I remembered again what my mom had said about putting all their eggs in one basket. Had she known? Glitching to the future was impossible, but she must have had some idea that things could go wrong. I sat beside Elliot, wrestling with emotions so big I thought they might suffocate me.

“We need to talk,” Elliot said in my ear, jolting me from my own thoughts. I looked up to see that someone had put food on our table, but no one was touching the sad-looking sandwiches. Glancing around the table at my classmates, I noticed that, like us, they were still in full costume and makeup. It made for a very weird table dynamic.

“Why?” I said, quiet enough that only Elliot could hear.

“Because I just figured something out,” he said. I stared at him for a moment, trying to read his expression. What could he have possibly figured out? There was nothing left to figure out. The Academy was gone. Game over.

“Good for you,” I said, my voice sounding dead and flat in my own ears.

Elliot’s elbow dug painfully into my ribs, and I glared at him. If he kept digging his elbow into my ribs like that, I was going to dig mine into his nose. Today was not the day to mess with me.

My anger fizzled slightly as I watched Elliot open his eyes wide and jerk his head toward the far exit and then back to me. He was either trying to tell me something or he was having a seizure.

“Just say it,” I said. “No one is paying any attention to us.”

With an exasperated huff, Elliot leaned in so that his mouth was practically on my ear and whispered, “I wanted to say this somewhere, I don’t know, not here, but you are utter garbage at taking a hint.”

“Thank you,” I said, straight-faced. “Spit it out.”

Elliot scowled and then leaned in even closer, his voice so quiet I could barely hear it. “I think this is why you and I got that Cocoon,” he said. His words were like lightning to my system, and I sat bolt upright so fast that my shoulder cracked Elliot in the chin. He jerked back, clutching his jaw, but I couldn’t have cared less. The Cocoon. The letter that had pulled all the strings to get Elliot and me here in the first place—was this why?

We’d been given strict instructions not to leave the main atrium until further notice, but this couldn’t wait. “Follow my lead,” I whispered, and shot my hand into the air. Professor Tramble walked over, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

“I need to use the restroom,” I said.

“Me too,” Elliot said quickly. Too quickly. I groaned inwardly. Smooth, Elliot. Real smooth.