“Finally, there you are,” I said to Bayla, who had reappeared in the doorway. This time in warmer clothes. The jeans she was wearing clung to her legs, and it looked as if she had become thinner.

“Where are you going?” Diana asked, addressing me, because Bay didn't usually know where I was taking her, especially when it was spontaneous.

I threw a helmet to Bayla, which she barely managed to catch. Already last night she had seemed so exhausted.

“To a coffee shop,” I chirped, and it wasn't a lie, at least if you assumed that keeping parts of the truth a secret wasn't lying either.

If Diana knew what I was up to, she'd rip my head off and chain her daughter to her room with a steel lock.

Bay looked at me for a moment as if I'd lost my mind, because I'd never been in a coffee shop with her for as long as I could remember, but luckily Diana was looking at my bike and not at her daughter.

“Please drive carefully, Larissa!” Diana warned me, concerned.

What was she thinking? I'd never had an accident before. Funny enough, she still didn't like the motorcycle with me and her daughter on the back.

“And please bring my daughter back to me in one piece before curfew.”

“Of course,” I laughed and inwardly hoped that I'd get back safely myself.

“You want to do what?” Bayla sat in front of me, a look of concern on her face. “Have you forgotten that we got busted last time?” she hissed, barely audible.

We were in Lola's Diner, and Lola must be the nice old lady in her sixties who had hired all the students to satisfy the hustle and bustle.

I didn't expect the place to be so busy at this time of day, otherwise I would definitely have gone somewhere else, but we were in Blairville and I only knew this diner, which Grace had recommended to me.

Grace just happened to be working a substitute shift here along with Mady's way too hot brother and shy Penny Bexley among other people, none of whom I knew. She came to our table with two full milkshakes.

“Strawberry for one lady and blueberry for the other,” she joked, placing the milkshakes in front of us.

Of course, Bayla had ordered something with blueberries. What else? And of course, Grace had to come and sit with us now. Not that I minded. But Bay and I had no time to waste.

“I've only got a few minutes, so tell me, what are you doing here?” Grace looked at us both with expectation, and Bay glanced at me looking for help.

“We're planning our costumes for the Halloween party next weekend.”

Bay's eyes widened.

I had to stifle a grin.

“So, you're both going?”

There wasn't as much concern in Grace's voice as there had been a few days ago.

“So...”

Bay tried to talk her way out of it, but it was too late for that. She would come and she would have fun. I would personally ensure that. Sometimes, you just had to force her to be happy.

“Of course, Bay's coming with me. You wouldn't leave me alone, would you?”

I winked at her.

The idea that she'd tear me apart as soon as Grace left made me grin.

“I thought about going too, but I don't know.” Grace played with her dark painted nails. She had her cocoa-colored corkscrew curls tied back with an orange ribbon to match the waiters' diner uniform.

I grinned broadly at her.

“I think you all need to have a bit more fun.”  Because what was student life without parties? “I couldn't spend all my time studying and working only to get up the next day and do the same thing.”

“I know what you mean...” Grace sighed, as if she really wanted to think about it again. “Julie always doesn't want to.”

Julie was even quieter than Bay, which made it harder to judge her. On the one hand, she was not really talkative and super shy, but then she had this mysterious internet boyfriend she didn't even know in person and who was walking around campus somewhere without even knowing she was there.

If I'd been Julie, I'd have grabbed the guy long ago, because judging by what I had read on her cell phone, they got on really well.

I didn't see myself as capable of having a relationship. Not just because I had failed seven times, but because I was simply attracting the wrong kind of men. Over and over again. Drug dealers, wannabe machos who preferred to cheat, and men who treated women like objects. Over time, I had realized that maybe I wasn't the type for long-term relationships.

I needed excitement and adrenaline.

“Attention! Dear Blairville residents. Due to the worsening weather conditions, we ask that you please drive home carefully and lock all doors and windows,” Joe Bexley's voice rang out and as I looked up at the TV, I recognized the man who actually shared similarities with Jenny and Penny. “We also recommend you to park your cars in the garages and bring loose items from the gardens into the house.” He smiled with pity. “Stay safe.” Then he disappeared and the Vancouver football game faded back in.

I looked out the window, outside the diner, where only one table was occupied.

A raven, its feathers fluffed up by the wind, nabbed a bag of fries from one of the unoccupied tables and flew off triumphantly. Three more ravens followed, apparently not liking that their friend wasn't sharing with them.

Somewhere in the distance, an empty trash can flew across the sidewalk and took another one with it, narrowly missing a grandma with her rollator.

I looked back at Grace, who was looking at the clock on the wall, exhausted.

I tried to remember the conversation we'd just had.

“You can come with us...” I offered.

She looked at me as if she was actually thinking about it.

“Grace! I need your help at table seven,” Ezra called out, and Grace stood up in a flash.

“I'll think about it,” she said before turning away from us and disappearing across the freshly mopped diner floor.

“What the hell?! Larissa!” I looked at Bay, who was gesticulating wildly with her hands in the air. “I said no. Why are you putting me in a situation like this?”

“Because you're going to that damn Halloween party with your best friend and have some fun.”

I looked at her with encouragement.

She glanced annoyed out the window into the parking lot, where a couple of guys were smoking with a girl who looked a lot like Mia. They all looked very young, maybe just fifteen.

Bayla watched them for a while, then turned back to me.