“Katrina? Is everything all right?”

The lock! Of all the stupid things to forget! Katrina looked up, horrified.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Astrid said, and closed the door.

“Who was that?” said a turtle.

“Was that your MOM?” said another turtle.

“Um, I have to go,” Katrina typed.

“Someone’s in trouble!” said another turtle.

“HOT!” said yet another turtle.

Quickly, Katrina shut the computer. She felt herself begin to throw up, but she shoved it back down.

Don’t worry. This was never real. Don’t worry. This was never real.

She sniffled, grabbed her bag, and quickly gathered her stuff. Clothes, music—Come on, girl, faster! Any moment there would be pounding on her door, and then screaming and then the throwing of things.

“Katrina.”

“I’m packing! I’m leaving! I’m sorry!” Katrina pleaded.

“Katrina. Don’t be silly. No one is going anywhere.”

Katrina stopped. The voice from behind the door was Miss Satomi’s. But there was no pounding. And the voice was soft.

Shizuka opened the door, looked at her, closed her eyes, and nodded.

“Wash up and come downstairs. Let’s have tea.”

Katrina listened to footsteps descend the stairs. When she was sure no one was outside, she walked over to the bathroom and washed herself off. She removed her makeup, then put on the long blue skirt that Astrid had said was adorable.

There was no excuse for what she’d done. She would be humble. She would apologize for being …

Being what?

A crazy, strange thought came into her head.

“Don’t I have a right to be who I am?”

She could feel her heart pounding as she reached for her makeup. She reapplied concealer, a light powder, and blush, then redid her eyes and lips. Then she held her head high and proudly left her room.

Her poise lasted less than five seconds.

Miss Satomi was intently viewing her laptop. Katrina could hear her own voice over the speaker …

“So. You post these, and people watch them and tell you that you are wonderful?”

Katrina felt faint. This was weird and messed up and embarrassing.

“I’m sorry!”

“Sorry?” Miss Satomi asked innocently. “This is quite lovely. Tell me about it.”

She turned the screen around. Katrina was playing her violin.

“It … it’s the title track from The NetherTale,” Katrina was finally able to say.

From her expression, Katrina knew that Miss Satomi had no idea what she was talking about.

“The NetherTale,” she explained. “It’s an adventure game. It happens in a fantasy world.”

“Like Disneyland?”

“Um … not exactly. The premise is that you have been condemned to Hell. Your goal is to win your soul back and find a way to freedom.”

“What?”

Shizuka’s eyes flashed fire as she shot to her feet. That was far too close—exactly the way Tremon might play with her.

“M-Miss Satomi?”