The girl's expression was indifferent, a total comparison to the murderous look on Tanya's face. Zoe thought she could feel the cold milk splash in her face and the tray of food run over her head, even before the two girls reached her table. Stay calm – they don't actually do things like that in real life. It's only on those stupid high school soaps you watch all the time... right? Zoe thought, and felt panic bubble up in her chest.

The petite girl gracefully slid into the seat across from her. Tanya scraped a chair across the floor and put her tray down on the table with a huff. Zoe straightened, waiting. What exactly she was waiting for, she wasn't sure – to have Tanya launch at her with teeth and claws extended, maybe.
"So, you're Zoe, huh?" The girl asked.
"You didn't tell Kyle you were going to the beach, did you?" Tanya demanded, turning sparking green eyes on Zoe.
"I... I'm sorry, I think he just assumed I was going because I didn't give him a straight out no." Zoe said carefully.
"So, you're not going then?" Tanya frowned at her.
"Of course she's going," Petite Girl smiled and took off the sunglasses. Dancing hazel eyes looked back at Zoe warmly. "No girl would turn down an invite from oh-so-hot Kyle."

"True," Tanya admitted with a deep sigh. She eyed Zoe warily. "Still. He's totally out of your league. You know he's just being nice, right? He's nice to all the girls."
"With me being the sole exception," Petite Girl's smile widened, before frowning at Tanya. "What are you talking about? She's so not... Zoe, you're so not out of Kyle's league. Don't listen to Tanya, she's just jealous." The girl looked at Zoe earnestly, as though she was trying to will Zoe to believe her.
"You're the one who said no girl is going to be good enough for him." Tanya said, surprise written all over her face.
"I meant you're out of his league, Tanya. Seriously, Kyle wouldn't last a day with your eating habits. He's all about eating out and he expects his girlfriend to share his love of junk food."
"Oh, that's real mature, Haley. Thanks for being such a wonderful friend." Tanya said.

Haley returned the glare with a casual shrug. "You're welcome."
"Agh!" Tanya stood up to leave, but Haley pulled her back down into the chair.
"What do you want me to do? Tell you he's going to fall for you because you eat like a goat? I'm just being realistic, Tanya, I don't want to get your hopes up."
"So you'd rather have Kyle go for the new girl?" Tanya sniffed in disdain.
"Well... if he could. I think Zoe's a bit out of Kyle's league, actually." Haley admitted, studying Zoe with curious eyes.
Zoe could feel her face heat up, and wished for all the world that she was anywhere but here.
"Where did you move from, Zoe?" Haley asked.
"Uh... Texas." Zoe answered uneasily.
"Well, Vista Grande sure isn't Texas, but I'm pretty sure you'll fit in perfectly here." Haley said.
"Oh, sure." Tanya muttered.
"Really. I've got a gut feeling about you." Haley narrowed her eyes at Zoe thoughtfully. She straightened up and smiled.

"Ugh, whatever," Tanya exclaimed. "Look, are you still coming to the party at my place tomorrow night? It's not like you'll have anything else to do, now that your secret love-interest is out of town for a while."
Haley leaned her arms on the table and fixed Tanya with a look that made even Zoe uncomfortable.
"I'll come if Zoe is going, too." Haley said after a long moment.

"But..." Tanya blinked, startled, and looked at Zoe in dismay. "Fine, whatever. Look, just be there, okay? The parties suck when you're not there. And it's really important, Haley. Remember we planned to do the Ouija board in the Willis house afterward, right?"
"See you later." Haley said with a sigh when Tanya rose to her feet and went back to the larger table.
"What do you think Zoe? Ever used a Ouija board before?"
"No. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to." Zoe said, embarrassed.
"Neither have I. Because I'm not allowed." Haley grinned mischievously. "My mom would kill me if she found out. She's always going on about inviting evil into our house, and stuff like that. She even burns sage in every room in the house on Sundays. That's why I call her the Crazy Lady."

"She burns sage?" Zoe repeated uncertainly.
"It's supposed to clear out any impurities in the house." Haley explained dismissively. "Anyway, according to the crazy lady, playing with Ouija is like inviting whatever evil there is to our world, and that it could attach itself to the people in the room. It could even possess them, according to her."
"I thought it was a way to communicate with the dead." Zoe frowned.
"My thoughts exactly. The dead aren't necessarily evil, right? I'm going to test those two theories tomorrow night. It's just a small group of us going, everyone else is too scared to set foot in the Willis house because of all the stories floating around town." Haley shrugged, and frowned at Zoe's pale expression. "You've heard of them already?"

Zoe shook her head and licked her lips. "I'm guessing it's haunted ?"
"Just like every other abandoned house in the state." Haley snorted. "There are stories about Mr Willis having starved his twins in the basement, and that you can hear them scratching on the basement door and crying to be let out. There are rumours that Mrs Willis hung herself in the master bedroom, and that her ghost wanders the halls at night. Then there's the story about the mysterious little ghost girl that follows curious kids around the house at night. Just your typical ghost stories."
"You don't believe in ghosts." Zoe said. By the bored tone in Haley's voice, Zoe could tell she was a sceptic.

"Well..." Haley trailed off for a moment. "I haven't ever seen one."
"So do you know what really happened at the house?" Zoe asked. It was curiosity that made her ask; if it wasn't such a bad case of people having been murdered there, she might actually go. It was okay to face the entities that didn't meet a painful demise, because half of them were unaware that they were dead.
"None of the Willis's died. I know, because Kyle and Jess and I helped them move out. It was a very spur of the moment move. Something happened in that house to make them suddenly pack up one day." Haley pursed her lips, staring at Zoe for a moment.

"You think it was already haunted?" Zoe asked, intrigued despite the gnawing terror in her gut. If anyone was going to be able to tell whether the house was haunted or not, it would be her.
"Could be. The house just has a weird feel to it. When we were helping the family move out, Jess – my secret boyfriend – went up to the attic with one of the Willis kids to bring down some boxes. It wasn't really an attic... more like an attic converted into a big study. Anyway, whatever was up there spooked them badly. I just remember Jess shoving the kid down the stairs ahead of him, and then he grabbed me and dragged me outside. He made me swear to never set foot back in that house. It was pretty scary." Haley blew out her breath. "I mean, Jess isn't afraid of anything, so whatever it was had to be really bad."

"You promised not to go back there, so why are you going?" Zoe asked suddenly.
"Because Jess is out of town with his dad and my mom. This is the only chance I'll get without being afraid of getting caught." Haley beamed. "You're coming, aren't you? You don't have to worry, I won't let any nasty ghost near you."
"I'll have to check with my parents first." Zoe backtracked.
"Okay." Haley shrugged. "They shouldn't have a problem with it. They'll think we're just kids having fun exploring."

The bell rang to announce the end of the lunch period, and Zoe found her way to her next class. The following couple of hours were a blur to her, her mind preoccupied with trying to come up with a good enough excuse for not attending the party the next night. Her nerves were in a knot by the time she settled behind a desk in her last class for the day. Haley took the desk beside her with a warm smile.
"Finally, I was wondering whether we would have any classes together!" Haley said.
"I think we have a couple, actually." Zoe admitted. "The teachers were asking for you earlier this morning."
"Oh, I've already dealt with them." Haley waved a hand dismissively. "Are you excited about the beach?"
"I haven't really thought about it." Zoe said as a new wave of anxiousness rushed over her.

"You'll have fun, trust me. If anyone knows how to have a good time, it's Kyle." Haley said. The reassuring smile on her face faded suddenly and she straightened in her seat, eyes darting from Zoe to the front of the class.
Zoe followed her gaze. Kyle had just stepped through the door and was making his way down the row of desks toward them. His eyes brimmed with anger, and annoyance was carved across his handsome features. He sat down at the empty desk on Zoe's other side.

"Hi, Zoe." He said in a monotonous voice before leaning forward to stare past her at Haley.
"Uh..." Zoe leaned back uneasily, glancing from one glare to the other.
"Where were you?" Kyle demanded, keeping his voice low.
"I was saying goodbye to mom. We won't see her for another three weeks, you know." Haley leaned across the aisle, resting her palms on Zoe's desk as she leered back at Kyle.
"You mean you were saying goodbye to Jesse." Kyle scowled.
"It's not my fault he just happened to be there." Haley said defensively.

"You can pretend all you want, Haley. You can fool everyone, but I know what's going on." Kyle snapped. "You know mom will kill you if she found out."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Haley said.
"You're going to get yourself into deep trouble, Hales. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"I can handle it. Just don't try be a big brother and interfere, or tell on me." Haley narrowed her gaze at him. "I've got some dirt on you that will kill your reputation at school. You'll become a social pariah, so don't even think about exposing me."

"Becoming a social pariah would be nothing compared to the consequences you'll have to face up to if mom or dad found out about you two." Kyle said coldly. "You need to stop this, Haley. Before it gets out of hand."
"You don't know anything. Just drop it already."
"Give me the car keys."
Haley sighed heavily, and tossed a set of keys across Zoe's desk at Kyle. She looked at Zoe then with a bright smile before straightening in her seat again.

Zoe saw Kyle shake his head from the corner of her eye, and felt relieved when the lesson started. It was odd being caught between the two of them like that, especially because their discussion had absolutely nothing to do with Zoe. She felt like she'd been openly eavesdropping.

Class ended earlier than Zoe had anticipated because when she looked up again, Kyle was holding a hand to her with a nice smile on his face.
"Do you want to go hang around the gym? Or I could give you the car keys and you can go wait in the car, if you like. I won't be long."
"Oh, well..." Zoe said, taken aback.
"We'll wait in the car." Haley snatched the car keys from Kyle's hand, and confidently grabbed Zoe's arm to steer her out of class.

Zoe wanted to pull a paper bag over her head as they walked through the halls and crossed the parking lot. All eyes were on them, and she knew she wasn't being paranoid about it. Several students called out to Haley as they went by, and to Zoe's disappointment Tanya stood waiting by the slick black car. In the five minutes since the bell rang, the girl had somehow managed to change her outfit. She wore a sunny-yellow heart-shaped top that seemed to emphasize her cleavage, a soft purple miniskirt showing off long golden legs, and a Celtic belly-ring on her slender waist. Zoe felt a twinge of jealousy at the perfectly golden tan of the other girl. She looked like a bland white sheet compared to Tanya's tanned Californian appearance.

"Don't lean against the car," Haley chided once they reached her.
"Ugh." Tanya muttered, straightening up in dismay. "Where's your brother?"
"He's busy." Haley replied curtly and unlocked the car. "What are you doing posing like a little tart against our car?"
"Excuse me?" Tanya snapped, narrowing her eyes at them both.
"It's going to take a lot more than some skin and legs to sway my brother, you know. He's really not that easy." Haley said.
She opened the car door and nodded at Zoe. "You can get in or stand out here if you like."
Zoe rounded the car, eager to distance herself from the glaring Barbie-doll and put something solid between them. She climbed into the passenger side and closed the door, watching as Haley climbed into the driver's seat. Unlike Zoe, who felt immensely threatened by Tanya's glowering presence, Haley seemed oblivious to the other girl. She kept the door open, and Tanya leaned down to glare at them.

"Oh, I see. You just don't want to see him end up with me."
Haley switched the radio on and pulled a selection of CD's from under her seat.
"You're both in on this together. You know, new girl, you don't stand a chance with him. Not with me as your competition. I want Kyle, and I will have him whatever it takes, you get me?"
Zoe blinked, startled, and felt the colour drain from her face. "Well, I'm not stopping you. You said he's nice to all the girls, so why are you threatened by me if I'm not even competing with you?"
Tanya stared and visibly deflated. Haley sent a curious glance at Zoe.
"She's got a point." Haley broke the awkward silence. "Kyle took you to that football match the weekend after you first transferred here, remember? He's nice to everyone. Plus, he doesn't know Zoe properly, and Kyle won't just decide to date some stranger he just met."

"Right." Tanya said thoughtfully. A second later her face brightened up. "You're totally right. I'm such an idiot sometimes. Hey, can I get in please?"
Haley hesitated before climbing out the car and pushing the driver seat down. Tanya climbed into the back as Haley straightened the seat back up. Zoe watched the other girl fix her top and hair in the backseat.
"I'm dying for a berry smoothie. They make the best at the Chill Bar." Tanya rambled on.
"Ick." Haley said distractedly, and looked at Zoe with a shake of her head.

"You guys so need to come to my party tomorrow. Promise you'll be there?"
"We'll see." Haley said.
"Auw, c'mon, Haley. Your dad won't mind if Kyle comes with you."
"Kyle's not supposed to know about the Ouija board thing, though."
"Fine, then he won't know. I'll make sure he doesn't find out." Tanya said exasperated.
"I'll see if Zoe's going or not." Haley said.

"Are you coming?" Tanya asked with a touch of impatience to her voice as she leaned forward between the seats to look at Zoe.
"I need to check with my parents." Zoe answered after a moment of hesitation. How could she say no and spoil their fun? It was clear that if Zoe didn't go, Haley wouldn't go either. She knew Haley was looking forward to it, and if Haley didn't go to the party, Zoe doubted Kyle would go either – and that would have Tanya all claws and teeth against her again.

"Oh, just tell them you're going to a study group. Or even better, tell them that you joined the drama class and tomorrow night is your first group meeting." Tanya said with a deep frown.
"There's no reason for Zoe to lie to her parents." Haley looked at Tanya incredulously. "Really, if they say no, then I could always go persuade them. But there's no reason for lying."
The three girls were quiet as they listened to the music blaring over the radio. Zoe could feel her cheeks heat up when her mobile started to sing in her pocket. She pulled it out, flustered, and answered quietly.
"Hi, Mom."
"Do you need me to pick you up from school?" Mrs Rudolfse asked bluntly.
"No, I'm going to the beach."
"Good, because I'm a bit tight for time today. Who are you going to the beach with?"
"Some kids from school." Zoe cringed and looked away, feeling Haley's eyes on her.
"Oh, all right then. Be home before dinner time, okay? You need to set the table for us."
"Okay, Mom."
"Ask your mom about the party." Tanya piped up suddenly, tapping Zoe on her shoulder.
Zoe glanced at Tanya, uncertain and annoyed at her intrusion.
"What's that about a party?" Mrs Rudolfse had heard, and Zoe slumped in defeat.
"Oh, one of the girls from school is having a party tomorrow night. I'm invited." Zoe admitted.
"Good, good! I'm glad you've made some friends already, Zoe. I'll see you tonight, dear. Take care." And then the phone went dead.

"What did she say?" Tanya pressed the second Zoe lowered the phone from her ear.
"I think she said yes." Zoe shrugged uncertainly.
"Great!" Tanya blew out her breath dramatically.
Zoe looked up when Haley suddenly climbed out the car and folded the driver seat forward. She slid into the back beside Tanya, pulling the seat back into place just as the door opened and Kyle appeared.
"Hey," Kyle smiled brightly at Zoe.
"Hey." Zoe echoed.
"You girls ready?" Kyle glanced over his shoulder at the others before starting the engine.
"Do we need to strap in?" Tanya asked dumbly.
"Like Kyle would scare Zoe into a coma with his manic driving the first day." Haley snorted and rolled her eyes. "We're ready."