She was startled by a buzzing in her desk drawer, then realized what it was: her Batphone.
She ripped open the drawer, saw it was Pike, and answered, saying, “Pike, this is the absolute worst time to call. We’re all getting ready for breakfast.”
“Why’s that the worst?”
She hissed, “Because I’m not supposed to have an unregistered cell phone! It’s why you snuck this one in to me!”
“So is your roommate going to turn you in? You said she had one.”
She said, “Hang on. Don’t hang up, but hang on.”
She stuck the phone into the waistband of her skirt, went down the hall past the bathroom, pausing and saying, “Flower, I don’t think I’m going to breakfast. I didn’t finish my essay last night, and I think I’m going to work on it now.”
Flower turned from the mirror and said, “I can help, if you want. I finished mine.”
“That’s okay. I know what I want to say, I just didn’t finish last night. Just bring me a banana from the cafeteria, and thanks.”
Flower smiled, and Amena continued down the hall, exiting onto the long second-floor balcony. She closed the door, pulled out the phone, and said, “Okay, Pike. I can talk now.”
“Well, good. How are you doing, doodlebug?”
She put on a brave face, but truthfully, hearing Pike’s voice almost made her cry. She said, “I’m fine. When are you coming home?”
“Soon, doodlebug, soon. Looking forward to it. How are classes going?”
“It’s harder than I thought it would be, but nothing I can’t handle. Algebra is easy for me, English not so much. They want us to talk all the time, discussing books. I hate it. Luckily, most of the girls here my age haven’t traveled that much, so when I talk, they think it’s like genius-level stuff, when it’s just how the world works. Sort of helps since we spend so much time speaking in class.”
She heard Pike snicker, then, “And your roommate? How is she?”
“She’s shy, but really nice. Actually, I’m sort of the outcast here because everyone else is Chinese. I think they all knew each other before they came. They don’t do it on purpose, but I’m sort of the bug in the jar in the house, which in itself is another jar full of bugs in the school. All of us get treated weird, and then when I get back here, I’m treated differently yet again.”
“But it sounds like you’re doing okay.”
“I am if you’d come home. If you’re not, then I’m going to start acting out. Stealing stuff. Causing trouble.”
She said it as a plea. She’d never really do that, but she wanted Pike and Jennifer back in Charleston. Enough of that vacation in Australia. Pike’s answer left her speechless.
“That’s good, because I have something I want you to steal.”
She scrunched her eyes, saying nothing, sure she’d misheard. He came back, saying, “You still there?”
“Uhh . . . yeah?”
“You said your roommate’s father is named Chen Ju-Long, right? What’s he do?”
“He’s some bigwig import/export guy in China. All of the girls here are either daughters of millionaires or work for the government. I have to lie about you all the time.”
He laughed and said, “Just so I’m sure, his name is Chen Ju-Long and he’s an import/export guy?”
Aggravated, she said, “Yeah, Pike, that’s what I said. You want to talk to her instead of me? She’s about to go to breakfast, which I’m missing because I’m talking to you.”
She heard his voice grow serious, saying, “No, doodlebug, I have a favor to ask. A little mission for you.”
She said nothing, confused. He said, “You still there?”
“Yes, but what?”
“Look, I don’t have time to explain. I need you to trust me on this. I need you to get her burner phone and find the number for her father.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Amena, I need it for a work thing. He’s involved with something over here. If it doesn’t pan out, it doesn’t pan out. But just do it for me.”
Her head spinning, remembering her past, she felt a rash of sweat break out. She said, “Involved in what? You’re on vacation. Right? Was that a lie?”
“No! It wasn’t a lie. Look, this is no different than when we met. I ended up in a situation, and I think your roommate can help me. That’s all it is.”
She closed her eyes and said, “The bad man found you. I knew it would happen. You’re not coming home.”
He said, “Oh, no. I’m coming home. Make no mistake about that, but I’ve run into a spot of trouble over here, and I think your roommate’s father is involved.”
She felt a blast of fear, saying, “What trouble? Where’s Jennifer?”
“Whoa, whoa, she’s right here. Don’t panic. I’ll put her on the phone when we’re done, but I need the father’s cell phone number. He’s carrying that with him for her, or he wouldn’t have given her the phone. It’s separated from everything else I can find. Look, she’s probably a lovely girl, and this may be nothing, but I need to check.”
She exhaled in relief and said, “What happened?”
“I’ll tell you when I get back—if it even pans out.”
She went through what he was asking, then said, “Pike, I can’t get to her phone. She keeps it in a desk drawer with a lock. I don’t have the key.”
And she heard a laugh that infused her with calm. Not condescending at all, it was more like he was amused at her lack of confidence, and they were sharing an inside joke.
“Amena, it’s a desk drawer. You’ve picked the pockets of people all over Europe. You broke into an aquarium from an outside window over a cliff. You can’t get into a desk drawer?”
She smiled and said, “Yeah, I can do it. I’ve already done it on my own drawer. It’s not much of a lock.”
“Why did you pick your own drawer?”
“I was bored.”
And she heard his infectious laugh again. He said, “That’s what I want to hear. Hang on, Jennifer wants to talk to you.”
She saw the Chinese girls walking down the hall, all headed to breakfast, and said, “Pike, I can’t talk to her right now. They’re leaving for breakfast. If you want the phone, this is my only shot at it.”
She heard a pause, then, “Okay, but Jennifer’s going to be mad at me. This one is on you. Don’t blame me when it’s over.”
She felt another grin leak out, liking being wanted, and said, “I’m coming on the honeymoon.”
He started to reply, and she saw the caretaker husband through the window. She cut him off, saying, “Gotta go,” and hung up.
She shoved the phone into her skirt, left the balcony, and went back toward her room, running into the husband on the way.
He said, “Hey, aren’t you going to breakfast? Most important meal of the day, or so they say.”
She said, “I know, but I have to finish an essay. Flower’s bringing me a banana. I’ll be okay.”
He was a kind man, but given her past, and her previous independence, she’d grown to find him a little overbearing. As if he was failing if she didn’t make every meal.