Outside, the air chilled my bones and the sky was as black as
“I thought you’d want to help me, but if you’d rather I fail . . . ”
death. No moon. No stars. I tripped myself twice on the short run Ariana said, playing the martyr.
across to Billings and prayed the girls weren’t watching me
“No. It’s fine,” I said, my throat dry. “How do I do it?”
fumbling and stumbling. About ten seconds later I found myself
“You’re a smart kid,” Noelle said, patting me on the shoulder.
standing near the back wall of Billings, facing Noelle, Ariana,
“You can figure it out.”
Kiran, and Taylor. I gasped for breath.
They weren’t even going to give me a hint? What the hell kind of
“You were almost late,” Kiran said, her glossy lips pursed.
people were they?
“Sorry,” I replied, trying to stand up straight.
“Now go,” Noelle said. “If you’re not back here in fifteen min-
“We need you to do something for us,” Noelle said.
utes, we’ll be forced to report you to security.”
Shocker. I didn’t actually think I was here for an appreciation One look in her eye told me she was not kidding.
party.
“Go,” she said again.
“What?” I asked.
I thought about what they were asking me to do. I thought about
“Ariana has a physics test tomorrow,” Taylor said. “We need you what would happen if I got caught. I thought about my life back to get it for her.”
home and my life here and how everything I had ever wanted would The ground dropped out from underneath me. “What?”
be within my grasp, but only so long as I was connected to the
“I didn’t have time to study,” Ariana said blithely.
Billings Girls.
“And I didn’t have time to tutor her,” Taylor said.
Of course, I did all this thinking in two seconds flat. Then I
I stared at her. Was this reall