A few hours later, I’m heading toward the dining hall with Pru, Maude, and the others, but not Ollie. And Levi’s not with us, either. I don’t know where he is, but I’m equal parts relieved and disappointed that he’s not here. Theodora’s filling us in on her awkward holiday with the Leroys, including their fancy Christmas meal at Gramercy Tavern. I’m only half listening.

But when I reach the entrance, something grabs my attention. Hanging from the double doors of the dining hall is a blown-up photo of me. Scrawled across my torso, in a messy blood-red script, is one giant word: CLONE.

Retaliation

We all know who did it. It was Harlowe and her crew. I study the picture for two seconds before stoically moving right past it and snagging a table with my friends. There are the usual snickers and comments all around us—Darkwood students can’t resist an opportunity for gossip—but we stay in our tight-knit group, only leaving the security of our table to grab trays of food.

“I’m calling a midnight session,” Maude says, interrupting our silent chewing. She stands up, abruptly, rapping a knife on her glass. “Attention, everyone. I have a short announcement. Members of the Nine—I mean, Ten. Our tenth member has returned, I almost forgot—please convene in the Tower Room tonight for the first midnight session of the New Year.” She sits back down and digs into her tacos.

I hear a commotion by the double doors. Someone has ripped down the poster of me. I squint and see that person crumpling it up and walking toward the recycling bin with it.

It’s Levi. I hear whispers about how he’s my boyfriend. That of course he had to defend Emma’s honor. They’re a couple.

I bristle at the words, and heat rises through my chest, moving to my outer extremities. When he walks over to our table with a tray, joining us, I’m angry. I don’t need him to be my champion. I was diplomatically ignoring that sign and showing this whole damn school I’m above all this.

Levi’s chosen a spot at the table directly across from me.

“I couldn’t stand it,” he explains. “I was worried if I didn’t take it out on the sign…” He shrugs. “I would do something a lot worse.”

We don’t talk after that. I pick at my dinner, wondering where Ollie is, suddenly nauseous about how we left things earlier today. Is it my imagination, or was Ollie being particularly quiet? Avoiding serious topics, trying to get the whole movie marathon over with? And then leaving so abruptly like he did? Am I completely overreacting? Or is there some chance he’s so hurt by what I did, by how I reacted to that kiss, he can’t even stand to be around me?