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looking over one shoulder.” Houdini wiggles his slippers. “Hence the running. In concrete. With what feels like the weight of the world dragging you down.”
    Some kids exchange looks. Others move their backpacks from the floor to their laps, then scoot forward so their stuff is safely locked in place between their legs and desks.
    I open my notebook and start writing.
    â€œQuestions?” Houdini asks.
    I raise my hand.
    â€œShout it out, Seamus,” he says.
    â€œCould you please go over the demerits again?” My hand moves faster across the page as he does. After he’s done, I ask, “Will there be opportunities for extra credit?”
    â€œWhy would you need extra credit?”
    â€œLike if we get a late start. And need to catch up.” My hand stops as I realize how this sounds to everyone in the room. We’re all here, so we’re all starting at the same time. “Or if we want to buy something really expensive at the Kommissary.”
    â€œIf you want to buy something really expensive at the Kommissary, don’t blow your credits on cheap—” Houdini pauses. When he speaks again, I hear a smile in his voice. “Oh. I get it. You’re taking notes for little miss—”
    He’s cut off again, this time by a sharp buzzing. Feeling the burn of twenty-eight curious gazes, I keep mine fixed on the page before me. A long minute later, Houdini continues.
    â€œSave the ink, Hinkle. Your entire class is present and accounted for.”
    I raise my eyes. Slowly. He’s holding up his K-Pak, which apparently just received a new message. I don’t have to read it to know what it says.
    My heart sinks as my eyes shift left, to the empty chair. Which is going to stay that way.
    Because Elinor’s not coming back.

Chapter 7

    DEMERITS: 230
    GOLD STARS: 40
    A rmpit toots,” Gabby says.
    â€œArmpit farts,” Abe says.
    â€œToots.”
    â€œFarts.”
    â€œI’m a girl. We toot. Only when absolutely necessary, and in total privacy. What you Neanderthals do is very different.” Gabby leans forward and looks past him. “Just thinking about it makes Seamus turn red.”
    She says this fondly, like me blushing is as cute as a kittenpurring. I’d change the subject, but we’re talking about our real-world combat missions as we walk back from dinner, and I’m curious to know the outcome of hers.
    â€œSo you were at the convenience store,” I prompt.
    â€œAt the gas station,” Abe reminds us with a chuckle.
    â€œAnd the employee was cleaning the slushie machine,” I say.
    â€œRight.” Gabby nods. “He was taking forever because he kept sneaking sips of Arctic Berry Blast and Turbo Choco when his boss wasn’t looking. I was in the next aisle, pretending to check out the gum. Hiding in full view, just like Samara said.”
    Samara’s our biology teacher. She takes her job more seriously than Houdini does, so I’m happy to hear her instructions were the same as his.
    â€œI watched him for a minute or two, waiting for my moment,” Gabby continues. “Then, when his face disappeared into a plastic cup, I let one rip. From my pit. Which is kind of hard to do underneath a turtleneck and down coat.”
    â€œWhat happened?” Lemon asks.
    â€œTotal freak-out. The guy jumped so high I checked the ceiling for dents. And not only did he drop the cup, sending slushie flying everywhere, he bumped into the machine levers.By the time he realized the machine was on, the counter and floor were covered in blue and brown liquid.” Gabby talks fast, her voice excited. “His hands shook as he cleaned up. I think he thought the sound came from him.”
    â€œWhat’d you do after that?” I ask.
    â€œI bought some Bubble Tape like nothing happened. And I got out of there.”
    â€œNo, I mean later. Where did you and Samara go next?”
    She shoots me a look.