I grabbed my directional mic and switched it on. “Hello?”
“Hey,” he said. “I’m still browsing Janice’s inspiration board and figuring out how to use this mod tool thing.”
“You’ll get the hang of it. Trust me, it’s a lot easier and less expensive than building something in real life. A lot less dangerous too.” My phone pinged with an alert from the motion sensors on the cameras. I tensed, even though I knew what it should be. The security gate would’ve already confirmed the delivery driver’s ID, but I quickly ran the car plates just in case. I didn’t recognize the listed owners as any relation to my former classmates.
“Hold on, my pizza’s here.” I switched to using my phone microphone instead of the laptop so he could keep me company…or be my backup, as needed.
“Oh, where’s it from?” Sal asked.
“Tony B’s.”
Something clattered on his end. “Nooooo. Zero, why? They don’t even use real cheese.”
Laughing, I put on my cap. “Doesn’t mean it’s not tasty.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing. Next time we hang out, I’m going to get us the good stuff.”
Next time? I skipped down the stairs. “Are you one of those pizza snobs who’s all weird about folding and thinks deep-dish is lasagna or something?”
“Hey, there is room for all types of pizza in my belly. Even pineapple toppings.”
I chuckled and unlocked the door. “Wow, you have such an open mind. You should be studied.”
“Good tasteishard to find,” he bragged.
“Good friends,” I said, popping out to grab the pizza. The cool night air whipped past me, but I slammed the door closed quickly. “The phrase is: ‘good friends are hard to find.’”
“Are they?” he asked.
I rubbed my thumb across the warm, steamy cardboard. “Sometimes.”
For me.
But maybe my luck was changing.
11
Observations
Over the next few days, I developed a decent rhythm for Sal’s project. For Janice, I guessed. Sometimes, he’d send me screenshots to show me his progress.
They were the same ones from the background of her bedroom selfies. He would’ve done more recon photos himself, but she was too busy with birthday week to entertain his sleuthing, apparently.
I cracked my fingers. Should I explain it myself?
He sent me a stupid gif of someone holding a book upside down.
