LECELIE'S LIE LINGERED, but then, so did the truth-undeniable and unshakable from her thoughts. It left a taste in the air that hadn't been there before.

There was a vampire in Raven Hills.

One thing that remained unchanged, however, was her disdain for Mondays. As she stood before her bedroom mirror, Lecelie wrapped her scarf around her neck and slipped on her school shoes. The rise of her grey knee-length socks met the hem of her school dress precisely, while her jersey and blazer would help her keep warm.

"You look tired."

It took Lecelie a few extra seconds to notice her mother standing in the doorway. She leaned against the frame comfortably, her expression all-knowing but concerned. Lecelie concurred with a hum.

"I don't blame you," added Clementine. "Lane's especially intimidating when he sets his mind on something. Which is one reason I need you to be more careful from now on."

This time, Clementine's words rang clear-still, Lecelie couldn't help but frown, puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, try not to draw attention to yourself or do anything out of the ordinary. Lane may not be able to explain it, but I'm fairly certain he knows you lied about the bear."

Lecelie gulped quietly. As usual, her poker face was powerless against her mother. Their conversation continued in the pantry, where Clementine picked some mason jars off the shelves and packed them into her cotton tote bag.

"Listen, if you and Graeme are seen together, Lane might come asking more questions. I'm not saying you shouldn't trust him to help you; he is a man of the law, but you should be prepared for anything. Think before you act. Okay?"

All I can do is think, Lecelie wanted to say, but offered her mother a dutiful nod instead.

"Oh, and here." Clementine opened one of the smaller jars, handing Lecelie a keychain. "I thought you might like it."

Lecelie analysed the item in her palm with the same wonder she normally expressed when receiving a token from her mom-this one happened to be a keychain she had made out of verbena, twisted and woven like a Viking braid.

"I love it!" she admitted, the sparkle in her eyes brightening. "Do you think I'll need it?"

"Let's hope not."

"Right..."

Facing up against a vampire was not something to take lightly, but it always sounded ridiculously cool. Lecelie tried hiding her excitement, which became a little easier once she considered the timing of this gift.

"You think Graeme was attacked by a vampire?"

Clementine shrugged. "Or a lycan, or a thug, only he really knows. Like I said, be prepared for anything."

Lecelie placed her hand on the spot where her necklace (another special gift from Clementine) rested beneath her collar.

'Only he really knows...' She hated the way that sounded, as if Graeme could have lied to her. Could he have?

Dismissing the thought to the best of her ability, Lecelie grabbed the cornflakes from the shelf beside her and made herself a quick breakfast. The conversation ended there.

Once she finished, Lecelie washed her bowl, dried her hands on the knees of her socks, and then got her backpack from her room. Clementine waited at the front door, and Lecelie locked it behind them, taking a second to appreciate the crisp lemony notes emanating from her new keychain. Then, they were in the car, merging with the morning rush on the short route to Raven Hills High.

In that time, Lecelie's mind refused to let her think of anything but Graeme and their encounter. She fixed her scarf again, a nervous habit-yes, there was a vampire in Raven Hills, but that was not what scared her.

What if there were other victims that night? What if Graeme needs help? He hasn't told anyone else, but then, what help could he possibly expect from me?

There would be rumours.

He could deny everything. Lecelie reached for her scarf again. Maybe he just doesn't want to end up like...

The car came to a stop, and Lecelie grabbed the opportunity to escape the box of thoughts surrounding her. She was so eager that she almost forgot to say bye to her mother.

"Bye, Mom, love you!" She kissed her cheek. "Thanks again for the keychain."

"You're welcome, sweetie. Love you, too," she said, blowing her a return kiss. "Have a great day!"

The odds of that were nearly impossible, what with her anxious thoughts creeping in again, but she appreciated the sentiment.

Walking into reception, Lecelie could not dismiss the echo of what Clementine had said in the pantry or the idea of Graeme being dishonest. It would not be the first time a classmate pulled a prank on her, but that would be going too far. She expected more from him.

What if he denies everything? She thought once more, her feet navigating the school grounds on their own accord. What if he denies everything? What if he denies everything? I don't want to be a joke.

It felt something like a punch line when Lecelie immediately collided with a student, stumbling back from the impact. Before she could land on her butt (and she was sure she would have), a hand caught her bicep and steadied her. When she looked up, she found the same hazel eyes that had engraved her thoughts now staring back at her.

"Sorry, I was-" he started when he realised Lecelie was speechless. "I thought you heard me calling."

Only then did he let go.

"Why did you tell the detective?" she asked without warning, surprising herself. That was not one of the questions to haunt her weekend, but for some reason, it revealed itself. "I didn't mean for that to sound so defensive."

"Oh, it's okay." Graeme sounded confused-she couldn't blame him. "I didn't mention you on purpose; it sort of slipped out. Detective Lane-"

"Hold that thought."

Lecelie realised she had walked to the centre of the quad, a less than ideal place for this conversation, too many people. It was customary for Mondays to begin with assembly in the school hall, before which all teachers and their students lined up on the quad.

Meaning, the classrooms were empty.

The pair found a spot in their register class, sitting on the desks rather than chairs. Graeme looked around him as if to ensure no one else had followed, and Lecelie spotted a brief glimmer of embarrassment in him for the first time. She began to feel it, too, in her cheeks and in her chest.

"Say what you wanted to say."

They had seven minutes to spare until the bell, maybe more before anyone came looking for them. In Lecelie's case, it was unlikely someone would notice her absence too soon, but Graeme had become even more popular overnight.

He frowned. "You are weird, aren't you?"

"You're the one who's stalling. I'm being serious," Lecelie insisted, pushing the word 'weird' down like a dry pill. "I know you probably don't want to be seen talking to me in general, but we can't be overheard talking about this stuff."

In ire, she started to climb down from the desk, but Graeme put his hand out to stop her.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry."

She settled back. Lecelie knew he didn't mean it that way-at least, she hoped he didn't.

Graeme sighed regretfully, "Lane mentioned Aria during questioning, which led to him mentioning you."

Lecelie felt herself choke, but she made no sound.

"He said I was seen leaving your house that night, sent my parents into full panic mode 'cause I didn't tell anyone that in the first report. He seemed to know who you are."

"He's an old friend of my mom's."

"Ah," he said, not even questioning it. "I didn't tell him what we talked about, just that you let me stay until I was calm enough to get home safe."

Finally, Lecelie let out a breath, the relief evident in her face. Her demeanour changed as she recognised his loyalty, if she could call it that. It obviously benefited him as well; this mutual secrecy. Was it wrong that she found that exciting?

"I didn't tell him anything either, if you were wondering."

"I wasn't."

"Oh."

Graeme pressed his palms down on either side of him, his fingers folding over the edge of the desk as he leaned forward. Slowly, Lecelie lifted her chin and found his eyes seeking hers.

"Because you promised and I trust you."

The warmth in his words strummed her like a guitar. It felt like the start of a friendship, lively and hopeful.

"Thanks for trusting me."

Graeme smiled, "You, too."

When the bell rang, it felt too soon. Lecelie froze as though she was afraid it had rung a fracture in their newly laid foundation. She wasn't done.

"So, what now?" she asked delicately when Graeme hopped off his desk.

"We go to the quad..."

"Ha-ha." The look in Lecelie's eyes made it clear that she didn't find that funny.

She got off her desk and stepped out as Graeme held the door open. For a moment, he waited in the doorway while he seemed to ponder her question seriously.

"Where are you after school today?"

Lecelie couldn't explain it, but she suddenly felt nervous. "The Sleeping Jasmine."

"I'll meet you there," he determined with a firm nod and led them down to the quad.

Lecelie followed quietly as they filed in behind their classmates, who were already on their way to assembly. Initially, she wondered if Graeme would say anything else, but then she remembered that they were no longer alone.

Boys and girls sat separately in the hall; it should be easy to ignore him there.

Principal Wickers greeted the school with the same warm smile he plastered on for every assembly. Mostly, his glee was genuine, but even he was not immune to blue Mondays. There were no new announcements. The only noteworthy thing to have happened since Friday was Graeme's incident, which Wickers briefly addressed by reminding everybody to practice vigilance when travelling and to avoid going anywhere alone at night. He need not mention any names-everyone already knew.

Wickers tried to lighten the mood with a joke that most of the students didn't get, and then came their cue to recite the school song.

As do the ravens curiously seek

Shall we knowledge pursue

And light into our futures bring

We cultivate our minds for tomorrow-

"I heard he was at yours that night," a girl said behind Lecelie. Her name was Louella-one of Graeme's friends, probably his closest.

"What? No, I-" she panicked.

"It's no wonder he has such bad luck if he's hanging out with you," she whispered into Lecelie's ear, sending shivers through her.

Lecelie tried to be rational, brushing the comment off as merely a show of concern. Still, she hated every word, felt their sting. How could she know about that?

Shaking her off, Lecelie's attention waded through the crowd for the boy in question. To her surprise, Graeme's gaze was already set on her, unmoving and light, as it had been in the classroom. It felt right to offer him a smile.

He's not going to end up like Aria.

She fixed her scarf.