Page 153

The book that I read?The Count of Monte Cristo.

I had found some semblance of zen by the time Allie got home from school. Lacey would’ve gotten my message and she had Darius to back her up. It was in their hands now. And Mason would get back a failing grade on his test today, which’d only serve to remind him of what’d happen if he didn’t play along.

I heard Allie creep in, drop off her bag, and go back outside—I could hear her playing tag through my open and currently screen-less window. A storm was blowing in, moving enough air to mimic a ceiling fan, riffling through the homework scattered in piles across my floor.

Dinner was a subdued affair, both my mother and I performing our conventional roles, like the playbook hadn’t been torn to pieces by both of us and burned recently. Then I went and sat down on the couch and played with Allie’s hair while we watched the evening news on TV. I wondered if after tonight what we’d done would show up on TV—if they’d send out Rebecca Molange.

After news and another hour of random TV, my mother stood to go get ready, and when she was, she returned to the living room. “I can’t have you leave again, Jessie.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

“Your promises don’t mean much right now.”

“You can handcuff Allie and me together?” I said lightly. My mother didn’t smile.

“You forget that not only are you hurting me, but you’re hurting Allie, too. She needs to be able to count on you. And if you set a bad example for her—you may be smart enough to stay out of trouble, but she’s young.”

My sister and I had markedly different priorities. As much as we’d talked about Stranger Danger, if someone in a van offered her candyanda pink dress— “I know, I know.”

“Hey,” Allie protested, belatedly realizing she was being disparaged.

“I’ll stay right here. On the couch. I’ll—I can send you hourly texts of me on the couch. Like we did for prom.”

“And that turned out so well.”

“Hey, I was home on time.”

My mother sighed like she was left with no good options. “Okay,” she said, and fished her own phone out of her purse, handing it to me.

“What?”

“I don’t think you have all your friend’s numbers memorized—but you do know mine.”

Aphone was better than no phone. “Fine,” I agreed.

Allie and I said good-bye and waved as she went out the door. Then, like always, Allie swiped the remote for the TV.

“Allie, come on.”

“Just one show!” she said, because it always worked.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, and got up. My book was in my bedroom. Currently, Edmond Dantes had nothing on me. I flipped the light switch on and there was Lacey.

“What the hell!” I said, louder than I meant because I’d almost had a heart attack.

“We saw your mom take off and came to rescue you!” she whispered then looked around. “It’s a lot easier sneaking in now that Razor’s gone.”

“You’re gonna get me busted!” I hissed.

“It’s going down tonight, Jessie—at Darius’s uncle’s place. Mason’s meeting us there and so are the girls from ZB—but we have to be there by eight or none of this is gonna happen.”

“I can’t leave Allie alone again, Lacey—at least not before she goes to sleep,” I said, crowding her back.

She grabbed at me. “You have to come with us. You’re the reason this is working—everyone saw your message on ZB, Jessie—and your bag. These girls trust you. They know you’re real, and you mean it. You have to be there.”

The front door slammed, and when I heard footsteps in the hall, I knew who it was I’d heard. “Jessie! Where’s your charger!” my mother bellowed.

I pushed Lacey toward the window. “Lacey, go.”