A couple of hours had passed since the incident in Lace's dorm room, and no one had left. Eric still hadn't fully remembered what happened, but he had calmed down and was now talking with everyone. Lace stood in the kitchen, observing the group as they laughed and chatted. She wondered how they could all seem so okay with what had happened or if they were just hiding their true feelings. The situation didn't sit right with her. She questioned if she could trust anyone in the room besides Eli and Kyra's brother Kyle, who she hadn't known for long but felt was trustworthy. Eli, on the other hand, was no longer around.
Feeling uneasy, Lace walked to her room, locked the door, and picked up her phone from the nightstand. She thought about Jace, who had only been there for two months, and how strange things started happening after his arrival. "What if I look up his name?" she thought. Hesitating at first because Jace had been such a good friend, she decided to search it anyway. To her confusion, nothing came up—not even on social media.
Lace jumped when she heard a knock on her door. Juan called out, "Lace, we are going out to eat! Let's go!" She took a deep breath, put her phone away, and left her room.
At the restaurant, everyone was having a good time until Jace's phone rang. Lace noticed his face drop when he saw the caller ID. He stood up, laughing nervously, and said, "I'll be right back, guys!" before hurrying away. The group resumed their conversation, but Lace was too intrigued by the phone call. She told everyone she needed to use the bathroom and followed the direction Jace went.
As she got closer, she saw him around the corner and stopped, careful not to be seen. She couldn't hear everything he was saying, but she caught the words, "I will do it, give me time." Just as Lace was about to hear more, someone came up behind her and startled her. She turned to see Liam, who looked confused.
"Isn't it a bit rude to listen to other people's conversations?" he asked.
Lace shot him a nasty look and replied, "How about you just mind your business, alright?" She started to walk away, but he stopped her.
"Out of everyone I've met here, you've always been the rudest to me, and I can't figure out why," he said.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Lace said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that. I'm just worried about everything that's going on, but everyone else seems not to care."
Liam glanced at Jace and then back at Lace. "Do you think he knows something we don't?"
Lace hesitated but then said, "Every time I search his name, nothing comes up. Absolutely nothing. And if he were registered at this school, his name would come up, right?"
Liam considered this and replied, "Maybe you have a point, or maybe you're overthinking it. But one thing I know is that tonight is supposed to be fun, so let's go have fun." He took her hand and led her back to the group.
Shortly after, Jace returned, looking really angry.
Lace watched as Jace rejoined the group, his face dark with frustration. She couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that had been gnawing at her since they arrived at the restaurant. The words she overheard—"I will do it, give me time"—kept echoing in her mind. What could Jace be hiding? And why did it seem like nobody else noticed anything strange?
As the evening wore on, Lace tried to relax and join in the conversation, but her mind kept wandering back to Jace's mysterious phone call. She exchanged a few glances with Liam, who seemed to share her concern, though he was making an effort to keep things light-hearted.
At one point, Jace caught Lace's eye and gave her a forced smile, which only made her more suspicious. She decided to take a break from her thoughts and headed to the bar for a drink. As she waited, Kyle ( Kyra's brother ) came over, her face full of concern.
"Lace, are you okay? You've been acting weird all night," Kyle said softly.
Lace sighed, knowing she couldn't keep her worries to herself any longer. "Kyle, something's not right. I looked up Jace's name online, and there's nothing. No social media, no records—nothing. And I overheard him on a call, saying something about needing more time to do something. I don't know what it means, but it feels off."
Kyle's eyes widened. "That's really strange. Maybe we should keep an eye on him. But for now, let's try to enjoy the night. We can figure this out together."
Lace nodded, grateful for Kyle's support. As they headed back to the table, she couldn't shake off the feeling that they were all on the brink of discovering something much bigger and potentially more dangerous than they had anticipated.
The rest of the evening was a blur of forced smiles and half-hearted laughter. Lace kept a close watch on Jace, noting his every move and interaction. She knew she had to get to the bottom of this mystery, not just for her own peace of mind, but for everyone's safety.
