A cab brought me to Janet’s house a few days later after getting permission from my mother to go out. The purpose of the visit was to check on her and complete the math assignment, but this opportunity was needed to escape the confinement of my room that only reminded me of Lucas and Robyn.

After stepping out of the vehicle, I scanned my surroundings after sensing high amounts of negativity in the air. The familiarity of the suburban area also captured my attention, with the ivory-colored house across the street vaguely reminding me of an event in the past.

“You gonna come in or what?”

I turned to see Janet walking down her stoop to greet me. “Yeah, I was just looking around ‘cause—”

“Your demon senses were tingling?” she joked. “C’mon. My grandpa wants to meet you.”

She led me inside the house where we walked into a white living room containing a fireplace and multiple photo frames on the wall. Most were an image of a man and a woman, who I assumed were Janet’s parents. There was even one placed on a small table between a brown couch and a TV that displayed the selection menu on Netflix.

“She’s here,” Janet called out. Walking out one of the rooms was a bald, elderly man with a gray beard.

“Grandpa, this is Aliyah. Aliyah, this is my grandpa.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, reaching out for a handshake.

He squeezed my hand and bowed his head. “It’s very nice to meet you as well, young lady. I must say, you are beautiful. My granddaughter sure knows how to pick’em.”

“Oh? Oh, thank you.”

His comment shot Janet’s eyes to the sun. “Okay, Grandpa, we have work to do,” she grumbled while shooing him away.

“Now hold on, dear. Let me speak more to Aliyah.” He pulled me aside and continued talking. “I want to thank you for saving my granddaughter. Since she’s moved in with me, she hasn’t made many friends. I know she can be stubborn and difficult to get along with at times, but she has a good heart. Please look after her.”

“I can hear you, you know,” Janet jeered from across the room.

Her grandfather smiled and nodded before we walked back over to her. “I’ll leave you girls alone,” he said before strolling down a tight hallway that led further into the house.

“Great. Introductions are over. To my room we go.”

I followed Janet upstairs into her room, which housed a sizeable TV, a bed with black, cotton sheets, and a shelf with numerous novels and manga near a silver desk where a computer was placed. A few burn marks were printed on the walls, but it did not take away from the stylish paint job of black and white coloration.

“Classy,” I said before sitting on the bed and taking the math packet out of my purse. “Ugh, I hate that we have to do this over again.”

“You shouldn’t have pissed me off.” She smirked and sat in a chair by the desk. “I do regret it, though. At least I’m not on suicide watch, so we can get this thing done whenever, wherever.”

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“Speaking of your power, I wanted to ask: when did you start setting things on fire for fun?”

She snorted. “Wow, that’s not how you start a friendship.”

“Sorry. I should’ve thought about how that would sound.”

She shrugged. “I’m not bothered. Trust me, I’ve heard worse. Someone on social media once said I’m not Black enough ‘cause I read manga and watch anime. Like, what? What year are we in?”

“Right? That’s so dumb.”

“Yeah. But to answer your question, I’ve always had a fascination for fire since I was younger. Yeah, I burnt things when I was angry, ‘cause it allowed me to express myself better than screaming at the top of my lungs or punching things. After a while, though, just the sight of a fire started to mesmerize me. It made me feel comfortable, like all my emotions are stored in the pit of the flame. Almost like a diary that no one else can ever read. It’s weird, I know, but it’s how I feel.”

Fascinated by her words, all I could say was, “Wow, no. I totally get it. You ever thought about sharing that story with other people? Maybe post it online or something?”

She snorted. “Yeah, no thanks. My desire isn’t to be harassed by random trolls and their alts. I stay away from social media most of the time. What about you?”

“I have profiles on all the popular platforms, but I don’t use’em much. Maybe post a pic or two when I’m feeling good in my best fits, but that’s about it. I do more stalking online than sharing.” We both laughed before I continued. “But yeah, it’s just too much fake stuff on social media, you know? Too much rage baiting and clout chasing.”

“Exactly. I hate karma farmers the most. And you know what’s so annoying? When someone obsessively broadcasts their thoughts about something that’s popular as if society is begging for their opinion on the topic. I’m like, ‘Ugh, get off my screen. Stop being desperate for validation.’”

I smiled. She was pretty cool, and I could easily see the two of us hanging out.

“Hey, you ever been to the Bronx Zoo?” I asked. “We should—”

My invitation was interrupted by the ringing of my cell phone. I removed it from the back pocket of my jeans and felt my face distorting into a grimace after seeing Lucas’s name on the screen. Without hesitation, I hit decline and put the phone on silent before shoving it in my purse.

“Uh-oh. That’s not a good sign,” Janet said. “Boyfriend drama?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Right, of course you don’t. If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t he with you in the afterschool massacre a few days ago? The article online showed both of y’all faces as survivors of—”

“Janet, please. Can we just get started on the assignment?”

She shook her head, walking over to the window and separating the black curtains for a clear view outside. “Nah. I appreciate you helping me the night I came over to your house, but you were annoying as hell and a serious headache, so now it’s my turn to bug you until you’re feeling better.”

Her persistence was beyond irritating, but it made me wonder if other people felt that way whenever I interfered in their personal problems.

Taking a deep breath, I asked, “Fine, what do you wanna know?”

She looked out of the window. “Actually, let’s get back to that later. I wanna show you something. Come here.”

I walked over and peered out myself, seeing a familiar face through the window of the home across the street.

“No freakin’ way. You live across the street from Candice?” I exclaimed. “Wait, I knew this area looked familiar. I was at Candice’s house party last week.”

“Uh, nani? Why were you there? I can’t imagine it was to hang out with her.”

“It was for my boy... I mean, Lucas’s performance. I was only there to support him. There’s no way me and Candice could ever be friends.”

She snickered. “Well, if you hate bullies as much as I do, keep watching.”

Candice’s frantic marching around the pink room caused her to bump into a table, knocking down her small ring light. She shuddered afterward, ready to cry. Seeing her in so much distress wasn’t fun. It was uncomfortable, and honestly sad.

“She’s been like this ever since the school incident,” Janet informed me. “I’m not saying she deserved whatever happened to her, but it’s so satisfying watching her suffer ‘cause she’s such a stuck-up, wannabe princess.”

A closer look made me realize the cause of Candice’s apprehension. “It’s a Shadow,” I revealed, witnessing the scarlet-eyed creature hovering over her. “I have to get over there.”

I couldn’t believe I was about to save Candice. Again. Of all people.