Eustace wasn't their favourite cousin. He was, of course, their only cousin, but that didn't mean he was their favourite. In fact, Eustace Clarence Scrubb wasn't very well liked at all, and it came as no surprise to the residents of Rosewood when he went missing.

"I'm glad he's gone. He was asshole!" Lucy overheard, as she walked down Rosewood High's hallway.

"I wish people would stop talking about him," Lucy whispered to Edmund.

Everyone else stared at them. The Pevensies. Eustace's cousins. Them. Their feeble attempts at fleeting glances made Susan laugh bitterly.

"Tomorrow we'll be old news," she told Lucy.

Peter stopped at his locker and turned to them. "Look, I warned you two. People at our school like to gossip. They're going to want to –,"

"Kiss you, kill you, or be you. We get it." Lucy rolled her eyes. "Susan gave us the pep talk this morning."

"Ed, I'll see you in the locker room. Seniors take gym after Freshman."

"Sure," Edmund said, but his eyes were on Jill Pole who stood on the other side of the hall.

"Ed, stop it. She's already got half the school staring at her." Susan scolded him.

"And it's her first day," Lucy chimed in, digging her elbow into Edmund's ribs.

"Cut it out. I know. I just want to make sure she's okay."

The Pevensies exchanged looks with a pregnant pause. Edmund wandered over to Jill, careful to cross the traffic of students at the right moment.

"Hey Jill, how you holding up?"

Jill's eyes were red, but she faked a smile as she hitched her bag higher on her shoulder. "Alright."

"Come sit with us at lunch."

"I don't need your pity, Ed. Just because my boyfriend left without a trace or word -,"

"I'm asking as a friend." Edmund squeezed her shoulder. "Come on, we ran circles with each other all summer."

"Yeah. Okay," Jill nodded. "Thanks."

"See ya," Edmund smiled, and he dodged the traffic over to his siblings. "I invited her to lunch," he told them.

"That's nice of you," Susan replied. "Now it's going to look as though we're discussing where to hide the murder weapon."

"Susan!" Peter hissed.

"Oh come on. You heard Mom and Dad fighting. He's missing, presumed dead, and if we all huddle together whispering we're going to look guilty."

"Yeah and then people will talk about us more than they already do." Lucy cried.

"Cool it, Susan. It's Jill. It's lunch. Get over yourself." Edmund stalked off, with Lucy dragging her heels behind.

"Did you really have to go and say that, Su?" Peter asked, closing his locker.

"What?! You know it's true. They all think we're liars."