But I know neediness when I see it. Kelsey is covering up for feeling abandoned. She’s obviously hardened in the time since, because I can’t imagine the Kelsey I met clinging to anybody. Later there is a mention of Kelsey getting high and Gabrielle not approving. Drugs I can imagine. There’s a note from G: I’m worried about you.

The boyfriend is my first tangible lead back to Kelsey: Harvard University, crew team, Leo Berkowitz. If I can find Leo, maybe I can find Gabrielle. I have a fantasy that Kelsey is already with her. If not, surely her sister will want to help me get Kelsey out.

I want to jump off the couch right now and run to Harvard to find Leo. But I should at least wait until I hear from Rachel about my dad, which is where Rachel’s energy should really be focused.

Having reached the end of the book, I flip to the inside of the back cover, where my eyes land on another exchange enclosed by a dark, black box.

Snuck into the test!!! It was way too easy. That researcher guy may be super good at science, but he sucks ass at security. The creepy Dr. Caton guy totally bought my lost Univ. ID story!! K

My heart is pounding as my eyes search the rest of the page. Until finally I find it: AN OUTLIER. And then it says: WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?

I’m still staring at the words, which are written in big block semi-hysterical letters, unlike the others, when the book slips from my hands and smacks against the floor.

Jasper, startles awake, bolting upright. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry, I dropped something,” I say. “It’s okay.”

He sinks back against the couch and rubs at his eyes with the heels of his palms. “What’s that?”

“It’s that copy of 1984. It belongs to the girl we went back to look for. I think she was one of the other three original Outliers.”

“Oh?” Jasper narrows his eyes at me. He is confused and so am I. “And this is a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I’m not sure.” That’s the honest truth. “I guess it depends.”

“On what?”

I think then of how wary my dad was about me meeting the other two original Outliers. I had assumed he’d been worried about us drawing attention to ourselves. And the truth was, I hadn’t really had any interest in meeting them. But it could have been something else. Being an Outlier definitely doesn’t mean that someone is automatically worth trusting. I’ve met Kelsey and she wasn’t exactly sunshine and light.

“It depends on whether or not she’s a good person.”

My burner phone rings then with what I can only hope is Rachel’s number. “Hello?”