“Nothing, really. Said it has to move to learn. Trying to learn to belong. It didn’t make a ton of sense to me.”

“What exactly did it say about me?” he tried.

“Just not to give it to you, not to trust you.”

“It said that?” His voice was shaky and not entirely in his control. “In those exact words? Not to trust me?”

“Yes.” She nodded.

“Where is it?” Eli demanded. For no good reason, it felt like they were a couple breaking up. It wasn’t her, it was him.

“I’ll get it out when Eden gets here.” She took a few steps away from him, squared her folded arms and jaw. Like she thought he was going to try to steal it?

It wasn’t the worst idea.

Eli waved at Eden when she came out the school doors.

“I thought you were gonna take it,” she said. “What’s going on?”

“It told me not to give it to him.” Ilanka unzipped her backpack. She took Aizel out and handed her to Eden. “It said not to trust him.”

Aizel lit up with messages in Eden’s hands and Eli craned his neck to read.

EDEN: NOW–12 P.M. TOMORROW

MARWAN: THE NEXT 24 HOURS

ILANKA: THE NEXT 24 HOURS

REPEAT.

“Wait.” Eli felt sweat start to trickle; it would be a relief to only have to have it change hands every twenty-four hours … but having to do it at noon could prove tricky … and “What about me?”

Ilanka shrugged.

“What’s going on?” Eli asked it. “How can I get back in the rotation?”

Aizel did nothing.

Ilanka was scrolling through her phone. “We’re having company on Sunday. Brunch. It might have to be delivered to me because I’m not sure yet if I can get away.”

“Where do you live?” Eden asked.

“Hunters Point.”

“Wait,” Eli said. “You’ll do it?”

“Yeah, sure,” Ilanka said. “But, I mean, you’re going to figure out how to get rid of it or end it. Soon? Right? Like by Monday?”

“Yeah, we’ll figure it out over the weekend,” Eden said. “Maybe even before we need you. But if we do, Marwan’s got a bike, so hopefully he can run it down to you. Either way we’ll make it work.”

“Why does she get a shift and I don’t?” Eli asked Eden. Or was he asking Aizel? He wasn’t even sure. No one answered anyway. Had he actually asked out loud or not?

Eden said to Ilanka, “Give me your number and address.”

Eli caught Eden’s eye when she was done. “This makes no sense.”

“I’ll see if I can figure out what’s going on.” Eden walked off, and he did the same, then stopped and sat on a random stoop on a quiet block. Because it was too early to go see his grandfather.