“Hey, give that back!” someone shouted.
Sylvie turned and spotted Vihaan, his hands covered in mud, glowering at Darius.
“That’s my squill. I found it.”
“Then I guess it’ll be your word against mine,” said Darius smugly.
“No, it won’t be,” said Georgia, who was also clutching a squill. “I saw Vihaan dig it up.”
“You didn’t see anything,” said Darius, glaring at her. “Not unless you want everyone here to know your dirty little secret.”
Georgia’s cheeks flushed red.
Sylvie already knew one of Georgia’s secrets.She has a phone.But this seemed like something more. A phone wasn’tdirty,nor was it the sort of thing that would make Georgia blush. Maybe the nervous nail-biting wasn’t about a crush after all.Darius knows something.Even if Georgia could be a bit of a know-it-all, Darius was worse. He was a bully. Sylvie hated bullies.
“Is something the matter?” Instructor Gideon materialized. “I heard shouting.”
“Darius stole my squill,” said Vihaan.
“I didn’t,” said Darius, painting on a look of shock. “We were both digging. Then I pulled it up, and he started yelling.”
“That’s a lie!” Vihaan turned to Georgia. “You saw what happened, tell her.”
Darius gritted his teeth. “Think carefully about your answer.”
Georgia suddenly looked queasy.
Sylvie put down her shovel.
“Vihaan is telling the truth,” she blurted. Maybe Sylvie hadn’t seen what happened, but she’d heard enough to know. “Vihaan dug it up.”
Darius shot her a dangerous look. “You can’t actually believe someone likeher.”
“I don’t see why she’d lie,” said Gideon. “But sometimes facts speak for themselves.” She pointed to Darius’s shovel. “Your trowel and hands are clean. So please explain how you dug up a muddy squill.”
“I … ummm.” Darius gulped at the air.
“Hand it over to Vihaan,” said Gideon.
“But—” started Darius.
Gideon raised a hand. “Rather than wasting time trying to change my mind, I’d keep looking.”
“Fine.” Darius shoved the muddy bulb at Vihaan and stomped off.
Gideon turned back to them. “Since you three have completed the assignment, you can help me tidy up.”
Sylvie spent the next fifteen minutes tucking marshmallow roots back into planters, while Georgia dried balls of sea moss, and Vihaan carted the puntarelle up to the kitchen.
By the time the assignment was over, only Darius and a girl who perpetually had the hiccups hadn’t found a squill.
Gideon placed the last shovel back into the crate. “If you were unsuccessful with the assignment, come speak to me about some additional sensory work after class.”
Georgia moved past the two tables and planted herself nearby. Her eyes flashed over at Sylvie.
Sylvie got the feeling Georgia wanted to say something, but before she got the chance, Gideon cut in.
“Sylvie. Please take the box of shovels into the greenhouse and place them on my desk.”
