Morticia woke up with a light moan, the sound of her mother’s voice signaling her arrival. Her eyes flew open, and she recalled that Klaus had spent the night in her room.
She quickly sat up, but the other side of her bed was empty. A breath of relief escaped her lips just as her door swung open, causing her to flinch.
“Jesus, Mom! A knock wouldn’t hurt,” she said, rubbing her eyes.
“I’ve been calling your lazy self for a while now. Get up!”
“Yeah, I’ll be downstairs,” Morticia mumbled, trying to sound more awake. Her gaze drifted to the empty space beside her, and a smile crept onto her face.
She jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. As she emerged, she found her mother preparing breakfast while staring at the television, but there was no sign of Klaus.
Had he already left?
“Where’s Klaus?” Morticia couldn’t help but ask.
“I didn’t see him. He must have left after the news went viral,” Ava replied, returning her gaze to the screen.
Morticia glanced over, and her heart sank. It was Klaus’s father, Mr. Barnard, announcing his marriage to Mrs. Katie.
“Mrs. Katie?” Morticia exclaimed, shocked by the name. “Isn’t that your friend?”
Ava sighed. She, Josephine, and Katie had once been a tight-knit trio, but now they were down to two. Katie had suddenly stopped hanging out with them, and Morticia now understood why.
Katie was a single mother, having given birth at nineteen, and had never remarried.
This was insane. Mr. Barnard had divorced his wife only to marry her friend. And to think Klaus had once had once been close to Mrs. Katie-this would be devastating news for him.
“Yes,” Ava answered her question, swallowing hard.
“Why didn’t you tell him the day he found out about the divorce? This will only hurt him more,” Morticia said, wondering how Klaus was coping.
“Do you think it’s that easy? I still find it hard to process. And Josephine still wants to attend the wedding… it baffles me,” Ava’s voice wavered. Morticia quickly sat beside her mother, rubbing her shoulder in comfort.
“It’s okay, Mom.” Morticia kissed her cheek, and Ava smiled, resting her head on her daughter’s shoulder.
Vincent wouldn’t be able to see the news yet since they wouldn’t have access to media until the show was over.
Klaus would have no one to console him. Worst of all, she didn’t even know where to find him.
—
Nica finished her classes, packed her books, and headed out, determined not to be late for work. She glanced at Vincent’s number, wanting to call him, but a small voice inside her cautioned against it. Maybe she should give him some time.
Still, she longed to hear his voice. Besides, she had promised to support him at the dance show. It would be inconsiderate not to check in before the performance.
Suddenly, a shoulder bumped against hers, and Nica’s phone flew from her grasp, the screen cracking upon impact.
“Hey!” she snapped, looking up to see Dimitri, arms crossed and a smirk on her face. If looks could kill, Nica would be unconscious.
“Demi?” Nica kept her voice steady, refusing to show fear.
Dimitri was back to her full strength, having healed from her injuries.
“Hello, snitch,” Dimitri said coldly, stepping closer. “You don’t seem happy to see me. Perhaps you wish I were dead? That’s why you betrayed my trust-all because of some crush on someone who would never notice you…”
“You were planning to hurt an innocent girl! You didn’t just hurt her; you almost killed her. I couldn’t just stand by and watch…”
“Why are you acting all innocent? We were like this in high school. You were only nice to that nerdy girl because of Vincent…” Dimitri shot back.
“No… Morticia doesn’t deserve what you were planning for her,” Nica defended. Aside from her feelings for Vincent, she genuinely liked Morticia; their bond was mutual and without strings attached.
“Is that so? And what do you know about people deserving things? Like what your adopted father did to you?”
Nica’s brow furrowed at the question.
“Don’t tell me you were the one who exposed my location to him…”
“I was just returning the favor, Nica,” Dimitri smirked.
Nica clenched her fists, her eyes burning with fury.
“It turns out your family is just a piece of work. Your adopted father-a pervert. Your mother-a coward. And your brother… a psycho,” Dimitri chuckled mockingly.
Nica’s hands shot out, grabbing Dimitri’s collar and pulling her close.
“Watch it,” she warned.
Dimitri’s smirk widened as she tilted her head. “I’m just speaking the truth, Nica.” She reached up and removed Nica’s hands from her collar.
“And you’re a snitch, always destined to be insignificant.” Dimitri leaned into Nica’s ear, whispering, “I’ll make your life miserable. I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”
With that, Dimitri stepped back, slipped on her sunglasses, and walked away.
Nica stood frozen, her blood boiling with anger. She fought the urge to punch Dimitri in the face-she didn’t want to invite more trouble while she was still sorting herself out. But avoiding trouble seemed impossible now.
If Dimitri had her sights set on her, Simon would likely be watching, too.
“So the bitch is back,” Rhea emerged from around the corner, eyeing Dimitri as she climbed into her car and drove off.
“Yeah, she is,” Nica breathed out.
“Did she threaten you?” Valerie chimed in, a cigar dangling from the corner of her mouth.
“W-who are you…?”
“I’m Morty’s best friend, and this is Valerie, her roommate,” Rhea introduced herself.
Nica stared at the slightly taller, intimidating yet beautiful girl with a dark vibe, Valerie. It amused her how someone could look so fierce.
“Nice to meet you both,” Nica smiled, but it faded when her thought drifted to Vincent.