Zhang Tao, Class 2
Heidi Page, Class 3
Malik Byrd, Class 4
Dustin Holland, Class 7
Misha Atkins, Class 9
Camille Siever, Class 10
Ilya Melnikova, Class 11
Scott Fisher, Class 13
Charlotte Cassidy, Class 14
Caleb Underwood, Class 16
Carlos Rodriguez, Class 17
Jennifer Locksley, Class 19
11:08. Checking the clock, I realized it was time to log out. The research took longer than I planned, and I hoped desperately that Sal had managed to keep the headmaster distracted for just a few extra minutes.
After breaking the desktop link, turning my prism off, and clearing my desk, I reviewed my list.
I rolled my eyes, seeing a few familiar names. The concept of falsified records explained a lot. After all, how else could the Charlatans have avoided Alabaster for so long?
The sheer amount of students affected astounded me. Thirteen out of twenty meant sixty-five percent.
If my findings really did point to a conspiracy, as many as 65 percent of students on Alpha hadn’t rightfully earned their places. It was possible that even 65 percent of graduates, adults on Alpha, didn't truly belong.
The conspiracy before me was well-planned and detailed, but I noted one major flaw. Eventually, if a student was to graduate, they would have to score higher than anyone else in their class.
And those scores were very easy to verify.
Chapter 13
My hands tightened into fists as I tried to keep them from shaking. It didn't help. As I replayed in my mind what had just happened in the gym, I felt like I was spinning out of control. The whole experience brought back bad memories, like the time I got red in the face and detention after a bunch of kids decided to harass quiet little Jenna Whitman.
Jada wasn't my responsibility, and I wasn't even sure if she was my friend, but that didn’t give anyone the right to torment her.
I thought Charlotte, Malik, Jenny, and Suki were my friends. I had no idea they were capable of that kind of cruelty. Should I have known? Could I have done more to defend Jada? While they bullied her relentlessly, she answered gently and tried her best to ignore them and walk away. Her poise and self-control under pressure impressed me deeply. From what I had just seen, Jada was not the vengeful, stuck-up girl they’d described to me at Harley’s.
"Yo, Rowan!" Malik's voice cut through the corridor, and I heard pairs of footsteps running toward me.
Catching up to me, Malik slapped a large hand onto my shoulder. "Thanks for getting us outta there, man. We don't need any camera crews getting in our way, am I right?"
The rest of the group fell in line beside me, matching my quick pace. I answered quietly, trying hard to control myself. “Getting in the way of what?”
Malik shot the girls an offended glance. How could he expect me not to have a problem with what I’d just seen in the gym? The rest of my body started to shake along with my hands.
"Rowan, what's the deal?" asked Charlotte sharply, stepping in front of me, forcing me to stop walking.
"The deal is what just happened back there. I saw a side of you that I hadn't seen before, and I hope I never see it again."
"Is this about Jada?" Charlotte continued, her voice accusing.
"No. This is about you. All of you. I know you have some bad history with Jada, but there's nothing she could have done that gives you the right to treat her that way. She didn’t do anything to antagonize you, and yet you closed in on her, bullied her, and put your hands on her.”
Jenny and Suki shifted their weight, fidgeting and exchanging uncomfortable glances. I was surprised at how forcefully my words spilled out, too.
"You don't have all the facts," said Charlotte, in a half-condescending, half-pleading tone. "All you know is what she told you." Charlotte hissed the word she, as if the word stood for something horrible, unmentionable.
"She didn't tell me anything. All the facts that I have are straight from you."
"She ruined our lives, Rowan. She did this to herself."
I crossed my arms. "How do you figure that?"
Seeing an opening in the conversation, Jenny piped in. "She seems nice, Rowan, but she's not. All she wants is to make the rest of us look stupid so she can take over Alpha."
"There's a lot more to Jada than what you just saw," agreed Suki.
Another student, clothed entirely in white, began walking toward us. Charlotte glanced at him nervously, then fixed her smokey grey eyes on mine.
"This isn't over, Rowan."
Almost as if those words were a signal, the group scattered in different directions down the hallway, leaving me alone with my duffel bag.
I walked back into the gym, looking for Jada between the rows of metallic machines, but she was already gone.
∆∆∆
I sat on my bed, staring at my prism. Jada Breaker’s face smiled back at me. It wasn’t hard to find her contact in the directory, but I wasn’t sure she’d want to hear from me.
I slid my finger across the screen and started a conversation anyway.
Jada?
Shaking my head, I stood and walked into the living room. What a dumb way to start a conversation.
It was funny to see my worn books from Earth sitting on a sparkling, metallic shelf. Still, it was comforting to have them.
My prism bleeped, and I dove onto the bed.
Hi Rowan :)
I grinned. Who knew Jada Breaker was the type to use retro smileys?
Hi :) I wanted to say sorry again for yesterday. How are you?
I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes as my prism let out another bleep.
I’m okay. Thank you for helping me.
I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, I had no idea they were going to do that to you.
It’s okay. Sorry you had to see me like that.
Like what? They were the problem, not you.
I know, I’m just not supposed to be...that. I’m supposed to be the poster child, not the girl everyone hates.
Not everyone :)
I breathed in deeply, hoping I didn’t sound totally creepy. Jada seemed so sad, but a girl with her poise, intelligence, and smile deserved to be happy all the time. I wanted to help make her happy again.
I quickly tapped out another message.
Let me make it up to you. Can I buy you lunch?
I would love that :) When and where?
I felt my face flush and my pulse rising as I tried to think quickly.
Habanero’s at 1:00?
I wanted to slam my head against the wall. Couldn’t I have thought of anything better than Habanero's? It was nicer than Harley's Tavern, sure, but its main attractions were a live mariachi band and an all-you-can-eat taco bar. Classy.
Sounds good!
Laughing softly to myself at the sheer ridiculousness of inviting Jada Breaker to eat with me at Habanero's, I paused to consider something even crazier.
She said yes!
Chapter 14
As I sat across from Rowan at a table in Habanero's, I realized that the atmosphere felt familiar, reminding me of our meal together at The Sphere weeks before.
It wasn’t exactly the same. The Sphere was refined, elegant, and beautiful. Watching the mariachi band play, though, I couldn't help but smile. Why hadn’t I ever visited Habanero’s before? I needed to trade refinement for excitement, elegance for liveliness, and beauty for fun a bit more often.