Lucy had shared everything with Emma, and the two had been messaging nonstop. Though Eric and Delia hadn’t been able to open Ryan’s secret table, they were able to animate a slide to show how it could be used to override the main code and change Pulse rankings. And Maddie had memorized the coding portion of the presentation. The portion that should have been Delia’s to deliver, but she was too uncomfortable with the idea of being onstage. Not that any of them were comfortable with this—not even Lucy. At least Maddie would have Sadie with her.

Sadie didn’t jump, she catapulted at the chance to come to ValleyStart for the afternoon. Maddie had cleared it with her counselors, who’d cleared it with Sadie’s mom. That morning, Lucy would meet Sadie at her day camp, and the two of them would then hook up with Delia and Maddie to run through the presentation one last time.

When Maddie, Delia, and Delia’s parents reached the glass door of the student center, they were stopped by Tim Corrio, the Head of House.

“You three.” He jutted his chin. “Oh, you two. Where’s the little cutie?”

Claire’s eyes widened.

“Guess you two will do,” he said. “The Rye-man needs to see you before the gig starts.”

Though empty, Maddie’s stomach roiled. “Why?” she asked as defiantly as she could.

Tim shrugged. “Just the messenger, man.”

“Surely this can wait until we’ve gotten some grub,” Delia’s dad said.

“No can do, Pops. Just like nature, when Ryan Thompson calls, you answer.”

Delia’s mom looked ready to scold Tim, and Delia said, “It’s fine. Mom, Dad, try the zucchini-flour pancakes and head to the auditorium without us. We’ll catch you after the presentation, okay?”

“If you’re sure . . .” Claire said skeptically. Her face then shifted into a proud smile. “Well, then—”

“Break a keyboard!” Jeffrey said.

Tim snorted, and Maddie clenched her jaw, holding herself back from saying something that would only make things worse.

Delia’s parents hugged her goodbye before embracing Maddie too. Maddie could still feel the strength of Claire Meyer as she and Delia trailed behind Tim.

“It’s nothing,” Maddie said to reassure Delia, whose bottom lip quivered. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Beside her, Delia nodded.

They both knew Maddie was lying.

And the moment they crossed into the office in the computer science building that Ryan used while on campus, they knew it wasn’t just something, it was something big.

Because even Ryan Thompson had never looked this smug. It hung thick in the air, so dense Maddie could hardly breathe.

“Girls, girls, come in. But we are missing a girl, aren’t we?”

Maddie mustered a half shrug, half nod.

Ryan pursed his lips. “Ah, well, you two have the starring roles anyway.”

Delia shot Maddie a panicked look.