RIVER at 9:09: What was their explanation about the doors?

KAI at 9:10: You okay dude?

TOBIAS at 12:49: The team just met for lunch. No one’s seen you, the teachers won’t tell us where you are, please text us when you can?!

TOBIAS at 1:13: We’ve been to Dr. Grant and she said you’ve had to transfer schools? Let us know when you can. Missing you. Hope you’re okay.

TOBIAS at 1:15: We’ll get you back to Profectus, don’t worry.

Tobias’s final message brings the ghost of a smile to my face. I tell Slick to send back a message to my friends letting them know I’ve been forced to spend the last few days of term at St. Agnes, but that I have a plan to get back as soon as possible.

Ashley is the first to reply: Anything we can do to help?

I tell Slick to get Jupiter to give Ashley a big nuzzle as a thanks. Then I get a message through from Tobias.

TOBIAS: Hey—it was supposed to be a celebration of you coming back, but we’re all meeting at Top’s at 7. Please come… I’d really like to see you. We all would.

My heart leaps at the text. Zora notices and quirks her eyebrow at me. “Is that Cute Guy?”

“You know his name is Tobias,” I say, nudging her shoulder.

“Yeah but I prefer to call him Cute Guy.” She winks. “What’s happening with you two?”

I shrug. “I dunno. He’s my friend…”

“A friend who visited you every day in the hospital for a month. Sounds like more than a friend to me.”

A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “It’s all so confusing. We kissed…”

Zora shrieks. “Wait, what? When did that happen? Why didn’t you tell me? You have to tell me everything now.”

“No, wait!” I say, putting my hands up to halt her stream of excitement. “So much has happened since then.”

“Yes, but now things are getting back to normal, right? So you can go back to…” She makes a smoochy face, and I grimace.

“I repeat: I don’t know. Maybe. I hope so.” A blush rises in my cheeks.

“Then you have to go to Top’s. You can’t let Cute Guy slip away!”

“But the baku…”

“Slick can wait one more night. And you gotta keep me updated every step of the way, promise?”

“I promise,” I say as the bus drops us off in front of our building and we walk inside. “I’ll send you a message after I’ve spoken to Mom, okay?”

She nods. “I’ll be waiting.” When the elevator arrives at her floor, she sticks her hand out to stop the doors from shutting. “I know you belong at Profectus, but I was happy to see you today. I’ve missed you so much.”