Maddie’s throat went dry at Sadie’s immediate concern, and she forced out a “Yeah, it’s fine. I mean, it will be. You, uh, look nice, by the way. Certainly befitting a Pulse 10.”

“Awesome,” Sadie said with a hefty amount of snort that surprised Maddie.

“Maybe I’m the one who should be asking you if everything’s okay?”

Sadie hesitated, staring at Maddie, before waving for her to get closer. Maddie did, leaning down to lessen the height gap.

“See that kid over there?” Maddie turned, and Sadie cried, “Don’t look!” Sadie shielded her eyes. “But you see him?” Maddie nodded. “Okay, well, his mom’s a 10. I got him to introduce me to her and I was asking her about Pulse-a-palooza and she laughed at me. Like this: ‘HA!’ It’s not like I was asking to go, I just wanted to learn more about it and she—”

“Was ridiculously rude. I’m sorry, Sadie.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure I care about Pulse-a-palooza that much anymore anyway. It was cooler when I sorta knew someone who was going to be there.”

“Emma would have been great,” Maddie agreed.

“Her feeds were always fun, way different than a lot of the other 10s. I’ve been following so many, and they just started to feel the same after a while. Like . . . I don’t know, like my tap-dancing porcupine. It works and looks pretty and all, but it’s almost too perfect.”

“Like it was designed that way,” Maddie said without really thinking. But then, she started to. To think. About Ryan. And Lucy and Emma and the 10s.

“I’m all for pretty.” Sadie flashed a sly grin. “But too pretty . . .” She brushed her bangs back and pointed to a couple of indents on her skin. “Chicken pox. Gives me character though, you know?”

“And makes you real,” Maddie said slowly.

“Unlike the 10s,” Sadie said.

“Unlike the 10s,” Maddie repeated, and with each word a light bulb flickered in her brain. “Sadie, you’re brilliant.”

“I know.”

Maddie reached into her bag for her phone, but it started buzzing with a text from Lucy before she even unlocked it.

Where are you? We need to talk about Ryan and Gavin.

Maddie typed: And Pulse.

This was important; Maddie knew it in her gut. Same as she knew Sadie was important. So she slipped her phone into her pocket. “Kicked ass, huh? Will you show me your presentation?”

“Can’t get enough of that spiny thing, can you?”

“Nope. Pretty awesome. The only reason I keep coming around.”

“Ha!” Sadie cried, mimicking the 10.

Maddie grinned and wrestled her bag off her shoulder. “Here. A little congratulations.”

“Uh, you really need some lessons in gift giving, Maddie. That thing’s nasty.”

“Just take it. And look inside.”

Sadie did. “You . . . but how . . . Maddie, it’s . . .”