‘Ah. You’ve seen the notice.’
Katie turned her attention to her. ‘Rachel, I can’t be forced to join Night School, can I?’ she implored. ‘There must be a law. Freedom of… individuality. Some sort of protection. Human rights. I’m human, aren’t I?’
Allie snorted. Rachel’s lips twitched. ‘Well…’
‘Oh God.’ Katie sank into the seat next to Nicole, whose long, dark hair gleamed in the light like spilled ink.
Nicole patted her shoulder. ‘I think you’ll be very good at Night School.’
‘Of course I will.’ The redhead glared. ‘But I don’t want to. I’ll speak to Zelazny. He’ll put a stop to this.’ Jumping up from her seat, she sped across the room, copper-red ponytail streaming behind her.
‘Poor Zelazny,’ Rachel murmured, watching as she disappeared through the doorway.
‘He can handle her,’ Allie said.
Rachel’s cinnamon-coloured gaze scanned her face. ‘You look a lot better. Did you sleep?’
In fact, after her talk with Isabelle Allie had slept properly, in an actual bed, for the first time in days.
‘I had a talk with Isabelle,’ Allie said. ‘Cleared the air a little.’
‘Did you learn anything new? Any news on Carter?’
Allie filled Rachel in on what she knew. The other girl absorbed this with less joy than Allie’d expected.
‘But nothing concrete?’ Her brow creased. ‘They don’t know where he is?’
Her doubt was instantly deflating. Rachel was one of Allie’s smartest friends. If she didn’t believe Carter was fine…
Allie didn’t want to think about that.
‘Anyway,’ she continued firmly, ‘I told Isabelle we should get back to work…’
Nicole leaned over. ‘Are you responsible for lessons beginning again?’
‘Was it Allie?’ Zoe walked up to the table with Lucas. ‘Way to go, Allie!’
She emphasised her happiness with an air-kick that barely missed a nearby table of younger students. Allie hadn’t even noticed they were there until they ducked.
‘Don’t kill the little ones,’ Rachel chided Zoe mildly.
Zoe blinked at them, as if she, too, had failed to note their existence.
‘Hi Zoe,’ a boy at the table said shyly. He had glasses, olive skin and wavy dark hair and looked at Zoe with undisguised admiration.
She fixed him with a blank stare until his cheeks flushed and he turned back to his breakfast.
‘Whoever did it is a hero.’ Lucas pretended to punch Zoe who promptly punched him back for real.
Lucas clutched his arm. ‘Ow! Dammit, Shortie,’ he complained. ‘You have to work on your anger control.’
‘Don’t call me Shortie,’ Zoe replied, unrepentant.
‘So Night School starts tonight.’ Rachel raised her voice, in an attempt to restore order. ‘And this time every student left in the school’s going to be there. And every teacher. What’s that going to be like?’
A determined smile spread slowly across Allie’s face.
‘A start.’
Allie was hurrying to class when someone called her name. Turning, she saw a young woman with glasses and long dark hair twisted up on her head hurrying towards her.
‘Eloise!’ Allie ran to the librarian and hugged her. ‘You’re OK.’
Eloise was the youngest of the Night School instructors – the one closest to their age. She’d always been the one they would go to with their problems – the one most likely to still remember what it was like to be seventeen years old.
But the stress of the last year had changed her – she looked older. No one would mistake her for a student now.
‘I’m just fine.’ Her warm gaze swept Allie’s face, catching on the stitches barely visible at her hairline. ‘Mostly fine, anyway.’ Her smile faded. ‘I’m sorry about your grandmother.’
Allie took a step back. ‘Thanks.’ She mumbled the word. She still didn’t really know how to react to expressions of sympathy. What to say.
Seeing this, Eloise didn’t linger on the subject.
‘Dom’s looking for you,’ she said. ‘She wants you to come to her office right away.’
Allie’s heart leaped. ‘Is it Carter? Did she find him? Is he OK?’ Eagerness sent her words tumbling over each other.
Eloise held up a hand. ‘I don’t know. I was just told to find you.’
‘OK,’ Allie said, nearly hopping with excitement. ‘I better go.’
She spun on her heel and took off down the hall, class completely forgotten.
Maybe they’d found Carter. Maybe they were going to get him right now.
The thought spurred her on, and she ran even faster. The only problem was, she didn’t actually know where the tech’s office was.