Her steps are slow and cautious as she marches out, stopping at the threshold.

“Look, I just want my brother back. I swear. I’m not here to cause any trouble. Can you try? Please?” She presses her palms together in front of her.

“Are you serious about this?”

“God, Penn.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “You’re the only thing that makes sense in my life anymore. Yes.”

I walk over to my desk, open a drawer, and produce a Swiss Army knife. I drag it along my open palm, thumb to little finger, then hold my bloodied hand up in invitation.

She hesitates only for a second before opening her small palm.

“Cut yourself.” I throw her the knife. Via has always been scared shitless of blood and needles and fucking everything. I mean, she was scared of flies. But blood makes her woozy.

She swallows, gawking at my hand, the knife, then my hand again.

“Bleed for me,” I hiss.

Like I bled for you. Every sleepless night. Each excruciating day.

I watch her body rocking with silent sobs as she pierces the skin of her palm and cuts herself open. Our blood is dripping between us on the lush cream carpet of the Followhills’ mansion as we shake on the promise that we’d never betray each other again.

“I’ll take you living here to my grave,” she chokes out.

Later that night, I lie on my bed, staring at the dried-up blood in my palm.

Then my mind travels to the blood on the condom when I pulled out of Daria earlier.

How I made a blood oath with two different girls today.

With two perfect enemies.

One who celebrated a shitty birthday, the other experiencing a glorious rebirth.

One thing’s for sure—one of them will be betrayed.

You’re tearing confessions from my mouth

Reactions from my flesh

Fights from my fists

Blood from my heart

With your eyes alone

Sometimes I want to break the wall I built between us

Let you in

And watch you destroy me

I count the beauty spots on my thigh.

I study all six of them with my forehead pressed against the steering wheel while I wait for Via to come out. I agreed to drive her to school and drop her off at the counselor’s office, then show her around. I think I mostly said yes out of shock. The reality of Mel bringing her here, and Penn knowing about it and keeping it from me, and Dad and Bailey just accepting this whole circus is starting to nibble at my sanity.

There’s no way Penn had no idea, and there is no way Via just appeared out of thin air, showed up at our house, and decided to stick around.

I picked out a cute navy summer dress with a little red bow on the collar, then paired it with my cutest Jimmy Choo sandals. Dutch braided my hair. Sat at the dining table with everyone. Drank OJ. Ignored the bagels. Ignored Mel. Was ignored by Penn, Via, and Bailey, who talked about a new TV show that premieres tonight. Via didn’t know about it because she didn’t have a TV back in Mississippi. Penn sneaked glances my way, but I pretended not to notice, staring hard at the orange liquid in my glass. The only person I talked to was Dad.

“You look beautiful, Dar.”

I mock-toasted him with my glass of juice.

“You know you’re my favorite, yeah?” He leaned forward, chucking my chin.

I knew what he was doing, and I appreciated it. I even believed him.

“I know.”

Dad is the only reason I’m playing nice. After Melody’s hundredth attempt to talk to me, he came into my room. He explained they didn’t tell me earlier because Via didn’t show signs of wanting to stay with us, and they didn’t want to put more strain on my relationship with Mel. I only half-listened up to the point he confessed that for the past couple of weeks, he and Mel had been fighting over whether they should tell me. It’s the first time he admitted to not being in full agreement with my mother.

“I’ll deal with Mel,” he promised softly. “But for now, Via is here and so is Penn. Make your life easier—get along with them.”

“I hate her.” I meant Mel. But let’s admit it—I also referred to Via.

Dad locked his jaw, his throat bobbing with a swallow. Any other day, he’d tell me off and make a big fuss about how Mel lived and breathed for us.

“Stay strong, baby. We’re Followhills. We literally follow hills. Always on top. Show me what you’re made of.”

“I’m made of the green goo of the Hulk.”

“You’re made of fucking gold, Daria. And soul. So much soul.”

And here I am, staring at my thighs and trying not to cry.

Someone smacks my window, and I roll it down without even checking who it is. Knight, Vaughn, and Luna stare back at me.

“It looked like you were having an intense moment with your pussy.” Knight snaps the shoulder straps of his Louis Vuitton Supreme backpack with his thumbs, popping his gum. “Just wondered if your vagina makes more sense than you do.”

“I wasn’t talking to my vagina.” I narrow my eyes at him, wiping at them in case there’s a mist.

Knight laughs. “I swear to God, Followhill. You’re fun-sized, but that’s the only thing fun about your ass.”

Vaughn parks his elbows on my open window and shoves his entire head inside.

“Word is Penn’s sister’s in town.”

“How do you know?”

“Bailey told Lev, who told Knight, who told…” Vaughn looks skyward and frowns, mockingly doing the math with his fingers. “The entire Northern Hemisphere.”

“Spencer’s exaggerating, as per usual.” Knight hooks his arm over Luna’s shoulder, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I only told the team. And just because she’s Penn’s sister, and I wanted to cement the fact that she lives here, but he is still with his piece of crap stepdad. Get everyone’s story straight.”

“Why are you protecting Penn?” I frown. Knight is about as charitable as a used diaper. He blinks at me, his expression genuine.

“Because no one else does.”

Luna takes a step toward me and slants her head sideways. She doesn’t speak actual words, but this is her way of asking if I’m okay. I roll my eyes.

“I’m fine, Luna. I can handle it.”

“Anyway.” Vaughn spits on the ground, grabbing his helmet and sauntering over to his bike. “Watch your back. Your name’s hot, what with all the Prichard rumors. Don’t let this chick get her hands on the juicy stuff.”

My blood runs cold in my veins all of a sudden. Shit. I haven’t even thought of that. But my black book stays with me. At all times. It’s in my backpack now.

Three minutes later, I start the car and open a text message to Daddy to tell Mel to tell Via to get her ass in the car before I get my first tardy slip for the school year. Call me Petty McPetterson, but after the latest string of treacheries, addressing Melody directly is off the table. Just before I hit send, the passenger door opens and Via slides in. She is wearing one of my favorite outfits. A gray floral print maxi dress from Neiman Marcus. A far cry from the potato sack she wore yesterday.

Awaiting explanation, I eye her, long and thoroughly.

You will not lose your shit, Daria. Especially as her twin brother just deflowered you and hinted at you going steady.