“Dad, this is Ella, the student I’ve been training,” Riley said. “Ella, this is my father, Jacob.”

“Hello, Ella, I’ve heard so much about you.”

I shot Riley a look.

His father chuckled. “Don’t worry. Nothing bad. Riley says you’re a quick learner and coming from him that’s high praise.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Something happen?” Riley asked his dad.

“No. I had to work through my breaks, so my supervisor let me leave a little early.” He glanced at the clock. “Shouldn’t you be reporting for duty? Or are you training Ella here?” He smiled broadly with a gleam in his eyes.

Riley stood. “No. We need to go. Just need to get…something.” He strode into the bedroom.

Jacob stepped closer to me and whispered, “You’re as beautiful as Riley claims. I hope you’ll visit us again.” He winked.

I smiled and wondered what the real Ella looked like. Riley returned.

His father spotted the ladder along the wall. “What’s this?”

“Oh. Maintenance was testing air flow again. They must have forgotten it. I’ll return it on my way to work.” He grabbed the ladder and turned toward the door.

“Wait,” his father said, staring at the ceiling. “They forgot to cover the vent, too. Hand me the ladder.”

“I’ll do it, Dad.” Riley set the stepladder on the table.

“No. You’re going to be late.” He shooed us out.

Riley shrugged and opened the door. I hoped Logan had the sense to scoot away from the vent and to keep quiet. Jacob reached for the air shaft as Riley escorted me into the hallway. The door clicked shut.

“Let’s hope Logan doesn’t give himself away.” He strode down the corridor. “Does he know where to go?”

I hurried to follow. “No. I’ll have to go back and get him. Isn’t this dangerous?” I swept my arm out, indicating the hallway.

“Not really. Just act like you belong here. Walk with confidence. No one knows who you are. Since you’re wearing a student jumper, they’ll assume you’re from another sector.”

“Don’t you know everyone up here?” My vision of the upper levels as one big happy family was being shredded strip by strip.

He laughed. “No. Do you know all the scrubs?”

“There are ten times as many of us.”

“Well, up here everyone keeps to themselves. I have a few aunts and uncles, some cousins, a friend or two and I know my fellow workers of course, but that’s about it.”

“What about the real Ella? What if she sees me?”

A few uppers walked toward us, and I braced for their cry of alarm. They nodded at us and continued past. Riley was right. I relaxed a bit and looked around. There wasn’t much to see. Doors and plain white metal walls, the same as in the lower levels. The only difference was the thin strip of gray carpet on the floor.

When the uppers moved out of hearing range, Riley said, “You are Ella.”

“I am?”