“For fuck’s sake, there you are!” an extremely irritable Daniel Rivera said. “Where have you been and why haven’t you answered your phone?”
“Uh…” was Manik’s strong start.
“Stop putting your ringer on silent,” Daniel went on. “I called you like ten times.” He released an exasperated sigh. “Greg banged on my door and told me that he’d woken up to find his three roommates gone. He’d already checked the bathroom, so we went down to the common room, only tofind Ross, who said his were gone as well. He was on his way to tell Mr. Bauer, but luckily I intercepted him.” He exploded. “Six guys! Six unaccounted-for guys, Manik! Do you know how much trouble we’ll be in if Mr. Bauer finds out they’ve escaped?”
They’re not prisoners, Daniel, I wanted to say.They’re kids. We’reallkids.
And stop being such a jerk to Manik! It’sbothyour faults!
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Manik said. “That’s why I’ve been out looking for them. I fell asleep basically right after closing our door, but I woke up later craving ice cream, so I went down to the kitchen and saw that the window was wide open.” He forced a laugh. “They should really put bars on it, right?”
Daniel ignored that last part. “Why the hell didn’t you wake me up?”
Manik was silent for a few seconds. “I tried,” he lied. “I tried, but you said to go away. You mumbled some mumbo-jumbo about needing to finish your English essay…about how Leda wasn’t going to let you take Lily to prom if you, uh, didn’t finish it on time?”
“Oh,” Daniel said as my cheeks began to simmer. “That sounds sort of familiar. I think she said I had to get an A-plus too.”
“Only in your dreams,” Zoe muttered, and I found myself nodding. Next to me, Tag was as still as a statue. Was he even breathing?
“Together?” Manik said a few seconds later. Daniel hadsuggested they leave and check the natatorium next. “We’re sticking together?”
“We gotta, Manik,” Daniel said. “Not only because you don’t answer your phone but also because my keys are gone. I think that asshole Brendan robbed me.”
Suddenly I felt Tag’s broad shoulders knock against mine. They were bobbing up and down from silent laughter, so I covered his mouth with my hand just to be safe. And I couldn’t help but grin when some of his chuckles escaped and swirled in my palm.
FOURTEEN
“Alrighty,” Zoe said once we were sure Manik and Daniel were gone. “What’s next on this wild goose chase, Swell?”
“Certainly not chasingthatgoose,” I replied, gesturing in Daniel’s wake. He and Manik had taken off at a run and so had the blood in my veins. “No way.”
Zoe laughed while Tag spoke softly. “The boathouse,” he said, “but Alex…” He trailed off, almost mournful. “Alex hasn’t checked in; he said he would when he was on his way to catch up with us. He’s probably still in the sculpture sanctuary.”
I nodded, wishing Alex wasn’t a ghost on Snapchat’s map so we could locate him. “Guys, of course he is,” Zoe said. “Imagine you’re a freshman, and the coolest, most enchanting—”
“Enchanting?” Tag interrupted, bemused.
Zoe responded with her middle finger. “And the most enchanting senior showed up and started to talking to you. Would you let him get away so easily?”
Tag and I were silent for a few seconds, both knowing the answer was no. Because Alex Nguyenwasenchanting. He wasfascinating and funny and could captivate an audience with only one sentence.
He should be salutatorian, I thought. Alex would write—or, let’s be honest,wing—a better speech than I ever would.
And I knew for a fact that he’d been next in line. While grilling hot dogs and burgers at last weekend’s neighborhood pool party, Dean DeLuca had let the top academic rankings slip. If I didn’t exist, Ames would’ve awarded Alex the title.
Tag sighed. “You’re right. He’s trapped.”
Zoe shook her head. “Not if the biggest buzzkill crashes the party.”
“Um, did you just call yourself a buzzkill?” I asked. Zoe was anything but.
“In this instance, yes,” Zoe said. “It’s no secret they’re afraid of me.”
“Intimidatedby you,” I corrected, although it was true. All the freshmen boys feared Ames’s basketball captain. She was incredibly poised, marched through the halls with a purpose, and had what vaguely resembled a resting bitch face. (Her words, not mine.)
“You two go ahead to the boathouse,” Zoe said. “I’ll extract Alex from the sculpture sanctuary, and then we’ll rendezvous.”
After Zoe beelined for the woods, Tag nodded his head toward the ropes course’s main entrance. I didn’t like the idea of directly following Daniel and Manik, and I also didn’t like the idea of navigating one of Campo’s favorite patrol routes, but it was the fastest way to the boathouse.
