Con Quest!

Not caring about the camping trip anymore also meant Fi didn’t have to worry about having lost the twins for several hours today. It was totally fine. And she had someone to sit with at lunch now, regardless.

Rowan felt the hand squeeze. She looked over at Fi and gave her a secret smile. Fi felt herself go red all over again.

“Wait,” Cat said suddenly, and everyone in their booth turned to look at her. “We can have four Quest team members. If Alex and I were doing it … and Mom … and Fi and Rowan…” Alex watched Cat count them all off on her fingers. “That’s one too many! We’ll be disqualified!”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Rowan piped up from next to Fi. “Only Fi registered on the app. I was just her cheerleader. She found all the items.”

Fi thought back on it and realized Rowan was right. “Guess I didn’t need your help after all!”

The table’s laughter was cut short by the restaurant’s lights dimming. A spotlight came up on a makeshift stage in the back of the venue. The whole room exploded into shrieks as Paranormal star Corwin Blake stepped out onto the platform, waving at the crowd. He was just as handsome and roguish in real life as he was on the show, his hair just as artfully messy, his eyes just as deep.

Not that Fi would know anything

about the show. She’d just … seen it on her sister’s laptop a couple of times. That was all.

Really!

Fi leaned over to shout in Rowan’s ear over the noise of Corwin and the crowd. “Thank you for today!”

Rowan shook her head. “For what?”

“For everything!” Fi yelled back. “For showing me there’s nothing wrong with being a weirdo—as long as you’re a happy weirdo!”

Rowan burst out laughing. “For that, you’re so, so welcome.” Rowan squeezed Fi’s hand in return. “I’ll be right back!”

Fi nodded and watched as Rowan slid out of the booth, her purple hair disappearing around a corner. Fi still had a smile on her face. Happy weirdos might just, in fact, rule.

28

Cat

“That’s Corwin Blake!” Cat squealed with excitement.

“I know!” Alex yelled back.

“He’s so cute!”

“Gross!” Alex shook his head. Cat just laughed. Her favorite Paranormal star was right up there … Things were good with Alex … Everything was as it should be.

“And now,” Corwin drawled from the stage. People of every gender in the crowd hung off his every word. He absolutely, positively was that cute. “The announcement you’ve all been waiting for.”

Cat’s breath caught in her throat. She felt her foot start bouncing up and down against the booth. This was it. This was the moment! Alex reached out and grabbed Cat’s hand. They were in this together.

“The winners,” Corwin said, drawing it out, “of Quest Year Five … are…”

Cat froze. Could it be…?

“Team Dangermaker!”

The crowd applauded. The blood rushed back into Cat’s head.

They’d lost.

Team Dangermaker had won.

Again.

Cat felt a hand squeeze her thigh and looked over into her mom’s smiling face. “You did so good,” her mom reassured her. “You should be proud of yourself!”