Kellin KodiakGrayson and I found Maren and Makai...or rather, Maren found us and dragged Makai along with her. She was clearly panicked and Makai was clearly not popular about missing out on the firework display. Maren told us how Reyna and Enzowere together and they hadn't seen Ozzy, and he wasn't where he was supposed to be. So, we went inside to get a look.

"There's no sign of a struggle. But then again, the place is trashed," Grayson notes as he steps on a neon green solo cup. 

 "I'm sure he was overlooked in the crowd," I assure, shrugging. But despite my words, something in my gut is tugging on me. Is there something we're missing? Or is there something that my instincts are picking up on?

"I don't know..." Grayson ominously adds. "I mean, I'd like to be optimistic but I hate this whole scenario. Everything out of place seems like murder to me."

Maren gapes and Makai slaps the back of Gray's head, his hair ruffling. "Nice going," he agitatedly mumbles.

 "What?" Grayson innocently asks, fixing his hair.

"Did you try calling him?" Makai questions Mare.

Grayson slaps Makai in the back of the head, but Makai's hair has gone missing in his hair gel and doesn't move. "Duh," Desk Guy sasses.

"His phone goes straight to voicemail."

"Maybe he's barfing and doesn't want to be seen," I lightly joke.

"Or maybe the killer –"

Grayson starts to say something with his usual lack of a filter, but I pinch his lips shut like he's a child. "Shut. Up," I hiss at him at a level only he can hear.

Once I release him, he rolls his hazel eyes. "Yes, Mother."

"Maybe we should just get Reyna and Enzo..." Maren suggests, eyes searching the living room as if Ozzy will pop out from behind a couch and exclaim "got ya!"

Makai wrinkles his nose. "What can they do that we can't?"

"Reyna's resourceful and Enzo..." Maren's eyes bug out a bit. "Well, you know. Anyways, they're on the balcony."

Grayson leads the way, taking out his pistol and creeping up the stairs. I'm about to note how he actually seems like a stealthy cop when the toe of one of his shoes catches one step and he face-plants. "Ugh," he sounds, picking himself up. The other three of us peer at him in curiosity, wondering how one can be so clumsy in a time of such suspense.

"Don't worry, everyone," he snaps. "Desk Guy is fine."

"The fact that you call yourself Desk Guy just made my day," I laugh.

Grayson shoots me an evil eye. "I'm glad that my low-paying job makes you happy."

 "I'm glad you're glad," I retort, stepping around him and continuing up the staircase. We head to a room with a balcony. I go to open the door, but Grayson stops me. 

"I got it," Gray assures, safely holding his pistol. He takes a deep breath before kicking the door open, splintering the wood at the hinges. "Grayson Tate, I'm with the police –ahh!" someone karate chops Grayson's arm and twists it behind his back. "Ow, ow, ow, ow. Stop! Let me go." 

 Grayson gets pushed back and he rubs his sore arm and shoulder. Enzo steps out and jabs a finger in his direction. "That's for taking my spot on the case." 

"Where's Reyna?" Makai inquires. The friendly terms Kai and Enzo were on have vanished with a glare from Keanu. "You said you'd look after her!"

"She said I had to stay and watch the people while she got Oscar," Enzo defends. "She'll be back any moment." 

"This doesn't seem right," I finally admit, my gut tugging at my thoughts more and more. "There's something we're missing..."

Suddenly, there's a crash in the backyard. The gang rushes to the balcony, Enzo leading us. A car has broken through some fences and parked abruptly. For some reason, the car looks vaguely familiar. A woman steps out and Enzo steps back horrified for some reason.

"The killer psychopaths are here! Run!" the woman screeches at the top of her lungs, sending everyone in a frenzy. 

"Why the hell is she here?" Enzo gawks, backing away from the doors and staring at the woman. She has dark blue eyes and hair as dark as Enzo's.

"Who is that?" Grayson inquires with disgust.

In a whisper tone, Enzo says, "My mother."

We all stare at him.

"Why is your mom here?" Makai inquires.

If I knew, do you think I would have asked why the hell she's here?" Enzo explodes, losing his mind. "Look, we just need to find Reyna and stay together at all costs. And no matter what that woman says, don't trust her. She's crazy and she hates me." 

Enzo whips out his phone and dials for Reyna. A second later, he pulls the phone back and stares at it as if it called him ugly. "Straight to voicemail," he says in an empty tone. 

 "Just like Ozzy," Maren puts together. "Something isn't right. We should go out in pairs and search the area for them." 

It's an odd number," Grayson points out, counting us on his fingers.

"I'll fly solo," Enzo promises. "Now hurry up and split."

Makai and Maren take the top floor while Enzo and Grayson and I thunder down the steps. The entirety of the party is evacuating the house now. From the staircase, it looks like a rapid river of kids is plunging down a waterfall. I've never seen so many kids run so fast together. 

"Enzo!" I shout over the hollering of the sprinting teens. "Gray and I will get this half, "I point towards the right where there are two doors. "You get that half," I point to the living room area.

Curtly, he nods. Uncharacteristically, Enzo's face has gone pale. Nevertheless, when the crowd vanishes and burns rubber as they leave the lot, Enzo darts to the living room. We leap over the last few steps and land on the ground with a thud.

The door on the left is wide open and I charge in. A guy and a girl are getting ready to bang each other on a giant bed. "Um...hi," Grayson awkwardly greets, breaking up the couple. "The killers are here, so if you could um...leave? That would be cool." 

Sceptically, the girl perks an eyebrow up. Sighing, I take matters into my own hands. I grab Gray's pistol and point it at them. "Out. Now!"

"Don't shoot, don't shoot!" the man begs, throwing his shirt on and snatching his pants. Finally, the couple leaves and I flip the light on. There are not that many places to hide here. There's a walk-in closet full to the brink with clothes, a dresser with a TVresting on top, and two nightstands. 

"Next door?" Grayson suggests.

"Yeah," I confirm, giving him the gun back.

The next door is shut and there's a sticky note on it.

Kellin only.

Everyone else: keep out.

"That's never a good sign...or note, I should say," Grayson says to himself. 

"No kidding," I snap. I pull out my pocket knife and fling the blade, ready to strike. Cautiously, I creep the door open and my hand searches the wall for a light switch. It runs against something wet and slick that's been plastered to the wall. The first thing I notice about this room is that it smells like a rotting animal: also not a good sign. At last, myhand finds the switch. I turn on the light. 

The room is a bathroom with a tiled floor and tiled walls. There's obviously a toilet and a sink, as well as a bathtub. However, I've been on SolarisPsychos.com, and this room resembles the one of Destiny Prior's on the night she went missing. That slick stuff my hand was rubbing on? Blood. 

Crimson stains and splatters are embedded in the crevices of the tiles, stuck between the cracks of the walls, inside the toilet, dumped across the opaque shower curtain, and even spotted on the ceiling. Through the curtain, I see the shadow of a corpse in the bathtub. It must have a bit of age to it by the flies buzzing around everywhere and the smell being so sour. Ominously, a tan hand hangs out over the edge of the porcelain tub. I decided to pull back the curtains to see who it is. I already know.

But there's a part of me that denies his end. It can't be him. It just can't be – there's any way.

Shaking, my hand curls around the edge of the now-scarlet curtain, and rips it back. There's a perfectly fine body that has lost a significant amount of weight in blood, which has been displayed all over the bathroom. Adriano Santiago looks fine except for the lack of colour in his skin and the slash across his throat. 

 My jaw drops to the ground like a led weight. Just a few days ago, this guy was sneaking us into movies and calling himself epic. He was just putting up bright coloured flyers all over town with me. When was he killed? Had we just talked? Who was the last person he talked to?

A sob crawls up my throat and starts to come out before I stifle it. Loud footsteps come down my way. "Kellin? You okay?" It's Grayson.

"I am," I assure, wiping away tears and withdrawing my pocket knife. Adriano's eyes are wide open and the shade of chocolate, although they've glazed over with lifelessness now. Gently, I peel his eyelids down. "But he isn't," I add when Gray steps into the doorway. 

He cringes at the smell and asks who he is.

 "He was Adriano," I answer. As I say the word was, I can physically feel a hole being chipped into my heart. Rio and I were never exceptionally close and I feel like someone stabbed me a million times. How does Reyna manage with both of her parents gone and over half her friends dead? Am I really that weak as to be numb over one man while a girl takes on the world? I thought I was tougher than that.

"Kellin," Grayson sighs.

He lifts a foot up to step in when I halt him. "If you step in here, you could be dead. I'm the only one allowed."

"I'm sure that was just for when you found the body," Grayson protests, going to step inside again.

"Stop, Grayson!" I shout, voice echoing in the bathroom. "Just stop. I don't want to take any chances, okay?"

Translation: I don't want to lose you, too.

"Okay," Gray softly agrees. "I'll stay out here. Come out when you're ready.