Lakewood✔️

There has to be a connection

He looked at me, "Well, then if that's what's going to have to happen, then so be it."

He smirked, and I giggled.

"Malia, they can't stop us from being together even if they try. Look at Romeo and Juliette."

"Luka, they both died," I said, giving him a look.

"Good point. But you know what I mean."

I sighed as I propped myself up and looked at him, "I know."

"Hey, you and me against the world," he said.

"You and me," I echoed as he leaned up and kissed me. I couldn't imagine my life without Luka. He has become such a big part of it.

*****
As we got closer to Christmas break, the students were getting restless, and so was the killer. During class, Cheryl went to use the bathroom; only she didn't make it to the toilet before someone grabbed her and placed their hands over her mouth.

They leaned into her ear and whispered, "Scream, and I will break your neck, right here, right now."

They dragged her away as she struggled.

After class, I went to my locker to get a book, and Luka walked up behind me, scaring the living daylights out of me.

"Luka, you ass. Stop that," I playfully smacked him.

"Maria wanted me to invite you to dinner tonight."

"I see you finally kissed and made up with them."

"Not quite, but at least if you are there, then I don't have to worry about them yammering away with questions at me," he said.

I gave him a look, "Give them a break. That happened a long time ago."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't excuse the fact that they lied to us," he said.

"Yeah, but they only did it to protect you," I said to him. He shook his head, and I leaned in to kiss him when we heard a crash, along with falling glass and something hit the floor.

We stopped and looked to see none other than Cheryl dead in the middle of the hallway floor.

We looked at each other as Luka said, "It looks like the killer strikes again."

I looked at him and back at the body.

******
We all stood around as they loaded the body onto a gurney and covered it. Dad walked over to us, "You guys okay?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Mr. W., what happens next?"

"Considering this is a crime scene now, everyone sent home, and school will close until after Christmas break."

"Do you have any leads?" I asked him.

"We're close. Mal, whoever is doing this is waiting. It's like they are one step ahead of us."

That thought wasn't reassuring. The killer was watching, and there were so many questions and no answers. They sent us all home, but since Luka invited me to dinner, I went over to Luka's house. Joe had to work late so it ended up being Maria, Niko, Luka, and I.

We all sat at the table and ate quietly. That was weird. I expect Luka to be quiet, but Niko never was. I wonder what was up with him.

"So, Malia, Joe tells me that your eighteenth birthday is coming up," she said.

"Yep. Christmas Eve," I said.

"I bet you're excited," she said in between bites.

"It's kind of cool. Mom and dad usually do something special for me," I said with a smile.

"Missy and Gabe have always been sweethearts," she said.

"So, what are your plans for Christmas?" I asked her.

I was looking at her, and the guys shot her a look, "Oh, probably a quiet dinner at home."

"You're not going to spend Christmas with your family?"

"No," she said quickly. "They usually go hunting." They both facepalmed themselves as I turned and looked at Luka, who quickly recovered.

"You didn't mention anything to me about hunting."

"Well, that's because it's just a guy time," Niko said, cutting him off.

"Right," Luka said, giving him a sideways glance.

"Oh. Okay," I said as I went back to my food. My boyfriend, who I love dearly and gave myself to on his birthday, is going out of town on mine. Interesting.

Luka kicked Niko under the table, who yelped.

We all looked at him, "Sorry, thought I felt something run across my leg like a big ass rat." He shot a glare at Luka, who shrugged.

This dinner was by far the most bizarre dinner I ever had. My dad came by and picked me up after dinner. I kissed Luka, and then he closed the door behind me.

He turned to Niko, "A rat? Really?"

"What did you want me to say it was bigfoot?"

He gave him a look.

"And by the way, Maria, thanks for saying we were going hunting, now my girlfriend thinks I'm a dick," Luka grumbled.

She gave him a look, "I'm pretty sure when you give her your special present; she's not going to be mad for long."

"God, I hope so because Malia is pretty scary when she's mad," he said.

"I don't remember Malia being mad," Niko said.

"I have once, and that was enough for me," he said.

"Huh. I would like to see this."

"God, you're an idiot some times," he said, shaking his head and going upstairs.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Never mind, Niko," Maria said, laughing to herself.