"Today is going to be interesting."

Veronica shook her head. Alice said that sometimes, and while it seemed like she was actually talking about something, Veronica could never figure out what. All the days Alice insisted were going to be interesting looked all the same to her. "How so?"

"I don't know," Alice replied, sounding defensive. "It just is. Can't you feel it?"

Veronica just sighed. Alice said that sometimes too.

Jenna stared at the person who was previously Lydia. She knew, for absolute certain, that it couldn't be Lydia anymore. Not only were her eyes whited out, looking more like a blind's persons, but the way she moved and looked around and held herself were completely different. This was a whole new person. This was Carrie White.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, and even the sounds from around them, the rustling leaves, the chip of birds the chatter of animals; even the distant sound of traffic seemed to hold its breath. If Jenna didn't know better, she'd say the world was put on pause for a minute.

And then Lydia smiled, staring up into space almost proudly.

It was a smile that didn't belong on anyone's face, in Jenna's opinion. It was like it didn't quite fit there. Like it belonged on something worse than what any human was cable of.

"A good body," Lydia finally spoke. Her voice felt like it was dragging wet tissue through Jenna's ears and she shuddered. "No, a great body. The host is strong. This is a better connection than I've had in forever."

Finally, Lydia, or Carrie, or whatever looked away from the sky, and her horrible eyes landed on Jenna. Jenna found out there was a face that Lydia could wear worse than that creepy smile.

"You," Lydia hissed, scowling. The wet tissue in Jenna's ears suddenly grew red hot and Jenna yelped. "I know what you are."

Jenna didn't know what she was talking about. Jenna was a lot of things, but what exactly was she that deserved this much hatred?

Lydia stood up, and Carrie must have used some sort of magic because Lydia looked ten times scarier than she had seemed before. Jenna wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps the sharp murderous glint in her eyes.

Lydia raised a foot and stepped forward. Then another. And another still. Lydia was closing the space between them, slowly. Every step came closer and they made Jenna's stomach twist. She gulped.

Then, a sudden thought occurred to Jenna. It wiggled itself into her head, and Jenna was suddenly frozen.

'Why don't I run away?'

It was a good question, and so Jenna rolled over getting up quickly and sprinting into the woods. She ran faster than she probably ever has before, knocking aside every branch and leaping over every log. Before long, her lungs starting burning and her legs strained. But Jenna ignored every single one of those thoughts; the only thing that mattered was getting away from that thing and towards help.

Jenna tore out of the woods and onto the busy sidewalk, but she didn't stop to acknowledge the stares or the whispers. She was certain that whatever was in the woods didn't have any sort of limit, and it would be upon her soon enough. Jenna needed to get out of there, now.

Barely bothering to catch her breath, Jenna started running again. The sun was peeking up above the buildings. School was starting soon, Jenna realized. Good. That was good.

The sound of sneakers on pavement didn't grab Martha's attention, but the scream certainly did. Martha's head snapped up where the sidewalk she had been looking at to see Jenna running towards her. Martha grew nervous at the expression on Jenna's face.

"Hey, Jenna, what's going on?" she called. Jenna didn't reply, and Martha realized that she must be out of breath. She hadn't stopped running. "Are you okay? You look a little-."

Jenna didn't answer, she just grabbed Martha's hand and yanked.

"H-Hey!" Martha cried, much to surprised to resist. "Stop, I have to catch my bus!"

"No, you-huff-don't," Jenna wheezed.

"Yes, I do!" Martha argued. She didn't know what the hell was going on. "Jenna, what's wrong?"

Jenna looked back behind them, just a quick glance, and Martha suddenly remembered the scream she heard.

"It's her," Jenna told her. "I found the murderer."

Jared drummed his fingers on the wheel of his jeep, trying to ignore all the chatter behind him. His vehicle was fuller than it had ever been before, and he could thank Evan for that, apparently. He could thank Evan for a lot of things.

From what he heard, Joe and Evan had rekindled their 'relationship' (or 'friendship', as they both kept insisting) which somehow meant that they needed to carpool to school. Which somehow meant Jared needed to drive them there. Which somehow meant he needed to drive Connor to school. Which somehow meant that he needed to drive Connor's 'friend', Miguel, to school. Apparently.

Well, as long as they didn't talk to him he was fine-

"Hey, Jared, isn't that your friend?" Zoe asked. "Jenna?"

Jared sighed, mindlessly looking out his window. He frowned. It was Jenna, and Martha too. They seemed to be in a hurry, even though school didn't start for an hour. Besides, Martha's school wasn't anywhere near here.

'What are they doing?' Jared wondered to himself as he watched them pass. Then he shrugged. Maybe they were going to get food together or something, it didn't matter to him at all.

Jared dully noted the girl dressed as a goth walking slowly behind them before the light turned green, and Jared began to edged his vehicle forward.

Then Zoe started screaming.

Jared jerked his foot off the gas instinctively and twisted around to look at her when he felt white hot pain encompass his side. Jared yelped pressing his hand to it, but it didn't go away. It took a couple seconds before Jared realized that his hand was wet. Somehow, he'd been stabbed.

"Hey, isn't that Jenna and Martha?" Jeremy asked, pointing across the street and a little bit ahead. Michael squinted.

"Huh," he said. "It is."

"Doesn't Martha go to a different school?"

Michael shrugged. "Maybe she transferred?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Michael."

"Aw, shut up, I don't hear you giving out any ideas."

"Well, I mean, I guess."

"Who knows?" Michael continued. "Maybe she is secretly a secret agent, infiltrating schools across the US. Or a...a... yeah, I got nothing for this joke."

Jeremy chuckled, shaking his head affectionately. "It was a terrible try, Michael."

Michael lightly punched his arm, laughing when Jeremy gasped. "Come on, dude, I knew you had those chicken wing arms, but really?" he asked, giggling, but his joyful mood fell as Jeremy stopped walking and doubled over. "H-Hey, Jeremy? Are you okay?"

Jeremy looked up. He was obviously in pain, but clearly trying not to show it. His arms where hugged tightly against his midsection.

"These are-cough-the worst-ack!" Jeremy took a deep breath. "These are the worst cramps I have ever gotten in my life."

Jeremy chuckled, and then immediately fell over. Michael didn't know what to do at first, he just stared in horror. Then he rushed over to his friend, shaking Jeremy's shoulder.

"Jeremy?" he asked desperately. "Jeremy?"

Michael gasped when Jeremy rolled over. He didn't know a lot about that stuff, but that looked like far, far too much blood.

Michael jumped away, quickly bring out his phone. He need to call 911 now. Suddenly, he spied someone across the street.

"Hey!" he cried. "Help! We need help!"

But the girl didn't stop.

"Walk faster," Chloe said lowly. Both Brooke and McNamara gave her an odd look.

"Um... what?" Brooke asked, slowly.

"Yeah, I feel like we've been walking as fast as we can already," McNamara complained. "If we went any faster, we'd been running."

"No we wouldn't," Chloe hissed. "Now walk. Faster."

Brooke and McNamara exchange a confused glance before asking the same stupid question.

"Why?"

"Because those three are behind us," Chloe explained impatiently. She rolled her eyes when this had no clue effect on either Brooke nor McNamara. "Glinda, Elphaba and Alana."

"Oh!"

Chloe was relieved. Brooke finally seemed to understand-

"Let's go say hi!"

Chloe resisted the urge to face palm. "No, we can't," she hissed. "Remember, they are the rival. Trio. We must be better than them."

Chloe knew it was coming, but she still couldn't prepare herself for the tidal wave of ignorance.

"Why?"

"Because..." alright, Chloe didn't have a great answer for that. "Because they're nerds. And there can only be ONE trio in this school."

"Why-?"

"Don't," Chloe glared at the two of them. "Alright, here's the plan. We get to Denaro first, we sit in front of the school, and we look totally relaxed and cool and better than them by the time they get there."

"But they're so nice though!" Brooke said. It wasn't really an argument, but Chloe was going to take it as one. "Alana helped me with math once."

"And Elphaba helped me with that, too!"

Chloe didn't bother mention that Glinda helped her as well.

"Just walk faster," Chloe snapped, already starting to speed up. But she didn't get very far before Brooke was once again yelling out to her.

"Chloe!" Brooke yelled. "Chloe, look!"

"Just walk, Brooke," Chloe yelled back.

"No, Chloe, look!"

Chloe sighed, finally giving in, and passed to look around. But she didn't get to see before she was falling to the sidewalk, clutching her side and screaming.

"Jenna, wait!"

Jenna didn't.

"Stop!"

She couldn't. She knew things were happening behind her, horrible things, and that she needed to get away-

At least until Martha ripped her wrist out of Jenna's hand. That sudden act made Jenna pause, and remember what she was doing. She slowed down, and realized she was standing on the steps of her high school.

"Jenna!" Martha called, and Jenna wondered how many times she has had to say that. Martha was wheezing and coughing, and so was Jenna, now that she thought about it. "Jenna, what are you doing?!"

"I-There's-," Jenna didn't know how to answer that. "Uh..."

"Why are we here?" Martha continued. Suddenly, she brightened. "Do you have a plan?"

Jenna, in fact, did not have a plan. "Er..."

Martha's face fell. "Why are we here, Jenna?"

Jenna didn't have an answer, but it didn't seem to matter. Martha wouldn't have heard it anyway.