“Bummer, man,” said Sage.

“Yeah, that’s harsh,” said Rainbow.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Xander asked.

“Because it’s a part of my life that I’d rather forget. I lost all my hair from the chemo. Do you know what it’s like to be eight years old and totally bald? The kids at school would stare. Some would ask hurtful questions like, ‘Are you going to die soon?’ or ‘Are you still contagious?’ Then they’d make fun of me like I was some kind of freak.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“That was the worst. People feeling sorry for me. Grown-ups looked at me with pity, like they only saw my disease. They’d ask how I was feeling, or they’d tell me I was so brave, but they just wanted to get out of talking to me as fast as they could.”

Xander stared down at the floor. “I wish you would have told me. I wouldn’t have pushed for the hospital location so hard.”

“But then you’d have known, and that would have changed the way you treated me,” Priya said.

“I wouldn’t have treated you differently. You’re better now, right?” Xander said.

“See? You’re already changing the way you see me.” Priya turned to the squatters. “Trust me when I say this. I don’t ever want to come back here again.”

Rainbow stepped forward and hugged Priya. “I believe you. By the way, I think you would have looked beautiful without hair.”

Quest glanced at Xander. “Can you keep our secret, dude?”

“You did save Priya’s life. We owe you for that.”

“You think your friends will talk?” Sage asked.

Li and Omar! They had forgotten all about them.

“Not when we tell them what you did for us,” said Priya.

Xander’s pocket buzzed. “My phone,” he explained to the others as he pulled out his device.

“Whoa, man. Never seen a phone like that before,” Sage said.

Xander checked the screen. There were quite a few messages from Li.

Omar and I are safe.

Where are you two?

Xander! Please answer. We’re worried.

The police are on their way.

Chapter Eleven

“We don’t have much time before the cops get here,” Xander said. “We have to get you out of the hospital.”

Quest crossed his arms over his chest. “No way, dude. We’re not leaving our home.”

Rainbow and the others started to file down the corridor.

“Quest, we have no choice,” Rainbow said. “They’ll arrest us and lock this place up. We have to split.”

Priya had an idea. “I know! Text Li. Tell her to call the police back and say it was a false alarm.”

Xander shook his head. “They’ll still come. They do it in case a criminal is forcing the victim to say everything is okay.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Happened to my dad when he butt-dialed 9-1-1.”

Rainbow took action. “We don’t have much time then. If it’s a busy night, we might have an hour before the fuzz show up. If it’s a slow night, less. Gather your stuff, everybody. Just take what we can’t replace easily.”