“Homework,” I say. “Been swamped.” I’m not going to be able to brush him off. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be having any deep conversations. I couldn’t. Pretending like that—it would break me. When we make it to our regular table, the Similars are already there. Maude raises an eyebrow when she sees Duplicate Ollie plop down next to me, and I shrug.

“Ollie,” I say, hating every second of this but knowing it’s necessary. “Has your mom buzzed you at all? Told you why she left Darkwood?”

Theodora shoots me a look, but I ignore her. As far as Jane knows, Ollie is himself. I’m sure that’s Ollie’s actual plum he has on his wrist. His clothes, his books. It’s sickening to think about how Gravelle’s men must have made the switch, installing this clone into Ollie’s real life, so I don’t let myself. All I know is that if Jane contacted Ollie, then this Ollie would be the recipient of that buzz.

“I got a quick note yesterday. She said it was something to do with the family business,” Ollie says between bites of oatmeal. “My mom had to deal with it in person.”

A shiver goes up and down my spine. I’m more sure than ever, now, that Gravelle had something to do with this. He’s a majority shareholder in Ward, Inc. and has been ever since he manipulated Levi into taking that stock. Maybe Gravelle doesn’t want us to tell Jane what we know and, realizing somehow that we’d found out about Ollie, he lured her away.

Maybe I’m just losing my grip on reality. I set my spoon down, unable to eat another bite.

Instead, I pull up the email from Oxford on my tablet to show my friends. I need the distraction right now, unwelcome as their letter is. Maude pulls up one of her own, explaining she was also wait-listed until further notice. So was Theodora. Duplicate Ollie grabs my tablet from my hand and scans it, confused and ticked off. I tell him what Harlowe’s done.

“You have to call them and explain,” he responds. “Tell them I was already planning on spending the summer with you there! This is unacceptable. What about my bangers and mash?”