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“Because. You’re the smartest person I know.”

“Nothing personal, but you only know fourth graders.” I looked down at her. “Come on. You need to get to bed.”

“K,” she said, and let me shoo her with a minimum of fuss.

After that, I washed my face for real, brushed the hairspray out of my hair, and walked into my bedroom. I’d take a shower tomorrow before—well, who knew if Darius and I were going to meet up again now. I plugged my phone into its charger and a string of firefly words zipped by.

Hey.

From Darius.

I texted back.

Hey.

You doing that with your thumbs or your mind powers?

Thumbs only. For the rest of forever.

I imagined him showing his phone to whomever he was standing nearest at Liam’s, explaining to them that I was some sort of freak. But his next text confirmed he was not:

I’m pissed you lied to me.

That’s fair.

Did you at least have a good reason?

Yes.

A long pause.

Feel like telling me?

I did. I wanted to tell someone else. Knowing what’d happened to Lacey was a big burden to carry alone, but:

I can’t.

A longer pause.

What about in person?

And I felt hopeful about one thing for the first time tonight.

Tomorrow?

Right now. I’m outside.

I stared at my phone and then I really did use my mind:

Come around back.

My window’s the furthest one on the left, facing the trailer.

I hauled my clothes back on—normal ones, not party ones, and then raised my blinds quietly as he came into range. I knew he was there, because Razor was barking up a storm. His owners might curse at him if they were at home on a Friday, but I knew they wouldn’t bother looking outside.

“Your front door is broken?” he asked quietly as I raised the window up.

“My sister has ears like a bat and her room’s by it.” I worked my fingers against the bottom of the screen and it popped out, falling to the weeds and dirt outside in a metallic rush. “Want to come in?”