A beautiful K-pop apparition has appeared on the other side of the glass door, already dressed for the day in a navy camp polo over pressed khakis. She looks at me with wide eyes. “What are you doing here?”

I squeal. “Cosette!” I point to the door handle. “What are the chances! Let us in, please. We need your help!”

Cosette looks behind her, as if checking that the coast is clear. Then she cautiously opens the door but doesn’t invite us in. She narrows her eyes, and all I see are her ridiculously long eyelashes. “You’re not allowed in here,” she says, giving a quirk of the eyebrow when she sees Boris. “Everyone’s going to be awake soon.”

“Please!” I say. “We won’t tell anyone we saw you. We just need to get inside.”

“But why? Just come back after noon, when it opens to the public.” She gives Emmett a look as if to say And who the heck are you? before glancing back at me. Her forehead suddenly creases as if she’s just remembered something. “Besides, my parents will kill me if they find out I talked to you.”

Wow, news travels fast around here. I don’t think I saw Cosette at Hattie’s ceremony, but it’s obvious she knows I’m one of the cursed clan.

She goes to shut the door, but I wedge my foot into the gap before she can close it completely. I open my mouth to quickly change the subject….

But Emmett talks first. “Hey, where did you get that?” He points to the shiny silver badge on Cosette’s shirt that reads SPACE PIR8S RULE THE GALAXY. “How do you know about the Space Pirates?”

Her frown transforms into a proud grin. “Because it’s my squad. We’ve conquered fifty planets in the galaxy, and we might even get external sponsorship this year. We’re that good. Why? Do you play Battle Galactic, too?”

Emmett’s jaw drops open. “No. Way. No freaking way!”

Cosette scowls. “Hey, don’t knock it before you try it. It’s an amazing game.”

His eyebrows twitch in concentration. “Cosette…Cosette…” he mumbles under his breath. Then he freezes. “Cosette as in CasetteTape99?!”

She puts her hands on her hips. “Wait, how do you know my username? Are you some kind of spy for the Darth Invaders? Because we will destroy you.”

“It’s me!” Emmett exclaims, waving his hands in excitement. “I’m BakersDelight. My real name is Emmett.”

This time it’s Cosette’s jaw that drops. “No. Freaking. Way. Are you serious right now?! I can’t believe we’re finally meeting in real life! And like this!”

They high-ten and grin at each other like clowns.

“Uh, care to explain?” I ask Emmett.

He slaps me on the shoulder. “She’s the captain of our spaceship, Rye! We’re on the same squad!”