“You what?” I asked.
“I, um, gotta get to class,” he said quickly. “I’ll meet up with you later.”
“Okay…” I said skeptically. I was pretty certain Ez didn’t have class right now, but for some reason, he was eager to hurry away. Probably thought I was going to suggest more chin-ups or something.
Or so I thought… until I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. My heart surged with happiness as I felt Ava’s presence through the bond. I hadn’t noticed her and Oberi at first, because I’d been so focused on Ez. Now I sensed them draw near as if I were touching them.
That was weird. Why did Ez hurry off when his sister showed up? It was like he didn’t want her catching on to something— or calling him out.
What was he hiding?
“Pidge,” I greeted, getting to my feet. Oberi barked and twirled around me, nudging his wet nose into my hand. I stroked the top of his head. “What’s up?”
“What’s up withme?” she asked innocently. “Since when do you and my brother work out together?”
I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Since now, I guess.”
I felt Ava’s skepticism through our bond. The more time I spent with her, the easier it’d become to feel her emotions. They were starting to get stronger. Sometimes it felt as if they were my own. I was really going to have to figure out how to manage that.
“Is that a problem?” I asked, a little harsher than I meant.
“No, it’s just… weird. You’re always in the prison yard lately,” she admitted.
I should’ve explained myself. I could’ve told her about the fight club and why I’d been working out so much. But I felt something else through our bond beyond skepticism. Ava was anxious— about what, I didn’t know. I sensed that if I told her about this, it would set her off. Ava would want me to quit so I didn’t get hurt, and I wasn’t going to do that, especially not before my first fight.
Ava apparently didn’t care for an explanation, because she changed the subject quickly. “Anyway, Oberi and I came to find you, because I need your help.”
Before I could respond, she grabbed me by the wrist and began dragging me behind her.
“Help with what?” I asked. Those were the only words I could get in before Ava started talking a million miles a minute.
“I’m bursting with ideas, but I don’t have the time to do it all! It’s driving me insane. So I asked Oberi,how are we going to get this all done, and of course the answer wasCharlie. I hope you’re not busy. Too bad if you are. You’ll have to help me, because there’sno wayI’m getting this all done on my own.” Ava opened the door to the Villain’s Den, and we stepped inside the building.
“Getwhatdone?” I asked. “You’re not falling behind on homework again, are you, pidge?”
Ava snorted. “Homework is the least of my problems. It’s at least half-done. Okay, maybe a quarter… I don’t know. I really don’t care. This is more important.”
Ava took my shoulders and guided me into a chair by a study table. My elbow brushed against something, and a pile of papers scattered across the floor. Curiously, I reached out to feel the tabletop and found all sorts of odd things piled atop it— papers, glue bottles, tiny little balls of fabric from the craft room, and tubes that rattled when I touched them. I could only guess those were glitter. Oberi sniffed one of the tubes and sneezed.
“Oh, don’t mind this,” Ava said in a rush as she bent to pick up the papers I’d knocked over. “I’ll get all this mess cleaned up.”
“What is all this, pidge?” I asked.
“It’s nothing,” she assured me. “I thought I’d do some crafts, but I forgot what I wanted to do with them.”
“Youforgot?” I questioned. Ava was starting to worry me, because I felt her anxiety rising.
She tossed the papers on the table and plopped down across from me. “Honestly, it’s too bad they don’t let us have scissors. If I could snag some from the craft room, I would cut all my hair off.”
“Cut it off?” I balked. “Pidge, what are you talking about?”
“You know. I just want anew look. I’m sick of the boring same old, same old. I’ve always thought it would be brave of me to shave my head.”
“No way,” I stated firmly, shaking my head.
Ava huffed. “Who areyouto tell me what I can do with my hair?”
“I want you to do whatever makes you happy,” I assured her. “But I know you. You’ll regret it the second you do it, and it’ll take years to grow back.”
