Her brows go up, and she gives me an eerily accurate impression of Tavi’sduhlook. “Because I, like,livehere?”
Am I losing my freaking mind?
Is this really Tavi?
Am I sabotaging this just for the hell of it?
I spin her around and tug her tank aside to peer at her shoulder blade.
“Dylan,”Jane snaps as Tavi-Not-Tavi jerks away.
“She’s missing her birthmark.” I want to howl. Am I losing my damn mind, or did something happen to Tavi? “And her ears are wrong.This isn’t Tavi.”
My friends don’t laugh.
They stare at me like I’m definitely losing my marbles, but they don’t laugh.
“How’s Shiloh’s party coming?” Ridhi asks her.
“Totes perfect! I, like, complained about my mom while Bridget and I were having our toes done the other day, and she was all, ‘My mom is so cool,’ and gave me extra ideas for games and party favors without even knowing she was doing it, and the cake’s ordered, and the community center will be almost done, so we’ll, like, pull the fire alarm Tuesday night and have the whole station respond to get them all there.”
How does she know all of this?Is this really Tavi? Or is this all a bad dream?
“How’s my TikTok account coming?” Jane asks.
Tavi-Not-Tavi laughs. “You didn’t want one, silly. Remember?”
“How didLola’s Tiny Houseend?” Willie Wayne asks.
“Um, do I care? No.”
“Aha! You—no, wait, that’s Phoebe who’s addicted to that show. Dylan. Here, my man. Have some chocolate. It’s really good chocolate. Don’t write it off like it’s your average Hershey bar.”
“I know it’s good chocolate. Butthis isn’t Tavi.”
Am I losing my mind?
Jesus.
What’s wrong with me.
“He’s right,” Jane says. “She’s good, but she’s not Tavi. Tavi’s got more ... it’s like the smell of desperation warring with hope and an unmet need to be loved about her. You can’t mimic that.”
“Like,totes,” Ridhi agrees dryly. She points at Tavi-Not-Tavi.“Sit.”
Jane crosses her arms. “And talk.”
Tavi-Not-Tavi looks at me. I don’t know if she’s asking if it’s safe to talk in front of them, if we’re going to murder her and hide her body, or if I have regrets yet about bringing her here, but I know I want answers. “Wherethe fuckis Tavi?”
Pebbles whimpers at my feet.
“This isn’t my story to tell,” Tavi-Not-Tavi whispers.
“Ppfffft,”Jane replies.
“And who do you thinkwe’regoing to tell?” Ridhi asks. “Also, if you tell a soul this bunker exists, you’re gonna need the fire department a lot sooner than Tuesday night.”
“What happens in the bunker stays in the bunker,” Willie Wayne agrees. “Akiko thinks I’m bowling in Deer Drop.”
