Have your private consult, principal, so long as I can listen.
I stayed there, my leg muscles shrieking bloody murder at being forced to hold the crouch. After minutes that felt like hours passed, the doorknob started to turn . . . but stopped at a harsh order, which must have been Butler telling them to hold up. I yanked on the earbuds, pulling the phone back out and into my hand.
And I bolted up the hall and out to the front. I paused in the front office and said to Ronda, “I hope you spit in his coffee.”
From the way Ronda looked at me, shocked before she gave a pink smile, I figured Principal Butler was lucky if that was all that his assistant did to his morning cuppa these days.
Good for you.
I left, inspired by her example. I’d already cut one class. Why not another later this afternoon?
If Butler wouldn’t tell me where the jerk squad went and what Project Hydra was, well, then I had no choice but to find out on my own.
CHAPTER 11
Maddy and I were keeping Anavi company during lunch in the back corner of exile again. Though we weren’t doing that great a job of it.
Anavi wasn’t behaving normally, even for harassed values of normalcy. She had only spoken to us when we pressed her, spaced out otherwise, and so we’d settled into an awkward silence.
“You’re making me nervous with that,” Maddy said.
And I realized I was drumming my fingers on the table in the staccato rhythm of impatience. “Oops. Sorry.”
With effort, I stopped drumming and fidgeting. I was practically dead from how much I wanted lunch to end so that I could listen to the recording and make my next move toward uncovering the dirty secrets of Hydra.
But distraction came in the form of a semi-surprise, when Devin walked up and pulled out a chair to join us.
Maddy found this even more notable than I did. “Are you sure this is where you want to sit, or will you lose cool points?” she asked him.
Devin settled back into the seat across from Anavi. “Last time I checked, it was a free cafeteria.”
He must usually hang with a more exclusive lunch crowd, which made it a nice gesture on his part. I couldn’t help wondering if his non-Scoop friends knew about his giant castle and gaming kingdom.
I remembered the banner with his silhouette on it and decided probably not. It might mean that he was on his way to trusting me too, since he hadn’t hidden it from me. And not only that, but he’d set up the game to send me there and given elf Lo an alliance.
He directed his next words to me. “You’re not in detention, so I take it Butler let you off with some kind of warning?”
“An infuriating one.” I could almost see the secret realm ruler in Devin peeking through in his manner, as if he was comfortable anywhere.
Devin accepted my answer, and started rattling away about the game. I got the distinct impression it was to give Anavi something to focus on. Not that it seemed to be working.
Her eyes flicked over to Devin, and then back to the table. She was distracted, like she had been during the entirety of lunch. Not shaking her head and wincing, but not herself either.
I considered asking Devin and Maddy whether they thought James would rat us out, but I held off. He was sitting with Maddy’s sister again, and there was no need to remind her that she was pining for a boy who liked her identical twin. I’d confront James about his close ties with the loathsome Principal Butler later.
Loathsome? Anavi’s vocabulary might be wearing off on me.
I checked to see what Maddy’s T-shirt was today, having forgotten to look earlier. It was for another band, called Pink Hippopotamus.
Hadn’t Maddy brought up hippos the other day and asked Anavi to spell the word, saying she could never remember how?
Maddy noticed me staring.
“I’ve never heard of them,” I said. “What kind of music?”
“They’re good,” Maddy mumbled.
Anavi still hadn’t tuned in to anything we were saying, and Devin stopped his game talk to pay attention to us.
Maddy seemed uncomfortable, so I changed topics. “Devin, why an elf?” I asked as he took a drink of soda. “And is that get-up what elves usually wear in the game? The bare feet seem like a really bad idea in a warzone. Not to mention the short skirt.”
By all appearances, soda went up Devin’s nose as he snorted. He continued to sputter while Maddy cracked up. I couldn’t help doing the same.
Anavi shook her head back and forth, barely noticing.
Maddy got her giggles under control enough to speak and leaned forward, putting both hands on the cafeteria table like she needed the support. “Devin. Seriously. You made Lois an elf?”
When I looked questioningly at her, Maddy said, “He mentioned he lent you James’s holoset last night.” At whatever my expression showed, she added, “I didn’t tell James.”