I freeze.

My phone nearly drops out of my hands and I just can't get myself to move upwards, to Aris.

Whose face is displayed in black and white on the WANTED Poster.

STEPH ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

What??

Get away from him rn
We'll call the police.

Wait. I'm literally with him.

IS HE READING THESE TEXTS?

No. Just don't do anything yet.

Viviette
Run
I mean it

"Is... everything okay?" Asks an unsure voice; Aris.

Quickly, I tuck my phone in my pocket. "Yes, fine. Just... Teresa asking me to hang out."

I don't think that was the right thing to say, but it was all I could think of.

I watch his movements carefully. Something in his eyes changes. They don't exactly darken, but it doesn't look reassuring.

"Okay." He nods. "So, eh, piano?"

It can all be an act. Maybe he isn't a stuttering boy who's unsure about everything and has some mental problems.

Well, he probably does have mental problems if he kills people, so either way—

Terrified that I'll betray myself, I nod. Just have to get through the day with him, and then Thomas can call the police.

Really can't have a single good friend.

It hurts to find out about this. I thought I could trust him. I thought he really was my friend. That Finn was lying. That Aris—who's name isn't even Aris—didn't hurt a fly.

Though it's not confirmed that he's the killer in our town...

But the chance is high.

Why? Why would he kill Evie? Why would he want to hurt Thomas? Minho?

"Yes," I say. He lets me inside Finn's room first, and he follows.

"Are you okay?" He asks, staring at my shaking fingers as I press them onto the keyboard.

In a rush, I nod. "Mhm."

I can't act normal. Thomas would've been able to act normal here, but not me.

My phone buzzes again. I don't dare to take it out of my pocket with Aris right next to me. But the look on his face—the curious, wondering look—makes me do it before he asks 'are you going to check that?'.

GALLY

Hi
Please either open your door or tell Thomas to open his door.

I frown. Cast a look at Aris, who's too busy with the music notes to notice. Unless that's also an act.

Why?

Long story
Never mind, just tell Thomas to open his door
Please
I don't have his number

Ring the bell
It's faster

If I open my texts with Thomas, Aris might see the poster.

My hands are low-key bloody and I don't want to make him hate me even more by ruining his porch

Low-key bloody???

Please just text him

I sneakily lean backwards, and tilt my phone in the hope Aris can't look at it. I type "Open your front door right now" in my notes, copy it, open my texts with Thomas, and paste it as fast as I can, then put my phone away.

It takes everything not to take a breath of relief to see Aris is still busy with the notes.

"Sorry," I say, voice a little too high. This worry for Gally is not helping with the situation. Why the hell is he bloody?

Artemis is next. Twin of Apollo, Goddess of the hunt and wild animals.

Thomas and I already made up some theories on how this could go; either another arrow, or a spear. That's what she hunted with.

But what did Gally do wrong? And how has Aris been next to me the whole time?

"It's fine," Aris—Jonah, apparently—says. "Okay, so the next note is this one."

And then he begins explaining. I barely hear what he's saying. I'm staring at his hands, thin and long. The hands of a murderer. The side of his face, which suddenly looks so different.

"You can try it," those words shake me out of my thoughts.

"I— eh, sorry— I wasn't listening. Trailed off," I stammer.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"Fine."

"Did Teresa upset you?"

"No. I was just surprised," I lie.

"Was it... her texting you again? Sorry for asking," he mutters.

One question enters my head every time he speaks: is he acting?

"Ehm." I hesitate. "Yes. Asking when we'd meet up and where."

He nods, turning back to the piano. "Do you still want to play?"

"If you want to," I reply.

The boy shrugs. "It's up to you."

"Sure. But I'll get something to drink first," I say. I try my best not to rush up. I just calmly walk over to the door, pressing the handle down and pushing.

Locked.

"Do you have the key?" I ask, as calmly as possible.

"Do you realize Teresa would never want to hang out with you?"

I freeze in the spot. "What?"

"She knows better." Aris stands up. He takes a few steps, so he's close, but not too close. Yet it does feel too close.

A cold shiver runs down my spine. I need to get out of here. As fast as I can.

"What do you mean?" I ask, attempting to keep my voice steady. "She did really ask me to—"

"I'm afraid Teresa's busy handling something else."

Gally.

I don't even dare to turn around to look at him. I stay rooted to the ground, my hand on the door handle. "I don't think I—"

"I think you know very well."

"Not about Teresa," I peep.

"Don't worry," Aris replies. I sense him sitting back down on Finn's bed. "I won't hurt you. I'd never hurt you."

Finally, I turn around. "If you're the one who killed all those people, then you have hurt me."

He shrugs.

Just shrugs.

"Is any of it true?" It's barely a whisper. "The institution?"

"It surely exists. I was just never in it."

I don't understand. I don't get why he's confessing like this. Why he's answering all my questions. I should record it.

My eyes dart around the room. Shit; my phone is still on Finn's bed, right next to him.

"I don't get it."

"You don't have to," he assures. Gently, he touches a few, random notes on the piano. "Finn's lucky he was nice to me. Otherwise, would've been long gone after accusing me of killing everyone." He looks up. "I mean, it was the truth, but still."

He overheard us talking in the hallway that day. When Finn said he knew who the killer was and when Minho said he'd been right about it being a bad idea to take Aris here.

A few days later, he almost died.

"You escaped from a jail."

"Mhm."

"You've never been in the institution."

"Correct."

"Then why did my mom take you in our house? She must've known about the jail thing. She knew you hadn't been in the institution for many years, not improving—"

"Well, I guess she lied to you all."

What kind of mom takes a serial killer in her house? The same house as the one her kids are in?

"Why did you kill the boss?" I ask.

Starting from the beginning.

"He was the first one I asked to stay at. Unfortunately for him, he refused. Then there was your mother, who was ready to do anything to protect her kids."

"I don't think taking a killer in her house is keeping her kids safe," I say shakily.

"I said that as long as her kids were nice to me, they'd be in no danger."

"What about Mr. Keller?"

"Just like Finn said. The wrong one."

I feel like throwing up and sobbing my eyes out at once.

"And Finn was right about Mary and Vince's son, too? He was mean to you?"

"Mhm."

I take a big breath. "Did you 'poison' yourself to take suspicions off yourself?"

"You're a smart one."

"Mr. Leadford?"

"Why do you think?" He gets off the bed again, stepping closer. "He hurt my one and only friend."

"Minho because he said that thing about you?"

He tilts his head to the side in a way that confirms it.

"And Thomas's grandpa to protect me again," I murmur.

"Very well."

My eyes close. I can't stand watching his face fall in satisfaction every time I ask a question. "What about Evie?" I whisper. "Why would you kill her?"

"Because I'm your friend," his tone is no longer cheerful. He's angry now. Saying the words with such hatred.

"I can have multiple friends."

"I don't actually agree on that."

"You're sick in the head."

"Didn't we always know that?"

At that, my eyes open again. "Do you even have schizophrenia?"

"Of course not."

"And the self-harm? The relapse?"

"Fake, of course. Why would one hurt themselves when there's thousands of others to hurt?"

My stomach is making flips. Bile rises up my throat. I swallow it away, and my eyes close again.

"And Thomas?"

His hand touches my cheek. It wipes away a tear, and then tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. I want to scream at him to get away, but I can't move. "Why would I kill your friend but not the boyfriend that takes in all the time I want to spend with you?"

"Are you hurting Gally right now?"

"Technically, it isn't me."

I take another shuddering breath. "Why is Teresa involved?"

"Well, as soon as she realized she'd be the next, she said she'd do anything not to be. She'd even shoot her ex with an arrow."

"She wouldn't."

"People do crazy things to save their own lives."

I should kick him. Slap him. Punch him. But I'm still too frozen to move. Too shocked and afraid I'll throw up if I'd move.

"How did she know it was you?"

"Because she's smart. Because Newt didn't lie when he told Thomas that every time he saw Teresa, she was with me."

"Why are you allowed to have other friends, but not me?"

"Oh, I'm not her friend, even if she thinks I am. I'd shoot her without hesitation. Too bad I don't have a gun."

He tucks another strand of my hair behind me ear. I bite my lip, stopping the sobs from leaving my mouth. "You need to stop this. You're not making me happy."

His touch gets more aggressive. I can feel him tense up in front of me. "Really? After everything I did?"

"Sorry," I apologize quickly.

He's mental. But he's also smart.

I can at least try to play along. "I'll be your friend."

"And I'll be your only friend. Each other's only friends."

"Yes. I promise," I lie. "Just open the door. We'll go draw or something—"

"I don't think I will open the door before Teresa has finished off her job. There's still two twins who need to be done."

Apollo and Artemis.

Thomas and Gally.

"Good thing she lead the boy exactly to where I want him. Two birds with one stone. Thank you, Vi, for telling Thomas to open the door."

I helped Aris without intending to.

I trapped Thomas and Gally together.