For Nevermore Season 1

they can change my medicine if they need to.”
    “You see and hear things?” Tori asked as if she were remembering something. “Is it scary?”
    “Yeah, it can be. But you don’t have anything to worry about. I promise, I’ll never ever hurt you.”
    “Oh, I know that!” Tori said, her expression so innocent and trusting it nearly crushed Noella with purity, and made her feel all the more guilty for not distancing herself immediately.
    Noella didn’t think there was any way on earth she could ever hurt Tori. If she thought she might, she’d be the first to tell Jen to find another sitter. There was something else going on, though, something beyond what the doctors knew. Something real. Dante was real. That meant the hallucinations were probably real, too. She would simply have to be careful what she allowed herself to believe when she crossed over again. Make sure not to stab any short, giggling monsters.
    “So you’re sure you weren’t on Facebook today?” Tori asked, returning to her original question.
    “Positive. Why?”
    “Well, here’s the weird thing. Like I said, I only have one friend, other than my mom, and that’s you. And when I was online earlier playing Farmville, I saw your name come up on my messenger list as if you were on Facebook.”
    Noella shook her head, confused. “Are you sure it was me? Did you message me?”
    “No, I didn’t want to get you in trouble if you were sneaking on the computer or anything like that. Plus, I didn’t know if anyone hacked your account or something.”
    Noella picked up the iPad and signed into her Facebook account, and saw that nothing was changed.
    “I don’t think I was hacked, or they probably would’ve put that video on my wall to make it look like I posted it. How long was I logged on earlier?”
    “I dunno. I was on maybe a half hour before I had to go. So at least that long.”
    “What time was it?”
    “Around three or so, I think. Does anyone else use your computer?”
    Randy!
    “Oh my God, Randy is using my computer to log in to my Facebook!”
    “Your uncle is using your computer? Why?”
    “He’s not my uncle, and he’s probably spying on me or something to make sure I’m not talking to anyone while I’m on blackout. I can’t freakin’ believe it!”
    “Oh no, he might have seen that you and I are friends in your recent activities! He’ll know you logged on to do that much at least!”
    “Crap,” Noella said. A worse thought suddenly occurred to her. What if Randy had seen the video – it was one thing to have blacked out at the coffee shop while she was being robbed and under stress from facing down death. It was another altogether, having it happen in class during the middle of a school day. If Randy saw the video, Dr. Foster probably already knew.
    And then another thought occurred to Noella – all the times she’d messaged Sam, Mako, and Becca before then, saying how much she hated Randy. If he’d gone into her account, surely he’d go through her old messages and snoop through them. She tried to think of what else she might have said over the years, how many embarrassing secrets she’d said in the confidence of messages to friends.
    She felt sick and violated. And nervous that Randy would blow up on her and freak out like that guy who shot his daughter’s computer because she’d said mean things about him.
    What was Randy capable of if he saw all the things Noella had said? Noella felt a chill, suddenly not wanting to go home tonight. Fortunately, he’d been working so many hours this week that he was coming home long after she was in bed and was gone before she woke up. Hopefully, he’d stick to that schedule because she was not in the mood for even more drama.
    “Dessert is ready!” Jen called from downstairs.
    “Do you promise not to tell your mom about the video?” Noella pleaded.
    “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye,” Tori said, drawing an X across her chest and nodding. “I don’t ever want you to stop coming over.”

    * * * *

CHAPTER FIVE

    Wednesday morning...

    Noella opened her lunch bag and pulled the plastic Ziploc container from inside, then set it on the table, popped the lid from the top, and dug into the cold pasta with her fork.
    “Gross!” Mako cried, pointing at the red, wormy mess Noella was bringing to her mouth. “Are you really eating cold spaghetti? That looks nasty.”
    Noella nodded. “It’s really good,” she said, though it sounded