Ilanka took a photo of it out of habit, then the light retracted quickly like a vacuum cord, seeming to suck some of the light from the room.

She put the device back in her bag and lay down again for a few minutes. A male student had come into the nurse’s office, and the nurse was having a quiet, soothing conversation with him. The large clock on the wall ticked.

She didn’t want to miss that much more of class.

She got up and opened the door—“I’m feeling better now, thanks”—and walked out.

Eli

ELI

“But you have to give her to me,” Eli said. All around them, people were streaming from the building.

“It said not to.” Ilanka shrugged and bit her lip, then got out her phone and scrolled.

She seemed pleased with this turn of events. Something in the tilt of her chin, a new kind of glimmer in her eye. Eli felt sure that her primary Sims characteristic was luck—or maybe superiority if that was a choice but it wasn’t. If Ilanka lived in Willow Creek, she’d probably have the biggest house and the coolest job—like top chef at the best restaurant in town. If she ever encountered someone like Eliot in Sims world, she probably wouldn’t even engage. He wasn’t worth the points.

“Oh, so now you’re all into being a part of this?” he said. “Yesterday you just walked out.”

“Would you rather I not do what it says?” She didn’t even look up.

Eli’s frustration sank into him. Why would Aizel turn on him? What had he done? Of the four of them, wasn’t he her most loyal ally? Why hadn’t she returned any of his texts?

“Can you just text one of the others so they can come get it?” Ilanka said with an impatient huff.

“Yes,” Eli said. It was better than letting her keep her.

He texted Eden and Marwan—Change of plans. One of you needs to take Aizel—and waited.

Marwan’s response came first: I had to tear out of there. If you bring it to the restaurant I can take it.

If he saw Marwan he’d have to tell him about the egg yolk on Christos’s shoes, and he didn’t want to be involved.

Eden wrote, I can take it. Be right there.

“Eden’s coming,” Eli said to Ilanka, and they stood in awkward silence. “And I’m sending you her number and Marwan’s.”

Now that most of the students had scattered, a small group of pigeons were inspecting the sidewalk for snacks.

Ilanka said, “You didn’t mention that it was projecting things on walls and stuff.”

Two pigeons fought over—or maybe just shared—a pizza crust.

“Didn’t know it could,” he said. He’d have to update his list of Aizel’s tricks. “What else did it do?”