what I want to know, I’ll call the police.”

The door opened behind me. Megi was dressed in her regular clothes, a suitcase in hand.

“I can’t be here anymore,” she declared.

I tried to snatch her suitcase from her. “Is it true? You called my mom on me?”

“Because you are a stupid girl. A spoiled little brat. She has cameras all over the house. I knew she’d hear what we were talking about. I tried to stop you, but you wouldn’t listen. I need good references. I’d never risk that for you. You are psychotic. I have pretended long enough. Fuck it.”

She stormed down the stairs.

Maybe it was for the better. Pavlos followed, so I ran after them.

When I caught up to her, I wrapped my hands around her throat.

“Write a letter saying you had a family emergency and had to leave.”

She struggled out of my grasp. “No, I will not.”

“Yes, you will.” I grabbed her hair so hard she gasped, and her suitcase fell. “Forget the recommendation letter if you don’t. I’ll make sure my dad will write that he fired you because you’re a thief.” It took her a moment to realize she had no choice if she wanted that recommendation. Being a foreigner in this country, she was an easy target for nefarious behavior, and we both knew it.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” she said, her voice cracking in fear.

I gave her a piece of paper and a pen. Pavlos stood still. This time, he didn’t get involved.

Wise choice.

“Dear Mrs. Papadopoulos,

I have an urgent family situation and must return to my country.

I’m sorry I leave on short notice. My family is everything.

Wish you the best.

Megi.”

She lifted her suitcase, opened the door, said a big fuck you under her breath, and walked away, leaving the door open.

At the door, I gestured toward the outside for Pavlos.

“Get out,” I said. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“I’ll wait for your mother.”

I didn’t know what to do with him. “If I give you the answers to the final exams, will you leave me alone?”

Pavlos stepped back, his eyes narrowing as he watched me.

“I know you need cash. You’re on a scholarship, right? That’s because of financial issues, correct?”

“That’s confidential information. How do you know about that?”

“My mom tells me everything,” I lied. I’d accidentally seen his files, but he didn’t need to know that. “How much?”

“You can’t buy me.”

“Can I try?” I said and moved closer to him. I knew he had a crush on me throughout high school. He was a tall, average-looking teenager with gray eyes. If fucking him would make it easier, then I’d do it. No one would believe him anyway if he spouted off his suspicions.

“No, I won’t allow you to buy me.” He stepped back. “But I do need perfect scores for scholarships.”

“Okay, I’ll give you the answers to the exams tomorrow at school. Just go.”

He moved closer as if he’d kiss me. His cologne smelled amazing.

“Tomorrow then.” He raised my chin with his hand, caressed my cheek, and then left.

I have no idea what the fuck that was.

I now saw him under a different lens.

Tomorrow, I’d tell Nasos everything but that part.

Chapter 36

“Dad, is Mom with you?” I tried to sound worried.

“No,” my dad said. I couldn’t hear a thing in the background. He must be with a girlfriend, as usual.

“She hasn’t returned home, and I can’t find Megi.”

“What do you mean you can’t find Megi?”

“No one is here, Dad. Are you coming home soon?”

“Yes honey, soon. Did you call your mother on her cellphone?”

“Yes. No answer.” Sometimes, he must think I’m a complete idiot. Of course, I’d call her phone. How else would I have evidence that I was looking for her?

“She must be in a meeting or something.”

“This late? I’m worried, Dad,” I said with a crack in my voice. I was born a performer.

“Okay. I’ll come home earlier.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Before I called him, I found the surveillance system. I deleted the program from her PC, gathered all the devices from their locations, put them in a garbage bag, smashed them, and threw them into a recycle bin a few blocks from home. All the data were stored on an external PC. I reformatted everything and wiped the hard drives.

That crazy bitch—my mom—had a camera in my bedroom, too. She had watched me being intimate with Nasos. What the fuck was wrong with her? That was so creepy. I didn’t want to think about it.

Unless she enjoyed watching me suffer because every punishment was in my room. That made sense.

Wait, what if my dad knew about the cameras? Could he be the one watching me?

I went to their bedroom, packed some of her favorite clothes and personal items into a garbage bag, and hid them in the shed outside our house. Soon, I’d toss them into a recycle bin, too. That would confuse the police.

An hour later, my dad finally got home.

“Fotini, any news from your mother?” he asked when he opened the door. “Megi? Megi?”

I ran to welcome him, forcing tears to leap from my eyes. “Where’s Mom? I’m so worried.” I breathed erratically.

“She’ll be fine,” he said, stroking my hair. “I called the school, but no one answered. I’ll go and have a look. Do you want to come with me?”

I nodded.

“And where is Megi?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been alone since I got here and freaked out.”

“If she went grocery shopping, she’d be here by now.”

“Maybe she’s with Mom.”

“True,” Dad said, pulling his car keys out of his pocket.

We arrived at the school. It was all locked up. The only light came from the streetlights out front.

“I’m an idiot,” he mumbled. “I didn’t bring the keys with me. Let’s look around to see if she is somewhere chatting with one of the parents or something.”

Then I remembered the keys in my pocket. “Dad, I have the keys,” I said and handed them to him.

His eyes widened. “What were you doing with the keys?”

“Before you came, I was ready to go and look for her. You arrived just in time.”

He took the keys, studying my face, trying to read me. Well, good luck with that.

My dad opened all the locks and entered the empty building. I hated the place. It had no color, no personality. I could easily mistake it for a juvenile detention center if it weren’t maintained well. We used the teacher’s entrance and went inside in the dark. My dad turned on some lights and called my mom’s name several times, but all we heard was the echo of his voice. We went all the way to her office. Of course, she wasn’t there, but her PC screen was on.

“Oh, she left her PC on. She must’ve been in a hurry.”

I moved closer to him and realized my mother also had a surveillance system there. Shit. I didn’t think of that. I needed to get rid of all the evidence. Otherwise, shit would hit the fan. I’d take care of it tomorrow. I didn’t know how, but I’d find a way.

We drove back home, the mood demure. My dad kept telling me that mom would be waiting for us at home and be pissed that we left. I knew that would never, ever happen again. It was a comforting thought.

No one was home. Dad went to my mom’s office, scanned the area, reviewed her desk, and held a piece of paper that should be Megi’s resignation. He set it down without a word.

I sat on the sofa, faking another cry. I couldn’t believe how good I was at this. I almost convinced myself that I was forlorn.

With my phone, I sent messages to my friends. Messages that I had to send, and I hoped they weren’t stupid enough to answer and text what had really happened.

Fotini: Guys, we don’t know where my mom is.

Nasos: What do you mean you don’t know?

Fotini: Dad and I went to school. We called her mobile and the school line, but nothing. Her car isn’t at home either.

Maria: She’ll come back, don’t worry.

Fotini: I can’t even think something bad happened to her.

Stefanos: Don’t be negative. She’ll show up any minute.

Fotini: I’ll try.

My dad called the police. At first, they didn’t take it seriously, saying maybe she had a ladies’ night out, maybe she was seeing another man, and other excuses until he said his name. He was well-known as an Athenian lawyer for the elites. Everyone knew him. His last name meant a lot to the community. My mom, though, didn’t want it. She kept her own.

Police were at our doorstep quickly, and they took my father to the station to file a missing persons report. I waited at home with a police officer until my dad returned. It was so tiring to weep all the time. Finally, my dad came back, and the officer left.

“Fotini, you go and sleep. You have school tomorrow. I’ll wait up.” He grabbed a whiskey from the tray beside the sofa. He filled his glass and signaled for me to go.

For a man whose wife was missing, he took it quite well. There were no tears, no tension, and almost no feelings.

Maybe he wished she never returned, and he pretended to be the worried husband as much as I pretended to be the worried daughter.

Chapter 37

The morning came. Of course, Mother didn’t show up, and no servant was there to make us breakfast. We stood in the kitchen, helpless in our lonely luxury. My dad made coffee and gave me some. That was it. He wasn’t crying. He didn’t seem sad, only skeptical. I thought he would lose it.

“I’ll drive you to school,” he said, and we left.

Neither one of us spoke while in the car. Soon, we were at the school.

I headed to class, and my dad went to her office.

In cases like this, the police often consider the husband a suspect.  Everyone would think so.

I could live with that. If he went to jail, I’d get all the wealth. To be worry-free forever—not bad.

I entered my classroom, and my friends’ eyes were on me. The other students didn’t know anything yet. I behaved normally and told them we’d speak later. When the bell rang, I went to my mom’s office. I knew she wouldn’t be there, but I hoped there’d be an update from my dad.

I opened the door to see Dad sitting at her desk looking at papers

He turned to me. “Did you know any of this?”

“Know what?” I frowned.

“About the bankruptcy. Every paper on her desk is bank notifications. The school would be auctioned in six months.”

My mouth dropped open. Two things entered my mind. One, will we be poor? Second, what a huge coincidence.

“Dad, I had no idea. She never told me these kinds of things. Do you think she just ran away? You know, to avoid facing it?”

“I don’t think your mom is the kind of person to run away. But why keep this a secret when I have the money to make a settlement? I’m the fucking best lawyer. I would do everything in my power.” He shook his head, staring at the papers strewn about the desktop. “I’ll have to report this to the police. I’ll tell the vice principal not to let anyone near her office.”

“He has keys, though.” I reminded him. “Maybe I should stay.”

“You?” He chuckled. “You go to your next class. This is an adult thing. Go.” I knew that harsh tone. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

So, I left.

Nasos was waiting for me outside the next class. The others were inside. “What the fuck, Fotini? Where have you been?”

“We have problems,” I said, signaling the others to stay put. If we were seen together whispering, it would raise unnecessary attention.

“Mom had a surveillance system. Likely, she has you on tape.”

“I already knew that. I’ve been to her office often because of bad behavior.” He chuckled and lifted one shoulder. “I wore a hoodie when I entered school and kept my head low. Then, before I went into her office, I donned a mask. You think I’m stupid?”

He was stupid. Otherwise, Pavlos wouldn’t recognize him. Then, speak of the devil Pavlos passed by. He made a gesture like he was watching me. I never thought he had it in him, which was hot.

“What’s with him?” I said loud enough.

“Due to a teachers’ meeting, there will be no lesson during the second hour.” The vice principal announced over the PA system.

Everyone cheered. Maria and Nataly approached us as Stefanos came from another direction. Then, we all headed to the courtyard.

I examined the area to make sure no one listened in.

“I’ll hug you all and pretend I’m crying. Everyone must see how devastated I am and how supportive you are.”

“That’s easy. Come here, girl,” Maria said and hugged me.

“Pavlos knows that Nasos went to my mom’s office,” I said loud enough for them to hear me.

“My stupid servant called my mom and told her I took the keys.” I hugged Nataly, and she gasped when she heard that.

“Pavlos recognized Nasos going in and told her. She told him to meet her at home.” I hugged Stefanos next.

“That’s why she followed Nasos.” Now, I hugged Nasos.

“Pavlos came to the house and asked me where my mom was, and he knew something was off. I promised him I’d give him the answers to the exams if he stayed quiet. I even offered him cash, but he rejected the offer.” I pretended I was wiping tears from my eyes while my friends looked on, genuinely worried. I could see it in their eyes, frowns, and shaking hands.

“I’ll take care of Pavlos,” Nasos said, eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?” I was curious even though I kinda knew what he’d say.

“I’ll kick his ass.”

“Oh, really? That will solve everything,” Maria said.

“What we need to do is hang out with him. Make him our friend, join us,” I suggested.

“That dork?” Stefanos said.

“He isn’t like you think he is. There’s something dark in him.” They all chuckled, and that pissed me off. “Shut up. We’re all in this together. You’ll do as I say. Nataly will date him, fuck him, and that would be the end of it.”

“What?” Nataly exclaimed, pulling back. “I’m not doing that.”

“We can manipulate him with sex. Don’t you get it? We need to control him, and you’re the only single one.”

“I don’t even like him.”

“No one asked you to like him,” I said, and she gave me her middle finger. “It’s a mercy fuck.”

“We all know who you like,” Maria said. “You made it clear enough.”

“When we’re done with Pavlos—when we have him in our hands, we’ll see about Philipos, even though he’s one year younger.” I hoped she would just do as she was told. Otherwise, I’d have to do it, which is no big deal. Maybe I’d like it.

“There he is,” I said, looking at the other side of the yard. He was lighting a cigarette.

“He smokes?” Nasos exclaimed.

“Well, my mom isn’t here to send him home.”

“The audacity, though, is kind of hot,” Nataly said, and I looked at her. She looked at me and headed toward him.

We watched them, talking and smiling. Maybe he could fit in with us. They both came toward us.

“Let me introduce you to Pavlos,” Nataly said. “Pavlos, this is Fotini. You know her, Nasos, Maria, and Stefanos.”

Pavlos wasn’t the nerd I thought he was. I realized he had the good-boy mask when he was in class because he wanted the scholarship and the grades, but deep inside, he wasn’t like that at all. He was totally another person, more like me, or at least that was my impression. I tried so hard to seem sad and in a bad mood since my mom had disappeared. I could feel, though, that Pavlos wasn’t buying it. He looked at me sideways when I was commenting on my mom.

The bell rang, and we all went to class.

No one said a thing about my mom. The teachers gave me looks of sympathy as I tried my best to appear as depressed as a person could be. I didn’t know how to do it innately—sometimes, I couldn’t even feel it. But these kinds of emotions I could easily copy from all the TV series I had watched over the years.

When school ended, I reminded the boys they had to cover the body better, and then I went home. My father would be looking for me, and I couldn’t risk him searching.

A police car was outside the house when I got there. I stormed in to find out what was going on. The main door was open, and the police officer stood in the living room while my dad sat on the couch.

“Did you find her?” No answer. “Dad?”

“Come here.” He patted the cushion beside him. “This officer here just told me they tracked her car. She was involved in an accident.”

I frowned, for real, though. That was weird and convenient at the same time.

“Is Mom okay?” I asked, and the officer sighed deeply.

“She must have been drunk and hit a parked car,” the officer said. “No one was injured. When we arrived, the car was empty. So we’re searching the area.”

“Where did that happen? Maybe we can help.”

“Near the American college in Agia Paraskevi. There are a lot of trees, and it’s at the bottom of the hill. There’s also a closed mine there. It’s not a safe area for you. Let us handle it.”

That was fucked. I didn’t like it at all. Was Pavlos messing with us? What would be the chances of a random person using my mom’s car and leaving it close to where she was buried?

“At least she’s around somewhere. She may have had a mental breakdown because of the debts. Right, Dad?”

“Who knows?” He shrugged. Near him was a half-bottle of whiskey with a full glass next to it. He must have been drinking.

I needed to warn the boys. I pulled up my phone and saw all the notifications I’d missed.

Geez, what the hell had happened now?

Chapter 38

All the messages were from Stefanos.

Ten messages all said, “Call me ASAP.” And then, “Did you do this?”

I looked at both the officer and my dad. I had to think rationally. The policeman standing before me would be notified if my friends were picked up and told them everything. So, I was safe for now.

Minutes later, the officer left with a promise that he would update us if there was any news.

My dad sat there speechless, so I left him alone to find the opportunity to text back.

Fotini: “Is everything all right?”

Stefanos: “We need to talk.”

Fotini: “I’m very sad today. A policeman just informed us that my mom took her car and crashed it near the American college, but there’s no sign of her. Maybe they’ll find her soon. I hope she’ll be okay.”

He didn’t answer.

However, I wanted to talk to Pavlos. I didn’t believe in coincidences. He was with my mom. Then he came right after I returned from the station, so he must have seen me.

Or was that random?

I had a feeling it wasn’t. Something didn’t add up.

I moved back into the living room. “Dad, are you okay?”

“How can I be okay? Are you okay?” Veins bulged in his forehead and neck when he spoke. He looked too good for not being okay. He was Clean-shaven, his black hair brushed back, and he wore his suit as if he was ready for the courtroom.

“No, I’m not. But what can I do except be miserable and wait?”

He didn’t respond.

“Dad, can I ask you an honest question?”

He nodded.

“Do you want her to come back?”

“What kind of question is that?” He furrowed his brow, raised his glass, and drank back the whiskey.

“I don’t know. Maybe we should ask Daphne.”

He got up, eyes wide, and grabbed my neck. “How dare you?” He gritted his teeth.

I looked up at him and mouthed, Kill me.

His eyes filled with shock, and he instantly let me go.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I should have never done that.” His voice cracked.

He couldn’t look at me because he knew what I meant—he was too embarrassed to face it.

“Sweetheart, what happened in the past was a mistake.”

“Why does it feel so recent every time I see you?”

“Please, let’s see what happened to your mom first. Then we can take all the time we need to heal other things.”

“How can a sexually abused child heal? Of all people, you should have known.” I had no idea why I brought it up. When Mom was alive, we could never discuss or mention it. So, now that she’s not here, I could release all the shit from over the years.

“I’m sorry, Faye, I’m sorry. I was drunk. I had no idea what I was doing.” He cried like a little boy caught stealing candies. I didn’t believe anything that came out of his mouth. Why would I?

“I don’t believe you. Assaulting your own daughter at thirteen? Your own flesh and blood. You should do the world a favor and kill yourself. Fucking pervert.” I spat at him and left.

I’d be better if he were dead, too.

Those monsters created me.

If they were my beginning, it would be poetic if I were their end.

Chapter 39

I went to Maria’s house—neutral ground. I rubbed my eyes hard and tried to cry before I stepped into their apartment. Her mom welcomed me with a big hug full of sympathy and told me that whatever I needed, I could go to her. I told her I needed to go for a walk, so Maria and I headed down to the nearest park.

“What the fuck happened?” I asked her when we were alone.

“When the police arrived in our usual spot, they scanned the area. The boys had just buried her deeper and were fast enough to throw the shovels into the garbage hole and walk away before the police got to them. Then they told the cops they wanted to help with the search.”

We sat on a bench. It’s funny how the sun still shines no matter what happens in our pathetic lives. My mom was lying in a hole with her skull caved in, and it was a beautiful day out. My one random thought of the day.

“Where is Stefanos now?”

“I texted him, but he didn’t reply.”

“Can you call him and tell him to meet you here and to bring Nasos? I don’t want to call them after the incident. It may raise suspicions.”

Maria pulled out her phone and called him. He picked it up.

“Hey honey, can you and Nasos meet me at the park across from my house?”

She nodded and killed the call.

“Are they coming?”

“Yes, but he sounded pissed off.”

“That makes sense. I’d be upset, too. Do you have Pavlos’s number?”

“No, Nataly may have it.”

She immediately texted and told Nataly to meet us and get Pavlos, too. We waited about thirty minutes. Everyone showed up except Pavlos.

Stefanos was fuming. I had never seen him so angry.

“What the fuck, Fotini? Did you want us to get in trouble? What the hell was that?” He stepped up close to me.

Nasos pulled him back. “Hey, man, chill. I told you she’d be stupid to do that. She may be many things, but she ain’t stupid.” Nasos stole a glance my way.

“If you’re referring to the incident with my mom’s car, I had nothing to do with it. I left the car at the train station as I told you. Someone stole it, and I think it was Pavlos. That’s why I wanted everyone here. To deal with him without telling him the truth about my mom. All we know is that she’s still missing. That’s it.”

“There he is,” Nataly said.

We all stopped talking as we watched him approach, a smile on his face.

“What’s up, guys? What’s so important?” He gazed at Nataly.

I stepped toward him. “Why did you take my mom’s car?” I glared at him, studying his eyes. They say eyes never lie, but that, of course, is a lie.

He seemed taken aback, but I guessed he wasn’t. “What are you talking about?” He scanned our faces.

“You don’t understand. We saw you taking the car but didn’t think you would crash it like an idiot.” I said the words, but of course, no one saw a thing.

“How can we be friends when you lie to us?” Nataly asked.

“Just tell the truth,” Maria added. “We won’t tell the police.”

“I only want to find out what happened to my mom.” As if I cared about that monster of a mom. “It’s unfair if you’re withholding information. I deserve to know.”

Pavlos hesitated, opened his mouth, and then closed it. He lit a cigarette, puffed, walked a circle, and looked at all of us.

“I was high, okay? After leaving Fotini’s house, I sat at a park thinking. Then I remembered I saw Fotini parking her mom’s car at the station. I thought she was pranking her. So, out of curiosity, I walked over to see if Mrs. Papadopoulos had found her car. The car was still there, the keys inside. So, I thought I’d drive it home for her.” He looked at me, then looked away, puffing on his cigarette. “It wasn’t the first time I drove a car, more like the third. So, I got behind the wheel, smacked it up, and abandoned it to avoid getting in trouble. I know I fucked up, and I panicked. I went to see a friend after that. I needed to get high.”

We all stared at him. Then, all the gazes turned on me.

“Who is this friend of yours, this supplier?” I asked.

“It’s better not to say.”

“Why? Stealing a car and smashing it up is much worse.”

“It’s a teacher from the college.”

“Name?”

Pavlos sighed. “Mr. Tellis.” I couldn’t believe he gave up his friend’s name. Either we were more important to him than I thought, or he’d spill the beans when he was afraid.

Was he a liability?

I chose to trust him—for now.

“Now that you confided in us, I’d say we can trust you.” Everyone nodded. I turned to Stefanos. “See? I told you? I had nothing to do with it.”

Stefanos looked away. He hated being wrong more than I loved being right.

So, we made another pledge to be a family, to stick together no matter what, including Pavlos. Even though we weren’t forthcoming with everything about my mom, we vowed that if someone broke the pledge, we would unite against them. That was the only way everyone would keep their mouth shut. That, and I could tell they were all rightfully afraid of me. What mattered to me in the end was me. After everything I had survived, I had to take care of myself. I deserved it.

“I want to meet Mr. Tellis, your supplier,” Nasos said.

“Oh no, this guy is dangerous. It’s better to leave it alone.” Pavlos raised his hands.

“What? You think I can’t handle it?” Nasos paced around Pavlos.

“No, but why get involved with something like that?”

“I want to make money. I don’t want to meet him to buy. I want to sell it. So many rich kids need his stuff, and I can deliver.” He nudged Pavlos’s shoulder.

“Nasos, just leave it,” I said, and he glared at me. I shrugged. “Okay, Nasos, your life, your choice. If it were my choice, I wouldn’t do it. Once you’re in, you can’t get out.”

“Cool, I can have my own money and tell my parents to fuck off.”

“At least you have parents,” Pavlos commented.

“Are you an orphan?” Nataly asked, her voice softer.

“Not exactly.”

The conversation broke when my dad called. He wanted me to hurry home. That meant there could be news.

“I’ll text you,” I told everyone.

I hugged the girls, waved to the boys, kissed Nasos, and left.

Had they found the body?

Chapter 40

I took a big breath and opened the door to my house.

My dad was sitting on his usual spot on the sofa with his usual glass of whiskey in his hand, the bottle empty next to him, eyes bloodshot.

“What’s up, Dad?”

“They couldn’t find her.”

“Really? Even after they found her car?”

“They searched the whole area and found nothing.”

I wanted to scream in relief, but I held myself back.

“Where could she be?” I said out loud as if contemplating it seriously.

I stood to hide my face because I was so happy that I was off the hook.

My dad wasn’t happy, though. He was having a mental crisis. He was drunk and looking at nothing in particular.

I remained silent as I headed to my room. I could finally make changes in my life, provided that the police don’t figure it all out. It was a new day for me. I’d repaint my room, change the curtains, bed, furniture, everything. I’d make it brand new to exorcise all the painful memories. My dad wouldn’t say a thing because if he stood in my way, I would put his name in the gutter where it belongs.

I sighed, lay on my bed, pulled out my phone, and texted everyone in the group chat.

“This is the worst day of my life. They can’t find my mother. I’ve heard that when people disappear, the best chances are if they find them in the first twenty-four hours. I’m losing hope. She’s a loving, caring mother. Nothing will be the same if I don’t get my mom back.”

After I wrote the message, I wanted to throw up. People like her shouldn’t even exist. I tried to remember something nice about her, but I couldn’t. She had destroyed every single memory. Then, for fun, I tried to remember the worst memories, and there were so many that I couldn’t even rank them.

I think the one where she saw Dad on top of me and then beat me because I provoked him stood out.

It is what it is.

I couldn’t change the past.

But I could change the future.

Chapter 41

A month passed with no news.

The police informed us that the investigation was still ongoing. They posted her picture everywhere. They found fingerprints on my mom’s car that they couldn’t match, and none of hers were on the steering wheel, which made sense since I wiped it before I left it at the train station. They had many theories but no evidence to back them up.

Nasos became a dealer, too.

I wasn’t thrilled about it, but only Pavlos and I knew about it. I felt it was too risky after everything that happened, but some people like trouble more than others. Also, this Tellis guy must be nasty. Nasos is afraid of him. Nasos had told me many stories about people who betrayed Tellis and how they ended up. I pretend I have nothing to do with it. I don’t know anything about Nasos’s business. I have my own plans and zero interest in messing with that business. Although I’m curious, I try not to ask. Otherwise, I’d get too involved in a world I don’t feel ready to know.

Things were better with my dad being more involved with the school, even though the school year had ended. We wrote the exams. Luckily, the school kept my mom’s program, so we had all the answers.

My dad hired a new housekeeper so everything could return to how it used to be. I renovated my room, made it as I wanted, and spent as much money as I wished, and Dad said nothing. I even made a little art space in the garden, which was great because I could show my true colors there—literally and figuratively.

It was a weekend when Nataly texted me. Nataly was more Maria’s friend than mine. I didn’t even like her, but I could live with her.

Nataly: “Why did you tell me to get involved with Pavlos? Now it’s your fault.”

Fotini: “What’s my fault?”

Nataly: “He rejected me. You know I can’t handle rejection.”

Fotini: “What did you do?”

Nataly: “I didn’t, Maria did.”

Fotini: “What did you do?”

No answer. I called her. No answer. What the fuck was going on? Again? I contacted Maria. I waited for a response but got nothing. I put my brush down and ran to my room to change clothes. This was ridiculous. I called again, no reply from anyone. Now what? Unless they told me what happened, how could I do anything? I didn’t even know where they were. I called Nasos.

“Hey honey, any idea what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Nataly sent me a weird message about her, Pavlos, and Maria.”

“What about?”

“That Pavlos rejected her, and it’s my fault.”

“You girls and your drama. Maybe they fought, and Maria yelled at him. What else could have happened?”

“True. Nataly has always been overdramatic. I still don’t like it, though. We’re supposed to be close, like a family. Not hurt each other.”

“Yeah, right,” he said while I could hear the other line buzzing in my ear.

“Sorry, got to go. Maybe they’re on the other line.” I killed the call with Nasos.

“Hey, I need to talk to you.”

“Pavlos?”

“I’m in huge trouble, thanks to your girlfriends.”

“What happened?”

“I can’t discuss it over the phone.”

“Where are you?”

“I am outside your house.”

I opened the door and told him to come in. Before he entered, he scanned the area as if someone was watching.

He didn’t look good. His hair was messy. He was sweaty and pale. He closed all the curtains as if to hide from someone.

“What the hell, Pavlos?”

He paced back and forth in the living room, talking to himself.

“Are you high?”

“I’m going to die.” He grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes.

“That’s nonsense. You’re high, and you’ve lost your mind.” I backed off because his breath reeked.

“Tellis will kill me. There’s no way out of this.”

“What happened?” I was more curious than worried.

“It’s Nataly’s fault. If I had it in me, I’d kill her.”

“What did she do?” Now, I was getting frustrated.

“Yesterday, she told me she wanted to sleep with me. I don’t even like the girl. I can’t even stand her. She tries to play tough, but she’s a whiny little bitch. She didn’t take it well, and she left distraught. However, I didn’t think that she would get revenge. We took a pledge that we would protect each other.” He wiped the sweat on his forehead and brushed his brown hair back. “Maria went to the college and found Mr. Tellis. He was there.”

“What the fuck? Why?”

“She told him that I’m working with the authorities. Because of me, everyone will be arrested soon, and she wants protection.” He was back to pacing. “I’ll be dead by the end of the day. They’ll tear out my nails, chop off my fingers, and stab me until I bleed to death. My body will never be found.”

“Come on, you’ve watched too many movies.” I waved off the notion.

“This is real. This is what these people do. I told you they’re dangerous.”

I had no idea how to react. I didn’t know these guys, and there was no way I could do anything about it. There was no win. The best thing I could do was kick him out to avoid getting involved. “Pavlos, I’m sorry this happened to you.” That part was true.

“Fotini, I trusted you. All of you because I didn’t have a family. I’m in foster care, and I tried so hard to make it to the best private school with scholarships.”

“We failed you,” I said, blaming my stupid friends. How could they do what they did? Without realizing it, they put Nasos in danger as well.

He looked at his watch. “I have to go. Do you have any money? At least to leave Athens for a fresh start.”

Now I understood why he came to me. Of course, I had money. I bolted upstairs, got the thousand euros I had stashed, and handed it to him.

Pavlos kissed me like he was hungry. I’d never been kissed like that before.

“I wish things were different,” he said, then left, running through my front door.

I locked it immediately. I heard some screeching tires a moment later, doors opening, and people shouting. I stayed inside just in case.

No one came for me.

I have no idea what happened to Pavlos. I never saw him again.

Maria, of course, denied going to Mr. Tellis. She just said that she spread rumors he was a junkie. So, I pretended I believed them, and when people asked where he was, I said he just left and forbade talking about him.

I could not do anything about the situation, and Nasos was already involved with these guys.

Silence was our currency.

Silence was gold.

Chapter 42

One Year Ago

We all made it to the college we wanted to. 

There was a problem, though.

Mr. Tellis, a teacher that everyone loved, was here.

The police were incompetent. They hadn’t found my mom’s body. During their investigation, they asked us dozens of questions, but with no actual evidence, they eventually left us alone. I think they’ve closed the case. Besides my dad and me, she didn’t have any family members alive to care what happened to her—we didn’t care either.

Our lives seemed to get better. We only had our usual drama. Stefanos was cheating on Maria, Nasos never had enough time for me with his new job, and Nataly was obsessed with that guy from high school, Philipos. We were still hanging out at our spot, not where we used to be, as it had a bad vibe, but farther away, near some older buildings. It was also close to the college, which made it easy.

So, that day, Nataly decided, without asking anyone, to invite Philipos to our private area, which was the worst idea ever. I knew this girl wasn’t in her right mind. Well, no one is, but some people show it more than others. I couldn’t tell if she had a fixation with me or Nasos or if it was sexual attraction or jealousy. Whatever it was, I didn’t like it.

No one wanted to upset me. I couldn’t blame them.

We were all sitting on some rocks after finishing school, holding coffee, when she showed up.

“Hi, guys. I brought Philipos along,” Nataly said, and Philipos raised his hand to wave.

I grunted. “Do you like it here?”

“It’s cool,” he said and glanced around.

I got to my feet. “How come you’re here?”

Nataly jumped in front of him. “We love it when people don’t bother us. Being here allows us to do whatever we want.” Nataly raised her hands over her head.

Philipos smiled, making me want to vomit.

“Come on, man. Sit with us,” Nasos said.

Philipos found a flat stone and used it as a stool.

Nasos handed his joint to Stefanos while Philipos watched.

Nataly gave Nasos an angry look.

“Is that what I think it is?” Philipos pointed at the joint.

Nasos met his gaze. “What do you think it is?” Then he took a puff.

“Can I have one?”

Nasos eased a joint from his pocket and handed it to Philipos, who stretched his hand to take it.

Then Nasos pulled it away. “I need fifty euros for this.”

“Come on, man, give it. I want to try.” Philipos’s eyes were glowing.

Nataly stood in front of them with arms crossed. “Can you not?”

“Spaz,” Stefanos said and lit his.

“If you try, you’ll want more,” Nasos said.

“Okay, I’ll take the risk.”

“What will Mom and Dad say?”

“It’s fine. They don’t have to know.” Philipos took the joint. He puffed and sat back. Nataly tsked once and took a seat next to Philipos.

“Easy, tiger,” Nasos said as Philipos puffed harder. “It’s a strong one. It can fuck you up.”

“It’s great,” Philipos said, getting to his feet.

I remained silent while watching the whole thing. With this asshole, it wasn’t gonna end well.

“Maybe bringing you here was a bad idea,” Nataly said.

“What are you talking about, pretty lady?” Philipos said, puffed, and tried to hug her. Nataly pushed him off.

“This isn’t good for you,” Nataly said and tried to take the joint from his hand.

“Oh, baby, don’t rush things.” Philipos grabbed Nataly’s waist, brought her close, and tried to kiss her. Even though she wanted him, she pushed him away again.

“Don’t do that, asshole,” Nataly said.

Nasos stood up. “Stop. This isn’t funny.” He moved to stand between them.

Why was he so protective of Nataly? Maybe it’s because he was the stupid one to give Philipos a joint.

“Actually, I don’t want her.” Philipos moved away from Nataly. “I came here for only one reason.”

Everyone stayed silent, staring at him.

He moved closer to Nasos. Nasos clenched his fists.

Then Philipos leaned up and kissed Nasos.

Their lips touched and held for a moment that stretched into a century.

I shot forward and drove a fist into Philipos’s face as Nasos stood like a statue, unmoving.

“Get the fuck out of here,” I screamed at Philipos.

Nasos gawked at me, speechless.

Did he like it? Did he want it?

Philipos rubbed his jaw. I must have punched him harder than I thought.

He eyed us all. “You’re all losers. You’ll pay for this. I’ll make you regret it.” He stepped backward. “I’ll tell everyone that you’re junkies.” Philipos spun and ran away.

“I’ll make him pay for this,” Nataly said.

“Oh, he certainly will,” Nasos said, but his voice lacked conviction.

A plan formed in my mind as I watched Philipos’s retreating figure.

I didn’t care if he had a reason or not.

He kissed my man.

Nasos was never the same after that.

Chapter 43

Five Days Before The Murder

I wasn’t that excited about the new school year. I liked psychology. Maybe learning more would help fix what was broken inside me.

I woke up early and got ready for school. I didn’t want to be late and miss the bus. My dad tried to buy my forgiveness with a car, but I haven’t driven it yet. I went to the kitchen to grab a bite, and my dad was already there with his new girlfriend, whom I disliked.

“Good morning, Fotini,” the new girlfriend said.

I didn’t answer.

“Good morning, little one,” Dad said, and I glared at him. “Come on. You can say good morning. It won’t ruin your day.” Dad continued to annoy me.

I put some coffee in my cup and was ready to grab an apple when I bumped into the substitute. My coffee shot all over my clothes.

“Hey, be careful bitch,” I said under my breath.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, half smiling when my dad wasn’t watching her. “It was an accident, dear.”

I ran to change before I heard another word from her or before I said something I would regret later.

Now, I’d be late for no reason.

I couldn’t believe I got there in time. The bus had waited for me.

“Thank you,” I said to the driver. “Your patience will be rewarded in the future.” Stupid comments rose from the back, to which I replied, “The star always has to make an entrance.”

The driver stepped on the gas before I sat down. I had to hold on to a seat. What an idiot. I wanted to tell him I’d report him for not following a safety protocol but decided to let it go this once.

Then I spied a new girl with an empty seat next to her.

“You are?”

“Sophia.”

I dropped beside her. “So, Sophia, what are you doing in the big city?” She looked so innocent. This girl couldn’t be from Athens.

“What do you mean?”

“I can tell from miles away that you came from a village.”

“You know,” Sophia said, “you didn’t tell me your name. I can tell from miles away that you’re a spoiled little rich girl who thinks she can do whatever she wants. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, Gucci bag, shiny shoes. The seat is taken. Now move on.” She glared at me and then gave me a light push.

“Calm down, silly. I’m just joking around. I’m Fotini. I like you.” Her reaction excited me.

“Unfortunately, I can’t say the same.” She smiled.

We talked a bit. The time passed. I loved that she had nice long hair, a sparkling smile, and joy in her eyes. I hadn’t seen that in a person for so long. I wondered how long the pleasure could last. When the bus arrived, I grabbed her hand. I wanted to introduce her to Maria. I wondered what she would think of her.

“I want you to meet my best friend, Maria.”

“Hi.” She raised her hand for a handshake, but Maria had an attitude. She stood like a statue.

“Maria is studying finance, and we have been best friends since high school.” I didn’t like her attitude, so I squeezed her shoulders.

“What did you say you’re studying?” Maria asked, being an idiot again.

“Tourism, and I didn’t say anything since you didn’t ask,” Sophia replied.

“So, newbie.” Maria studied her from head to toe. “You need to get to your class before everything is flooded with all the little birds that want to learn. Head up to the third floor, the second door to your right with the Number 3 sign. Just grab the best seat because that would be the one you’ll have for the whole semester.”

Sophia smiled, stepping away.

“Have the best first day,” I shouted, then turned to Maria. “What the fuck was that?”

“What?”

“It’s her first day. She isn’t even from here.”

“Why do you care?”

“I don’t.”

“Okay then, we’ll lock her inside the class and tell Nasos to unlock her later. He can pretend the door was open the entire time.”

“Do you have the keys?”

“I don’t. Nasos does. Mr. Tellis gave him a set, remember?”

“I don’t like it. You’re on your own with this one.” I left and went to my class. We had all kinds of shit going on, and now we’re making new enemies? I didn’t want to be a part of that.

The whole day was boring. When my day starts bad, it just ruins everything for me. I met with everyone but wasn’t in the mood for anything. I looked for Sophia at every break, but she was nowhere to be found. I was wondering if we made her leave the school.

When I scanned the front area at the final bell, I found Nasos with Sophia. Great.

I jogged over and hugged him, then waved at Sophia.

“Hey, Sophia. I see you’ve met my boyfriend.” She needed to know he was taken. He was mine, only mine.

“I met him earlier,” Sophia said.

“Is that so?” I frowned, trying to look puzzled.

“Hi, I’m Nasos,” he smiled at her. I didn’t like that.

“I’m Sophia,” she said and blushed. Why were her cheeks red? Did she like him?

“I thought you had already met,” I said.

“Well, not properly. Someone told me to go to the wrong classroom and locked me in. After an hour of losing my shit, I was grateful that Nasos heard my voice and opened the door.”

Maria was so stupid to do that to her, but I had to pretend I had no idea what she was talking about.

“What do you mean?” I sounded aghast.

“Maria told me the wrong classroom, and then someone locked me in.”

They went on about what had happened. I was bored but tried to stay engaged in the conversation.

“Sophia, remember? The door was open,” I heard Nasos say in conclusion.

“I’m sorry. I guess I misheard, went to the wrong classroom, and then panicked.”

We made her think she had no idea what was going on. That was the only fun I got out of this entire exchange.

“It’s okay, Sophia. Do you want to go for a walk? We have a spot where we like to hang out. It’ll be cool if you come with us.”

Maria had arrived. She glared at me when I invited Sophia.

“I’m tired. Maybe another time.”

“Don’t be a nerd,” I said, convincing her.

I winked at Maria.

I had made a commitment to myself. If we chose someone to be part of our family, they had to earn it.

I couldn’t have another Philipos messing with us.

Chapter 44

“What a view. I can see all the north suburbs,” Sophia exclaimed when we reached the top.

“I was sure you’d like it.”

“Is it legal?”

“Does it matter? Come, let’s see if the others are here.”

Sophia seemed shy. Were people still shy nowadays? I found it cute.

So, I grabbed her hand and led her forward. I wanted her to meet the others. After the meet and greet, Stefanos and Maria left. Then Sophia wanted to go home, and Nataly wanted to leave.

“Fotini, I have things to take care of. My cat is waiting for me.”

“So your cat is more important than us?” She was starting to piss me off.

“Well, I’m sorry, but …”

“You can stay longer,” I said again. I was about to lose my shit. “We’re a team, a family. We all leave together. Sophia, you can go if you want to. It’s your decision whether you want to be a part of our little school family.” I knew they’d all stay. I put on a song for us to enjoy, but then Stefanos, being the asshole he was, destroyed everything by running back to us in fear.

“Maria fell in the mine,” he said, panicking. “She’s not moving.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“There’s a mine?” Sophia asked.

“What were you doing there?” I asked, wanting to punch him in the mouth, maybe knock out a few teeth. “How stupid can you be? Of all the places.” I packed my things and got to my feet. “Where is she?”

“Follow me,” Stefanos said, even though we all knew where the fuck we were going.

“I can’t believe this is happening again,” Nataly mumbled.

I glared at Nataly to shut her mouth. What was it with these guys? It was as if they were saying things on purpose to get caught. If the police questioned them, we’d end up behind bars.

“Maria, we’re here,” Stefanos shouted, showing us where she had fallen.

I got there first and saw her covered with blood and dirt.

A familiar scene.

“Hey guys, where’s Mrs. Papadopoulos?” Maria asked.

I wondered how hard she could have hit her head. Or maybe I should kill her and leave her down there, buried with my mother.

“What are you talking about?” I shouted, my gaze telling her to be fucking quiet.

“I was looking for her,” she replied. “She must’ve been around here.”

I leaned closer to Stefanos. “Make her shut up before I fucking kill her.”

“Honey.” Stefanos leaned over the edge. “You must have hit your head. We’ll find a way to get you out.”

We began to search for something to pull her out. Sophia found a cable reel. After several attempts, Sophia offered to help Maria climb up by lowering herself into the hole. The fact that no one offered but her said a lot about us. When Maria was finally topside, I smiled at Sophia as a thank you, then slipped away with Maria to console her.

After a moment, I realized everyone had followed us, leaving Sophia behind.

“Where’s Sophia?”

“Oh, she’s still down in the hole,” Nataly said.

“You mean she’s in the exact spot where my mother fell and died? What the hell, guys? Where are your brains?”

“Okay, okay,” Nasos said, and we returned to help her.

“Where did you go?” Sophia asked when we returned, an edge of panic in her voice. “What the fuck?”

“We wanted to make sure that Maria was okay.” I tried to cover up the mistake.

After helping her out of the hole, we went home.

On that day, my school family showed me they were brain dead. What held us together was my mother’s death. It was our bond.

New people, like Sophia, couldn’t be a part of our group.

They didn’t share our pact, our bond.

Our secret.

Telling Sophia everything wouldn’t work. Why would she keep a secret that she wasn’t criminally responsible for?

No, there were other ways to hold us together and allow someone new to be with us.

I had a plan.

Chapter 45

Three Days Before The Murder

Yesterday, Sophia was incommunicado. Maria had such a strong headache that we had to take her to the hospital. She’d hit her head hard when she landed in the hole. Well, my mom’s fall almost got her killed, so it makes sense. Maria was lucky to get away with a headache.

However, her parents didn’t believe her story because she was a compulsive liar. I told them how I saw Maria fall and hit her head. They laughed it off, which was stupid and dangerous. So I asked if I could sleep at their house. Maria has been my best friend for years now. I couldn’t leave her to their care.

We spent a calm night inside, lights out. That made her feel better, and I was glad to hear it. She was like the sister I had never had. At least, that’s what I told myself.

Her father drove us to school. It was on his way to work, so he gave her a ride every day. Her parents often seemed to care more about me than my own parents, which felt nice and unsettling at the same time because no one really cared about me.

When we exited the car, Sophia ran toward us and hugged Maria. Sophia had been texting me the previous night, apologizing for her recent absence, but I was upset. She failed us by disappearing.

“Wow. Easy,” Maria said, as she wasn’t expecting Sophia to get that physical.

“I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there. I feel bad.”

“Well,” I said. “Don’t do it again. Ever. I slept at her house yesterday. This is what we do when our friends are in need.”

“Fotini.” She looked at me, hands on her hips. “Sometimes things happen. I didn’t know, okay? I couldn’t know. You could at least text me and tell me what happened, and then I’d be there. So, technically, it’s more your fault than mine.”

I hated it when people talked back to me. I tried to let it go. It was too early to fight.

We parted after Sophia reassured Maria that she’d be there for her. I went to my class and tried to focus on the lesson. It was interesting to learn about disorders—people are so fucked up. What I realized through those lessons was that most people who have mental issues refuse to admit it. Meanwhile, the people around them who are fine get traumatized by them, and they ask for help. So, I figured that when I get my degree, most patients will be people from bad environments rather than those causing the toxicity.

Maria and I skipped a class. She wasn’t feeling well. She had another headache. She shouldn’t have come to school today. We were at the cafeteria, the best place to be during class.

Everyone, including Sophia, met with us when the bell rang.

Then George invited us all to his party on Saturday. There was no way I would miss it. Maria and I went to last year’s and had a blast.

Everyone but Sophia had something to do after school. Only Nasos could upset me for not joining us as he had “a thing” to do. I couldn’t believe he was still working with those guys even though none of us knew what had happened to Pavlos yet.

After my suggestion, we decided to go to Sophia’s place. I wanted to check out where she lived. There was no way she would have a house as big as mine. So, we made it to her home, which wasn’t far—maybe a fifteen-minute walk.

“I didn’t even know that houses like this still exist. This is beautiful.”

Her home had a garden that was created with love. It wasn’t a gardener who put flowers together to look pretty. It was someone who loved the house and gardening. We went inside, and Sophia opened all the windows to remove the smell of the old house.

“Where’s your mom?” I asked.

“My mom?” she replied as if she had killed her, too. I wanted to laugh at that thought but didn’t.

“Yes.”

“On the island.”

“When did she leave?”

“Yesterday,” Sophia said. She wasn’t a good liar. I could tell. Her cheeks had turned red.

“Your house is cozy. I wish my house were like this.”

“How’s your house?”

“Big, too big. We have all kinds of furniture, but it feels empty. Sometimes, I feel like I live in a hospital with no warmth.” I spoke the truth. I never felt warmth or love from either of my parents. I felt more like I was a duty or a job for them that they had to do, amongst other things. That’s why the punishments were harsh and violent.

“What about your parents?” Sophia asked me.

“My parents?”

Sophia nodded.

“My mom took a job in the UK to stay away from my toxic dad, and now I’m stuck with him.” I told my usual lie to new people I met. What would I say? That she’s missing? Then I’d get all the “I’m sorrys” and the pity I hated. So, I made up a story. One that was sad but plausible.

Whenever I talked about my parents, I tried to do it without revealing my true nature. Pretending the whole time bored me, though.

I got up to stretch and to look around. Sophia’s kitchen was nice. I figured she knew how to use it, unlike me. She also had a pretty view.

I walked around more. She had a spare room, too. Her bedroom was a good girl’s bedroom, clean and tidy. I could bet she was the kind of person who went to church every Sunday. A perfect girl in an ideal family bubble.

Then, I saw something that shocked me.

The bracelet my mom was wearing.

“Where did you find this?”

“Oh, I found it in the mine while looking for something to help Maria get out of the hole.”

“It’s pretty.” I held it momentarily, wanting to tell her she had no business taking something that wasn’t hers. Instead, I said, “Everything is so pretty here. You have a wonderful family, a beautiful house, and a job to go to when you’re done school. Down the road, you only need a husband to fulfill your dream.”

That made her laugh. She looked away, no longer paying attention to me.

So, I took the bracelet. It wasn’t hers to keep. It was mine.

“Well, thank you for letting me come over. I enjoyed my time here with you.” I was so upset. I wanted to leave immediately.

“That’s it? Can I get you a coffee or something?”

I shook my head. “I need to go home to study. We have a demanding new teacher, and I need to be prepared. Besides, Nasos will visit soon.”

That was the best excuse I could come up with.

We said our goodbyes, and I got out of there.

I couldn’t believe her audacity. Taking something that didn’t belong to her. I pulled it out of my pocket and wore it home. I had an image of my mom’s dead body when I took it off her hand. I felt sadness. Not because I killed her but because, in her case, sometimes dead is better.

However, I wished I had a real loving mother. I wanted to have a father, too. These thoughts consumed me, and I walked home, taking time to calm down. It’s not that I had anything to do. Nothing was waiting for me but my art.

I called Nasos and told him all about the bracelet. He didn’t think it was a big deal. Nothing was a big deal to him.

He had to back me up when I wore it the next day, though.

We exchanged messages that I would wear it to show Sophia.

I couldn’t wait to see her face.

Chapter 46

Two Days Before The Murder

I wanted to look super nice and compliment Sophia, only to play innocent shortly after that.

At first, we chatted like besties, the bus came, and we took our seats.

“You’re in a good mood today,” she said.

I was in a good mood because she would be my toy.

“Nasos made sure of that.” I smiled.

“Oh, now I get it,” Sophia said, but I could see she had no idea what she was talking about.

“He gave me this.” I showed her the bracelet. Then, I studied her reaction.

“Oh wow, it looks like the one I found.” Sophia leaned closer to examine it.

“He kissed my neck, told me to close my eyes, and placed it in my hands. It had been such a long time since he last gave me a gift.”

“That’s nice of him,” Sophia said.

Her cheeks had turned red. Oh, I really upset her—I loved it.

Time for the messages. I pretended to type. Then I showed her my screen.

Fotini: Sophia thinks that the bracelet is amazing. Thank you so much.

Nasos: You deserve the world, baby.

I could barely suppress my laughter.

Sophia seemed so confused. She didn’t say a word.

After school, Sophia sent a message that she had a headache. I didn’t like that. Was she trying to dump us? Or did she actually have a headache? I had to find out. No one brushed us off—no one.

I found her already on the bus. I jumped on and sat next to her. Her brows furrowed as if she didn’t like it.

“Hey, are you okay?” I clutched her hand.

“I thought you were going to visit Maria,” she said, ignoring my question.

Beyond her forced smile, she was annoyed with me.

“I will. I needed to check on you first.”

“I’m tired, and I have a headache. I’ll be fine, though. I need some time to wind down.”

“Okay, we can go to your house and hang out for a while. We don’t need to go anywhere.”

“That sounds great,” she said, likely against her will.

I got her to say yes, which was a good sign. I talked about random things to see if I could get a smile out of her, but was mostly unsuccessful.

“What’s your opinion of Mr. Tellis?” Sophia asked.

Okay, that was a question I didn’t like at all. Why was she asking me about Tellis?

“He’s so handsome. If he made the first move, I’d totally cheat on Nasos.” I tried for a non-serious answer.

“I meant as a teacher.”

“Oh, the first thing that comes to mind is sleeping with him and then that he’s a good teacher.”

“Why does he hang around with Nasos?”

I wondered what she’d seen. “He isn’t hanging around. Mr. Tellis is his career counselor.” I made it up on the spot, then watched her to see if she bought it.

“Oh, that makes sense.” She nodded.

She wouldn’t dare speak his name if she only knew how dangerous he was.

As we neared her house, a guy wearing a hoodie ran past us. Who the fuck was that guy? Although his posture seemed familiar.

Sophia lost it. She shouted and wanted to chase him. I felt sure that we were being watched, although I couldn’t see anyone.

“Don’t bother,” I said. “Let him go. I know who that was.”

We ended up back in her house, where we sat in the living room, facing each other.

“So? Who was that?” she asked. Her eyes were wide like she was spooked.

“I thought you recognized him,” I said with a shrug.

“I didn’t get a good look at him from that distance,” Sophia said.

“I couldn’t either, but I’m sure it was Philipos.”

Her mouth dropped open.

So, I made up a story about how evil he was. I told her everything we’d said about him over the years. After seeing him speaking with Sophia, I knew he was talking shit about us.

So, I would tell Stefanos and Nasos about it. I hoped that Nasos would kick his ass for kissing him in front of me. Nasos was mine, and I intended to keep him.

After some time, I left, advising Sophia to lock her doors. She seemed so scared it made me laugh.

However, I had no idea who had been there and why he was at Sophia’s place. Why would he run?

That was pathetic.

What kind of man runs when he sees two girls approaching? A coward was the only thing I could think of, and the only coward I knew was Philipos, so maybe I was right, accidentally.

Or perhaps it was someone fixing to break in and steal something.

In that case, Sophia was smart to be afraid.

Inadvertently, by spooking her, I could have protected her.

Chapter 47

One Day Before The Murder

Friday was, for everyone, the best day as they looked forward to the weekend. Not for me, though. Most of the time, my weekends were dull. But this weekend was the big party.

In the evening, I wanted to go and buy a new dress and chill. Only a week in school, and the teachers gave us so many things to study, and I wasn’t in the mood to do it.

I woke up as usual and was happy I didn’t see my dad, which would ruin my day, so I was early at the bus stop. I teased Sophia until we reached school. I convinced her to be afraid of Philipos, but simultaneously, I ensured her mutual protection.

When we arrived, I left Sophia to hang out with Nataly. I know she was jealous. Of all of us, Nataly was the one who needed therapy the most. She was a perfectionist and obsessive, and she couldn’t handle rejection. I would never hang out with her if Maria wasn’t her friend.

Once in class, my phone vibrated.

Sophia had seen Philipos’s face.

Well, he got what he deserved for being an asshole, although he denied that he was the one outside Sophia’s house.

I believed him.

The good thing about the day was that I’d buy a nice dress. It had been too long since I last treated myself to something nice, even though I could buy a whole store if I wanted to. At least my dad did something right—he earned a lot of money.

The school day finally ended, and I met Sophia at the exit.

Sophia looked serious. “I had a weird conversation with Mr. Tellis.”

“Oh, did he want to do the mentoring shit with you, too?”

Tellis had approached her. I didn’t like it at all. Either he wanted to fuck her or employ her, and I didn’t know what was worse.

“Yeah, it was so weird and out of context.”

“He does that to students he likes. Giving the “stay you” speech,” I said, and that wasn’t a lie.

“What do you mean ‘likes’?”

“I mean likes, not in a sexual way. I wish it were like that, though.” I played it up as always. I wouldn’t dare say anything negative about him. What if he found out?

We went shopping. I loved the stuff we bought. Nataly showed up and acted strange, but I ignored her. Then we went to Sophia’s house, and I actually had a good time. I may mess with her and lie about half of what I say, but I think I could handle her as a friend. Her innocence is captivating.

I called for a taxi when I wanted to leave. After all this walking, I was in no mood to walk home. I stood outside her garden waiting for the cab when I saw something in the shadows on the opposite side of the road near the trees.

What the fuck?

The taxi arrived, but I didn’t get in. My curiosity got the better of me. Sometimes, when I didn’t have tension or conflict in my life, I looked for some. I paid the taxi driver to wait for me, then crossed the road.

When I neared the area, the shadow moved farther into the trees.

They wanted me to follow them. Without a weapon for protection, I turned on the flashlight app on my phone and walked into the grove.

“Fotini?” a familiar voice said. I knew that voice.

“Pavlos?” I raised my phone and saw his face.

He moved closer and hugged me. I turned off the flashlight. “You’re alive? I can’t believe you’re alive.” I touched his face and hugged him hard. I didn’t know how much I missed him until that moment.

“What are you doing here?”

He pulled back to look into my eyes. “I came to warn you.”

I let go of him but still held his hand. “What’s going on?”

“When I left your house that day, I thought Tellis’s boys were after me. I was wrong.” He paused, pursing his lips. “It was the police.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Your friends lied that they went to Tellis. They went to the police and told them I was a dealer. They ratted me out. I got picked up several blocks from your house but was never formally charged with anything. Eventually, they let me go because they had nothing on me. However, Tellis found out I was in custody, which was not good. In his head, whoever talks to cops is a sellout.”

“So, that’s why you disappeared?”

“Yes, I had to.”

“What brings you back?”

“I have information that the police are going after Tellis. They have people in both the college and his organization.”

“Shit.”

“Before they nab Nasos or arrest you as an associate, go to the cops. Get some sort of immunity. Tell them everything.”

“Tell them what? I don’t know anything. I kept my distance from all that.”

“Who will believe you if Nasos says shit? And if they pick up Nasos, no one can know Tellis’s reaction.” He glanced around conspiratorially. “Things are bad. You need to take care of yourself.” He moved closer to me again.

I don’t know what it was about him, but I felt something, like chemistry or electricity, in my body.

He kissed me slowly this time.

“I have to go,” he whispered. “I hope we can meet again when this whole thing is over.”

He stepped backward, then disappeared into the shadows.

I stood there like a statue, lips parted and still wet from the kiss.

Damn, that was hot.

Chapter 48

The Day Of The Murder

There was no way I could sleep after what Pavlos told me. That’s why I woke up late. I had all kinds of stupid dreams. Maria’s message forced me to open my eyes. Sophia would come to my house, and together we would meet Maria. However, I had to talk to Nasos. I needed to warn him.

I messaged him to meet me at a souvlaki place near me as soon as possible. I got dressed and left the house.

I got us a table and waited for him. He came faster than I expected, kissed my cheek, then sat down.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“Nasos, you know I love you, right?”

He nodded.

“And I would do anything for you, right?”

He leaned back, his face hardening. “Where are you going with this?”

“I need you to listen to me.” I clutched his hand. “Quit the shit you’re doing with Tellis. I have information that the authorities are on to him. The police have rats everywhere. If he goes down, you’ll go down, too.”

Nasos huffed and adjusted himself in his chair, clearly agitated.

“You’ve always been selfish. Don’t you get that I’m doing this for us?”

“Oh, shut up. Making this about us when it’s clearly about you.” I felt gut-punched. All he wanted was to make money. Now, he was loaded. How could I expect him to walk away from that?

“After everything I’ve done for you,” he said, “you dare say some stupid shit like that. As if the cops are watching us? Who cares about us?”

“Nasos, what are you talking about? You haven’t done anything for me.”

“Pavlos was right. We’re just a bunch of failing failures.”

“Our rule as a group is—”

“Fuck the rule, Fotini, fuck everything, and fuck you. I’m done.”

He pushed out his chair and left.

I didn’t get the time to tell him more.

The waitress brought the menu, and I ordered.

I still felt someone was watching me, but I couldn’t see anyone acting suspiciously.

Did he break up with me?

After I ate, I went home.

I wanted to prepare for the party and stop thinking about this shit.

It was no longer any of my business.

***

“You look stunning,” Sophia complimented me when she arrived.

She always had something nice to say. I wish I were more like that. I could tell it was genuine, whereas my compliments were fake ninety-nine percent of the time.

“You don’t look bad yourself,” I told her.

“Is your father here? I’d love to meet him,” she said, not knowing what my father was like.

“He’s never here. And when he is, I wish he weren’t.”

“So, we’re leaving?”

“I want to show you something first. Follow me.” I took her to my art place. I always liked to share my art. Roxanne Dupont is my favorite living artist at the moment. My dream is to meet her one day. Who knows, maybe I will.

“This is where art is born.” I turned on the light.

I could see in her face that she liked my paintings. She was smiling and glowing. At that moment, I felt something. Maybe it was happiness. That’s funny. Usually, I feel nothing positive. Emptiness is the best. Most of the time, it’s sadness and anger.

She moved closer to my hidden work. I had covered these on purpose. They were paintings that represented my mom’s death.

“Don’t touch that. It’s not ready yet.” I spoke so loudly that she jumped back.

“Okay.”

“Do you like them?”

“You’re a born artist.”

“Maybe that’s why I’m always unhappy,” I said, and to some degree, maybe that was the truth. Or it could be the nightmare childhood I had.

Then she talked about an exhibition. All I could think of was making it to Christmas first.

We went to Maria’s house and left from there. Nasos wasn’t answering my messages. Maybe we had broken up after all.

So many people had gathered outside George’s house. I couldn’t believe it. Every year, his party got bigger.

“I see faces from the first year,” I said. “Did he invite everyone?”

“The boys are already here,” Maria said. “Let’s go.”

We all headed inside and grabbed a glass of champagne.

Sophia left to find George, and the three of us stayed behind to gossip about the people coming and going.

I could never imagine what followed.

Chapter 49

Nataly, Maria, and I were near the DJ. Nataly was flirting with him, but the music was too loud for Maria.

Maria signaled me to move toward the corner, wanting to tell me something.

She leaned close to my ear. “I’m getting vibes from Stefanos and Nasos, and it’s not good. Something’s going on.” She glanced around to see if anyone was listening.

I moved toward her ear. “What are you talking about?”

Maria opened her mouth to respond but stopped when Nataly pulled us closer to the DJ. “What are you guys talking about?”

Maria gave me a side look.

I moved closer to Nataly. “The music is too loud for Maria. She won’t last long.”

Nataly smiled and raised her hands, dancing, completely ignoring my statement. What an idiot.

Maria stood beside me, being awkward. Since she hit her head, she had been behaving weirder and weirder.

I was worried about Nasos, though, so I sent him a message that I was at the party. He saw it but didn’t answer.

Okay, he was mad. I told him to walk away from Tellis, and it pissed him off. I get it. Money is a sweet elixir, but at what cost?

I sent a message to the group chat. At least Stefanos replied that they would find us. Then I got more champagne to be in a better mood.

When the boys came, Stefanos went straight to Maria, and Maria gave me a save-me look. No idea what that was all about. Nasos showed up and just stood next to me, expressionless and quiet.

“Can we talk?” I shouted so he could hear me over the music.

He brushed my ear with his lips. “But, baby, you broke up with me.”

“Broke up with you?” I repeated.

“Maybe we should spend some time apart.”

“Oh, really,” I said, not believing in my ears.

“Fotini, we’ve been together forever. Time to move on.”

“I don’t want to have this conversation now. We’re supposed to be having fun.” I regretted bringing it up.

“You started it. I tried to avoid you, but you keep texting me.”

“Is it wrong to want to know what’s going on?”

“Let’s face it, you don’t love me.” A sheepish look crossed his face. “You can’t love anyone. Not even your own mother. It’s like, a fault of yours, somehow.”

If he wanted to hurt me, he was doing a good job.

“You shouldn’t have said that.” I spoke in a calm voice, thinking how I would have attacked him if we weren’t at the party. That was the meanest thing anyone had ever said to me.

“We aren’t getting anywhere here.” He waved a hand between us. “I have work to do. See ya.”

He left me standing there alone. I realized I didn’t care what he would or wouldn’t do. I was more fixated on how things should be than what I felt about them. However, no one would break their promises.

He. Would. Pay. I’d make sure of it.

I moved closer to Nataly. She gave me more alcohol, which was exactly what I needed because it stopped me from thinking. Maria was dancing with Stefanos, so we had time. I wouldn’t have to take her back anytime soon. I messaged Sophia, and she said she was dancing but said nothing else. The only way to pass the time was to have a good time, so I went with Nataly and danced with her and the DJ.

After a while, Maria came and said she wanted to go. I looked at Nataly, signaled her, and messaged Sophia. No answer. Then I called Sophia. Still no answer. So, I messaged her once more. She could be fucking George in some back room. I didn’t want to intrude, so I messaged her for the last time. Nataly didn’t want to go home. I could totally get that. She was having a good time. So Maria and I took a taxi.

“You didn’t have to leave, you know,” Maria said. “I know how to take a taxi.”

“Stefanos should’ve taken you home. Why did he stay? To look at other girls’ asses?”

“That’s who he is. It’s my fault I’m with him even though I know who he is and what he’s like—shit,” she exclaimed and touched her head.

“What?”

“My head is killing me. I shouldn’t have come. My mom insisted, and I listened. What a loser.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have come, but you came. So, let’s get you home and give you a painkiller. By the way, what did you want to tell me earlier?”

The taxi was pulling up to her place.

“It’s late now,” she said, “and it’s a long conversation. Tomorrow.”

I nodded, then instructed the driver to wait as I escorted her to her front door.

When she took out her keys, the door opened.

Her mother took one look at her and said, “What’s going on?”

“The noise made her head worse.”

“Oh, you’re in pain,” her mother said and hugged her. “Thank you so much for taking care of her, Fotini. You are such a good friend.”

I shrugged. “This is what friends are for, right? Taking care of each other.”

“Are you going back to the party?”

“Oh no, I’m too bored to go back. I’ll just go home. Good night.” I waved at them, then turned to walk away.

“Good night.”

I got back in the taxi and told the driver my address.

What a crazy night. It seemed everyone had fun but Maria and I. That felt unfair. I wanted to have fun, too. But after escorting Maria home, I was no longer interested, and I could feel my ears ringing from all the loud music.

At home, it was just me and the maid. My dad was somewhere—who knew where, and who cared?

I changed, showered, did all my skincare, and lay down. I fell asleep while staring at the bracelet. I must have slept for some time before my phone rang with an unknown caller on the screen.

It startled me awake. I answered it, and before I could tell them to go to hell, someone said, “Take your car and meet us at the back entrance of the party house.”

“What the fuck? Who is this?”

“Do it now if you want to save your friend.”

“Which friend? What’s going on? I was asleep.”

The line died.

It took me several seconds to shake my head, wake up, and get dressed, then several minutes to decide if I would take the car. If my dad wasn’t using it, the battery might be dead. The last time I drove was when I killed Mom.

Did I want to drive? No.

Did I have to drive? Yes.

So I went to our garage, got in my car, set the GPS, and left.

Chapter 50

My heart was racing. I hated surprises, and most of all, I hated the unexpected. Which friend was in trouble? I could barely drive. I was inexperienced, tired, and afraid I would have an accident. At least there was limited traffic at this hour.

Finally, I neared George’s house. I slowed down, not knowing what to expect. It was dark at the front as the party was on the other side of the house.

A lone dark figure stood off to the side. I stopped the car and took a deep breath. With my phone in hand, I turned on my flashlight and stepped out.

“Turn it off,” a familiar voice said.

I obeyed. I knew that voice.

“What’s going on?”

“Take her home,” Tellis said, shoving a naked and bloody Sophia toward the car. She could barely stand.

Normally, I wasn’t easily surprised or frightened. But this was something else.

Sophia fell into the dirt, semi-conscious.

“What happened to her?” I stared at Tellis.

“Listen, you little bitch. I know who you are and what you’ve done. I know you killed your mom. I’ve been waiting for the right time to use that against you. The time has come.”

Hearing those words from someone outside our group shook me up.

Nasos told Tellis.

He would pay dearly for that. Nasos had opened the door to everything from blackmail to murder.

How could he betray me in such a way?

I tried to lift Sophia, but she was too heavy. “Is this her blood?”

Tellis shook his head.

“Whose blood is it?”

“Nasos’s. He’s dead.”

I stopped and stared. “What the fuck?” I whispered. “Nasos? Dead?” I blinked. “How?”

“Take her home, now.” He threw her purse at me, then her underwear.

Even though Sophia was tiny, I had to use all my strength to get her into my car.

I couldn’t believe what had just happened. It took me forever to drive her home, carry her up the stairs, find her keys, and open the door. I cried as I wiped Nasos’s blood off her and cried more as I dressed her. She had no bruises and no signs of a struggle.

What the fuck happened to you?

I set everything in place, grabbed the second pair of keys I’d spotted to check on her the next day, and left my mom’s bracelet inside Sophia’s laundry hamper. I started to believe that the bracelet was cursed.

My eyes were burning. My heart was pounding. I couldn’t believe that Nasos, my Nasos, was dead. Who did it, though? What could have happened? Why was Sophia naked?

I had to find out everything, so I returned to George’s place and parked away from the house. I didn’t want anyone to see me, so I moved around to the back of the house.

No one was at the back as the party was on the other side of the house. My legs shook as I checked inside the building by peeking through the back windows.

Then I approached a shed, stepped inside, and turned on my flashlight.

I gasped, having to clamp a hand over my mouth.

Nasos, his lifeless body, lay in a pool of blood. I froze, not moving closer. The last thing I wanted to do was touch him or leave evidence of my presence.

A hand wrapped around me so fast I had no time to react.

They locked my mouth up as I struggled.

“Shhhh, don’t make a sound,” a man whispered in my ear.

I nodded.

“If you want your friend to get out of this clean, make her look crazy. Make it so that whatever she may remember, no one will believe her. She has to lose credibility. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you’re involved in this.”

That voice. I knew it.

What the fuck is going on?

Pavlos released me. I tried to turn to face him, but he braced my shoulders and didn’t let me. “First, you must hear what I have to say.”

I stared forward at nothing, wanting to hear him speak.

“I’ve known Nasos since my first year of high school. Nasos worked for Tellis before we hung around. He recruited me. I needed money desperately, so I became his partner. We were going to every high society party to deliver drugs, and no one suspected fifteen-year-old boys of being dealers. That’s why Tellis’s business was thriving. The problem was that there was no time to study.

“Nasos told me about the plan to steal the exam answers and instructed me to be with your mother as a distraction. The plan went wrong, so he told me to take the car and crash it so the police would find the body and arrest you.”

I gasped, unable to hold it back.

“That never happened. I had to improvise to warn you somehow without actually telling you. That’s why I mentioned Tellis, and I paid for that. Nasos beat the fuck out of me. All your friends are involved in one way or another. Even Stefanos is in on it. Nasos sent Nataly and Maria to the police to fuck me over because he wanted me out of the way. That’s why I left.”

I couldn’t listen anymore. I turned on my flashlight and faced him. His T-shirt was red.

“I got stabbed, and I’m bleeding out slowly. I don’t know how much time I’ve got.”

“Who did this to you?” I grabbed him as he stumbled.

“Tellis. I wanted to see him in person to make things right.”

“How would you do that?”

“By killing Nasos, we would be both free,” he said, leaning against a wall so as not to collapse.

“Did you do it?”

“No,” he whispered and fell to the ground next to Nasos’s body.

“Who did, then?” I asked as Pavlos took a heavy breath.

Pavlos’s unseeing eyes stared back.

He was dead.

The two men I ever cared for were lying dead next to each other. I wanted to scream. I didn’t, though.

I left before anyone spotted me at the crime scene.

I ran.

Chapter 51

The Morning Of The Murder

Nasos

The phone rang and woke me up. I had grown to hate phones. They were an invasion of privacy. With a mobile, I was always available wherever I was.

“Hey, Nasos, can I come over?”

“It’s too early, man.”

“No, it’s not. We need to discuss shit.”

“Okay.” I killed the line.

Today is one of the most important meetings Tellis will have. If he closes the deal, we will be swimming in money for a long time, and finally, I’ll be able to give him back all that we owe. The burden off my shoulders will be unbelievable after all these years.

I can get Fotini out of my life, too. I’m so sick of her. Actually, I hate her. If she wasn’t rich, there’s no way I’d be with her. She’s fuckin’ psycho. Way too fucked up for me.

“Mom?” I yelled as I was still in bed.

“Yes, honey?”

“Stefanos is on the way over. Can you make us some coffee?”

“Sure,” she said, always willing to serve. My typical Greek mom.

I got up, put on some clothes, and left my room.

I went to the kitchen and got my coffee. Geez, why did Stefanos have to wake me up? We had one day to sleep in, and he had to wake me.

The bell rang. “Hello, Mrs. Pappas.”

“Please, come in. How do you take your coffee?”

“Very, very seriously,” he said, and they laughed. “Black, thank you.”

Once he got his coffee, he turned to me. “Can we go to the balcony?”

I nodded and got up. Outside, I closed the balcony door behind us. What we were about to say wasn’t for my mom’s ears.

Stefanos looked at me. “What the fuck will I do with Maria?”

“It’s not my fault she didn’t die in that hole. If you’d pushed her harder, she’d be buried with Fotini’s mom, and no one would find her. The others would keep their mouth shut. This is all your fault.”

He gestured at my mug. “Drink more coffee, man. Your brain isn’t functioning properly yet.”

I took a sip. “We go meet Stavros, George’s dad. We’ll check the meeting room. It has to be the same as last year. Eight chairs, thick curtains, no recording devices, etc. When Tellis and his wife arrive, we leave and return only when he calls us. Two of us remain outside the door to ensure no one is armed. George’s dad will make sure no one is allowed in the general area. We’ll need to be seen at the party, though, if something goes south.” I sipped again. “I have a good feeling about this.”

“What about Pavlos?” Stefanos asked.

“He’s such an idiot. Did he think he could just show up, and we wouldn’t figure it out?”

“If I see him, I’ll handle him.”

“Buddy, you don’t have it in you. That’s why you could never be Tellis’s right hand.”

“You are wrong, Nasos.”

“Well, prove it today if you can. Stop chasing Maria’s pussy and man up.”

“What are you talking about?” Then, in a lower voice, he added, “I tried to kill her.”

“Yes, because Tellis said she’s an informant. Not for any other reason.”

Stefanos sighed. “Well, she’s amazing in bed. I can’t deny that.”

“Girls are to be used, then discarded. How many times do I have to tell you that? Snap out of the pussy spell and do what you have to do. And you know something, I’m done with Fotini, too. Thanks to her, I paid all my college expenses for two years, plus some money I gave to my dad for the debt. It’s enough. I’m tired of pretending to be her weak puppy.”

“Are you sure?”

“You’ll see.”

Stefanos glanced at his phone and finished his coffee. “Okay. I’ve got to make a delivery. See you later today.” He put his cup on the table, opened the balcony door, thanked my mom, and left on his motorbike.

I went back inside to find my phone. Geez, there were so many new messages. I put a thumbs up on the group chat and saw Nataly’s and Fotini’s messages.

Nataly: “Wanna meet for a quickie?”

Fotini: “We need to talk. It’s urgent. Meet me at the souvlaki place.”

I couldn’t believe I had to say no to Nataly.

I needed to deal with Fotini, though. And what could be so urgent anyway?

She was waiting for me at a table.

“What’s up?” I kissed her cheek and sat down.

“Nasos, you know I love you, right? And I would do anything for you?”

“I don’t like this,” I said. Here comes the bullshit.

“I need you to listen to me.” She clutched my hand. “Quit the shit you’re doing with Tellis. I have information that the authorities are on to him. The police have rats everywhere. If he goes down, you’ll go down, too.”

Nasos huffed and adjusted himself in his chair, clearly agitated. “You have always been a selfish bitch. Don’t you get that I’m doing this for us?”

“Oh, shut up. Making this about us when it’s clearly about you.” She was always so animated when she talked. I hated that about her.

“After everything I’ve done for you, you dare say some stupid shit like that. As if the cops are watching us? Who cares about us?”

“Nasos, what are you talking about? You haven’t done anything for me.”

She was right, but I couldn’t tell her that, so I had to deflect. “Pavlos was right. We’re just a bunch of failing failures.”

“Our rule as a group is—” she tried to say the shit I had heard so many times. It made me want to vomit.

“Fuck the rule, Fotini, fuck everything, and fuck you. I’m done.”

I couldn’t believe I said it like that.

I pushed out my chair and left.

Later, I needed to fix it.

She knew too much to break up with her that way. Although, what would she say to anyone? I knew where her mother’s body was and who put it there.

Chapter 52

We went as planned and ensured everything was ready for the meeting later. Then we headed poolside with a glass of champagne and watched the staff preparing everything as we sat on some randomly placed chairs.

“This is the life,” I said to Stefanos, sipping champagne.

“Totally.”

George came toward us. “You cool? You guys need anything?”

“Yeah, a girl to rub our backs,” I said, and they both smiled.

“Well, do you know who I want?”

“Who?” I asked.

“That girl Sophia you’re hanging out with.”

“Okay, then take her?”

“I think she’s too shy.”

“We can fix that.” I winked. “You know I have all kinds of stuff to help you.”

“I don’t know about that,” George said, brushing his hair with his fingers.

“Why? She won’t even remember what happened.”

“I’ll remember it.”

“You are such a pussy,” I said, trying to challenge him. He didn’t like the idea. It was written all over his face.

“When I wink, give her something, and we’ll see how it goes.”

“Deal.”

The party started, and the meeting in the back room began.

We got the text that the girls had arrived. I needed to smooth things over with Fotini.

We found them near the DJ. Nataly was punishing me for avoiding her earlier. Her hands were all over the guy. I looked away, ignoring her immature taunting.

“Can we talk?” Fotini yelled in my ear.

She tried to hug me, but I was in no mood for that shit.

“But, baby, you broke up with me.” I looked away. I couldn’t believe she wanted to have that conversation here. But again, most of the time, nothing she did made any sense.

“Broke up with you?” she repeated.

“Maybe we should spend some time apart.”

“Oh, really,” she said.

“Fotini, we’ve been together forever. Time to move on.”

“I don’t want to have this conversation now. We’re supposed to be having fun.”

“You started it. I tried to avoid you, but you keep texting me.”

“Is it wrong to want to know what’s going on?”

“Let’s face it, you don’t love me.” I crossed the line, but I wasn’t taking it back. “You can’t love anyone. Not even your own mother. It’s like, a fault of yours, somehow.”

“You shouldn’t have said that.” Her voice seemed calm, but she was shaking.

“We aren’t getting anywhere here.” I waved a hand between us. “I have work to do. See ya.”

I left. Being with her at that moment was ridiculous. I went where the real party was. I needed to mingle. After all, it was a students’ party. After a while, Sophia came up to me.

“Hey, have you seen the girls?”

“What?” I wasn’t sure I heard what she said. She looked stunning, though.

“Have you seen the girls?”

“Hey, let me show you something.” I wanted to be alone with her, so I guided her somewhere with less noise.

“What?” she asked.

“What?” I said, pretending I didn’t know what she was talking about. Maybe she would smile, but she didn’t.

“What did you want to show me?”

“You look amazing today.” I touched her naked back. Her skin was amazingly soft and supple. She didn’t seem to like it. Maybe she would later.

“Thank you.”

“You know, I saw you talking to George. He was undressing you with his eyes.”

“And?”

“He doesn’t deserve you. You’re too pure, too pretty for him,” I touched her neck. Geez, how much I wanted to bend her over and fuck her.

“You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not.” I leaned in and forced a kiss. I was free to do whatever the fuck I wanted now.

“What the fuck, Nasos? Back off.” She pushed me away.

“I’m sorry, Sophia. Please don’t tell anyone. I’m so sorry. I’m just drunk. Wait, wait here.” Shit, I got carried away. I hadn’t given her anything yet, so I had to fix it. I went to the bar and brought her my special mix of champagne. “To an everlasting friendship.”

“Okay, I’ll drink to that.”

I watched her guzzle it back, which was great.

“Let’s dance.” I took her by the hand, and we danced for a while. It would take some time to go through her system, and I was too bored to wait.

“I’ll come back,” I said, and she nodded. Her eyes were swimming. I went to take a piss. When I came back, she was already acting quite liberated. As I was about to pull her away from all the attention she was getting, Philipos appeared in front of me out of the blue.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

“I wanted to see you.”

“Are you drunk?”

“Maybe.”

“Go home.”

“I can’t get over that you kissed me back.”

I stared at him for a long moment. “I didn’t.”

“You froze,” Philipos said and came one step closer.

“Because your gayness took me aback. It’s called surprise, not desire.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You liked it and didn’t know how to react. That’s why you hit me the other day. You’re still wondering if you’re gay, aren’t you?”

Philipos moved in quickly and kissed me.

What the absolute fuck?

I shoved him away. He’d pay for that. I know I’m not gay.

My hands clenched at my sides as I looked at Philipos.

He saw that in me and left. What the fuck was that all about?

I watched Sophia for a while, embarrassing herself further. People were videoing her antics. I’d love to see her face on Monday.

I got her attention and signaled her to follow me. She followed me in the darkness. I knew a shed a little further away on the property. I’d fuck her there as she had never been fucked before. She wanted it. I could tell.

“Where are we going?” she asked in a low voice as if we were doing something we shouldn’t be.

“Shh, keep your voice down.”

“I don’t feel well,” she said, tripping over herself. I held her as she could barely stand now. My mix was working.

I took her inside the shed and laid her down on the ground. It was dark but not total darkness. The lights from the party on the other side of the property offered us a soft glow.

She was semi-conscious now. I removed her clothes until she was completely naked.

What a body she had.

For a second, she opened her eyes and looked around. She had no idea what was going on. I touched her entire body. I kissed her neck. Aroused, I was ready to take off my pants.

When I fumbled with the button, something jabbed my lower abdomen. I tried to see what it was in the dark, but I was jabbed again.

Now, a sharp pain raged through my stomach area. Whatever was biting me hit again and again and again.

“You fucking bastard.”

Nataly’s voice was the last thing I heard as my blood spattered on my face and Sophia’s nakedness.

Chapter 53

Νataly

The DJ was amazing. He was so handsome, too.

Nasos passed next to me and gave me a side look. Of course, he wouldn’t like that I was having fun. I finally did something to annoy him. I saw him and Fotini talking on the side.

Nasos had told me that this would be the day he would get rid of her and be with me. I was tired of all this hide-and-seek for so long. I was always second to both of them. At least with Nasos, that would change, and Fotini would have to accept it.

Nasos left angry. I could see it in his face, and Fotini came back with a weird look in her eyes. Oh, poor Fotini, your boy toy doesn’t want to be your toy anymore?

I kept dancing but with an eye on where Nasos was. After a while, the girls decided to leave. Cool, I didn’t need them anyway to have fun. Maria was difficult to hang around with after she hit her head.

I moved closer to the dance floor and glanced around.

I gasped at the sight of Nasos kissing Sophia.

Oh, he would so pay for this.

I watched them dance, but Sophia didn’t seem like herself. She was acting too stupid. People can have fun, but teasing and annoying people isn’t fun.

Nasos left briefly, came back, and signaled her from afar.

I knew him too well. I knew what he wanted to do.

I was so furious I could barely contain myself.

I elbowed George aside and then Stefanos as I followed them.

“Hey Nat, what’s wrong?” Stefanos asked.

“That stupid friend of yours drugged Sophia, and now he’s going to fuck her.” I looked back. “Or should I say rape her?”

“What? Noooo …” George dragged out the word as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Follow me, and you’ll see.”

“No, I’ll pass. If she really wants to fuck him, let her.” George walked away.

Stephanos followed, though. We made it to the shed in time to see Nasos on top of a naked and passed-out Sophia. He was about to undo his pants when Mr. Tellis stepped out of the shadows. He nodded at Stefanos, and Stefanos took a large garden fork, leaned down, and jabbed it into Nasos multiple times.

“You fucking bastard,” was the only thing I managed to say.

Mr. Tellis grabbed a wooden stick, similar to a baseball bat, and hit Nasos’s head, caving it inward.

Nasos dropped onto Sophia’s black dress. He didn’t move again.

“What will we do with him?” Stefanos asked.

“Leave him here,” Tellis said.

“I didn’t know we’d kill him today.”

“I hadn’t planned that. But what he was about to do to Sophia places us all at risk. I can’t have that.”

I eased back, listening to a conversation I couldn’t believe was real, and remained silent.

“What were you doing here?” Stefanos asked Mr. Tellis.

He turned on his flashlight and pointed in the corner. Pavlos was tied up and unconscious, a gag in his mouth.

“We’ll stage it as if they fought and killed each other. How convenient. I couldn’t have planned it better.”

“What about Sophia?” I asked, even though they’d forgotten I was there.

“Right,” Stefanos said and looked at her naked body.

I wanted to cover her up. She was opening her eyes, closing them, trying to get up, then falling.

Tellis bent over and sniffed her like an animal. “She has potential,” he said and then rubbed her between the legs. “She doesn’t fit our narrative, though. We need to get rid of her.”

“Kill her, too?” Stefanos said, surprise in his voice.

Mr. Tellis shook his head. “Tell Fotini to pick her up.”

“If she remembers or tries to say anything, we’ll take care of her then. She’s already overheard me speaking about some things. I’ll take her dress for leverage.” Tellis pulled out his phone.

“Type Fotini’s number.” He gave the phone to me, and when it rang, I gave it back to him.

“Take your car and meet us at the back entrance of the party house. Do it now if you want to save your friend,” he said into the phone, then ended the call. “That’s taken care of,” Tellis said and looked at me.

“You leave now. Go and have fun, and dance as if this is the last day of your life.”

My whole body was shaking. My heart was racing.

I looked at the dead body, then Pavlos tied up in the corner, Sophia naked, and the two to blame for all of it just standing there as if it was normal.

Then I left and did as I was told.

I danced as if it was my last day on earth.

Part 3

Chapter 54

Sophia

I woke up in a hospital with no recollection of how I got there. At first, I was in the emergency, then in the psych ward. That seemed fitting after everything I’d been through.

I had run from my house, leaving the door open and my belongings unattended, as if a madman were chasing me.

Now, I can hear everything around me but can’t do anything about it. My eyes are closed. I have no idea who’s coming in or going unless I recognize the voice or they identify themselves.

It’s something the doctors called locked-in syndrome.

“Hey, just hang in there.” Stella’s voice. “Everything’ll be okay. I promise.” My unexpected friend.

Time rolled on. I lost track of whether I was asleep or dreaming or if it was day or night. I waited in silence. If that can’t drive someone crazy, I don’t know what can. Or maybe I do know. If I could only laugh at my own stupidity.

Voices emanated from the corridor.

Stella was talking to someone. Oh, geez, my landlord. She was crying.

I hope she tells her to go away.

Moments later, the corridor was quiet.

Good, she left. Poor woman. When I get out of this one day, I’ll thank her. You expect kindness from the people in your inner circle. Sometimes, people you don’t even care about offer it freely.

Then I heard her voice. Finally, she showed up.

The door to my room opened.

“Honey,” Stella said. “Fotini came to say goodbye.”

The door closed softly, followed by a heavy sigh.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Did her voice crack? Was she eliciting emotion? “I wanted to protect you. But with all those meds you were taking, you made it so damn easy.” She paused. “I’m leaving, and I’ve heard people in comas can still listen, so here goes.” She sighed. “I set up a tiny speaker system at your house to play shit at night. I wanted you to think you’d lost your mind because if you remembered anything about that night, they would kill you, too. Since you’re here—locked in, or whatever they called it—well, perhaps I went too far. But at least no one will bother you when you leave this place. You’ve lost all credibility.”

She sniffled.

What the fuck?

“You should know that Mr. Tellis gave you to me that night. You were naked as if you were some toy he no longer needed. I cleaned you up, put on your pajamas, and cared for you that night. I needed you to think this was all a bad dream.” She paused again. “I’m sorry. I thought I’d tell you the truth eventually, and we’d be able to continue our lives. You didn’t have to take all those pills, you coward. I guess I won’t see you in Hell, my little angel.”

A moment later, the door opened and closed. I let that sink in. I couldn’t believe what she did. I almost cut my veins because of her.

Stella came in. “You’re doing great,” she said and left quietly.

As if I could do anything else anyway.

I don’t know how much time passed before I heard someone else come in—someone I never expected.

“I’m sorry,” Nataly whispered, and the door opened again.

“Cut the bullshit, Nat,” Stefanos whispered from my left side. “You’re not sorry. I don’t even know who you are anymore. Why the hell are you here anyway?”

“Dude, I’m supposed to be her friend. I have to act like it, right? It’s called keeping up appearances, idiot.”

“Were you her friend when you saw Nasos trying to rape her drugged-up body?”

“Shut up!” It sounded like Nataly breathed the word through her teeth. “What if they can hear you?”

“They? Who the fuck would they be, bitch? The cops? What, you think they have listening devices in here?” He slapped my arm. “What about this breathing carcass? You think she can hear us?”

Nataly didn’t answer.

“If she can,” Stefanos continued, “then she’ll take our secrets to the grave.”

The clock ticked away in the silence that followed.

“So,” Stefanos said, his voice calmer. “How could you call her a friend? Nasos drugged her, undressed her, and was seconds from raping her. Wouldn’t a friend keep an eye on each other?”

She tsked once. “Well, I didn’t have a chance to react before you stabbed Nasos to death.” Her voice faltered.

“Shut up. Nat. I’m serious. Shut up. Even if they can’t hear us, saying it out loud is risky.”

I couldn’t move or react even if I wanted to, but those words shocked me.

Stefanos killed Nasos!

“You’re nothing but Tellis’s pathetic puppet,” Nataly said, her voice lower. “Everything is ruined because of you. We were a close-knit family.”

“No, we were a bunch of liars who hung out because of convenience. Nasos didn’t love Fotini. He was fucking you. I don’t love Maria, and she was talking to the cops. And Sophia here, the recent addition, was crazy, and then Pavlos changed sides. So what kind of family was that?” Now he tsked twice. “Exactly, it’s a dysfunctional one. Don’t lie to yourself. Only Tellis remained true to who he is through this entire ordeal.”

I heard a clap. Did Nataly just slap him?

“You stupid ass.” Nataly sounded angry. “Maria wasn’t talking to anyone. I would know. And why did Pavlos have to die, huh? Was it worth it? Was Nasos worth it? How did you feel when you stabbed him? Friends don’t kill each other, Stefanos, friends don’t kill.”

Silence filled the room, accompanied by a ringing in my ears.

Stefanos cleared his throat. “Nasos was stealing from the business, taking some off the top, and Pavlos wanted to shut us down. Mr. Tellis didn’t give me an out. Besides, it raised my game with him.”

The door opened violently, and heavy steps pounded inside.

“Stefanos Sotiriou, you are under arrest. Nataly Alexandrou, come with us. We have everything we need, Stella.”

I was waiting to hear that you have the right to remain silent speech, but this is Greece, and I watch too much American TV. They don’t have the Miranda warning here.

Stella spoke close to my ear. “Good job, Sophia. I’ll drop by after.”

All I did was drive myself crazy instead of doing what I came to do—study.

Chapter 55

A Few Days Later

“Are you sure you want to stay there after everything that happened?” My mom’s voice echoed like a melody in my ears. We sat on the sofa holding our coffee cups as we used to do every Sunday morning.

“At this home?” I glanced around. “Yes. At that school? No.” I sipped some coffee. “You know, Mom, I didn’t have the time to tell you everything that Stella, sorry I meant Niki told me. She looks young, but she’s in her thirties. Her disguise was amazing to avoid being recognized on TV. Niki wanted to stir up the situation by going public. Thanks to her plan, we got them. When I was admitted to the hospital for my breakdown, she was the only one I called since it was the only number I knew by heart. She came immediately, not as a fellow student but as an officer. She told me everything she knew and asked for my help in the case, hoping we got a confession. She spoke to the hospital staff, and with my consent, they gave me a neuro-paralyzing drug that would give me a coma-like appearance, but I would still be me, conscious and awake. Something like locked-in syndrome.

“They’ve been trying to nail Tellis for years, so she went undercover at our college and joined a class he would teach. Then, when she saw me hanging out with Fotini’s group, she wanted to learn more about Pavlos because they’d lost contact with him. He was supposed to keep in touch, but he disappeared. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. The police kept his murder from the press.”

Mom shook her head. “It feels like I’m listening to a movie blurb, sweetheart. I can’t believe what you went through.” Her eyes filled with tears. “And I wasn’t here to protect you. I wish you had told me.”

“Mom, I couldn’t. Everything was crazy and happening so fast. I wonder if the school will close, what with all the attention and Tellis’s arrest. I don’t know how many students will still attend classes. It’s gone from the most elite school to the school of murder and drugs.”

Mom placed her cup on the table.

“Fotini vanished out of thin air. No one knows where she is. Only Maria will be at school. Poor girl. Now I believe that Stefanos threw her in the hole on purpose, thinking she was talking to the police, and then Maria pretended she was injured and never brought it up that he pushed her. That’s my theory.”

“I still can’t believe that you went through so much.”

“I can’t believe it either.” I looked out the window where a small bird sat chirping. “I wonder where Fotini went, though.”

Chapter 56

Fotini Olympiou

“My name is Faye Olympiou. Yes, Faye is short for Fotini. I want to book a ticket for,” I hesitated, took the map I was holding, closed my eyes, and randomly placed my finger. “For Mykonos, one ticket, please.”

I hung up after booking my ticket. I needed to leave everything behind. I needed to run because soon, my so-called friends would tell the police about my mom.

I left a note for my dad, though. I told him that if he didn’t kill himself, I’d tell everyone he raped me, and his name would be ruined. When he died, I could truly move on. I was sure I’d read it in the papers soon.

I took a suitcase, all the jewelry I could find, a pile of cash, and as much money as possible from my bank account and then ran.

Fotini Alexiou died with her family. She died with her friends.

Faye Olympiou would take a boat to Mykonos.

No one checks IDs at the port, especially when you’re Greek.

I’d find another family to play with.

I wish I could find another Sophia, too.

One day, I’d come back around when everyone least expected it.

The funny thing about revenge is there’s no urgency.

When I’m ready, I’ll get it.

Hey, a girl needs something to look forward to.

As the sun set in the western sky, I boarded the ferry.

Afterword

DEAR READER,

Thank you so much for choosing my book over thousands of others to keep you company for these few hours. I truly hope you enjoyed it. Writing this book was a journey for me for many reasons. I wanted to raise awareness of the anxiety disorder Sophia suffers from because she isn’t the only one. I have endured it since I was twenty-four. In the novel, I portrayed some of my symptoms, and I added more that someone may have, like hallucinations (I don’t have those). Many people are unaware of what it feels like and struggle to understand it. This leaves the sufferer feeling all alone in his mind prison. Usually, there’s logic, but the body doesn’t listen.

I’ll tell you about an incident so you may understand better. I was driving my daughter to school when she was ten years old. She had a nosebleed. I told her to tilt her head back and hold her nose to block the flow. What happened next was the blood had nowhere to go, so it entered her sinuses and escaped through her eyes—she cried blood tears.

Then she panicked.

I turned around, saw her, spun back around, and drove her to the closest doctor.

During the short ride, I tried to comfort my daughter.

“Don’t worry. It’s blood from your nose. Everything will be fine.”

However, my emotions were so out of control that my body began to shut down. Even though I knew the bloody tears were there because of her nosebleed, my feet on the pedals grew numb, my mouth felt weird, and my eyesight got blurry, all the while telling my daughter that she’d be fine.

There was no place to stop to calm down. No time.

I don’t know how we made it to the doctor. When I stepped out of the car, I thought I’d faint.

So, I called her father to take care of her. Once he arrived, I dropped onto a bed before I collapsed. (Remember: disorder. My mind was rational, telling me she’d be fine. It was just a nosebleed. But this was my daughter, and she was crying blood! So, the disorder shut my body down piece by piece).

In the end, her eyes were fine, and the nosebleed stopped.

Me? I was a wreck. 

I still have anxiety—irrational, I know—but after so long, I’m able to control it, and I know the triggers. However, I don’t let my anxiety take away the things that I enjoy in life. When I was younger, I was at the movies, and the film had suspense, which triggered an anxiety attack. Numbness, heart palpitations, and burning skin sensation. At that point, I made a definitive choice. Instead of running away, going home, and hiding until it went away, I stayed and promised myself that my anxiety wouldn’t take over my life. 

I still have triggers, especially if it’s something that concerns my health. If I feel sick, I get anxious, and then I’m sick because of the anxiety, and a vicious cycle starts. However, I don’t let it get me for long. 

No one can ever tell if I’m having an anxiety attack or if I have anxiety in general. The war is always between my body and my mind.

All people, at one point, will experience anxiety. It’s a normal feeling. But when it makes your everyday life hard, you may consider it a disorder. No one lives in a constant wave of happiness, but also no one deserves to live a life of anxiety.

Don’t let it run your life; don’t let it win. Ask for help. You deserve a great, happy life. There will be ups and downs, but that’s life.

Plot Point: Once we leave Sophia’s point of view and enter Fotini’s, you’ve likely noticed that the scenes weren’t copied/pasted word for word. I did that on purpose. We all perceive things differently, and since we’re in someone else’s point of view, I wanted that difference to be subtle, where even words spoken could be misheard or mistaken, and even intentions could be misconstrued. It would’ve been easier to copy and paste each line of dialog, but who would want to read those particular scenes again verbatim?

If that’s considered an error, then it’s all on me. I made that choice. Everyone’s got a story, and we all hear what we think we hear or what we want to hear.

But when The Truth Is A Lie, whose story can we trust?

Sophia: I want to talk about Sophia for a moment.

Sophia is a nineteen-year-old girl whose family owns a hotel. She went to a university that actually exists. She’s a beautiful and happy girl and, thank God, doesn’t suffer from any form of anxiety. She’s also my niece. My aunts are her grandmother and sister, and I love them deeply. In the summer, I came up with this plot as I watched her work at their amazing hotel, Lakki Village in Amorgos. 

My family comes from Amorgos, and I’ve spent almost every summer in my village. So, what I wrote about island life is true based on my experiences. 

I also wanted to write about young Fotini (Faye), the main character from my other novel, There Will Be Blood. You get to see in this novel what made her into the person she becomes in the next book.

If you couldn’t figure out the ending until the very end, you’re not alone—I didn’t know it either. I thought Nataly had done it, but when I wrote the last line of that chapter, I turned the page and grinned to myself because it was then that I discovered who did it.

 I must thank my husband, editor, and best-selling author, Jonas Saul, for believing in me and for his unique editing skills. I also thank Bethany Carpenter and Dwayne Clayden for beta-reading my work.

I couldn’t stop there as I need to thank Sophia for being herself and letting me use her name. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this book, and if you have an anxiety disorder, feel free to reach out because you are not alone.

Be well, take care of each other, and until the next book—read lots!

Blessings,

Rania Stone

Rania Stone Titles

Novels

The Truth Is A Lie

What He Didn’t Know

The Lives Between Us

There Will Be Blood (Co-written with Jonas Saul) 

The Soulless (Co-written with Jonas Saul)

Children’s Books (All in Greek)

A Walk In The Garbage City

The Magic Ring

The War Of Fire And Water Drops

The Well Of Colors

Adventures In Bunny Land

Adventures In Bunny Land 2

Melinda And The 100 Princesses

The Cursed Chest

The Christmas Reindeer

Melinda And The Magical Crystal Ball

Cat-Tales

About Rania Stone

Rania Stone is the author of five adult novels and eleven children’s stories. She’s a well-known author in Greece and has recently had several novels translated into English. Her first English release, What He Didn’t Know, was released in late 2020.

She’s been writing for two decades and calls Greece her home.

Contact Rania Stone:

Website: www.raniastone.com

Facebook: RaniaStone/Facebook

Bookbub: Rania Stone

Email: contact@raniastone.com

Instagram: Rania/Instagram