There is one boy with reddish-blond hair and extraordinarily average features. But he wears his smile with confidence, his uniform fitting in a way that makes me think it was tailored. The other boys seem to defer to his approval.
A kid walking by calls to him. “Jonah!” My heart rate speeds up.
“A candidate?” Sydney asks, examining the boy. “You think he might be the investor’s son?”
“Could be,” I reply.
While we were preparing for Sydney and me to attend Ridgeview, the girls and I researched the traits that would describe an investor who has enough money to launder combined with enough maliciousness to want to invest in Innovations Academy in the first place. We used that to narrow down our search criteria to find the right student.
We decided that our target would have to be the child of a narcissistic, sexist, cruel egomaniac. I’ve only just seen this Jonah boy, but something about him seems right. Then again, a quick look around tells me that several of these boys could fit the bill.
At just that moment, Jonah glances over and notices me and Sydney. He doesn’t react at first, just sweeps his gaze over us. I quickly turn to Sydney and talk about a history assignment. It’s a little late, because from the corner of my eye, I see Jonah smile. He knows we were watching him.
Then again, we’ll have to get inside his orbit somehow. But right now, my head is killing me. And I have to warn the girls about the woman I saw.
“Let’s get out of here,” I tell Sydney, gesturing down the street with my notebook.
“Gladly.”
We get onto the sidewalk and head in the opposite direction of the boys. I hold my breath, hoping they won’t call after us, harassus. Thankfully, it’s quiet as we disappear into the neighborhood.
When we’re sure they’re gone, Sydney and I let our polite exteriors fall away.
“I hate it here,” she says, brushing her curly hair back over her shoulder. She no longer wears it the way Mr. Petrov specified. She chooses how she wants to look. We all get to decide for ourselves now, which is sometimes overwhelming. We’ve never had choices before.
“I’ll have to get a new phone,” I tell her.
“We all should,” she agrees.
I look around, paranoid. “I saw something when I passed out. And there was a woman there,” I add, lowering my voice.
“What kind of woman?” she asks.
I shake my head. “Older, I guess. Intense. We were in a garden, and she said she wanted me to let her inside my head. That she’s been looking for me. And, Sydney,” I say, my eyes wide, “I think she might be the voice Leandra warned us about.”
Sydney grabs my arm, pulling me to a stop. “Are you saying this woman was really inside your head?In your programming? ” she whispers.
“I don’t … I don’t know,” I say. “She knew about us. And then she asked my permission to access my mind.”
Sydney relaxes slightly. “Well, she’s not getting that.” She starts walking again, but her brow is furrowed as she thinks it over. “And you have no idea who she is?”
“None.”
She considers. “But someone couldn’t really do that, right?Get inside your consciousness through the phone? Is this what happened to Imogene?”
“It could be possible, I guess,” I say. “That sound … the screeching? I don’t know. We’ll have Annalise research. See if she can find anything. But …” I pause, scared.
“We’re not going to tell Leandra,” Sydney answers before I ask. When she turns to me, her jaw is set hard. “I’m not going to let her drive a spike into your head.”
I nod a thank-you and reach over to interlace my fingers with hers. I’m scared, but I know Sydney will stand with me no matter what.
“I’ve already called the girls to tell them you fainted,” Sydney says. When I tsk, she shrugs. “What did you want me to do?” she asks. “You were laid out on the cafeteria floor. Do you have any idea how gross that is? I knew it was serious.” She smiles at me.
“You’re right. It was disgusting.”
“Exactly,” she says. “Anyway, they said they’d research. I didn’t know the stuff about the garden woman. We’ll update them when we get home. And don’t worry,” she adds, bumping her shoulder into mine. “They’ll help us figure out what to do next.”
We take a turn onto our street. Leandra paid in advance for three months on an upstairs apartment near Ridgeview Prep. It’s a modest three-bedroom, two-bath that came furnished. But we’re all hoping we’re out of here before the three months are up.
