"Ugh, I can't believe we made Carmen mad again," Amber groaned as she and Shelby walked up the school steps that cold morning.

"Well, I can't believe she said all those rude things to us! She had no right," Shelby crossed her arms in frustration.

"I'm not going to cross Joel off the list of suspects just because he's her dad," Amber affirmed while opening the door.

The girls stepped into the quiet hallway. There was no sign of Carmen whatsoever. The long corridors were unnervingly silent.

Shelby sighed and hugged her shoulders. She couldn't deny the fact that she was hella pissed with Carmen. Still, she hoped she was okay...

"Gosh, there's literally no one here. Why did you want to get here so early anyway?" Amber said quietly, not wanting to disrupt the ghostly silence.

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me," Shelby said loudly before putting her arms behind her back. "I have an early morning tutoring session."

"Tutoring?"

"Yep!" Shelby stepped back slowly. "I should probably get going now, I don't want to be late."

"Um, alright. Good luck with that."

"Thanks, Amb. See ya later!" Shelby waved and skipped away.

Amber raised an eyebrow as she watched her turn a corner. She'd never seen her be so excited for anything academic— no but of course, she had to be meeting with Mr. Banks. No wonder she was so happy. At least she was studying, Amber supposed.

Having nothing else to do, Amber decided to get ahead on some honors assignments in the courtyard to kill time. Once she was there, sitting on a wooden bench with her stuffed binder opened on her lap, she noticed a peculiar piece of paper with a cartoon-style drawing of a cat on it. She pulled it out to get a better look and smiled when she remembered how Hayden would sneakily sketch cartoons on her old assignments. Amber rolled her eyes and smirked. What a silly guy.

A chilling breeze suddenly snatched the paper out of her hands and sent it flittering across the ground. Amber jumped up to chase it, but someone had already knelt to pick it up.

"I see you're enjoying Felix's company," Hayden grinned, holding the piece of paper up for Amber.

Amber took the paper, using it as a convenient way to hide her embarrassment. "How sweet, you even gave him a name?"

"Yeah, I mean look at him. He clearly has a lot of personality."

"You're such a dork," Amber couldn't help but grin while rolling her eyes.

"There's that smile I like to see," Hayden said happily before sitting next to her on the bench. "You looked down before, so I'm glad Felix could cheer you up."

Sure, it was definitely Felix.

"Were you watching me?" Amber raised an eyebrow.

Now it was Hayden's turn to blush. His eyes went wide for a split second before he turned away to stare absently at the courtyard. "I was just wandering around and noticed you were here too. I didn't want to interrupt you, it seemed like you were stressed with something."

Amber stared at her dandelion-shaded plaid pleated skirt. She felt caught, somehow. Everyone always thought of her as "the ice queen" without emotions. It felt incredibly lonely harboring her feelings deep down under the surface, but she'd grown so used to it that having someone else notice her true state almost felt like a violation.

"You nailed it. I am stressed," Amber breathed out and leaned back, staring up at the light golden foliage above them.

"Something tells me it's more than just school," Hayden said carefully. Amber's gaze finally met with his, but that veil of coldness and judgment was slowly fading away. Her eyes revealed a dewy sadness, and her expression was soft.

"How can you understand me so well? We haven't even known each other that long."

"I could tell by your mannerisms. The way you never even opened your notebook, the way you kept bouncing your knee, how you didn't meet my eyes until I pressed for more. You're right, we haven't known each other that long. Still, I've picked up on your patterns. You're more interesting than you realize, Amber."

Amber evaded his studious blue eyes and chuckled while readjusting her Bobby pins. "Who said I don't find myself interesting?"

"For starters.. you're nervously adjusting your hair. That tells me you don't fully believe you are. You're also selective with who you talk to, which might mean you feel like you don't have much to offer to everyone."

Amber suddenly pressed a finger to his lips and stared at him sternly. "Shh, I didn't ask to get psychoanalyzed. You're starting to freak me out, beanie kid."

Hayden looked down at her finger and nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out. Do you want to tell me what's worrying you?"

Realizing she still hadn't taken her finger off, Amber cleared her throat and held her hands on her lap. Her mind went back to the heated fight she and Shelby had with Carmen, and she was immediately struck with guilt. "Not.. particularly."

"That's ok," Hayden said softly. "How's the investigation going? Any luck soothing the ghost?"

Ever since the pool incident, Amber had been filling Hayden in on the girls' investigation of Rain's murder.

"There are suspects, alright. But they're not the suspects we'd hoped."

"What do you mean?" There was a hint of apprehension in Hayden's tight voice. He was aware of the time constraint they faced. Every day that went by increased the chances of them suffering Rain's rage, just as Amber had when she nearly drowned in the pool.

Amber filled him in on a summary of Carmen's most recent dreams. Hayden listened attentively, rolling his knuckles under his chin while he took in the information.

"So you think Carmen's dad, Joel, or Holly or Sloane may be involved in this?" Hayden repeated.

"Correct."

"Could it be that they all had a hand in her death? Maybe it wasn't just one person, but all of them."

Amber's eyes lit up. "Wait, but Holly and Sloane would've had no reason to team up with Joel. They turned into each other's enemies, remember?"

"That much is true, but keep in mind that Carmen's still getting visions. Something else could have happened that made Joel turn against Rain and team up with Holly and Sloane to plot her murder."

"It would have had to be something major, for enemies to turn into accomplices," Amber murmured as she mulled it over in her head.

"There's no way to know unless you talk to Carmen again."

"Ugh, but she'll never forgive us for suspecting her father."

"It's understandable for Carmen to react angrily, Joel's basically her childhood hero. But Amber, you have to make her understand this. The sooner you guys get to the bottom of this, the lower the chances of Rain hurting one of you will be."

Amber sighs deeply, clearing her heart of all the guilt and apprehension. She suddenly feels lighter, like a heavy weight has been lifted off her back. "Thank you.. for listening, Hayden. I don't know what I would do without you," she smiled gently.

Hayden smiled back, keeping his gaze locked on her kind amber eyes. He had the urge to hold his hand over hers— for reassurance— but resisted and instead clutched his fingers into a fist while maintaining his hand mere inches from hers. "I'm always here."

***

"A German... a gerum? No no no, that's a gerund!"

"Excellent! See? You're getting the hang of it!" Mr. Banks grinned his famous pearly smile. "You might not even need my help anymore, you just need to stop second-guessing yourself."

"Do you really think so?" Shelby gushed and raised her shoulders shyly while feigning modesty.

"From what I've seen during our sessions, yes."

"Perhaps... you'd like to see more?" Shelby twirled her finger around her shiny black hair.

Mr. Banks raised an eyebrow in what appeared to be confusion. "What do you mean, Miss Thatcher?"

"Oh please, just call me Shelby! And I only meant, that um, maybe we should cover more topics. You know, just to make sure I really do understand everything. This is my only AP class, and I really want to pass it. I... I don't want to disappoint my mother." This time, Shelby genuinely sunk into her shoulders. A somber look came over her face as she dropped her gaze away from him.

A brief moment of still silence passed between them until the teacher sighed and placed his hands softly on the table.

"I'm sorry, I rambled too much..."

"I understand how you feel, Shelby," Mr. Banks interrupted.

"You do?" Shelby finally glanced up with hesitation. She was almost sure he was only saying it to pretend to empathize. A perfect man like him could not possibly understand what it was like to fear disappointing the most important people in your life.

"Your mother must place a lot of pressure on you, huh? My father was the same way," Mr. Banks turned his face to the window and bit the inside of his cheek. His gaze was somewhere far away.

When he didn't continue, Shelby furrowed her eyebrows with concern. "How so?"

"He was a successful man, a business executive. Obviously, being as successful as he was, he had a lot of high expectations for me."

"Darren, don't be a sissy. Be a man," Mr. Banks mocked his father in a gruff voice. Shelby chuckled. "Be tough and most importantly of all, be merciless. You have to be at the top of your class. Don't let anyone outrank you. Go to a prestigious university, get your degree, so that one day you may be worthy enough to inherit my business."

Darren... He'd said, Darren. Something clicked on Shelby's head as she recalled what Carmen had proposed at the mall yesterday. Mr. Banks just confirmed he was the Darren Banks!

"It sounds like.. he wanted to dictate your life for you," Shelby said gently.

"Yes. I mean, he had good intentions. But his expectations were just..."

"Too much?" Shelby finished for him. Mr. Banks gulped and looked at her with a longing look before turning back to the window. "I'm not saying it's unrealistic to reach them.. but when people we admire set high goals, the fear of failing and disappointing them grows so much bigger."

Shelby crossed her arms and rubbed her shoulders anxiously. Something about saying her deepest fears aloud brought a wave of simultaneous relief and apprehension.

Suddenly, she felt warmth envelop her as her confidant pulled her into a comforting embrace.

"You couldn't have said it any better," he murmured.

Shelby was surprised at first but finally hugged him back tighter. What was this feeling? She'd opened up to Amber before, but this was different. He understood her in a way her friends could not. He did not judge, he did not give her pity, because he shared the same burden. They had the same fear— a fear of being paralyzed on the path to success painted by someone else.

Shelby's heart raced. On impulse, she asked, "Mr. Banks, can I be honest? I've never felt this way with anyone before."

"Darren," he pulled away to survey her face and smiled gently.

"Darren... You understand me," she looked up at him longingly. Her arms were still around him, and his around hers.

Outside, the clouds grew dark as early drops of rain began to trickle down melodiously.

"I can hardly remember the last time I felt like this. Even then... you understand me more than anyone from my past ever could."

Darren rubbed her arm soothingly, and that was enough to give Shelby the courage to hold his shoulders and kiss him.

Darren pulled away in shock and tilted his head in what looked like confusion.

Shelby stepped back in embarrassment as he strode towards the door. Holding back tears, she pleaded, "Da— Mr. Banks, I'm so sorry, I misread the situation... Please don't call the office!"

Suddenly, she heard a click echo through the classroom. That's when she realized, he had locked the door with both of them inside.

"Shelby.. are you sure this is what you want? I will unlock the door if you change your mind," Mr. Banks stared back at her with concern while holding the keys close to the lock.

Shelby's face lit up and she laughed with relief. "I'm sure. I want you, right now."

Darren held her waist and tilted her chin up as she held his shoulders before pulling her into a passionate kiss. They walked backward, lost in each other's grasp until they embraced in front of the window, becoming a pair of silhouettes against a backdrop of misty fog and rain.

***

"You... hold up, let me get this straight. You— you kissed Mr. Banks?" Amber stuttered in disbelief.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Shelby reprimanded, swiveling her head around to make sure no one in the vicinity of their lunch table had heard. "And yes. I did. I told you, just call him Darren."

Amber's jaw dropped as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Stop, I can see you judging me." Shelby dropped her head in her hands and rubbed her temples. "But you know what? I don't regret it."

"First of all, he's twice your age, Shelby. Second of all, you kissed Rain's freaking boyfriend! Oh my gosh, do you want us to die?"

"Oh please, don't be so dramatic," Shelby waved her hand dismissively before taking a sip out of her orange juice. "Love is love, Amber. You need to be more open-minded."

"Well, I don't approve," Amber scoffed and crossed her arms sternly.

"Oh yeah? Well, I don't remember asking for your approval. Or Rain's, for that matter. You know, if she really loved him, she would want him to be happy even if she's gone. I would. I can be his happiness," Shelby said dreamily.

Amber rolled her eyes. What would she ever do with this girl? Suddenly, she saw a figure approach their table while holding a tray of cafeteria food.

"Hey. Mind if I sit here?"

"Carm! Please, sit!" Shelby scooted over and patted the space next to her.

"Thanks," Carmen smiled while placing down her tray and taking a seat.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're back!" Shelby said, pulling her friend into a tight hug.

"I'm happy to be back too, I have so much to tell you guys. But first... I'm sorry for all those nasty things I said to you both. I hope you can forgive me," Carmen said glumly.

"I forgive you," Shelby rubbed her shoulder. "We all say dumb stuff we don't mean."

Amber eyed Shelby suspiciously, wondering if she'd spill the news about her passionate encounter with Mr. Banks even after what Carmen had said the other day. On the surface, it seemed Shelby was over it, though.

"I forgive you too," Amber finally said, reaching out and squeezing Carm's hand for reassurance. "Honestly, I'm sorry for placing you on the spot. I shouldn't have placed all my suspicions on your dad like that. For what it's worth, I think he was one of the good guys."

For what it's worth, Amber only half-believed the words that came out of her mouth at that moment. Sure, she regretted making Carmen angry. Still, that didn't cross Joel Larson off the suspect list.

"Thanks, Amber, you have no idea how much that means to me to hear you say that," Carmen admitted and squeezed her hand back.

"So? What news did you have to tell us?" Shelby said.

"Well, I had another dream. Two, actually."

Carmen gave them a quick rundown on Sloane's confession to Rain, how Rain eventually broke the promise to keep Holly and Sloane a secret from Joel, and how their friend group began to split apart from Sloane. She told them about how frustrated Joel was, but didn't specify how Joel interrogated Rain and slammed the locker door next to her. Next, she recounted Rain and Joel's dangerous encounters with neo-nazis at the club. Finally, she told them how a clue in her dream led to the discovery that Sloane was Madam Vadoma. Carmen briefed them on her visit to the fortune teller and Madam Vadoma's advice to start a séance.

"Hmm... that changes things," Amber said. "Your dad and Rain seem to have gotten closer that night, so I don't think it's him."

Carmen gave Amber a side-eye. "I thought we'd already established it wasn't him."

"Uh, right," Amber laughed nervously. "Anyway! I don't think it's Sloane, either. If she was guilty, why would she be helping us this whole time and tell us to start a seance knowing Rain's ghost might communicate with us?"

"Maybe she's screwing with us and doesn't actually believe in the supernatural," Shelby shrugged.

"No, I don't think so," Carm said. "She would read tarots to Rain in high school and interpret her dreams. It's not just something she picked up later on to make money."

Amber counted her fingers. "That leaves Holly, her mother, and maybe the neo-nazis as suspects?"

Carmen shivered and held her cross. "Do you honestly think the neo-nazis did that to her? That's terrifying."

"At this point, it's hard to tell," Amber said. "Whatever the case, I'm certain we'll get more clues tonight when we do the seance. Speaking of which, where should we do it?"

Carmen spoke up. "We'll need to hold the seance somewhere quiet with strong energy and a round table."