Everybody looked at him. “Once,” said Danny. “You can try it once, to show that you know how to use it. But if you do it any other time, somebody might see you and then they’d know. It only works as an emergency escape if nobody knows, and that means you never use it. If you want to go to DC I’ll send you there.”

Wheeler laughed nervously. “This is really, like, serious and all.”

“I thought you already understood that,” said Danny. “If you stay friends with me, if you help me, you’re going to be in real danger. And you’ll need a real escape route. But if you want to beg off, then do it now. Let’s not go any farther. I can leave this school any time. Without me here, you’re safe. You haven’t been seen doing anything yet.”

“No,” said Xena.

“We’ll be good,” said Hal.

Only Wheeler said nothing.

They all waited.

“I feel like I’ve already totally screwed up and you won’t ever trust me no matter what I say,” said Wheeler miserably.

“I’ll trust you until you do something that shows me I shouldn’t,” said Danny.

“But I’m an idiot,” said Wheeler.

“I told you he knew it,” said Sin to Pat.

“I mean, I forget stuff. I blab stuff without thinking.”

“Well, don’t,” said Danny. “That’s all.”

Wheeler nodded miserably. Then he suddenly disappeared and there he was over by the tree. He put his finger up where the next gate was going to be.

“Wheeler,” said Danny. “You can’t get away from me that way. Every gate I make is a part of me. I know where they go, and I know when people go through them. I also haven’t put a gate in that tree yet.”

“I just wanted to see if you had taken away my gate,” said Wheeler.

“If I ever do,” said Danny, “I’ll tell you. Or I’ll take away the condom.” At the thought, he made a small gate that swallowed the condom even though it was in Wheeler’s hand. He made it plop onto the ground in the middle of the group.

“Wow,” said Wheeler. “You can take it right out of my hand?”

“No, I did that,” said Xena.

“Really?” asked Wheeler.

“He really is an idiot,” said Pat.

“Wheeler, I trust you,” said Danny. “Now trust me, too.” But in his heart, Danny knew that he would never really trust Wheeler. Would never send him out to deliver a message or run an errand more serious than buying sodas or picking up pizzas. Because his first instinct had been to use his gate carelessly. To test Danny. He doesn’t know how to keep a promise.

They’re all young. Maybe none of them do.

But he was in high school. These were the friends he had.