Went down a childhood nostalgia rabbit hole for mentioned children's books in this chapter. I don't care if there's more recent ones that are better suited for story-time nowadays; if I wanna have someone read kids something by Jan Brett or Patricia Polacco or Mary Pope Osbourne, I'm gonna. I'm also not quite creative enough to come up with a fake children's book, lol.

For once, Luz felt nervous about going to the library.

With Hexside exams over, she and Hunter had to return the books they'd borrowed for studying alongside some from Eda that their neighbor had forgotten about. Vee had tagged right along in order to try and find something new to read, leaving her older siblings to return their books and wander around the library while they waited for her to find that something. Hunter went to go find a place to sit and relax and pretend to read. And Luz… she tried to find something to occupy her.

Especially when she saw that Amity Blight was working today.

Now, don't get her wrong. She was always happy to look at one of the prettiest girls she'd ever seen. But looking would lead to getting closer. Getting closer would lead to talking. And talking would lead to—well, she wasn't sure if it would go past talking, but she didn't wanna risk it. Not when Amity was possibly her new friend's ex-girlfriend. How much would it hurt Willow if Luz went after Amity?

So for now, Luz held back. She stood by the door to the room where Amity was doing story-time for little kids, reading them a book Luz remembered demanding Hunter read to her when she was little.

"The bear, tickled by the mouse's whiskers, gave an enormous sneeze," Amity read, showing them the illustrations on the page before giving a big fake sneeze that made the kids giggle. "The force of the sneeze shot the mitten up into the sky, and scattered the animals in all directions."

Amity turned the page.

"On his way home, Nicki saw a white shape in the distance. It was the lost mitten silhouetted against the blue sky." She turned the page once again to show the boy catching his mitten on one page with a cozy cottage on the other. "As he ran to catch his snow-white mitten, he saw Baba's face in the window. First she looked to see if he was safe and sound, then she saw that he still had his new mittens."

The rest of the book was just more beautifully-illustrated images, and then Amity closed the book once the last of the pictures had been seen by the kids.

"The end," she announced.

Luz thought her heart was going to burst as she watched the kids get up and a few of them rush to hug Amity. They thanked her before running off to go find their parents, presumably. Amity went to clean up all the chairs and pillows the kids had dragged out to sit on and Luz was suddenly very aware that she was staring at Amity in a way that could be classified as Stalkerish and Very Creepy.

"Hey," said a voice behind her.

She whirled around to see a boy about Hunter's age—actually, no, a boy and a girl about Hunter's age—standing there. They both had dark green hair and golden eyes, they were around the same height, and they were both grinning at her. Not to mention they were very attractive and Luz felt her face heat up as they smiled.

"Never seen you before," remarked the girl, leaning against a shelf.

"I'm Luz. Who are you?"

"I'm Edric, and this is Emira." The boy gestured between them. "We're the Blight twins. No doubt you will hear of us in weeks to come if the number of books you returned earlier mean you took the Hexside exams."

"That and the fact that our neighbor is super forgetful," Luz sighed, then their last name registered. "Wait, Blight? You wouldn't happen to be related to Amity, would you?"

"She's our sister," Emira stated. "The baby."

"Isn't she fourteen?"

"She'll always be baby Mitt—"

"Will you two stop bugging me at work?" cut in a new voice. Or, actually, Amity's voice. Luz jumped a foot at the sight of her. "Oh, hi, Luz."

"Hey, Amity! I was just… talking with your brother and sister! I didn't know you had siblings!"

"We've only met once before now and I didn't mention it. How would you have known?" Amity tilted her head.

Okay, Noceda—open mouth, insert foot.

"We were just telling her how you're the baby of the family," Edric explained. "I mean, Mom sent us to tell you to stop forgetting your lunch."

He held up a pink lunch-bag that had a bunny face on the flap that held it closed. Amity snatched it, her face turning an adorable shade of bright pink to match said bag.

"I didn't forget my lunch. Leave Luz alone and go home."

"Okay, sure, whatever you say, Mittens."

"Get out!"

The twins waved to her as they wandered away and Amity looked to Luz.

"I'm sorry about them. They can be a lot."

"That's just how older siblings are. I mean, Hunter would never do something like that to me, but he likes to mess with me a lot."

"Yeah. Maybe it's that." Amity shrugged. "Um… did you need something?"

"Oh, no, I just noticed you were here, so I thought I'd come see how you're doing!"

"I'm good. Thank you. How were your exams for Hexside? I know they were this week."

"They were easy-peasy. I bet we'll be in the same class."

"Yeah, maybe." She shuffled nervously. Why was Amity nervous? "Um… I do have to ask. Has Willow… told you about us?"

"Not a word. We've been a little busy."

"We weren't together. Just so you know. We were friends a long time ago."

"It ended badly."

"Yeah. It did."

"Why?"

"It's just… we grew apart, okay? That's all."

"Oh… well, thank you for telling me. I'm gonna ask Willow about it, too."

"You… do that."

"I'm gonna… go now… bye!"

Luz dashed off around the corner, breathing heavily.

At least they're not ex-girlfriends. That would make it worse.

Still her stomach twisted. Amity was hiding something about the falling-out, and Luz was sure there was more to it than a simple growing apart.

On her way to find Hunter, she bumped into the twins again.

"Hey, so you seem really cool," Emira told her. "And we were thinking you could come with us to do something."

"Do something?"

"The Bonesborough Library is supposedly haunted by this ghost from when the town was founded," Edric explained with a grin. "We're gonna come back tonight after they close to try and find it."

"I mean, ghosts are totally real, right?" Emira tilted her head at Luz. "Imagine if we got a picture of one."

"They are real. The historical society in Gravesfield was haunted. I never investigated because the guy who ran it was a creep, but I know it was real."

"Good! So we'll see you around nine?"

"Nine, got it!"

I can totally sneak out at nine.

She is so dead when I get my hands on her.

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood outside the Bonesborough Library.

It was almost ten at night, and he'd gotten a tip from an anonymous number that Luz was at the currently-closed library to investigate a ghost that supposedly haunted the premises. He still had no clue who'd sent the text, but he wasn't one to just let Luz fall ass-first in situations like this. And with her not being in her room and Willow and Gus not having any idea where she was, well… chances were pretty good that the tip was right and he was about to have to keep her from facing the Wrath of Camila. And possibly the police.

"Psst!"

He nearly jumped at the hiss that came from behind a pillar.

"Who's there?" he called, trying not to draw attention to himself.

"Good, you did get my text." He knew that voice.

"Blight?"

"Yeah, it's me. You ready to go inside and find these idiots?"

"I'm gonna strangle her when I get my hands on her for this."

"Same for me." She stepped out from behind the pillar. "Except, you know, with the two she's with right now."

"Who the hell is she with?"

"Two morons who think this is a good idea."

"…fair."

Amity gestured for him to follow her, and then she tried the door. It opened with relative ease, allowing them both to enter the library. Hunter eyed her with suspicion.

"So, listen, I'm so sorry about this," she sighed. "I don't know what Ed and Em were thinking dragging Luz into this little adventure."

"She's always been obsessed with ghosts. Probably just took the idea of finding a real one to get her on board." He glanced at her. "You work here, right? What do you know about this ghost?"

"According to local legend, his name is Thomas Crestwell. He was one of the people who helped build this place back when it was a meeting hall. Supposedly he died by falling from the rafters right after he put in the final nail and now he haunts the library out of… something. I don't know."

"Wow. Great local historian."

"You know Lilith Clawthorne. Ask her. She knows all the local lore."

"I will. Once we find those three."

They crept through the library. And to be honest, being in a place like this so late at night when there wasn't anybody else in the building… it was eerie. It didn't help that the building was so old and every creak of the place settling sounded like someone walking across the floorboards. Hunter was unnerved.

Suddenly Amity grabbed his arm, yanking him down behind a shelf.

"Ow, h—"

"Shhh." She put a finger to her lips and pointed.

There was Luz and the twins, standing in front of a bookshelf full of trash romance novels like the ones Tía Lola tended to read. Amity was shaking beside him, her face almost glowing red from rage in the dark as one of the twins reached for a specific book on the shelf and the whole thing moved aside to reveal a hidden room behind it. Luz looked skeptical but the girl twin—Emira, if he remembered correctly—grabbed her arm and pulled her inside, the shelf moving back into place as they disappeared.

"They're dead. They are so dead."

"What's that room?"

"It's…" She let out a frustrated groan. "Malphus gave me my own study space in the library and that's it. I keep my favorite books in there. I have no idea how those two found out about it or how they figured out how to get in."

"So you have your own personal lair in the library?"

"Shut up and let's go stop them before they do something even more stupid."

Amity pulled the same book Edric had and the shelf opened to reveal Luz trying to snatch a book back from the twins. All three of them froze, staring in horror at being caught, and Amity ran forward and snatched the book from Emira's hands.

"I can't believe you'd do something this stupid," she snapped, glaring.

"We do a lot of stupid things, Mittens," Edric sighed. "You'll have to be more specific."

"And who's your new boyfriend?" added Emira, glancing at Hunter. "I could've sworn you didn't swing that way."

"I don't."

"I'm here for this one." Hunter stepped forwards and grabbed the hood of Luz's shirt. "You're lucky I'm the one here instead of Mom."

"Okay, look, I just wanted to do the ghost thing! I didn't know about this part, I swear!"

"Doesn't matter. We're going home before Mom figures out we're missing because I don't know about you but I really don't want to deal with her wrath tonight."

"Fine. We didn't see the ghost anyway."

Amity put the book back on the shelf and started pushing the twins out of the room. The shelf slid closed and they started to make their way towards the exit.

The whole place was once again eerily silent with the exception of the sounds that came from an old building and the footsteps of the teenagers making their way out. He could get how someone could think this place was haunted. He was a skeptic despite Luz's best efforts to prove ghosts were real.

"Why do you have to be such a killjoy, Mittens?" asked Emira.

"If being a killjoy means you don't get your hands on my diary, then that's why."

"Hunter, you'd never publish—" started Luz, but he shook his head.

"My job as your brother is to mess with you and keep you safe. Not to embarrass you when I know you can do it yourself."

"Phew, thanks."

"Besides, why use your journal? I have baby pictures." Luz's eyes widened and the twins glanced at each other. "Or did you forget how many Mom took when you were little?"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Test me like this again and I'm showing a certain someone every baby picture you have."

"Baby pictures—genius!" remarked Edric. "I know there's plenty of Mittens."

"Oh my God, I hate you," muttered Amity, burying her face in her hands.

They made it to the exit and Amity closed the door, carefully locking it to protect the precious books inside. This meant that Hunter could go on home with Luz without worry.

"Next time you wanna impress a crush's older siblings, make sure it's not something illegal," he advised as they walked towards the house.

"I didn't… it really was the ghost thing, I swear. They had a key, so…"

"They had a key?" He sighed. "They probably stole one from a librarian and made a copy."

"Ohh, that makes sense." She eyed him carefully. "Um… you wouldn't really do the baby-picture thing, would you? Show them to Amity?"

"Not unless you're dating her. Then it's just ammunition."

"Then you wouldn't mind me showing yours to Willow."

"I don't have baby pictures, genius. I didn't get adopted until I was four."

"Dammit. I gotta find something else, then."

The porch light flicked on as they approached the house. Hunter glanced at Luz, who gazed back at him in pure fear.

They were in trouble.

"I can't believe you two snuck out."

"Mom, I know it was stupid—" Hunter started, and Vee watched from the top of the stairs as Mama paced back and forth.

"What were you two doing this late at night? It's almost midnight and you're out wandering?!"

"We're fine, okay? We did something stupid and—"

"Don't blame Hunter," Luz interrupted. "I was the one out there. He was only out to bring me home."

"I should've made sure she didn't sneak out in the first place!"

"Like you could've stopped me!"

"I can still lift you, skinny nerd!"

"I'm shockingly strong!"

"Doesn't mean I can't just carry you back into the house!"

"Try it, I dare you!"

"Both of you, stop," Camila sighed. "For now, you're both grounded for three days. No TV, no video games, and no internet outside of preparing for school."

Flapjack chirped slightly, hopping onto Vee's shoulder. She scratched his head.

"Hunter's in trouble," she whispered.

"For now, you can both have your phones to tell your friends you're grounded, but that's it. I don't want either of you going out for now."

"Yes, Mom," her older siblings replied. Then Luz got a look on her face.

"But I'm supposed to babysit King tomorrow!"

"He can come over here and you can find things to do with him around the house. Now, both of you, go to bed. We'll talk more in the morning."

Hunter and Luz trudged towards the stairs and Vee stood up, Flapjack fluttering his wings in response to the sudden movement. Luz spotted her and gave a nervous smile.

"Hey, Vee. Guess you heard all that, huh? Did we wake you up?"

"Mom got a call earlier." Vee fidgeted slightly.

"Who called her?" Hunter inquired, looking confused.

"She didn't know them. But she was really loud talking to them. A lot of words in Spanish I'm not allowed to say. That's why I woke up."

"Anything specific?"

"She ended the call by yelling 'stay away from my children' and hanging up. Then she came up here and found out you were both missing. I think she was really scared."

Luz and Hunter glanced at each other, neither knowing what to make of it.

"Guess we deserve it for scaring her," Hunter admitted.

"She also said something about setting a curfew for us when you two got back."

"We'll worry about that in the morning," Luz assured Vee. "For now, let's get some sleep."

Vee nodded, and all the Nocedas went into their respective rooms.

Camila stared at her phone as she heard the bedroom doors slam shut.

The number that had called earlier—an unlisted one—stared back at her.

She'd been getting ready for bed when the call came in, a call from a man who claimed to be a relative of Hunter's. He'd mentioned knowing they were in Bonesborough, that he had the true claim to be Hunter's parent and that he would be taking care of that problem soon enough. According to this man, it would be in Camila and her daughters' best interest to step aside and let him just take the boy.

It had been years since she'd sworn like that, but this cabrón just brought out the worst in her as her protective instincts kicked in.

She remembered the condition Hunter had been in when he'd first come to them—a tiny boy, shaking and scared with a wound on his face that was still in the process of healing. The social worker in charge of Hunter's case had warned Camila and Luis that he'd been through quite a bit, and that the scar had come from his only living relative who'd almost killed him. The wound had healed but left a scar on her son's face, a scar that she'd never told him the story behind.

So the idea of this man—this man who, if he was truly the relative mentioned by the social worker—getting his hands on her son… it made her see red and let loose. All she could see was that tiny boy who'd struggled to smile for the first four months he lived with them, up until the day that they promised to adopt him. That boy who'd flinched every time she or Luis reached out to touch him with any kind of affection or if they'd moved too quickly. Her baby boy who was hers in all but blood, and she really couldn't bring herself to give a shit about genetics when it came to Hunter unless it was this stain in his gene pool.

She took a deep breath and hit the button to block the number.

"You're not going to get your hands on him as long as I'm alive."

HOLY SHIT, OKAY

I was writing the bit with the twins introduction and it hit me that I made Amity read a story called "The Mitten" to the kids. I made Mittens read a story called "The Mitten". I swear to God it wasn't intentional, I just really liked that book as a kid and Jan Brett's illustrations are gorgeous no matter which of her books you read.

A little more of Hunter's story revealed by Camila, and next time's gonna be kinda sad, too, just FYI.

So long and thanks for all the fish!