“W-who is living with you?” A soft female voice reached Jason’s ears just as he entered the school’s front doors.

Jason paused and turned to find a shy but determined Kirsten standing behind him. She had the hard drive in her hands but she pulled it behind her back when Jason’s eyes fell to it.

“What do you mean?” Jason asked.

Kirsten frowned and stomped her foot down. “The w-w-woman in y-y-your house! She’s not your aunt!”

“Ah.” Jason shifted his weight nervously.

He suspected that Kirsten had a bit of a stalking habit, but he hadn’t realized how deep it ran until now. Jason glanced around and decided the front doors was not a great place to have such a conversation.

“I’ll explain, this way.” Jason grabbed Kirsten’s hand and pulled her away from the entrance.

Even though he was still wearing his white gloves, Kirsten’s face reddened considerably and her eyes locked onto the sight of their hands locked within one another. Ignoring a few stares aimed in his direction, Jason pulled Kirsten around the nearest hallway corner and stopped near a janitorial closet. Jason then dropped Kirsten's hand and turned to face her directly.

“Ahehe…” Kirsten appeared to have forgotten her initial anger as she bashfully brought her hand up to her face and held it against her cheek.

“So, about the woman staying with me…” Jason ventured. “My aunt is actually missing.”

Kirsten snapped out of her happy giggling almost immediately.

“What happened?” Her face was etched with concern. “Are you okay?”

Jason smiled. Kirsten’s social awkwardness made her much easier to read compared to the other two. He could tell she was honestly worried for him.

“I’m…” Jason almost said fine but that was a lie. “I’m managing.”

“So the w-w-woman staying with you?”

“Is a detective who is looking after me until Shannon is found.” Jason explained.

“Oh.” Kirsten’s face flushed with relief.

She smiled as if struck by a happy thought.

“Y-y-you could come stay with me instead.” Her breathing increased to a rapid pace. “My dad’s apartment isn’t very big, so it might be a bit of a squeeze but…. I wouldn’t mind.”

Her head slowly lowered, as did her voice’s volume, to the point where Jason almost missed the last portion of her statement. Jason paused as he thought up a nice way of turning down her offer. 

“Thank you, but I’d be more comfortable at home. My aunt could show up on our doorstep so I want to be there just in case.” He said.

Kirsten’s face fell, clearly disappointed, but she nodded her understanding.

“Does your aunt’s disappearance have something to do with Adaline?” Kirsten asked.

Jason felt his blood freeze in his veins. As far as he knew, he had never said Adaline’s name in Kirsten’s presence. Kirsten shouldn’t know about her at all.

“Why do you ask?” Jason probed.

Kirsten’s eyes widened as she realized what she had asked.

“I-I-I mean…. I heard you mention her before to y-y-your friend Hayden… So I looked her up.” Kirsten tapped the ends of her index fingers together. “I-I-I didn’t mean to pry! I-I-I j-j-just wanted to und-d-d-erstand.”

Jason ran a troubled hand through his messy hair. Kirsten was listening to his conversations somehow. He was almost positive she had been nowhere near him the few times he had talked to Hayden about Adaline. This information was troubling, but he’d have to deal with it another time.

“It does.” Jason cut off Kirsten’s panicked ramblings.

Her watery hazel eyes opened wide.

Jason sighed and explained. “Adaline escaped from a mental health facility and is coming after me. The detective is worried that she has something to do with my aunt’s disappearance.”

Kirsten’s hands lifted to her mouth. “Is she d-d-dangerous?”

Jason nodded. “This might sound odd, but that hard drive I gave you might have something that can help me stop Adaline from hurting anyone else.”

Kirsten blinked and looked at the forgotten drive still in her hands.

“Oh, yes of course.” She handed it to him. “B-b-but how is this occult research going to help with that?”

“Occult research?” Jason jerked up from the unexpected reveal.

Kirsten nodded. “It’s a bunch of research on d-demons, devils, and dark magic stuff… You didn’t know?”

Jason shook his head as he stuffed the drive into his backpack. “I-”

Whatever Jason was about to say was stifled by the bell ringing through the halls. Jason cursed and took off towards the stairs.

“Thanks again Kirsten, sorry!” He shouted back as he made his hasty ascent up to his classroom.

Jason sprinted into his class and received another lecture from Mr. Bradley about punctuality. Jason stayed quiet and simply nodded until the long winded speech was over. Fortunately, Mr. Bradley did not hand out any further punishment and Jason was allowed to take his seat without further issue. Jessica was in her usual spot and shot him a sympathetic smile as he sat down. Courtney on the other hand gave him a playful wink and lightly taunted him in a hushed voice.

The day progressed much how the previous had, with Courtney and Jessica taking turns making overt passes to get Jason’s attention. Though partially successful in their efforts, Jason’s attention kept returning to his pack where he knew the cracked hard drive sat. Curiosity drove him crazy with impatience, to the point where Jason decided to do something drastic. An hour before lunch, Jason lifted his hand and asked to be excused to the nurse’s office.

Courtney and Jessica instantly lost their playful attitudes, a mixture of concern and suspicion falling over their features as Jason left the room after receiving permission from the teacher. He could feel the heat of their gaze on his back as he walked out. Jason was rocking the equilibrium that Courtney and Jessica had managed to establish in the classroom and he could tell they did not appreciate it. Jason opened his phone and dialed a number he hadn’t called before.

“Jason?” Kylee’s worried voice responded almost immediately. “What’s wrong? Are you in danger?”

“No, I’m not in any danger.” Jason took a deep breath and did his best to sound glum. “I’ve been thinking, maybe it would be better if I took some time off from school. At least today anyway. Would you mind calling in and excusing me?”

“No, not at all.” Kylee sounded far too chipper considering the situation. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes to take you home.”

“Oh.” Jason blinked.

He hadn’t expected Kylee to actually come pick him up herself.

“Don’t you have work? I don’t want to-” Jason’s weak objection was immediately overwritten.

“It’s fine.” Kylee cut in. “Your safety is my number one concern right now. That is my work.”

Jason frowned. “All right.”

Kylee reiterated that she would be there as soon as she could before she hung up to start her drive over. Jason brought the phone down from his ear and stared at it.

I may have to reconsider my interactions with the detective.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After what felt like an eternity to Jessica, the lunch bell rang. She lifted her head from where it had been resting on her desk and gazed up at the ticking classroom clock.

If Jason is not here, is there even a point to coming? Jessica asked herself.

Jessica heard a huff behind her that signaled Courtney was angrily packing up her school supplies.

“What?” Jessica snapped, not even bothering to turn around.

Courtney stopped her packing.

“It’s your fault you know.” Courtney voiced angrily.

Jessica spun around in her chair to face the rich spoiled child behind her.

“Oh really?” Jessica’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the edge of her desk.

Courtney snorted with disgust.

“Yes really. You kept sticking your filthy callused hands all over him and made him uncomfortable.” Courtney thrust a finger in Jessica’s face. “Jason is too nice to say it, but I will, you disgust him.”

Jessica smirked. “The way his eyes travel over me says otherwise.”

Courtney scowled. “That’s just a leftover reaction from when he looks at me.”

Jessica’s smile broadened as she could tell she hit a nerve. “He’s not into your skinny-”

“E-excuse me!” A shouting voice interrupted their argument.

Both Jessica and Courtney turned to find a girl standing behind them.

“Oh.” Courtney’s eyes flickered with amusement. “If it isn’t the mouse.”

“I-I-I’m Kirsten.” The girl’s determination outweighed her stutter. “I n-n-need your help.”

Jessica’s eyes narrowed as she realized this was the girl watching Jason from afar all of the time. 

“And what makes you think we’d help you?” Courtney asked.

Jessica nodded, as Courtney’s question perfectly reflected her own opinion.

“B-b-because it’s about J-J-Jason.” Kirsten declared.

“You’ve got some nerve.” Jessica growled as she stood from her chair. “What makes you think you can just come in here and ask for my help stealing my Jason from me?”

“Who’s being presumptuous here?” Courtney stepped towards Jessica. “You’re the one clinging to a childhood crush that is long dead. Face it, Jason’s moved on.”

Jessica felt her blood boil.

“S-s-stop it!” Kirsten pushed herself between the pair. “Jason is in danger!”

Both Jessica and Courtney blinked and looked down at the shorter girl.

“What do you mean?” Jessica asked. “Is Jason really sick? Is that why he left?”

Kirsten shook her head. “Th-there’s a girl. She’s crazy. She wants to k-k-k…”

Kirsten began to sob. Courtney and Jessica fell silent as tears began to fall from the girl’s face.

“She wants to hurt Jason!” Kirsten sniffled loudly and used her sleeve to wipe her face. “I have to… We have to protect him!”

Kirsten’s hands dropped to her sides and her head fell, defeated.

“I’m… not strong. I can use technology to try and help Jason but if he were in physical danger… I can’t.”

Jessica’s heart ached. Not because she felt bad for Kirsten, but because she could understand her worry.

“Okay.” Jessica stepped back and sat in her chair.

Kirsten looked up, elated. “You’ll help?”

Jessica rolled her eyes. “Jason’s the love of my life, I don’t need to be asked to help.”

Both Kirsten and Courtney’s eyes flinched at Jessica’s statement.

This is going to be an extremely fragile alliance. Jessica thought to herself.

“And you?” Kirsten turned to Courtney. “Your family’s influence would be extremely beneficial.”

Courtney seemed uncomfortable.

“You… You know my family’s line of work then?” She asked Kirsten.

The shorter girl nodded. “You’d be surprised how much you can find online.”

Courtney cleared her throat. “Well, I would certainly fail as Jason’s current and only lover if I didn’t protect him, wouldn’t I?”

It was Jessica’s turn to flinch. Kirsten folded her arms across her chest.

“G-good.” Kirsten said stiffly. “Now. Let’s discuss terms.”

The trio sat down in the now empty classroom and began an in depth strategy session about how they would protect the most important person in the world to each of them. Jessica participated, but was well aware of the calculated look constantly on Courtney’s face. The past several days had taught  Jessica all she needed to know about the rich girl’s behavior. While Jason’s protection might be her number one priority, Jessica wasn’t naive enough to honest believe that Courtney wouldn’t stab each of them in the back as soon as she was able to. Even the small shy Kirsten seemed to be weighing her options any time they fell into a contemplative silence. If Jessica was to secure her place as Jason’s true love, she would have to make her own schemes to stay one step ahead of her competition.

The meeting ended just before students began to trickle back from the lunch break. The trio stood and shook hands over their agreement. Smiles painted on each face but open hostility visible in each of their eyes.

I won’t lose. Jessica’s eyes blazed with a demonic fury that was ready to burn anyone who stood in her way.