So he put on a face, one of confusion and discomfort. “I’m sorry,” he said in his best apology voice, and he put an arm around Sal. “Sal here isn’t feeling well, and I didn’t have time to get them a pass. They just . . . well, they just left a horrible mess in the bathroom back that way.”

Héctor vaguely gestured behind him. Was there even a bathroom that way? He sure hoped so!

“A mess?” The woman sighed and looked at Sal, who didn’t have to perform being sick at all. Héctor could tell that Sal was probably going to throw up if this didn’t work. “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. Get them to the nurse’s office, okay?”

She started to leave, but Héctor called out to her. “Sorry, I got turned around. Which way am I going?”

The woman pointed behind Héctor, in the opposite direction from where they’d been headed. “Around the next corner.” Then, more to herself: “I don’t get paid enough for this.”

Once she was gone, Sal busted up. “Héctor! How did you do that?”

He bowed once for them. “Well, some thanks must go to you for your convincing performance!”

“I was so nervous,” they said. “Trust me, it was real easy.”

Héctor led the way as the two of them rushed down the hallway. Moments later, it was clear they were in the right part of the campus. They passed the nurse’s office, then a set of counselors’ rooms, and then . . .

Juliana, sitting on a bench outside of one of the offices. She heard the pounding of their shoes on the tile and looked up.

“What are you doing here?” she said, probably a bit too loudly, and bolted off the bench. Her gaze jumped from Héctor to Sal. “How did you even get here?”

“Juliana,” Sal said, “I just wanted to—”

She raised a hand. “Later. This isn’t the time. How are you here?”

Héctor wanted to tell her, but he didn’t get the chance. The door next to them opened, and a short white man with a shiny bald head stepped out. “Juliana Chin?” he said, then cast his gaze on the three of them. “Have you been socializing with your friends while waiting? Do either of you have a hall pass?”

Héctor sputtered for a moment. He hadn’t anticipated this.

The man’s phone rang loudly behind him, and he held up a finger. “Don’t go anywhere,” he said, and disappeared back into his office.

Juliana wasted no time. “You have to leave,” she said, her arms crossed, a scowl on her face. “Y’all can’t be here!”

“We don’t really have a choice,” said Héctor. “Trust me.”

“What does that mean?”

Sal gulped. “The Room won’t let us go home.”