Jake Wheeler

A week passed. Life in Hackensack was slowly returning to normal. The school was closed for "sanitization," but rumors of what had happened there were already swirling around town.

Jake sat alone in the stands at the school stadium. His shoulder was almost healed. He was looking out at the field when he heard footsteps.

• Hello.

It was Lexa. She no longer wore her perfectly coiffed hair and tons of makeup. Today she was wearing simple jeans and a sweatshirt.

She sat down next to him.

• I... I wanted to thank you. Really. You saved my life.

Jake shrugged, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

• We did it all. Together.

She smiled at him—genuinely, without a hint of mockery. A tension hung between them that was not at all like fear. This was something new.

At that moment, Lily walked up to the stands. She saw them sitting so close together, and her smile faded. She stopped a few steps away, looking from Jake to Lexa and back again. A shadow of disappointment and... jealousy flickered in her eyes.

"Hi," she said guardedly. "I... I was looking for you, Jake. We need to talk about what to tell the police."

Lexa stood up, taking the hint.

• Yes, of course. See you later, Jake?

She left, leaving them alone. Jake looked at Lily and saw the coldness in her eyes.

• Something wrong?

"That's true," she answered too quickly. "It's just... we almost died. And you two are getting... closer?"

Jake frowned.

• Lily... we've all been through a lot. I thought we were friends now?

• Friends? - She smiled bitterly. - Yes, of course.

She turned and walked quickly away, leaving Jake alone in the stands. He watched her go, unsure of what had just happened. They had killed the monster, but now a wall of misunderstanding grew between them.