The grin on my face is impossible to disguise. I glance at the photo of the group home kids in the mountains once more and shove the phone in the side pouch of my purse. My followers, Dr. Jennings, and his friends made the trip possible, and although Betty and Mary wanted me to accompany them, I said no because I'd agreed to spend the break with Bast.

Opening the faucet in one of the Humanities Building's bathrooms, I place my hands under the stream of lukewarm water and rub them together, absent-mindedly staring at my reflection in the mirror. I kept my makeup to a minimum and chose comfortable clothes. Even though the drive to Bast's town is short, he wants to show me the woods, and I'd rather not worry about having to change into something hike-friendly as soon as we get there.

I reach for the paper towel but stop when the bathroom door creaks open, and Elena strolls in. Knowing her history of bathroom spying, I wouldn't be surprised if she knew I was here.

"Hello Elena," I say.

She walks past me and stands by the other sink, rummaging in her purse.

I dry my hands. That she doesn't greet me isn't surprising. She saw Bast and me together lots of times over the last weeks, and her scowl told us how she felt about it.

Tossing the paper in the trash, I grip the door handle. "Bye, Elena. Have a nice break."

"You can stop pretending." Anger tints Elena's voice, and I refrain from rolling my eyes as I face her, gripping the strap of my purse so it wouldn't slide down my arm.

"Pretending what? I'm trying to be civil. Fights with other women aren't my thing. I'm not your enemy. I live my life, and you should do the same."

"So, you and Sebastian are friends. How cute."

I smile. "I know, right?"

She shoots me a narrow look, but a smirk slides onto her lips in a heartbeat. "And, of course, you think you know him. I didn't expect you to be so naïve."

"What are you implying?"

Elena toys with a chapstick, probably to hide her nerves or think of a way to word the lie she's about to feed me. "If you're really his friend, I guess you know his little secret. Did he tell you about his job?"

I know Bast does stuff at night. He locked himself in his room enough times for me to be sure it wasn't a coincidence, but I wouldn't pry. Curiosity is one thing, but being nosy enough to invade someone's privacy is another.

"You have no idea. I knew it." Elena must've mistaken my silence for an invitation to continue.

I take a slow step forward and then another one until I'm so close to Elena my sneakers brush against hers. "If I ask him nicely," I whisper, inching forward. "Do you think he'll give me some?"

She swallows. "Give you what?"

I lower my voice even more. "Drugs. That's what you've been trying to tell me, right?"

No words leave her mouth, and I wink. "Too bad I don't care. Happy holidays."

As soon as I'm in the hallway, I glance around and exhale when my eyes land on Bast. He pushes off the wall and nods toward the exit.

"Finally," he says once I'm by his side. "You took forever."

"You didn't wait that long."

Bast chuckles. "You don't know my mom. She already texted twice to make sure you were coming. I guess she thought I was kidding."

"Are you sure your parents are okay with it?"

Bast holds the heavy door open for me and waits until I exit the building.

"Positive," he says as we stroll to his car. "And seriously, you didn't have to buy them gifts."

"Going to someone's house empty-handed is wrong."

"I didn't invite you to spend the break with me expecting gifts and shit. I just..."

Bast unlocks the car. I slide into the passenger's seat, and he sits behind the wheel, jamming the key into the ignition.

I angle my body toward him. "You just?"

"You know what being an only child is like. No complaints, but sometimes I get tired of being the center of attention."

A scenario in which my father cares about me or my whereabouts isn't more realistic than a movie about the alien invasion of the Earth, but admitting it to Bast would make him pity me, and that's the last thing I want.

"I'll rescue you, then," I say with what I hope looks like a genuine smile. "And you'll owe me one."

We don't speak for a while. When the traffic lights turn red, Bast fiddles with his phone, and music inundates the interior of the vehicle.

"Signal Fire by Snow Patrol," Sebastian says before I have a chance to ask what song it is. "If you want something else, you can choose whatever."

"This one's good."

He tears his eyes away from the traffic and glances at me. "This is scary."

"What?"

"Us liking the same stuff and being nice. The situation was easier to navigate when we hated each other's guts."

"I still hate you, Basti," I say. "What's there to like, anyway?"

"My mom would probably agree with you. But please, don't call me Basti in front of her."

A giggle pushes past my lips. "Oh my God, that's how she calls you, right?"

Bast gives me a solemn nod and sighs so deeply I hear it despite the loud tune pouring from the Bluetooth speaker.

"No worries." I rub his forearm. "At your parents', you'll be Sebastian to me. Um...Bas- Sorry, Sebastian?"

He laughs. "What do you want?"

"Could we stop by Maverick's place? I want to check on him."

"Sure. Did you talk to him lately?"

I stuff my hands in the pockets of my coat. "No. That's why I'd like to make sure he's okay."

Bast changes lanes to drive off the highway. "Say no more."

***

"Do you want me to go with you?" Bast asks, parking his Mustang.

I unbuckle and get out of the car. "Let me see if he's okay. If he is, I'll call you so you can say hello."

Without wasting more time, I unlatch the gate and rush down the narrow path leading to Mav's house. I wipe my clammy hand on my jeans and knock on the old door.

All I get is silence broken only by the chirping of birds. My knuckles connect with the wood three more times, but I don't hear Mav's slow footsteps, and as I circle the house and swipe my gaze over the garden, I realize he isn't there, either.

"What's wrong?" Bast asks when I plop onto the seat and grab the seatbelt.

"Nobody's home."

"I figured. That's weird, right? You said your friend never left the house."

"I said he doesn't go anywhere alone, but Blanche could've taken him to the doctor."

The engine rumbles. "Or," Bast says, driving away, "the guy could be doing stuff out of the house while his mother's at work. Stuff like hiking in the woods."

"I know my friend."

"Nobody knows anyone. Thinking we do is naïve."

"And not trusting anyone is sad."

Bast's gaze slips to mine. "I'm not saying this to start a fight, Tara. It's just facts. My father can tell you how many times a seemingly innocent person did the most despicable things."

"Your father expects the worst because of his job. What's your excuse?"

Bast groans. "Alright. More music? Choose a song."

I scroll through a playlist on Bast's phone, settling on Imagine Dragons. Fighting with him is the last thing I want, and the more I get to know him, the more I realize he doesn't change his mind easily. The shift in his attitude toward me was uncharacteristic for him, and I still have no clue what made him stop seeing me as someone shallow.

Maybe he's right. Perhaps we know nothing about each other.

I deflate and keep quiet for the rest of the journey. When we drive into Ashwick, Bast slows the car. "Tara?"

I swivel my head and rest my eyes on his face. "Yeah?"

"Are we good? If Mom sees you sulking, she'll kill me and adopt you instead. Just wanted to give you a heads up."

I bite my bottom lip not to laugh. "We're great, but it was thoughtful of you to warn me, Sebasti."

Hi guys. Unfortunately, things haven't changed yet, and I'm busy with work, but I'm trying to write whenever I have a bit of time. Thanks for being patient.

For those of you who don't follow me - please do, otherwise you'll miss updates-related info I usually publish on my message board.

Thoughts? Predictions?

There's definitely a shift in Bast's attitude. I wonder what will happen at his parents'.

Love you all

P.S. the song Bast likes is on top