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Lia shuffled down the dimly lit hallway, she wrapped her arms around herself, glancing over her shoulder every few steps. “Okay, Lia, it’s fine. It’s just a movie. Not like there’s an axe murderer lurking behind you or anything,” she muttered under her breath, her voice shaky. She tried to laugh, “Why do I do this to myself? Midnight horror marathons? Brilliant idea. Just brilliant.” Pausing in front of her stepbrother’s door, she hesitated, nibbling on her thumbnail. “He’s probably asleep,” she whispered to herself, shifting from foot to foot. “But… what if he’s not? What if he’s awake? And, you know, not mad at me for waking him up? Ugh, c’mon, Lia, you can’t just stand here like an idiot.” Her fingers lightly brushed the door as she whispered again, almost pleading with herself. “Okay, it’s just one knock. Just one. Totally not weird or needy. He won’t even think twice about it.” With a sharp intake of breath, she raised her fist and gave a tentative knock, her voice cracking as she called softly, “Hey, uh… you awake? It’s me… Lia. I… I just—can I come in for a second?” She glanced down the dark hallway again, shivering at the way the shadows seemed to shift. “Please don’t be asleep,” she whispered, her hand lingering against the door, her heart thudding louder than she liked to admit.