Evan had been anxiously sitting alone with what he heard until Spanish css in the afternoon. His st css of the day, which he shared with both Grace and Maddie.

  “You sure you weren’t hearing things?” Grace questioned.

  “That’s what I’m saying!” Evan responded. “But even if I was getting some words wrong, it just felt weird! Why would she be talking about Aria like that with Ms. Musker?”

  “Maybe it’s one of those privacy things.” Maddie interjected while she wrote her answers on Evan’s Spanish homework. “She’s her roommate and junk. They’d probably tell her if she has some sensitive health stuff going on.”

  “I guess?” Evan answered skeptically. “But it didn’t sound like she totally knew, but also… agh, it’s hard to expin it.”

  “Listen, Evan, it’s okay.” Grace leaned onto the desk. “You’re worried about her, and maybe that means you’re overthinking things.”

  “I know what I heard!” Evan snapped back, “Sorry, it’s just…!”

  As Maddie returned Evan’s homework, she looked up at him. One of those rare moments he could tell she was making eye contact behind her mop hair. “You think she’d talk if we went up to her?”

  “Who? Tori?”

  “Ugh, Maddie!” Grace reprimanded, “We can’t just interrogate someone over sensitive stuff!”

  “No, that could be a good idea.” Evan replied. “I don’t think she’s all that good a liar.”

  “Evan! That’s not the point!”

  “Well, the girl I like is sick and she’s acting like there’s a reason for it! You said it yourself, maybe just let me overthink things a bit!”

  Grace sighed, “I just don’t know about this.”

  But Evan was determined, he wanted assurance at minimum that he didn’t need a reason to get concerned after what he’d heard.

  It felt like it took ages for Spanish to finish, at which point he spent a good hour wandering around the school trying to figure out which css the girl had been in.

  There was some secret being kept, and she knew something.

  It was during dinner that he figured to wait in the cafeteria with the girls. She just had to show up, she had to.

  “Hey, there she is.” Grace pointed out, the girl in question walking into the room. Her gaze scanned over the area, as if looking for something.

  “Alright, I’ll go talk to her.” Evan stood up when she wasn’t looking in their direction and strolled up. He didn’t want to be overly confronting, he just wanted to get to the bottom of this, figure out what she’d meant by those things she’d said in Ms. Musker’s office.

  But when Tori saw him coming, the st thing he expected was an expression of relief. “Oh! There you are! I found you! Come on, we need to get going!”

  “I-! What?” Evan was left dumbfounded as Tori grabbed his arm and started dragging him away. “H-Hey!”

  “Come on, this is urgent! I need you to come back to the dorm!”

  “What? Why?!” The poor boy couldn’t be any more confused at the turn of events.

  “Please! This is for Aria!”

  Both of them out of the cafeteria, Evan shook off Tori’s arm and tried to stand firm. “What do you mean that this is for her? You can’t just drag me off without expining anything!”

  “I-I’m sorry, it’s-!” Tori looked to be in a panic as her mind ran through something, trying to get the words out. “Sh-She’s in danger, it’s like… I can’t fully expin it, but I think that everything she’s ever dreamed for could be falling apart right now, and I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who could help her!”

  Evan’s eyes narrowed. The expnation didn’t sound any less suspicious. In fact, it felt just about as absurd as the conversation he’d heard earlier today. “Again, wh-what do you mean? Why me? Wh-What would I need to do…?”

  In response, Tori looked back at him with a straight face. “I think you need to kiss her.”

  Aria had no idea what to do at this moment.

  The steps had passed by, but she knew that the fear they brought was real. She’d turned back into a guy, what would happen if anyone saw?!

  She immediately made sure the door was locked, but Tori still had the key. How long until she came back?

  No, that wasn’t even the issue. When didn’t matter. But that whenever she would show up, she’d see her. Aria was trapped. She had no way to know just how many girls she could run into in the hall, especially if she pnned to run.

  Run? That thought had come so easily to her. Why did that have to be the conclusion? Tori, Evan and the others were friends. They’d checked up on her just earlier that day! They’d understand, right?

  But something like this may be too much. If they’d even believe her story at all. They’d see a random boy in the room that their friend Aria had been in. They could assume the worst.

  No matter how they might react, it didn’t even touch on the rest of the school. No, it didn’t matter. She had to get out. But without any lookouts or escorts, a suspicious boy wouldn’t be able to get far without being spotted. And with Aria’s years of experience with self-conscious boyhood, she couldn’t help but imagine the worst.

  She paced around the room. No. No. This was impossible! How would she get out of this?!

  She sat back down on her bed, hands holding over her head as she buried her face in her knees. Maybe she deserved it. Deserved it for indulging in her lifelong perversion, with witchcraft of all things! It was obvious, what could be more evil than that?! Not even God would-!

  …But it wasn’t a perversion, was it?

  That’s right. She still remembered what Evan had said. The things she’d grown to understand about herself. ‘Girl on the inside.’ This whole thing… it was a part of her. It’s not like there was a sin being actively committed, she was just being herself.

  And even if it were, what would that say about Evan? He was probably one of the most purehearted people she knew. As far as she could tell, he’s just trying to be happy, and it’s working. Why would that be wrong? Someone like him wouldn’t deserve it.

  But then why did it feel like she was being punished for something?

  Because if she didn’t deserve it, then… what was the point in this type of suffering?

  Aria hadn’t even realized that she’d started tearing up until she wiped her eyes for herself. Guess some things didn’t change.

  She stood up, clearing her head. Now wasn’t the time to wallow in her own misery. There was still a more urgent matter at hand.

  She peered out the window, slightly open. She knew it could be pushed further, and its size may very well be able to accommodate a runaway. But as she looked down, there was an issue at hand.

  The fact that the dorm room stood on the second floor.

  “What are you talking about?!” Evan questioned in exasperation, trying to catch up with Tori.

  “Please, just trust me!”

  “How can I?! This isn’t some dumb fairy tale!” Evan huffed. Because who did she think she was trying to convince? An idiot?

  “You don’t understand,” Tori let out, “You don’t know what I know!”

  “And you expect me to believe you when you say something like that?!” Evan took another quick sprint forward to grab Tori by her shoulder. “I just want to know what’s going on, and you’re leaving me hanging! What do you even mean by her being in danger?”

  Tori shook his grip off, taking a step back. “L-Like I said, it’s hard to expin…”

  “Try me.”

  The response caught Tori off guard. She bit her lip, “I-I went to check up on her again, a bit ago. She was still asleep, but…”

  Evan felt goosebumps run along his body. “But what?”

  “This isn’t just some fever. She’s… She’s losing what I think she wants the most.”

  The boy’s face furrowed, “What she wants most?”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, you need to see for yourself.”

  “B-But what the hell does that have to do with me and kissing her?!”

  “It’s the cure,” Tori expined. “A-At least that’s what she told me, I-I think…”

  “She? Aria?”

  “No! I mean-! No, I can’t talk about it! But if it’s what I think it is, then you might be the only one who can do it! At least, the only one who has the chance to. Please, just come on! You won’t believe it until you see for yourself!” She pleaded, going straight back to walking ahead again.

  Evan was growing even more exasperated with this conversation, but for now he couldn’t deny the need to follow her. Just what did Tori see, even? What was wrong with Aria?

  They’d re-entered the dormitory, immediately going up a flight of stairs to the second floor.

  Aria certainly wasn’t leaving in her pajamas. Thankfully, she could still manage with the time she had.

  The school uniform still fit, so long as she unbuttoned parts of the bzer. Despite it being tighter, she was also able to hop into the trousers with only some discomfort. She’d gotten so used to using the skirt version of the uniform, but she wasn’t ready to stomach the awkward uneasiness again. Not now, not when she looked like a boy again.

  Even then, she needed a way to avoid being recognized. In that hope, she grabbed an extra bnket and wrapped it around her neck like a scarf, or a cape.

  Next came the tricky part. Thankfully, her summer with the boy scouts had been good for one thing, and it was going to help her get down that second story window. She’d grabbed her bedsheets, the covers, and just in case, the ones for Tori’s bed too. She felt bad, but she wanted to make sure she could nd safely.

  She pulled them all off as quick as she could. The sun outside was setting, who knew what was even keeping her roommate busy, but it couldn’t be for long. “Please, please…!”

  After that she had to tie each of them to knots, and-

  Then Aria’s ears picked up on steps, as well as talking.

  She couldn’t make out the words, but she could tell the voice. Tori.

  Then another. Evan?

  This was bad! The door would open any second!

  With the unfinished rope still on the floor, Aria wasn’t ready to jump, so she had to think fast.

  She pulled her bed from the wall. It was hard, but evidently the recimed below-average strength of a teen boy could get the job done.

  It was right as the door squeaked open that the bed was rammed to the frame to sm it back shut!

  Would that be enough, though?

  “Woah, you okay?” Evan asked her. The door had practically smmed shut in Tori’s face, what the hell?!

  The girl was breathing heavy, her eyes wide as her gaze remained fixed on the door. “Oh no.”

  Evan’s mind tried to rationalize what could be happening in the room. Was someone in there trying to shut them out? Aria? But why would she do that if she needs help? Better yet, wasn’t she sick?

  In that split second, Evan feared the worst. All the conspiracy talks today, it couldn’t be someone was in there with her, was there?! He tried to open the door again on his own, but something was pushing against it.

  “Tori! Help me push!”

  The girl, who’d been paralyzed otherwise, responded with a nod. “R-Right!”

  The door opened a bit with a quick ram from them, but not all the way. Something was blocking it, but not enough to fully keep them out!

  Then the door got smmed shut again, and suddenly, trying to ram it back open got even harder. Did they put more in the way?

  “Evan!” A voice called from down the hall. Grace and Maddie were running towards them. “We didn’t want to intrude, but, just what’s going on?”

  “We’re trying to open the-!” Tori expined, getting interrupted halfway through.

  “Someone’s in Aria’s room! C’mon!”

  The girls didn’t need any more convincing, quickly joining for another push, though Tori stood back, paralyzed in thought once more. “No, hold on, I’m worried that-”

  “C’mon, Tori! Didn’t you say we needed to help her?!” Evan questioned her.

  Tori looked to the side, “I-I just don’t want to risk attracting a-!”

  “PUSH!” Evan commanded.

  The three kept pushing anyway, with a reluctant Tori jumping in again. Meanwhile, Evan gnced at a pair of girls standing over by the stairway, looking at them. Passerbys. It wasn’t a wonder, something like this could easily attract a crowd. “What’s going on?” “Hey, isn’t that the-?”

  But Evan didn’t care, he just wanted to make sure Aria was okay!

  Aria felt bad for moving two entire beds and practically destroying the room in her effort to stall them, but she had no choice! She just needed more time!

  She used her time to finish tying up all the sheets, leaving the rope finished. She looked around, wondering if there was anything else she could use. No, this had to do!

  Aria could hear more voices join the scene outside. It was getting worse, there was no going back. The moment they’d get in, everyone would see!

  She climbed up the windowsill, only to lightly bump her head on the frame in her hurry. “Ow!”

  A half a dozen girls had started spectating the scene in the minute it was taking Evan to try and open the door. Grace had already tuckered herself out, and Maddie didn’t have much weight to her, so Evan was trying to eek it open with all his might!

  “Wait, so what’s happening?”

  “I dunno, I think-”

  Evan ignored the voices. He needed to make sure she was okay!

  Then, he heard a sound through the door, “Ow!”

  He tried to peek through the slit in the door, but it couldn’t quite reach where the voice had come from. Whose voice was that? Along the way, it was at this point Evan saw what the person inside had done, pushed the beds against the door. Aria was supposed to be sleeping there.

  This… This didn’t make any sense, where was she? This couldn’t somehow be the worst case scenario, could it? The voice definitely sounded like from a guy’s, so what else could be happening?!

  Evan stepped back to catch his breath, and tried to look back at Tori for assurance. She knew somehow about Aria’s deal, did she have any better idea? But on her face was only abject confusion. Not quite the fear Evan himself was feeling. “No, but… how…?”

  “Do you know who that was?”

  Tori didn’t answer, but Grace chimed in. “Wait, are we saying there’s a guy in there, then? We all heard that, right?”

  The murmurs from the girls in the crowd got louder. Evan’s blood boiled. What would a guy be doing in there destroying Aria and Tori’s room?

  Then the sound of heels clicking passed through the hall.

  Every student in there turned their head in unison, all of them understanding how serious this was with her walking down here, too.

  “What’s with this racket?” Ms. Musker asked, with as cold a tone as ever. “What’s going on?”

  Once up on the window, Aria pulled one end of the rope up. There wasn’t a convenient sill to tie it to, maybe the handle? She went for another knot. She had to be careful, making sure it was tight enough to carry her weight. Aria finished tying the knot. There was nothing to do but jump now, but…! Oh god, it still felt so high up! Could she really do it?!

  It was now or never, so she looked around. The banging on the door had stopped, so maybe she could grab something for just a quick second. But what would even be the point? They’d only think she had to be a thief, too!

  Then her eyes nded on the familiar notepad and pen on her nightstand, which had been pushed to the middle of the floor during her panicked rearrangement.

  “M-Ms. Musker!” Tori addressed her in a panic, “It’s not what it looks like! It’s my room, a-and Aria, it’s just-!”

  “Someone’s inside, we need to get it open!” Evan called to her. Even someone as strict as her would see why they needed to do this!

  The crowd immediately erupted as everyone tried to talk about what was happening, but it couldn’t go on for even two seconds before the supervisor’s voice cut through.

  “Silence!”

  The air quieted.

  Then Ms. Musker stepped forward, past the many girls, past Evan.

  Tori stepped closer to the woman, trying to talk to her in a hushed voice, “M-Ma’am, I think she’s-”

  “It doesn’t matter.” She interrupted. “My job is to protect my students, and I intend to follow through on that.”

  Then suddenly, she pushed. Even when doing it alone for only a second, the door was clearly about to nudge open. Reinvigorated, Evan tossed his weight in as well, and the door finally threw itself open!

  Evan wasn’t sure what exactly he was expecting, but he somehow didn’t feel the least bit surprised when seeing the scene before them.

  The two beds pushed forward in front of the door, without any covers, making the room appear scattered. On the window stood a figure shadowed by the setting sun, one hand grasping a rope tied to the handle.

  He heard Tori gasp next to him. Grace and Maddie were frozen, even Ms. Musker appeared uncharacteristically stiff.

  Despite it all, despite finding exactly what he feared, Evan didn’t feel an anger burn like he’d expected.

  Because the moment his gaze nded into the room, he met the figure’s eyes.

  He was confused, yet paradoxically, also overwhelmed with a clear sense of understanding.

  After two seconds that felt like they’d sted forever, the figure jumped down, cloak floating down with them in the wind.

  Evan continued standing still even as Tori, his friends, and the head supervisor rushed in ahead of them.

  “Who was that?!” Grace called out.

  “Oh no, no no no…!” Tori excimed. “We were too te!”

  As Maddie climbed up the window to look down, Ms. Musker approached Tori, and surprisingly, put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You did what you could, Victoria.”

  “But what’s gonna happen now?! Is she gonna be-?” The girl stopped herself, the room only quieting for a second before Grace spoke up again.

  “What are you guys even talking about?! This is serious! Aria’s not even here!”

  More girls were about to walk into the room to peek, but Musker made quick work of walking back to the doorway in an effort to shoo them away. But they all knew what kind of rumors this would lead to.

  Meanwhile Evan remained frozen in pce. Eyes still glued to the window where the figure stood. Trying to frame that moment in his mind. There’s no way.

  “E-Evan?”

  He ignored Grace’s concern, instead finally taking a step forward. The room felt like a mess. Just earlier that day he’d come in here to help get lunch to the girl he liked. It was more well kept than this. In fact, there were still a handful of cold fries on a tray sitting on her nightstand.

  …And next to the tray was her notepad. The one he’d given her.

  He picked it up when he saw the words left written on the front note. It was the same handwriting he’d come to know for a whole week now.

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  Evan grit his teeth.

  “What did it say?”

  He ripped the note off, curling it into a ball then throwing it into the nearby trash can. That’s where those words belonged.

  Then he turned, and made his way out of the room.

  Tori blinked, “E-Evan? Where are you-?”

  “I’m gonna find her,” He answered.

  He didn’t know how, he didn’t know why, he couldn’t even begin to understand the exact details of how everything led up to this.

  But despite it all, Tori had been right. All he needed was to see for himself, and he now understood.

  Aria almost tripped as she ran through the field. They saw her! They definitely did! It was only a matter of time until someone ran to check outside! She had to be off Marie grounds immediately!

  Her lungs already felt like they were about to give out as she ran, she just knew she couldn’t stop! Her mind had been filled with panic and adrenaline from the moment she woke up from her nap, she felt lucky she’d gotten out of that somehow!

  Even just seeing Evan’s face like this, meeting his eyes, it only brought her back to that traumatic moment from the diner.

  The shame. The exposure!

  He might have been the one person who’d understand her, and she couldn’t even do that! She felt like a liar, like she’d betrayed him!

  It was better this way! Just disappear into the night! Aria was gone, and Adam would reappear back at Hanssen’s like nothing had happened.

  When she finally got past the school gates, she let out a heavy wheeze. But she kept going, knowing she needed to lose any pursuers.

  In a way, this was just like the st time. Trying to run to safety, trying not to be exposed, except this time she was going back.

  And this time she had no one to help her.

  She was alone. Bar her old roommate waiting for her back at the old dorm, and Sully, too.

  “Please…!” At least she still had her voice. Oh god how she was thankful for that! Sully had been wrong, which turned out to be the one blessing of the evening!

  By the time Aria was back at Hanssen’s, it was already dark. She undid the makeshift cloak she wrapped around herself, then fidgeted through her bzer’s pocket. She prayed that she still had her room key pocketed away and hadn’t lost it during her stay at Marie’s. She knew it was best to keep it just in case, all the more fortunate.

  Not a single soul was up and about at Hanssen’s campus. It was almost haunting. But again, that just meant Aria was lucky. She probably looked a bit too disheveled to find herself running into a pack of guys hanging out.

  She found the dorm room, breathing a sigh of relief at finally being back ‘home.’ It had felt like so long. It had been amazing to get to live as a girl for a time, but she still had the comfort of her old room. She could return to normal.

  She turned the key slowly just in case, not wanting to surprise Flynn. She was surprised when she entered and saw that she was apparently in the clear. Flynn was not up reading a book or drinking his second energy drink of the night. Aria could see the bump on his bed, so she knew he was there, but all that meant was that he’d been asleep.

  Maybe a lot had happened today. She looked at the time, noting the smaller hand pointing at 9. She hoped this somehow wasn’t reted to a sudden test tomorrow. Though even that’d be weird.

  Either way, she was too tired to care. Despite already having a long nap today, she was tuckered out for a multitude of reasons. Although Sully had talked about some doppelgangar, it appeared as if there was no suspicious bump in her own old bed, meaning it was free for the taking. She could go right to sleep.

  She got undressed, putting the old Marie’s bzer back into her closet as she got herself into more comfortable nightwear.

  Aria stepped into her bed, lifting the cover over herself.

  It had been a long struggle, but for now, it was over.

  Hopefully when she wakes up tomorrow, she could quickly expin everything to Flynn, and resume her old life. She could have it all back, her friends, family, choir, even her voice.

  It just… meant giving up on being a girl. At least for a while.

  The mencholic ache would stay in her mind even as she eventually drifted to sleep. Unsure of tomorrow.