Sitting on the bed, brain foggy with sleep, I scrolled through my contacts until I found the number I’d saved last night.
Please pick up, I pleaded, holding the phone tight to my ear.
Finally, a faint click. “Willowbrook School for Girls, how can I help you?” a woman asked.
“Hello. I’d like to speak to Kaia Demeri, please.”
“Who’s asking?”
Bile burned my throat. “Her brother.”
“One minute, please.”
Air leaked from my lungs in a shaky exhale. Seconds dragged until I heard the voice that undid me every time. “Hello?”
“Peque.” I swallowed hard, heart racing. “Are you okay?”
“Oh my God,” Kaia said quickly. “I’m so glad you called. They took my phone. No-cell policy here. They let us use the landline, but it was too late last night. How was your race?”
No phone? My stomach sank. Fuck. I’d call her daily if I had to, but what the hell kind of place—
“I raced, won. Forget that—tell me about school. Are you—”
“I need to go, Ash. Sarah’s waiting. She’s my residential advisor. The phone’s in her office.”
No. Not yet. “Fuck, peque. Just tell me if you’re okay.”
Static filled the line. My pulse pounded. “Hello?”
“Yeah,” Kaia said at last. Her voice sounded distant, and without seeing her face I couldn’t tell. “I am. Don’t worry. And please, be careful racing. Talk to you later.”
The call cut, leaving an unsaidI love youburning my tongue.
No phone. No way to see her until I had a rare day off mid-season.
Fucking Russell thought of everything. I tossed the phone aside and buried my face in my hands, Kaia’s voice replaying in my head.
She said she was okay, but the weight on my chest said otherwise.
I knew her too well to believe her.
JUNE 8TH
My summer SAT prep camp doesn’t start for another week. Dad could let me stay home instead of dumping me here early, but the idea of putting up with me must be unbearable.
The no-phone policy makes talking to Asher harder. He calls during Sarah’s office hours, and every time, he sounds worried. I pretend to be fine—for his sake. He can’t lose focus on the track.
I didn’t hear from him yesterday, and my mood sank lower than ever. Alba leaving the room whenever Teagan and I walk in doesn’t help. Teagan just shrugs like it’s normal, but I keep overthinking.
Why can’t I make friends anywhere?
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Kaia
Friday morning, the dining hall buzzed with voices, louder than usual. Girls huddled in groups, whispering, eyes wide.
Alba sat alone by the window, bored as ever, while Teagan waved me over to a table in the back. She wasn’t exactly my friend, but she was at least friendly.
