“Sure!” She pulled out the Mickey graduation ears and despite everything, I saw Bryony’s eyes light up like usual. “How did you know I got ears, though?”
“Lucky guess,” I said, giving Bryony a small smile.
“These are really cute,” Bryony said, touching the mini graduation cap and its tassel. “I might need to get some.”
“It might not be possible,” I said with a sigh. “I really tried. I swear.”
“I thought you guys just got here?” Emma R. asked, as she put on the Mickey ears. She turned to Bryony. “Are these straight?”
Bryony reached out to adjust them, and I walked over to Emma J. and Emma Z., who were both bent over Emma Z.’s phone.
“Hi, guys,” I said cheerfully. “I just wanted to tell you that you probably shouldn’t sell that picture of Tabitha Keith to DitesMoi.”
Emma Z. fumbled her phone, catching it at the last second before it hit the pavement, and Emma J. stared at me in shock. “How did you…What…”
“Who told you that?” Emma Z. asked, her eyes narrowed. “I mean—what are you talking about?”
“I know what happened,” I said patiently, even as I snuck a look at my watch. I needed them to get on the same page as me, and fast—there wasn’t a ton of extra time. I was suddenly glad for the bottle of water Bryony gave me, even if she’d gotten it because she was worried I was losing my grip on reality. I had a feeling I was going to need it—there was going to be alotof running around the park tonight.
“What do you know?” Emma Z. asked, crossing her arms. She was trying to sound tough, but she kept sneaking looks at Emma J., and I could see that they both looked rattled.
“Everything. I know you were over by Cars Land, by the people taking pictures with Mater. And I know that Emma Z. got AirDropped a picture of Tabitha Keith and her friends.” They exchanged a glance, then turned back to me, both looking increasingly freaked out. “It was an accident,” I explained, taking them through what I’d finally put together. “One of Tabitha’s friends—the other girl in the picture—is named Em. It was just a matter of AirDropping to the wrong person—and your phone must have been close enough. It could happen to anyone. But selling the pictures to a gossip site isnotan accident.”
“We haven’t done anything yet!” Emma J. protested, and Emma Z. shot her a sharp look, one that clearly saidshut up.
“But you’re thinking about it, right?” I asked, looking between the two of them. “I mean, I get it.” I glanced at Emma Z, remembering her scholarship that had fallen through. “I’m sure you have your reasons, and maybe you’ve even convinced yourself it’s okay.”
I saw them exchange a quick, unsettled look. I took a breath and went on.
“If you do it, it’s going to ruin Tabitha’s night—and probably beyond tonight. She’s going to think her friends betrayed her, when all they were guilty of was bad ?AirDropping. And I promise, it’s not going to make you any happier. It?’ll ruin your night, too.” I glanced down at my phone and realized I was already behind schedule. “Look,” I said, taking a step away. “I can’t make you do anything. I can only tell you that I know how this turns out, and it’s bad—for everyone. So why do that, you know?”
I waited for a response, but they just stared at me, both still looking incredibly flustered. Which I could understand. If someone seemed to know everything about what I was doing—including what I was onlythinkingabout doing—it would really freak me out, too. I waited one moment longer, and when it was clear nothing was forthcoming, I just nodded.
“Okay, good talk.” I left them behind, hurrying over to where Bryony was standing with Emma R. “So here’s the thing. I have to run?….”
“Run where?” Emma asked.
“I just have to…take care of some things.”
“At Grad Nite?” Emma asked, sounding baffled. “What kind of things?”
“I can’t really explain right now.” I met Bryony’s eye. It was one thing to tell my best friend that I was in a time-loop situation—but I wasn’t sure I wanted to go around tellingeveryone. At the very least, I simply didn’t have the time to keep explaining it.
“This is…super weird, Cass,” Bryony said.
“I know. But like they say onCereal—that’s the way the crackle pops.”
Bryony’s eyebrows flew up. “Since when do you listen toCereal?”
“I’ve listened toallof it. It’s so good! You were right.”
“I always am,” she said automatically, giving me a smile.
I checked the time again. “I have to run, but can you meet me at Radiator Springs Racers at ten fifteen?” Even though Bryony still looked confused, she nodded, and I gave her a smile. “Okay, cool. See you then!”
I turned and started running, knowing I was a few minutes later than I’d wanted to be. I glanced behind me at the other two Emmas for just a moment before they were blocked from view by the crowds. I had no idea what they were going to do with the picture they’d accidentally been ?AirDropped, but I’d done everything I could to try to convince them to do the right thing. It was out of my hands now.
Ten minutes later, I’d stopped at one of the bigger souvenir stores—for what I required, Johnny’s merch kiosk just wouldn’t suffice. I’d picked up a notebook and a pen, too. I needed to write something that I should have written a long time ago. And then I wanted to write out the Freddie list, and his lyrics. If everything went according to plan—which I was very aware was a long shot—he would need them.
