Ren and Izzy walked back onto RavenHall’s sunlit grounds, students still scattered everywhere, lounging on the grass, clustered near the gates, or drifting toward the gym.
Peter McHorny’s campaign had taken over the gymnasium, which the school had conveniently rebranded as an extended "civics" session. It was a day off in everything but name.
Ren held Izzy’s hand, their fingers loosely intertwined, but her mind was clearly somewhere else. He could see it in the way her answers came half a beat late, in the distant look in her eyes, and the subtle tension at the corner of her mouth.
『Am I boring you?』
"Everything okay, Z?" he asked gently.
She nodded, forcing a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
"You wanna go check out the McHorny thing?" he tried, hoping to recapture the easy energy they’d had at the mall.
"Nah. I’m good."
『Is it the calls from earlier? Maybe her mom’s stressing her out. 』
"I think I need to hit the bathroom," Izzy said, already pulling her hand away.
Ren held on for a second longer, reluctant to let the warmth slip away.
『Am I moving too fast?』
"It’s fine, Z." He finally let go. "You free tonight?"
"Yeah."
"How about I take you on a date?"
"I’m down." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, her curls brushing his shoulder, then turned and walked off across the grass.
Ren watched her go, eyes tracing the way the new white-and-pink sneakers looked on her feet. A soft smile tugged at his lips.
『I’m going to make you the happiest girl in the world. 』
"Mr. Lover Lover." Bishop’s voice came from behind him, dripping with amusement.
Ren turned. "B."
"Well? How’d it go?" Bishop asked, eyebrows raised expectantly, a big grin splitting his face.
"Top notch."
Up ahead, the red-haired girl from Jake’s store was walking toward them, now dressed in a short black dress. Ren’s eyes lingered on her a second too long. Bishop caught it immediately.
『Who are you? 』
She passed them without a glance, chunky boots thudding softly on the path. Ren’s head turned just slightly, following her for a moment.
"Bro." Bishop was already on it, elbowing him. "You just turned and looked at her ass."
"I didn’t turn," Ren said, trying to play it cool.
"You turned. What about the rule?"
"I didn’t turn." Ren held the line. "I’m just curious about her. She looks familiar and I can’t place her."
"That’s Alaska Reeves," Bishop said, shrugging. "She’s got no friends. That’s how I know her."
Ren looked at his best friend.
『And how does that follow?』
***
Izzy walked fast across the sunlit grounds, eyes locked on her phone screen, silver curls bouncing with every hurried step.
『Six missed calls. He’s going to kill me. 』
She passed a cluster of girls laughing near the lockers.
『But I’m a student. He needs to understand that. You can’t just call me whenever you feel like it. 』
『Let me find somewhere quiet to call him back. I’ll tell him I was in the middle of class. He’ll get it. 』
She veered sharply toward the bathrooms, pushing through the door.
A tall girl in a short square-cut skirt stood at the mirror, admiring her reflection, tilting her head from side to side and pursing her lips.
『Seriously? Some of us are trying to use the bathroom. 』
The girl kissed her own reflection with a loud smack, then strutted out.
『Disgusting. 』
Izzy’s legs were trembling. She couldn’t keep them steady. Pressure had always hit her like this, her knees felt weak, her stomach tight.
『Okay. I actually do need to pee. 』
She stepped into a clean stall, set her bag on the dividing ledge, hiked up her mini skirt, pulled her underwear down, and sat. Her hands were shaking as she took out her phone.
She dialed Marvin. He picked up on the first ring.
"Hello." Marvin’s voice came through calm and smooth, no trace of anger.
"Hello." Izzy’s reply came out small and shaky.
"Miss Garcia. I’ve been trying to reach you."
"Hello," she said again, just to buy herself a second, her legs still trembling on the toilet seat.
"How are you, Isabella?" Marvin asked, cool and perfectly even.
"I’m good. You?" The words slipped out before she could stop them. She winced. "Sorry. I missed your calls."
"Where are you now?"
『This won’t work. This is him dictating everything. Isn’t it? 』
"I’m at school."
"School can wait." Marvin didn’t even pause. "I need you at Damage Control at two. We finalize the deal today."
Izzy didn’t answer right away. She just sat there, phone pressed tightly to her ear, staring at the graffiti-scratched stall door.
"Isabella. Are you still there?"
"Yeah."
"Should I expect you?"
"...Yes."
"Good. Don’t make me wait."
The line went dead.
Izzy let out a hard, shaky breath that echoed softly in the narrow stall. Her hands trembled as she reached down into her bag, fingers fumbling until they closed around the peri bottle. The plastic felt cold against her unsteady grip.
『I need this. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. 』
『Ren? I’ll explain everything to him. He’ll understand. 』
She paused, staring blankly at the stall door in front of her, the harsh fluorescent light buzzing overhead and casting sharp shadows across her knees.
『He has to. 』
****
Marvin set his phone down on the sleek glass table and let out a long sigh. He was in his spacious corner office at Damage Control, the expansive glass-walled room that offered an almost overwhelming view of the city.
Afternoon sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Priscilla sat across from him, legs elegantly crossed, her two-toned black-and-white hair sharp against her crisp blouse.
"Kids," Marvin said, shaking his head with a tired smile. "It’s hard working with kids."
"College?" Priscilla asked, one perfectly arched eyebrow raised.
He shook his head. "High school. But she’s gold."
Priscilla nodded slowly and uncrossed her leg, leaning forward slightly.
"Any idea what I should do here?"
"Won’t you need to pay for that?" Priscilla said, her face completely flat. "Because I came here for my client’s sake."
Marvin glanced down at the tablet in front of him, trying to shift back into business mode, the screen’s glow reflecting off his glasses.
"High school," Priscilla continued, her voice cool and matter-of-fact. "Your problem is always going to be the boyfriend. Sort that out fast, before it sorts you."
Marvin looked up at her, meeting her steady gaze across the sunlit table.