Out in the crowd she saw her mom and dad. Her mom was blowing her nose and wiping away tears with the same tissue (ew), and her dad was applauding as if he’d just heard music for the first time. And Nessa couldn’t help it, she beamed at them and waved. So unprofessional, but she had to.

She waved with the phone in her hand.

Brody looked at her hand, and then at her face. And something in his eyes stopped her thumb from hitting send. When he sang with her, even though his voice was brittle, those eyes filled up with feeling. When he saw the phone, and looked out at the audience without his dad in it, it was like his eyes went blank.

She glanced at Lara, who had an excited grin on her face, and at Erin, who couldn’t have looked more ready to put their plan into action, and at Sophie, who was mouthing something at her from the wings, waving her hands in the air, and at Principal Yu, who was heading toward the stage with flowers for Mr. Rhodes.

And as she was about to put the phone in her pocket to spare Brody, she heard him speak.

“Hey! Hey!” he hollered, quieting the audience down except for some people wondering aloud what was going on. “Hey, everyone. I have an announcement to make. It was me. I wrote the list. And I lied and said Eve did it. And I spray painted her locker, too. I’m really sorry.”

Audible shock filled the auditorium. And then boos. And someone screamed, “I HATE YOU, BRODY DIXON!”

And chaos began.

The entire ensemble dissolved into chatter, Principal Yu ran to the front of the stage to try to take control, and Brody stood there, staring out at everyone, at no one who really mattered, Nessa guessed. The person who mattered would get a call in a few minutes, she was sure about that.

Nessa caught Sophie’s eye finally, and Sophie mouthed something.

Nessa mouthed back, “What do I do? Do I bow again?” She acted out another little curtsy.

Sophie gestured for her to get off the stage. Lara and Erin, too.

“Coming through!” Erin yelled, and they all made their way into the wings.

Kids ran by them and pulled out their phones to enthusiastically text. A few took videos of Brody walking offstage with Principal Yu and Mr. Rhodes.

Sophie held on to Nessa by the arm, and all of the Shieldmaiden girls leaned in.

“He didn’t write the list,” Sophie told them. “I’m sure of it.”

They watched him walk away. He seemed undisturbed. At peace.

“Why’d he say it, then?” Lara asked.

“It’s what people expected of him, anyway,” Sophie said with a sigh, as if surrendering.

“I thought this would feel good.” Nessa put her head on Sophie’s shoulder. “But I’m just tired.”

48

EVE

The world had flipped upside down. She couldn’t think straight. She couldn’t piece together who was guilty of what and why.