“Yes, I’m kidding!”
I arch an eyebrow because I know him better. I’m impressed when he manages to hold out for more than five seconds.
“Fine,” he hisses at me. “I’m not kidding! It would be useful and maybe those other two and their skills could help. Maybe Faye can see an angle we’ve missed—” He’s not talking about the project anymore, and I cut off whatever he’s going to say next.
“I bet she could tell us a whole lot about the symbolism of the word freak, and, yeah, maybe Ethan can take a picture of us when we get humiliated in front of the whole program.”
“He probably would.” He ignores my glare. “I’m being serious. Don’t you want to know what it all means?”
“I don’t care anymore,” I lie. “I just want to sleep at night.” He stares me down, knowing full well I slept like a baby on cold medicine last night. “You know I do,” I mutter.
“Well, let’s find out.” He takes my hand, securing my thumb in the middle of his palm like he has since we were little. We walk, swinging hands, ducking under the branch of a low-limbed tree. Students mill around the quad, their pace a slow saunter in the fierce sun. A petite girl in a leotard and leggings slides past us, ballet shoes in her hands, barefoot on the grass. “How old is she, anyway?”
“I have no idea.” I flip through past scenery, scanning faces. “She was here last year. Had the lead in the modern dance routine.”
“No, not her. Faye.”
“Oh. Seventeen. Birthday is April fourth.” I give his hand a tug. “And since when do you need to read books in Czech?”
“I could study in Prague, if I can’t transfer to Oxford.”
“As far away from me as possible, huh? Do you think it will help?”
“Don’t be like that.” He tries to pull his hand away, but I don’t let him.
*
I catch Faye as the cafeteria is closing. She’s alone.
“Here,” she says, handing over a juice and a peanut butter sandwich. “I suspected you wouldn’t make it back in time.”
I take them both and attack the sandwich. “Thanks. I’ll buy yours tomorrow. Julian gets a little intense with his research. I was trying to get him to come for lunch but no chance. He can let his own roommate bring him food.”
“I doubt that will happen.” She nods across the campus. Ethan sits on the edge of a round fountain holding his camera. “He’s quite talented.”
“But?” I ask, responding to her tone.
“The Star of Babylon is an odd way to introduce yourself,” she says, troubled eyes shifting from me back to the boy at the fountain. His back is to the sun, shadowing the camera as he adjusts something. “Aleister Crowley and the Golden Dawn used it in a lot of his rituals and mysticism. It’s a very old ward against evil.”
“The creepy magic dude? Who else would know? Other than someone like you, someone who specializes in all this? I only know because Julian went on a reading binge about occult stuff and forced me to make sketches for his files.”
“Hi, girls.” Zoe approaches us from the other direction. She’s got a packet of mail in her hands, bound with a rubber band. “So, I just wanted to tell you that it looks like your roommate, Sonja, won’t be attending SHP this summer.”
“Oh,” Faye says. “What happened?”
“I’m not really sure. Dr. Anders called me into his office and said she wouldn’t be here. He thought you’d want to know, since she’s in your group. I guess she pre-registered, but it’s past the deadline for late arrival.”
“Her mom lives right off campus. Has anyone asked her?”
Zoe shrugs her shoulders. “I’m not really sure, I only know what Dr. A. told me.”
“Okay, thanks,” I say and she walks away.
“That’s sad,” Faye says. “I was looking forward to getting to know her. I like meeting people.”
“Julian is going to be very upset.”
“Oh? Was he in love with her?”