“What did you do?”

“Me?” Stella scoffed. “I’m not the one she’s running from. Never meet your heroes and all that.” Linking arms with Nicole, she tugged her forward. “Besides, I have a plan. Follow my lead.”

“Uh-oh?”

“Oh no, this is going to be good.”

“Is it about the game?”

“It’s not not about that.” She grinned. “Everything’s connected here.”

When they reached Jewel, after exchanging pleasantries, Stella asked, “I have a question. Harlow and I were talking, and she was explaining how everyone has a category on Golden Rule. Like you’re the Warden”—she gestured to Ethan—“and you’re the Siren”—then to Olive—“Jewel’s the Queen, obviously. What is that? What does it mean?”

“Oh my God,” Olive said, excitement kicking into gear. “It’s so funny that you asked that because I’ve been trying to figure out your call sign.”

“I have one?”

“Everyone does,” Nicole said. “The community gives it to you. It’s like a rite of passage. Sometimes, it’s individualized like theirs, but usually it’s just a way to associate you with an already-established video style or way someone participates in the app.”

Harlow hadn’t told her anything. No one seemed to suspect the lie for what it was.

And that explanation made sense. Warden meant security team. Siren was obvious. Olive was the virtual Golden Rule guide, welcoming users to the app, drawing them in with her cute red glasses and perfect voice.

Olive continued, “You only have the one video, so I’ve had a hard time placing you.”

One video? Surely, Stella had created enough content to earn a category-call-sign thingy with her livestreams. Unless … did Olive not know about the livestreams?

“I gave you one, Stella,” Jewel said, “but I want to know what Olive thinks before I share.”

Olive said, “Nicole practically revolutionized the way people tell their stories on Golden Rule now because of SkitShow; Luna was one of, if not the first to make silent films; and Harlow is one of the best quicksilvers on the app. And then there’s you. What do you think your specialty is, Stella? Like, if you could pick any word or phrase for yourself, what would it be?”

Stella regarded Olive for the briefest of moments, no longer than a pause on the surface, as she attempted to quickly parse through the situation at hand, because something was definitely happening. Jewel seemed a bit too smug, standing next to the earnest Olive, riddled with holier-than-thou vibes.

Never one to back down from a challenge, even if she couldn’t precisely identify the flavor of it, she said, “I’d like to think of myself as a verbal assassin.”

“I can see that working. I’d have to see a few more videos before I’d agree, though,” Olive said, smiling a million-dollar grin that nearly knocked Stella backward.