Con Quest!
Page 49
Cat clapped a few times, halfheartedly. She was happy for Team Dangermaker … she just really thought they’d had it this time. She watched as the four members of Team Dangermaker bounded up to the stage to claim their trophy from Corwin; there went Dahlia and Malik. The white teenager who followed them must have been Fox. And then Rey—
“Holy sh—”
“Fi!” her mother scolded. “Language!”
“No,” Cat interjected, standing up in her seat. “She’s right—look!”
Clambering up onto the stage was the fourth member of Team Dangermaker.
Rowan.
Cat kept looking back and forth between Fi and the stage, her head whipping back and forth so fast she got dizzy and had to sit down again. Fi was just staring straight ahead.
“But she never said anything…”
“But her name is Rowan.” Cat slammed her hands on the table. “Not Rey.”
Fi dropped her head down to the table in front of her and mumbled something. Cat picked Fi up by the scruff of her dress.
“Again,” Cat urged.
“Rowan,” Fi repeated, understandable this time. “Rowan Reyes.”
Cat dropped the back of Fi’s dress and stared at the stage, wide-eyed. “So that’s why she never technically helped us.”
“And why she knew so much about the Quest,” Fi agreed.
“You’re dating someone famous,” Alex chimed in. Fi just blinked.
“Nerd famous,” Cat agreed. “You’re basically nerd royalty now. Congratulations, Queen of the Nerds.”
“Bože môj.” Their mom shook her head, still clapping for the winning team.
“But wait,” Corwin said into the mic, bringing the room back down to a hush. “There’s more!”
Cat sat back up in her seat. More?
“Some of you may have noticed a Mystery Item was added to the Quest list today.” Cat slumped back down. She and Alex hadn’t found it. And if Fi and Rowan had found it, Rowan obviously would have uploaded it on behalf of Team Dangermaker. Cat examined her nails to distract herself from her sinking feeling of disappointment.
“We are thrilled to announce that one team—just one—managed to find the secret item.” Whatever. “Come get your prize—” Whatever. “… Team DoubleTrouble!”
Whatever.
Wait.
What?
Fi was shaking Cat’s shoulder. “That’s us! Go! Go!”
Cat stumbled out of the booth with Alex beside her. “What happened?”
“We found it!” Fi laughed. “I found it! We won!”
Cat couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She walked forward, half in a dream, to the stage, where someone reached down a hand to help her off the ground.
Cat looked up. The hand was attached to Corwin Blake.
She put her hand in his. It was the best-looking hand she’d ever touched. She would never wash it again in her entire life. Did you even know they made eyes that dark?!