“Or something,” he murmurs.
What I can’t understand, what I’ve been unable to stop thinking about since my dream, is why Mama went back. She willingly returned to Khalto Safa and the Haikal villa, despite the fate she must have known awaited her.
Why?
Reading my mind, Jesse taps his backpack. “At least the shadow means we have another entry in your mom’s journal. It might give us more answers.”
“For once,” I mutter.
The bell sounds, scattering my attention to the flood of students entering the quad.
“The graduation speech tryouts are at one today, right?” Jesse asks.
I narrow my eyes. “Yes. How did you know?”
He hops off the table, dusting himself off. “You’ve only forced me to listen to you practice half a dozen times. I checked to see when my torment would end.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry. I’m not trying out, so you won’t have to listen to any more speeches.”
Jesse ignores this momentous news in favor of tapping at his phone. “I’ll see you after tryouts.”
“Didn’t you hear me? I’m not trying out.”
He strides away. Over his shoulder, he calls, “One o’clock!”
He must have helped himself to an extra scoop of delusional this morning.
As soon as Jesse hops the fence, my friends emerge alongside the flood of students leaving for lunch. Lucia spots me first, and her features slacken with surprise before rearranging themselves into a beaming smile. Rainie is busy with her phone, maneuvering without looking up, but Aida maintains a hand on her shoulder to prevent her from walking into a beam.
Lucia throws her arms around my shoulders, nearly knocking us to the ground. “I am so, so glad to see you. When Rainie said you were coming, I didn’t believe her.”
Aida takes a seat across from me, spreading her lunch in its usual configuration. From left to right, it goes drink, meal, dessert, sketchbook.
“Lucia, could I see Mina’s shoulder for a sec?” Rainie says.
Lucia and I exchange a bewildered glance. Rainie isn’t exactly the hugging type.
The instant Lucia’s arms are back at her sides, Rainie pinches my shoulder.
“OW!” I holler. “What was that for?”
She pinches me again, this time right next to my armpit. I flail, smacking at her torso.
“Why did Talbot text me to say you’re not planning on going to tryouts?”
My jaw drops. That traitor!
“What?” Lucia gasps. “Mina, you’ve been wanting to speak at graduation since we were freshmen.”
“I would blame Talbot, but I don’t think this one’s on him,” Rainie adds. “What’s the deal?”
“You love speeches. You’re practically a walking three-part structure,” Lucia agrees. “What changed your mind?”
“How about you guys leave Mina alone?”
Three heads swivel to Aida. She doesn’t flinch, intent on sticking her straw into her strawberry banana juice box.
“Doyouthink she should skip tryouts?” Rainie crosses her arms over her chest.
