Camilla's eyes darted up from her phone as André entered their shared class only seconds before the late bell rang.

"That's a new record," she noted, chuckling. "Five seconds before the late bell, and you've only been here for three days."

"That's still early," he defends.

"No, it's not!" Camilla argued with another laugh.

"I was five seconds early." He laughed with her, plopping his bag beside her seat and across from Meagan.

Camilla shook her head. “You are ridiculous.”

It only took less than a week for Camilla and André to click. Their shared classes and football games put them in proximity, but Camilla was putting in the work. Flirting was a hefty job, and she was up for the challenge.

Although she made most of the moves, she had no intentions with him besides entertainment and a distraction from her crumbling reputation. Their building relationship turned her attention away from the concerned gazes around her, and she could only hope that her feigned joyful and carefree nature would turn off the public’s radars.

“Did you hear?” Meagan asked, snatching away Camilla’s fixation. “Michelle is coming back for cheer practice today.”

Camilla nodded, replying, “I'm surprised they didn't let her come back for the game last week.”

“They have to punish her somehow.”

“Michelle?” André asked. “That's your close friend, right?” Camilla hummed in confirmation. “What’s she being punished for?”

Unsure how to respond, Camilla held her breath. Keeping André from the truth had been more challenging than with Jared since the Tiger Times and video began spreading. It was even worse when people like Meagan felt no need to avoid the subject in front of him.

“She got into a fight,” Meagan explained, “so they suspended her for a week.”

André tensed his brows. “Why did she get into a fight?”

Meagan glanced at Camilla with an expectant look, but Camilla shook her head.

Playing it off, she said, “Someone spread false rumors, and she took it into her own hands.”

André blinked. “I'll leave it at that, then. Clearly, it's not my business.”

Camilla’s shoulders fell with an exhale, and across the table, Meagan shifted in her seat. For now, that beast of a conversation could be held off.

Meagan’s uneasiness was almost tangible throughout the class. Though André didn't seem to notice, Camilla struggled to focus wondering what she had to say.

As soon as the bell rang, Camilla hurried to leave the room with André, but Meagan was quick to stop her with a firm grip on the shoulder.

“Can we talk?” Meagan asked with an unreadable gaze.

“Of course,” Camilla responded, voice laced with false sweetness.

Meagan led her from the classroom and into the hallway, where they shifted to a secluded area. Camilla eyed the students passing, waiting for most to move out of earshot before turning to Meagan.

She sighed, saying, “Listen, Camilla… I understand that you don’t want to talk about the allegations against you because you’re worried that will bring more attention to it. Truthfully, you need to address certain things. You can’t just ignore what Amy said, and you can’t just avoid the newspaper committee. That means you have to go interview with them. Today.”

Camilla’s jaw tightened. “I doubt any article they put out will change people’s minds.”

“Even if it doesn’t, at least your side of the story will be out there. That way, when people—like André—inevitably hear the rumors, they have another perspective to influence their opinions.”

With a sigh, Camilla leaned back. “I’m not sure someone like André would hear about any of this. He’s too new.”

Meagan pressed her lips into a thin line. “I bet he’d hear it from someone, especially since he’s around you so often.”

“Is that a problem?”

Camilla stepped forward, but Meagan did not falter. “No, it’s not. But I still think you should tell him. Otherwise, he’ll hear it from the people who saw that video.”

Hesitantly, Camilla nodded. “As for the interview…”

“Today.”

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

Though Camilla despised taking advice from others, Meagan was adamant—and annoying—enough to bring her in front of Room 238 by the end of the day.

She held her breath. Today, she thought. Get it done today, and make them hear you.

Her hands were steady as she turned the doorknob and entered.

The classroom was dark, but light streamed in from the windows. It looked no different than an ordinary classroom, only strikingly quiet. Camilla would have believed it to be unoccupied had a moving figure not caught her eye.

Sitting at the teacher’s desk in the corner, two students stared at her. One—a light girl with long blonde hair—shuffled immediately to stand and greet Camilla, while the other remained almost motionless, head resting on her thumb as she watched intently.

The blonde girl approaching Camilla offered a small smile, saying, “Hi there. Can we help you?”

“I’m looking for the newspaper committee,” Camilla answered, gaze repeatedly shifting back to the other girl in the background.

The blonde's head snapped back to the other—a dark girl with wavy crimson hair—who did not meet her eyes.

“We are the newspaper committee,” the red-haired girl said, her voice concise and firm.

“Okay, great,” Camilla replied, forcing a grin. “I'm Camilla Green.”

“We know.”

When Camilla looked again at the girl in the back, her dark eyes shone with intensity. Suddenly, Camilla didn't feel confident.

“We’ve been hoping you would stop by,” the blonde said. “I’m Leah Miller, an editor for the Tiger Times.”

The girl in the back stood with stiff poise. “And I am Zoey Larson, the other editor.”

Camilla blinked but maintained her smile. “I’m glad to finally meet you both. Are you the only members of the committee?”

Zoey inched forward, her vibrant curls glowing as she stepped into the beaming sunlight. “We are the only seniors. We work on the Tiger Times paper. Everyone else works on individual articles posted online.”

“That sounds like a lot of work for two people.”

Zoey turned her head. “We have had plenty of interesting topics to write about lately.”

“Interesting and important,” Leah added, “which is why we wanted to interview you.”

As she moved past Camilla and began rearranging desks, Zoey eyed the still interviewee with relentless attention. Her silent stare began to burn, as though she could cast flames upon Camilla’s skin.

Leah positioned two chairs across from one another and reeled back, gesturing for their guest to take a seat. Though Camilla felt more uneasy than ever, she slid into the chair and made her posture appear dignified and open; it was all she could do to maintain her discomfort.

As Leah took the seat across from her, Zoey drifted behind, opening her phone. “Do you consent to being recorded?”

Camilla sucked in a breath and hesitated. “Well… I would not prefer to be.”

Zoey’s eyes narrowed in almost a twitchy motion. “You are aware, however, that by interviewing with us today, you are consenting to have your name released on the next paper, correct?”

With a swallow, Camilla nodded, saying, “Yes. I am aware. I am willing to do whatever it takes to resolve what is being speculated.”

Zoey she merely nodded. With a few quick taps, she turned off her phone and placed it cautiously on a desk. She stood by as Leah flipped through a notepad.

Leah tapped her pen a few times for no apparent reason, then looked up at Camilla. “Are you ready?” she asked.

Camilla nodded with what little enthusiasm she could muster.

Leah glanced back at her notepad before starting, saying, “As I mentioned, we have been hoping to speak with you lately. We are glad that you came in to interview today.”

Her tone was flat and unsteady, but Camilla brushed it off. “I’m always open to speak with people, especially when it comes to serious matters.”

Leah nodded. “That’s great. Perfect.” She took a deep breath. “Can you start just by telling us a bit about yourself?”

Camilla’s shoulders fell. “Of course! To start with, I’m the junior class president here at EHS. I’m also a member of the cheer team, debate team, choir, and drama department.” Leah’s eyebrows raised as she scribbled down a list. “Needless to say, it’s quite a lot.”

Though Camilla anticipated laughter or any signs of amusement, Leah maintained a straight face. “That is a lot,” she agreed. “How do you manage it all?”

“It's just a part of me. I'm great at managing it all, so I do.”

Leah nodded. “I see. How has your experience been in the drama department?”

Camilla shifted in her seat. “I've been involved since I was a freshman. First, it was as an understudy, but I worked my way up.”

“That's great. Are you currently involved in any shows?”

Leah did not seem accusatory, so Camilla doubted her questions had that intention. Perhaps she wanted to move the interview to River, but even that made Camilla tense.

“I'm an understudy for one of the leads in the play,” Camilla answered.

“How has that been going?”

“It's been fine. Rehearsals started only a couple weeks ago, but I haven't been required to go to any yet, so I've been less busy.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“Being an understudy?” Zoey leaned forward, cold eyes firmly planted onto Camilla's. “I get to study a great role while still having the free time I need for things like cheerleading, so I'd say yes.”

Leah nodded, flipping to the next page of her notepad. “That does sound ideal.” She rolled her shoulders and straightened her back. “Now, let's discuss River's disappearance.”

Briefly dropping her head, Camilla said, “Yes. It's truly devastating. I wish I had more information to offer, but unfortunately I saw nothing out of the ordinary.”

Leah wrote nothing. “I see. Where were you around the time that River went missing?”

“I went home maybe fifteen minutes after classes ended. I left through the performing arts building, and River was there, along with Amy Gardener and Tiffany Stewart. By the time she went missing, I was probably in my car, or I'd made it home.”

“Do you think you were one of the last people to see River Griffiths?”

“I think Amy and Tiffany were with her last. If she was with anyone else, I don't know about it.”

Leah tugged at her sleeve. “There have been some… claims that River was seen with a student. Do you know about this?”

With a clenched jaw, Camilla sighed. “I know about the rumors, yes.”

“And do you have any idea who this student may be?”

Camilla crossed her arms over her chest. “I know Amy Gardener is placing the blame on me, and I know I'm not responsible. That's why I'm here.”

Zoey reeled back into her seat, and Leah shuffled in hers. “I see,” she said. “What do you have to say about the accusations?”

“They are baseless and absurd. I have no idea what possessed her to spread them.”

“Have you had any issues with Amy in the past?”

Camilla shook her head. “No. We’ve never been friends, but we’ve been cordial. I never would have suspected that she held negative opinions about me before.”

“Do you think she is lying about what she saw?”

After a brief pause, Camilla responded, “I’m not sure. Either she thinks she saw me and thinks she’s telling the truth, or she has some despicable reason to fabricate it all.”

“Any idea which it is?”

Again, she hesitated. “I'd like to think Amy is not an evil person, so maybe she saw someone who resembled me. Or, she saw me pass by before and ran with her suspicions.”

“So she saw you before. Did she see you at all after that?”

“She couldn't have. I went home.”

“Do you have any way to prove that you were not on campus?”

“My mom was in the house when I got there. Other than that, maybe phone records? Nothing I would have access to, but I'm sure the police would have found something by now if River was dead.”

Leah flipped her notepad. “I suppose that's my final question: what do you think happened to River Griffiths?”

Calculating eyes pierced her. “I've heard so much speculation that it's impossible to say. My best guesses would be that they ran away or were abducted.”

“Their vehicle was left on campus,” Zoey interjected, uncrossing her legs. “It would be unlikely that River ran away.”

“Then, perhaps they fled with someone else to avoid detection,” Camilla insisted, feeling heat creep up her neck. “Or, they were abducted. Again, it's impossible to say.”

Zoey suddenly pushed off of the desk, landing with grace. “The abduction theory holds more weight. I can agree with you on that, Camilla Green.” Her long, dark hair flowed as she crept closer to her target. “After all, there has been a supposed abduction here before.”

Camilla's breathing came to a stop. “When?” she asked.

“Two years ago, 2016, Chloe Lynch was abducted. She was found on video, leaving the school with a mysterious man, and her case went cold because they never found a trace of her or her captor.” Halting at Camilla's side, Zoey closed in. “Don't you remember her? She was in your class.”

Camilla nodded. “Yes, of course I remember her.”

“Do you remember her running against you for class president?”

“It's been years. I don't remember.”

Zoey began to stalk around Camilla. “Surely you remember her being voted as class president over you.”

“Faintly. How is this—”

“Do you recall the school lockdown that occurred the next week?”

“Yes.” Camilla strained her neck from Zoey’s encroaching. “It was terrifying.”

“It must have been terrifying for someone so close to the intruder.”

“What are you—”

“Close enough to look out for witnesses. Close enough to watch his every move. Close enough to give him the cue to approach Chloe with a gun hidden at his waist.”

“I don't even know what you're talking about!”

Zoey stopped in front of her, blocking Leah, who watched with a pained expression. Propping her hands on the desk in front of Camilla, Zoey’s slim frame leaned forward until she was face-to-face with the cold-blooded killer.

“You are responsible for Chloe Lynch's disappearance, just the same as River Griffiths's. You took both of their lives. You did it.”

In Zoey’s piercing gaze, Camilla saw a reflection of her own heartless eyes.

“I am going to make sure you are brought to justice, Camilla Green.”