"So what will you do while I meet Jenny?" I ask Mom as we drive to High Street.

She shrugs. "Probably do some shopping. There's a Superdrug there, right? I need some new face masks."

"Can you get me one?" I ask. "I'll need to relax after my exam tomorrow. I think I'm going to fail."

Mom gives me a look at the next red light. "Eve, come on. You're not going to fail anything. I'll be happy with fives after everything that's happened, okay?"

Fives. My expected grades were mostly eights with a few nines and a seven in Chemistry. Fives aren't me. They weren't me before this week of hell anyway.

"Call me if you need anything," she says as she parks. "And I mean anything, okay?"

"Love you, Mom." I kiss her on the cheek. "I'll see you in a bit!"

at high street where are you?

pepes

I take a deep breath and cross the road. That message she sent me was probably a mistake. Something silly. Maybe a creative writing piece or something she sent to a guy who was bothering her. Not something crazy. Not at all. I'm just being paranoid now. Diane and Mitch will figure out who killed Granger or if he did it himself. I don't need to.

Jenny is standing outside the restaurant waiting for me. Her hair is plaited tightly into two braids, her usual claw clip absent. Even her clothes lack her usual flair, just a normal jumper with jeans. And when I get closer, I see that her eyes are red like she's just been crying.

"Hey," I say. "You okay?"

She smiles weakly. "Fine. Let's go in."

There's just one family in there, quietly chatting away to each other. There's a girl with glasses who I think is in Jenny's year excitedly showing her dad the Marvel Instagram page, some promo for a new film. She smiles at Jenny as we walk past.

"What can I get ya?" the guy at the till asks.

I barely glance at the menu. "I'll have that barbecue sizzler please."

He takes my order, questioning me about normal fries or Piri-Piri fries and drink choice. I pay with my card, letting Jenny step forward and place her order. She orders just sides, the side rice and fries.

"I'll bring it out to you," he says. "Sit wherever you like."

"I need to tell you something," Jenny says as she chooses a table. It's the furthest away from that family. "But it's really stupid. Like really really stupid and you won't look at me the same ever again."

"So? Tell me anyway."

Her eyes fill with tears. "I did something stupid."

"I made out with this guy I don't even know the name of last night. I won't judge," I tell her. "Wait, I think he added himself into my contacts. Let me find him."

I've pulled my phone out and started scrolling through my contacts, searching for an unfamiliar name. Then we can laugh about it and have a nice time.

"I'm the one who killed Granger."

I drop my phone.