The steering wheel feels like it might snap under my white-knuckle grip as I speed through suburban streets, each turn bringing me closer to the Reed house. My thoughts keep circling back to Chris's tear-streaked face, the dirt on his jacket, the way his small shoulders trembled when he tried to hold back sobs.

Ten minutes. That's all it should take to get there, but it feels like I'm trapped in some weird time loop where every traffic light turns red just to spite me. I drum my fingers against the wheel, trying to control the anger bubbling inside me like a pot about to boil over.

"Get it together, Seth," I mutter to myself, taking a deep breath. Showing up at this woman's door like a raging psychopath isn't going to help Chris. I need to be calm, reasonable. Adult-like.

But the image of someone pushing my brother to the ground keeps flashing through my mind, making my jaw clench so tight it hurts. No one messes with Chris. No one.

I make the final turn onto Maple Street and slow down, scanning the house numbers until I spot it. 1478. The Reed residence. It's smaller than I expected, with peeling paint and a yard that's seen better days. A rusty mailbox tilts precariously on its post, and the concrete steps leading to the front door are cracked down the middle.

"Fuck," I sigh, putting the car in park. "If she's poor, this just got complicated."

Growing up without much to want for hasn't made me a snob, but it's definitely given me perspective. If this family is struggling, the last thing they need is some privileged kid's older brother showing up to make demands.

But still... Chris takes precedence over their circumstances.

I kill the engine and sit for a moment. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

"Just talk," I remind myself, unbuckling my seatbelt. "Be reasonable. Don't yell."

With one final deep breath, I step out of the car, slamming the door with more force than necessary. The sound echoes through the quiet neighborhood like a gunshot.

The walkway to the front door seems to stretch for miles. Each step I take feels heavier than the last, my resolve wavering slightly as I get closer. What if she slams the door in my face? What if she doesn't care? What if this makes everything worse for Chris?

I reach the door and force myself to knock, three sharp raps that sound too loud in the quiet afternoon. My heart hammers in my chest as I wait, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. After what feels like forever, the door swings open.

My eyes widen as I recognize Allie Reed standing in the doorway, though she looks nothing like the put-together senior I remember from high school. Her blonde hair hangs in unwashed strands around her face, and her oversized t-shirt has seen better days. Dark circles shadow her eyes, making her look older than she should.

"Allie?" I say, momentarily thrown off my mission. "Hey, is your mom home?"

She stares at me for a second before recognition dawns on her face. A wide smile breaks across her features, transforming her tired expression.

"Seth Miller, right? No, Mom's not here," she says, leaning against the doorframe. "Just me and my annoying little sister today."

I process this information, quickly recalibrating my approach. "You watch your little sister often?"

"Yeah, pretty much all the time," Allie shrugs. "Mom works doubles. Someone's gotta keep an eye on the little monster."

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation. "Look, Allie, I'm actually here because your little sister has been bullying my little brother, Chris, at school. It's gotten pretty bad, and I really need it to stop."

The transformation in Allie's face is instantaneous and chilling. Her friendly smile morphs into something evil, her lips stretching wide in a way that reminds me of Rose when she's plotting something in bed, except there's no warmth behind it, no affection softening the edges. Just cold hunger swimming in her eyes.

"Well, well," she purrs, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "That is quite the problem, isn't it? What exactly are you willing to give me if I make it stop?"

I blink, caught completely off guard. "What?"

Her eyes drift down my body, then back up to my face with deliberate slowness. "How about you show me how much you really love your little brother?" She steps back, opening the door wider. "Why don't you come inside? If you make me feel really good, I'll consider getting Martha to leave your precious little brother alone."

My stomach drops as her meaning becomes clear. "You can't be serious." The words come out strangled, halfway between shock and disgust.

"Dead serious." She gestures inside with a tilt of her head. "Your choice, Seth. It's a simple transaction."

I'm about to tell Allie exactly where she can shove her "transaction" when the sound of tires screeching against asphalt cuts through our conversation. I instinctively glance over my shoulder, and my jaw drops.

The Twins’ car is parked at a haphazard angle in the middle of the street, driver's door hanging open like she couldn't be bothered to close it. And there she is, Rose herself, sprinting across the yard like a woman possessed, her auburn hair flying behind her, face contorted in a fury I've never seen before.

"What the…" is all I manage before Rose barrels past me, tackling Allie with enough force to send them both crashing through the doorway.

They hit the floor with a sickening thud, Rose on top, straddling Allie's chest. Before I can even process what's happening, Rose's fist connects with Allie's face, once, twice, three times in rapid succession.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Rose screams, her voice raw and primal. "YOU THINK YOU CAN TOUCH WHAT'S MINE?!"

Blood sprays from Allie's nose as Rose's fist connects again. I stand frozen in the doorway, my brain struggling to catch up with what my eyes are seeing. This isn't happening. This can't be happening.

"Rose!" I finally find my voice, lurching forward. "ROSE, STOP!"

She doesn't even acknowledge me, completely lost in her rage as she continues pummeling Allie's face. "YOU STAY AWAY FROM HIM! HE'S MINE! YOU UNDERSTAND?! MINE!"

"Rose, STOP!" I yell again, lunging forward to grab her shoulders. "You're going to kill her!"

A flash of movement catches my eye as Lilly appears in the doorway, breathing hard like she's been jogging to catch up.

"Seth! There you are," she calls, her voice oddly calm given the violence unfolding in front of us. "We were following you."

"Uhh, hey," I manage to stammer, momentarily distracted from the beating happening at my feet. "You were following me?"

"Yes," Lilly says matter-of-factly, stepping inside and surveying the chaos with clinical detachment. "We saw you leave your house, so we figured we’d follow your signal.”

‘Signal?’

"Oh... that's alright," I reply automatically, my brain struggling to process everything at once.

A high-pitched scream cuts through our surreal conversation. I spin around to see a small girl with tear-streaked cheeks standing at the end of the hallway, her eyes wide with horror as she watches Rose continue to pummel her sister. This must be Martha, the bully who's been tormenting Chris. She looks so small and terrified that it's hard to imagine her pushing anyone around.

"STOP IT! STOP HURTING HER!" Martha wails, her tiny body shaking with sobs.

Rose doesn't even pause her assault. Instead, she turns her head toward Martha between punches, her face contorted with such rage that she's barely recognizable.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Rose roars, her fist connecting with Allie's face again. Blood spatters across the floor. "STOP FUCKING WITH CHRIS MILLER OR I'LL KILL HER! YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Martha's crying intensifies, her small frame collapsing against the wall as she slides to the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please stop!"

The sight of this terrified child snaps me out of my shock. "Rose, that's enough! She's just a kid!"

But Rose is beyond reason, lost in a frenzy I've never witnessed before. Allie's face is a bloody mess beneath her, yet Rose shows no signs of stopping.

"Lilly, help me!" I plead, trying unsuccessfully to pull Rose off her victim.

Lilly moves with sudden purpose, crossing the room. She wraps her arms around her sister's waist and yanks backward.

"That's enough, Rose," she says firmly, her voice cutting through Rose's rage like a knife. "You've made your point."

Rose struggles against her sister's grip, still trying to reach Allie. "LET GO OF ME! SHE TRIED TO…"

"I said enough, dear sister," Lilly says, her voice cutting through the chaos with an icy precision that sends shivers down my spine.

Rose freezes mid-swing, her chest heaving with exertion. For a moment, I think she might keep going anyway, but then something shifts in her expression. The feral rage dims slightly as Lilly's words penetrate the haze of violence.

"Fuck," Rose pants, shaking her bloodied fist. "Alright, alright. I'll stop."

She pulls herself up, standing over Allie's battered form with a predatory satisfaction that makes my stomach turn. Blood drips from her knuckles onto the cheap linoleum floor as she turns toward the hallway where Martha cowers, sobbing.

"See what your bullying led to?" Rose snarls, jabbing a finger at Allie's bloody face. "This is what happens when you mess with people we care about."

Lilly steps forward, her movements controlled and precise as she fixes Martha with a withering glare that could freeze hell itself.

"Never forget this day," she says, each word deliberate and razor-sharp. "When you bully the wrong people, your loved ones get hurt. Remember that the next time you think about touching Chris Miller."

Martha's tiny hands fly up to cover her ears as she collapses further into herself, wailing with such raw terror that it pierces straight through my shock. She's just a kid, for god's sake. I didn’t want anything like this to happen to her.

On the floor between us, Allie stirs weakly. She turns her head to the side and spits, a dark glob of blood splattering against the floor. Her face is barely recognizable, swollen and purple, one eye completely shut. She's breathing, but the gurgling sound coming from her throat doesn't sound good at all.

"Girls," I say, my voice shaking as reality crashes down on me, "we have to call 911. She might die."

Lilly moves toward me, her hand reaching up to cup my cheek. She pulls me close, her lips brushing against my ear as she whispers, "I'll take care of this, okay?"

Her breath is warm against my skin, her voice so tender it's almost believable that she's not standing in the middle of what looks like a crime scene.

"No," I whisper back, pulling away slightly to meet her eyes. "I have to help her. This is my fault. If I hadn't come here…"

"No," Lilly cuts me off, her thumb tracing my jawline with surprising gentleness. "This is Allie's fault, and Rose's fault. I'll clean this mess up, okay? No one will get hurt, and no one will press charges. I promise."

A chill runs down my spine as I stare at Lilly's perfect face, her expression so calm despite the blood splattered across her shirt. The pieces suddenly click together in my mind.

"You're not going to... disappear her, are you?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

Lilly's eyes soften as she takes my hands in hers, squeezing gently. "I promise I won't. Just go home and tell Chris you took care of it. That's all you need to worry about."

I look past her to where Rose is standing over Allie's broken form, then to the terrified child still sobbing in the hallway. This isn't what I wanted. Not even close. But the damage is already done.

"Please, Seth," Lilly says, her voice gentle but firm. "Trust me."

I take a deep breath, weighing my options. If I call the police, Rose could go to jail. If I don't, Allie might die. But Lilly promised. She wouldn’t lie.

"Okay," I finally say, the word heavy on my tongue. "I'll go."

Relief washes over Lilly's face as she leans in to press a soft kiss against my lips. Before I can pull away, Rose is suddenly beside us, grabbing my face with her bloodied hands to steal a kiss of her own.

The metallic taste of someone else's blood lingers on my lips as I walk to my car on legs that feel like they might give out any second.

I slide behind the wheel, hands trembling as I start the engine. In the rearview mirror, I can see Lilly already taking charge, kneeling beside Allie while talking on her phone. Rose stands guard at the door, her posture alert like a sentinel.

As I pull away from the curb, my mind races with questions.

“How did they know what Allie said to me?”

My mind runs a little further.

“Oh… They must have bugged my phone.” I sigh.

‘I can’t even be mad. I tried to do that to them in my last life.’