Derek was leaning against the door that Nick and Evelyn usually entered school in. He had his arms folded, feeling antsy. He had never been in a situation where he couldn’t get in contact with someone. He always had his phone. His friends always had their phones. It was like they were back in the Middle Ages, and Derek wouldn’t know if his friends were alive until he saw them.

  Okay, maybe he was being a bit dramatic. Tyler did, after all, assure him that Derek was most likely safe to call Evelyn. Derek spent most of the night wondering if he should, but also pretty sure they would be fine.

  Not fine. Walt was apparently ready to punch Tyler in the face. Walt couldn’t be any clearer about how he felt about Tyler, even if he tried. How was this possibly going to work out? How were sessions going to happen? Was Evelyn, and therefore Nick, banned from ever attending CCNC again? Could they even function without those two in the group now? Sure, they could roll from a distance, but it was the isolation of it all. This couldn’t be fair. Walt was never fair.

  The front doors opened, and Derek stood up straighter as he saw Nick and Evelyn walk into the school. He rushed up to them, studying them both.

  “I’m so glad to see you two,” Derek said, studying their faces. “Seriously, how did people survive without cell phones back in the day?”

  Nick smiled, but it didn’t seem genuine. Evelyn had her arms folded, staring at the ground. If one more unlucky thing happened, Evelyn looked ready to dissolve into a puddle and never recover.

  “So, I guess you heard?” Nick asked.

  “Yeah. Tyler called.”

  “Is he okay?” Evelyn asked, finally tearing her gaze from the floor.

  “I mean…” Derek hesitated. “Yeah. A little freaked out, but I’d be way more freaked out if I was that close to Walt’s wrath.”

  Evelyn closed her eyes and covered her face. Nick placed an arm around his little sister, giving her a side hug.

  “I hate dad,” Evelyn mumbled.

  “I know,” Nick said, patting her shoulder.

  “Your dad, did he… do anything to you two last night? In anger?” Derek asked, feeling the awkward words tripping over themselves. He didn’t know any other way to ask the question, but he also needed to make sure his friends were alright.

  “We’re fine. It was… all Tyler. My dad let his anger out all on Tyler,” Nick said.

  “So, what happens now?” Derek asked as Nick and Evelyn moved deeper into the school. “How are we going to do sessions?”

  Nick glanced around. “Where’s Rafael?”

  “With Alejandra,” Derek said. “She’s been having an awful week, and she’s scared to be around you.”

  Nick sighed. “Yeah, I’ve noticed.” He still searched the halls. “The only chance we have in repairing what happened is if Rafael talks to my dad. Convinces him that Tyler obviously doesn’t want to seduce Evelyn.”

  Derek snorted, and the two siblings looked at him. “Sorry, sorry, I know. Tender subject and what not, but… hell, Tyler going after Evelyn?” He chuckled, shaking his head.

  “I know. My dad’s obviously delusional,” Nick said.

  Evelyn adjusted the strap on her backpack, her eyes pooling with tears. Derek should have changed the subject, because it was clearly a tender one, but he just couldn’t get it out of his mind. Tyler and Evelyn? What an insane pair.

  Then again, he thought of another topic they needed to discuss. “Oh, and Rafael needs to convince Walt about you going to the winter ball next week.”

  Nick winced. “Shit, is that next week?”

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  “Next Saturday,” Derek said.

  Nick rubbed his neck before getting to his locker. “Right. I… don’t have anything to wear.”

  Derek waved a hand. “You can borrow a suit from me if you need. Or one of my dad’s. He goes to a lot of fancy parties, and he doesn’t need all those suits. My dad is almost your height.”

  “As long as I can even go,” Nick said. “Rafael convincing my dad to let us go to sessions and for me to go to the winter ball? It’s a lot. Might be too much, even for him.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t put it past Rafael. He could just smile in your dad’s general direction and Walt would be kneeling at his feet,” Derek said.

  Nick snorted as he put in his locker combination. Evelyn waited by the locker, lost in her own mind. Judging by the look on her face, Derek didn’t think that was the best place for her to be right now.

  “Also, have we decided what to do with Alejandra?” Derek asked.

  “What about Alejandra?” Nick asked.

  “She skipped yesterday, and Rafael just texted that she’s staying home again today.” Derek wiggled his phone at them. “Alejandra is feeling an overwhelming amount of guilt and shame. I don’t want her to run away from us,” Derek said.

  Nick just stared at him, confused. “Wait, what did she do?”

  “She, uh… didn’t trust you. Sorta hated you, actually. All last month. When you and… you and Grizzizzik and…”

  “Ah, right,” Nick said, placing what he needed to in his backpack.

  “Not anymore, though. Now that we know Grizzizzik and Chaos forced you into a corner, we totally understand why you did what you did. Let alone the fact that Chaos somehow was able to alter your very words into what he wanted and took us all completely off guard.” The more Derek talked, the more his eyes widened and glazed over as he stared at the locker. “Shit, man, how are you not a blubbering mess right now?”

  Nick chuckled as he slammed his locker closed. “Truthfully? I was a blubbering mess those first few weeks. It’s just none of you could see it, because Chaos changed what you saw, too.”

  Derek shuddered. “Oh, god.”

  “So… give yourselves a month, and you’ll be alright,” Nick said.

  Derek ran his fingers down his face, shaking his head. “Good god, Nick. Good god.” It was all Derek could say as they headed toward Evelyn’s locker. She had remained silent the whole time, folding her arms and remaining in her mind. Derek kept trying to think of a conversation to involve her as well, but she was hardly focusing on the present, let alone the conversation.

  They walked to Evelyn’s locker.

  “You really ought to talk to Alejandra. Let her know you’re not angry or anything,” Derek said to Nick.

  “How? I haven’t seen her all week, and I doubt we’ll be going to the session tomorrow,” Nick said.

  “We’ll figure out some way,” Derek said.

  “Good luck,” Evelyn said, shutting her locker, finally coming into the present. “Seriously, it’s a Walker family trait. Betray a friend, disappear for years.”

  Derek glanced at Evelyn, who didn’t look at anyone. The bell rang, and Evelyn grabbed the straps of her backpack. “I’ll see you guys later.”

  She walked toward her first class, and Derek ventured a glance at Nick. “Is your sister okay?”

  “No. She’s taken Tyler’s injury super hard.” Nick touched the new wound on his cheek that was healing pretty well.

  “Is she blaming herself?” Derek asked.

  “Absolutely not. She blames my dad. I had to pull her away from attacking him last night. He’s got a black eye and a few scratch marks on his face.”

  Derek raised an eyebrow. “Shit, dude.”

  “Yeah,” Nick said.

  “Tell her to snap a picture of his face and send it to the group message. It’ll be therapeutic for all of us,” Derek said.

  Nick chuckled as they headed down the hall. “Who knows, maybe Rafael can pull off a miracle when he and my dad talk. We can both stay home until June if we need to, but neither of us want to.”

  “Yeah, we don’t want you to, either. It’s too toxic at your house. I’ll pass the message along,” Derek said.

  Nick nodded before he said goodbye and broke off to his first class. Derek slipped into Mr. Anderson’s class, giving his teacher a wave as he settled into his chair.

  ***

  Evelyn did not want to go home. She never saw Nick around the house. He always remained in his room, and now she knew why. She had given Walt the silent treatment, making sure he understood the last words she wanted him to remember was that she hated him.

  She still did. How could he bully Tyler like that? How could he be so incredibly bullheaded to believe Tyler wanted Evelyn. Everyone knew Tyler wasn’t attracted to her. Evelyn knew that. It’s what tore her heart up the most. Tyler didn’t want her. He wouldn’t want her. Not until she was eighteen. Probably even past eighteen. Twenty, like Gemma talked about in therapy.

  But no. If they survived the apocalypse, Tyler would undoubtably be taken by the time she turned twenty. Probably married. Living his happily ever after, away from her. Away from her psycho father.

  Evelyn buried her head in her hands, the tears she unsuccessfully hid all day resurfacing. She had a doozy to report back at therapy.

  She froze, then lowered her hands. Therapy. It was an idea that was a bit out there, but Gemma had quickly become one of the people she could count on. She hadn’t been entirely truthful, after all, in her therapy sessions. She should have admitted to Gemma more about what was going on in her home life. She had a session with Gemma Tuesday, but she craved another one.

  Evelyn pulled up her laptop. Her parents wouldn’t be home from work for a while, and Gemma had given her an email address in case Evelyn wanted to contact her. She pulled up her email and wrote her therapist a letter. It wasn’t long, but the essence of it was that she did not feel safe at home.