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going to survive.

Feeling Amy’s and Elva’s arms close around her, Haley

wanted to break down and weep.

She wasn’t sure how much time she had before Snake came

looking for her. She could say she’d met up with her friends

because she wanted privacy. They were just sitting in the food

court the whole time. She knew he’d find her. She already had

the whole thing rehearsed. She just needed fifteen minutes

alone with them to tell them in person what was going on with

her.

She started as soon as they marched to the food court and

ordered smoothies. They chose a table far away from anyone

else, and since it was just after ten in the morning, it wasn’t

very busy. Then she told them everything. Everything about

her dad. Everything about her current living situation. About

her bodyguard. All of it.

“Whoa,” Elva sighed. She was Haley’s best friend from

summer camp. Since the camp was for New York kids, she

and Elva found out they didn’t live that far away. Even though

they went to separate schools, they were virtually inseparable

after that week. Elva was blonde and waiflike. She was tiny,

but she was a serious badass. She was studying graphic design

and could do art like no one’s business. Even through all their

differences, nothing was going to change the fact that they

were besties.

“Yeah. Whoa,” Amy echoed. She was Haley’s best friend

from high school. Amy looked more like Haley, and they

shared way more of the same interests. Amy would call it

dorky interests, since it usually included band and music and

other things people in high school had seen as uncool. It didn’t