The following morning, Jennifer was on her way to work to open the coffee shop when she encountered a hoodied figure starting to follow her. The next thing she knew, she was being chased into the shop by someone who was clearly out to get her. She asked the hoodied figure, ‘What do you want from me?!?’ She received no immediate response, then a few seconds later, she was handed a note reading ‘THERE’S NO RUNNING THIS TIME’. The next thing the stranger did was punch Jennifer square in the face, and then ran off. Jennifer was now bleeding from her nose, and desperately trying to stop it from continuing. She called Willa, asking her for help with opening. A few minutes and multiple paper towels later, Willa walked into the coffee shop. ‘Oh dear God, Jen!’ she said. ‘What happened?’ Jennifer replied, ‘Z punched me. They followed me here to work, handed me this note, and then punched me right in the nose. I’m surprised it’s not broken.’ Willa tended to her new girlfriend and helped open up the coffee shop for the morning, including brewing the coffee for the early-morning customers going to work in town.

Willa was now disturbed and called her friends to the shop for an early morning meeting to discuss the newest note. Dominic, Jonah, Max, and Noemi walked in the door and rushed around Jennifer. ‘Jen, what happened?’ asked Dominic. Willa replied, ‘Z followed her to work and punched her square in the nose. Not to mention, she got this note.’ The group read the note and were understandably concerned for their friend. Max asked the group, ‘If Z is now following Jen first thing in the morning, should be concerned about them stalking us at any other point in the day?’ Noemi replied, ‘I say we do a buddy system if Z’s planning on physically assaulting or stalking any of us. We need to stay on high alert.’ The next thing that the group did was assign everyone a buddy based on their relationships: Dominic & Jonah, Jennifer & Willa, and Max & Noemi. As the morning was beginning to fully set in, Dominic realized that he, Jonah, and Willa had class to attend to. In leaving, Jennifer, Max, and Noemi continued the conversation about Z assaulting Jennifer.

On their way to campus, Dominic, Jonah, and Willa began to ask each other questions as to why Z did punch Jennifer. ‘I mean, Jennifer hasn’t been exactly behaving badly. Why did she deserve to get clocked in the nose?’ asked Willa. ‘Wilzy, it’s beyond me. But if she did something to piss Z off, we’re not exactly in a good spot.’

Dominic said, ‘Besides, we’re only restarting this god-forsaken game that none of us wanted to replay.’ The trio walked over to campus to the dining hall where Carston was waiting for them. He said to them, ‘You guys are late. The dean’s list is out for the semester, and one of you is on it!’ ‘What?!? Are you kidding?’ asked an inquisitive Willa. The four of them looked at the bulletin board showing the dean’s list for the semester, and lo and behold, was the name ‘WILLA KERBY’. ‘Congrats Wilzy!’ said Jonah. Dominic added, ‘You’ve worked so hard. You’ve gotta be proud of yourself.’ She said, ‘I am, I just wish my dad was here to see this. He would’ve been over the moon.’ The foursome continued to discuss Willa’s accomplishments over breakfast before heading to class.

On the other side of town, Jennifer, Max, and Noemi were still discussing the note left with Jennifer before she was punched in the face. ‘What does Z mean by “There’s no running this time?”’ asked Noemi. Max replied, ‘Maybe they don’t want us to keep running from our secrets like all the shenanigans that went on between your parents and my dad.’ Jennifer said, ‘It’s entirely possible, but maybe there’s some other underlying meaning behind all this.’ The trio continued to discuss the note further until Jennifer’s shift ended.

‘I guess it’s time to clock out and get some dinner,’ said Jennifer. Noemi asked, ‘Wanna go back to the barn, and maybe we can order some chinese takeout?’ Jennifer and Max agreed, and the three friends went back to the barn. After they got back, they were surprised to see Veronica already sitting in the lounge area filing her nails. ‘Surprised to see me? Noemi’s brother let me in,’ said Veronica. Noemi then said, ‘Why am I not surprised that my brother did that. Anyways, how are you doing?’ ‘I’m doing well, just been sitting here waiting for you all to arrive,’ Veronica replied. The group ordered the food and waited for it to arrive.

In the meantime, Max and Noemi went over to the bedroom and began to talk about what happened between their parents. ‘I don’t get why my parents hated your dad so fucking much,’ said Noemi. Max replied, ‘The only way we can find out is if we talk to Felicity a bit more. She’s the only person from that night that’s still alive.’ The duo continued to talk about that night until the food arrived, when Jennifer finally came in and told them, ‘Food’s here!’ ‘I guess it’s time to eat, isn’t it?’ asked Max. Noemi said, ‘I guess it is.’ The two walked out of the bedroom to dig in with the rest of the group, with Carston, Dominic, Jonah, and Willa having finally arrived just minutes prior.

Veronica asked Max and Noemi, ‘What were you two doing back there?’ Max replied, ‘We were talking about the stuff that went on between my dad and her parents.’ ‘I see, but if you’re feeling comfortable to share with the group; by all means, do so,’ said Veronica. Dominic gave the others a look of discomfort, and then proceeded to say, ‘Vee, back 20 years ago, Max’s dad was murdered. He was shot by my parents, Noemi’s parents, and Willa’s dad. Us kids had no idea this happened until Willa’s mom told us about a month and a half ago.’ ‘Shit, I had no idea,’ Veronica replied. ‘Having talked with Felicity over the past month, it seems like our parents were having a dispute over something that she can’t recall. They were worried about Max’s father, who was a journalist, possibly making excruciatingly bad remarks about them in the papers. So they decided on vigilante justice and killed an innocent man.’

Willa then said, ‘Us kids had no idea until my mom told me. I was pissed that she kept secrets from me until then.’ Carston said, ‘Understandably so. But why Max’s dad specifically?’ Max then replied, ‘We still have no idea why they chose my dad, but it must’ve been the fact that he was a local journalist who knew all sorts of things.’ The group continued to talk about the family secret that loomed for so long until a month and a half earlier.

As the group finished dinner, Dominic and Jonah went outside and began to walk and talk. ‘Babe, I feel uncomfortable around Carston. Something just feels off about him now,’ said Dominic. ‘Dom, I get it. He’s been aligning himself with Veronica, and it’s getting too much to handle.’ Dominic then said, ‘With everything starting all over again, it’s making me wonder if he’s Z.’ The boyfriends stopped and looked at each other with puzzled looks. They then went back to Jonah’s apartment to discuss further. When they arrived, they found the apartment trashed like someone had just been there. ‘What the fuck?!? I kept my door locked, and this happens!?! ARGH!’ Dominic noticed another note, this one saying ‘GUILT-SHAMING IS SO 21ST CENTURY! KEEP UP THE NAUGHTY WORK, JONAH.’ Dominic immediately texted Willa saying, ‘Jonah’s apartment was trashed, and I found another note...’Willa texted back saying, ‘Fuck. He’s gonna be fucking fuming.’ Dominic replied, ‘He’s already raging, both over the apartment and the note.’

Willa and Carston ran over to the apartment to see what was happening, and Dominic immediately showed them the note. ‘Jonah, what did you do?’ asked Carston. Jonah replied, ‘Z is guilt-shaming me. I-.’ Dominic knew what was about to be said, and spoke up saying, ‘You were doing adult videos, weren’t you?’ Jonah sadly admitted by nodding his head. ‘I lost my job, and this was the only way I’ve been able to stay afloat,’ admitted Jonah, now crying from guilt. Noemi walked over, comforting Jonah by saying, ‘You did what you had to do, besides, sex work is something you shouldn’t be ashamed about.’ Dominic replied, ‘She’s right babe, now; let’s get going to the police about your apartment being trashed and get back to Willa’s house. The group of three immediately noticed that Carston was gone, but then went on their way to the police station.

In the distance, a mysterious hoodied figure was standing underneath a streetlight, their blue eyes glistening in the light. They then giggled and left back into the darkness of the night.

On the other side of town, Jennifer and Willa were back in the latter’s bedroom talking about that morning. ‘How’s your nose feeling?’ asked Willa. Jennifer replied, ‘It still hurts, but no bleeding since you all came to the coffee shop this morning. I’m still surprised it’s not broken.’ ‘You and me both, hun,’ said Willa. The two then began to kiss and things rapidly got very steamy between the duo until they heard a knocking sound on the door.

‘Room service!’ said Dominic, who was now in a silly mood. ‘I should leave,’ said Jennifer. ‘See you tomorrow?’ she asked. Willa replied, ‘See you tomorrow after class. Love you.’ ‘Love you too,’ Jennifer replied back. The two new girlfriends hugged before Jennifer left out the patio doors off Willa’s bedroom.

Meanwhile, Dominic and Jonah were both now calm and back in Dominic’s bedroom. The two of them immediately stripped off all of their clothes and began making very steamy love, kissing each other, and their bodies grinding against each other. They continued this for over an hour, until they both began to fall asleep cuddled up in each other’s arms. Outside, Carston was outside giggling to himself and found Veronica waiting outside, motioning to him to come inside. He rolled his eyes and went back inside the Falton-Bankert house, to then go to sleep with Veronica by his side, just the way he wanted it to happen.