Marwan had music after lunch. He usually looked forward to it, but if Mr. M was back he’d have questions. Had Eli named them all by name when he’d said who was there? Marwan walked to class with Kartik and said, “Hey, you didn’t stop by the restaurant last night, did you?”

“Why would I do that?” Kartik adjusted his glasses, curious.

“Didn’t think so.”

“Marwan!” Mr. M said excitedly as soon as they walked in. “Come here. Tell me, what was that all about? You got that message from me that wasn’t from me?”

Freaking Eli.

“Yeah,” Marwan said as Kartik drifted away to a seat. “Weird, right?” Acting all casual.

“I don’t even know why the room was unlocked,” Mr. M said, moving their conversation to a corner by the window. “Did anything seem strange or off?”

“No,” Marwan said. “We just waited for you, then Eli messaged you, and we were about to leave and the fire alarm went off, so we had to leave anyway.”

“You left a window open,” Mr. M said.

“Nobody opened it that I remember, so it must have been open already?” (As if that mattered?)

“It’s just not great for the instruments,” Mr. M said. “Anyway, I told Principal Lambert that someone hacked the app.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Marwan said, then shrugged like it was no big deal.

“It seems not very well planned, though.” Mr. M was entirely too intrigued. “Like, why make you come here at all? What was the point?”

“I honestly have no idea,” Marwan said, noting that he was apparently okay lying to Mr. M. What did that say about him?

“You sure there’s not something more I should know? Something to do with the four of you specifically? Some ‘common enemy’ for lack of a better way to put it?” He half laughed.

“Not that I can think of,” Marwan said. And he’d been trying very hard. “I don’t even really know any of them.”

Mr. M didn’t look convinced.

Marwan shrugged and said, “Glad you’re feeling better.”

Mr. M said, “Thanks!” like he meant it, then looked at his phone. “Anyway, Principal Lambert’s at an off-site meeting today, but he’ll probably want to see you all tomorrow.”

A train went by with its brakes screaming like tortured ghouls.

Eden

EDEN

Eli was under the bridge—an arch of metal spokes between two castle-like stone towers—sitting by a tree that was all knotted up on itself like it was mad that it wasn’t taller. The hill here was otherwise treeless, just a big expanse of grass that sloped down to the park road and East River. When he saw them he stood and waved his hands over his head. Marwan waved back. “There he is,” he said.

Eden said, “I see.”