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“Dude, she’s my sister. Don’t make me skunk it up,” Miles says.

They shut up.

“Cover your eyes, sickos,” Bea says. “I’m counting. You got sixty seconds, Fiona.”

When they close their eyes, I run. I’ve never been to this park, so I have no idea where a good hiding spot would be. There are lots of trees, but not so many bushes, and even being invisible, they’d still find me under the picnic benches or behind the trash can.

“Thirty-six!” Bea yells.

After forgoing the trees and bathrooms, I sprint for the playground. It’s actually huge now that I take it in. A large central tower is lit in the moonlight, surrounded by slides and ramps and tunnels. Perfect. There has to be a good hiding place around here somewhere.

“Forty-nine!” Bea’s megaphone voice is so loud she may as well be next to me. I’m positive the whole neighborhood can hear.

I jump into the first tunnel slide and climb halfway up. I have no clue if I’ve picked an easy spot or not, but I guess it doesn’t matter since they’re supposed to find me.

“Sixty!”

I hold my breath. My heart pounds as I listen for them. They whoop and holler like they’re on some treasure hunt. Some of their voices get quieter as they go the wrong direction, but there’s a set of feet approaching. They circle around me for a minute. I hope like a dork that it might be Brady.

The footsteps are close, just above me on the ramp. My skin tingles with anticipation. I look up as a pair of skinny legs comes into view.

Seth. Of course. Just my luck.

“There you are.” Seth’s voice is a whisper. He crouches down and carefully makes his way toward me. “Tell me if I almost smack your head or something. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Why are you being so nice?” I snap.

“Weren’t you the one who said I should be nicer? Now you have a problem with it?” Seth holds out a hand like he’s blind.

“No! I …” Sighing, I grab his hand to guide him, so he doesn’t have to look so silly.

“Thanks.” He settles right next to me, our legs touching since there’s not much room. “What were you saying?”

I keep to my own space as much as possible. “I guess I didn’t expect you to actually listen.”

“You really think I’m horrible, don’t you?”

I grit my teeth, trying not to get upset. If he’s being nice, then I should try, too. “I don’t. How could I think that, growing up like I did?”

He’s silent.

I put my head to my knees. “I can’t blame you if you think I’m horrible, though. I am. There’s no avoiding it when you’re syndicate-born.”

“That’s not your fault. Being syndicate-born doesn’t make
you
horrible. You can’t control that.”

I laugh bitterly; the thought of Dad’s last order still makes me sick. I wonder if he went through with killing those girls without me. It still feels like my fault. If I hadn’t spied on those men or brought back the Radiasure … I may not have killed anyone with my own hands, but how many people have died as a result of information I supplied? I don’t know. I don’t
want
to know. “You’re so naive. You don’t even know what horrible is, Seth.”

I can feel his shoulder tense. “I wouldn’t say that.”

A lump forms in my throat, remembering what Bea said earlier. “Sorry. I guess I don’t know enough, do I?”

“Not yet.” His voice is a whisper.

My skin tingles with curiosity. Will he tell me now? I want to ask, but I keep my mouth shut. It took me so long just to get Seth to be nice to me. I can’t risk going backward now.

“She’s over here!” I jump at Seth’s voice, then realize he didn’t say anything. It’s Bea messing with everyone. I cover my mouth to muffle my laugh, and Seth actually smiles.

“The sad thing is they always fall for it,” he says.

“That is kinda sad.”

Cursing breaks out when they realize it’s not me, and I can barely keep it together. I can’t believe no one else has found us yet.

“Shh. You’ll give us away before it gets really hilarious.” Seth’s face is close, so close that I can feel his breath though he doesn’t know it. The sensation brings an unexpected shiver, and I look away.

Footsteps finally come near. It sounds like two pairs. I hold my breath.

“Damn, that Fiona is hot,” Carlos says. “And she’s way too good at this.”

I hear Brady laugh. “You don’t even know what she looks like.”

My chest tightens. Why do I keep hoping my invisibility doesn’t matter to him? Of course it does. He’s just a nice guy. That’s all.

“That’s the thing, though—she could look however you want,” Carlos says. “I could picture her different every day.” The way his voice sounds makes me sick. I pull my knees in closer, hoping they don’t find us. I don’t want to be anywhere near him. I tense when Seth’s arm comes around my shoulder, but I don’t move. Surprisingly, it’s not so bad. Maybe Brady and Bea were right—Seth doesn’t hate me; he just sucks at expressing himself. I lean my head on his shoulder, wishing I could run far enough to block out the rest.

“Jeez, she’s not a shape-shifter, Carlos.” Brady sounds angry. “Don’t talk about her like that. Besides …” I don’t hear the rest. They must have gone to whispers.

“Ah, gotcha.” Carlos laughs. “Fine. I won’t ask her out.”

“Like she’d say yes.”

“Ouch, man!”

As relieved as I am that Carlos isn’t going to make a move, my mind reels over what Brady could have said to make that happen.

“Only two people haven’t found me!” My voice comes from behind, startling me out of thought. Brady and Carlos run for it, Brady’s feet pounding the ground hard enough to make a mini earthquake.

“Carlos is a horndog. Ignore him,” Seth says.

My stomach turns. “Is that what all you guys think? Do you just imagine me as whatever you want?” I should probably see it as a good thing—as far as I know that was the first time any guy said I was hot.

“No.” He squeezes my shoulder, which is when I realize he hasn’t let go yet. Somewhere in the back of my head I know it should bother me, but it doesn’t. “Like I said, Carlos has always been a perv. I know you have a face, your own face that’s unlike anyone else’s.”

“Really?” My voice squeaks, and I shove the tears back inside. No one has ever said there’s something under my invisibility. It’s always been
maybe
. Knowing someone might actually believe it means more than Seth can understand.

“Really. Brady knows, too—same with everyone else. And if they don’t, Brady will squash them.”

I nod into his shoulder, unable to say words without betraying my feelings.
I have a face. Other people believe it, too.

There are footsteps on the ramp, and I realize it’s been a long time for a game of sardines. Bea’s perfect legs appear. “Well, well, am I interrupting?”

“No.” I smile as she scoots into the slide just above us. “You’re hilarious, by the way.”

She shakes her head. “I know. Total dumbasses, huh?”

It doesn’t take too long for Hector to show up after that. Then Miles, Tony, and Joey come a minute or two behind. It’s between Brady and Carlos for the dare, and I start planning what I’ll do to the one who loses. It has to be good.

“Noooo!” Carlos yells as the ground rumbles. Brady must be running, which means he must have seen Joey climb into the bottom of the slide. It feels like an earthquake as we laugh and hold on. We still slide down the tube and fall into a dog pile.

“Yes!” Brady pumps his fist. “Carlos, I have a feeling you’re in
big
trouble.”

I stand, looking forward to inflicting punishment on Carlos. He breathes hard, his eyes glowing like a cat’s. “Okay, baby, give it to me. I deserve it.”

“Hmm.” I want it to be mortifying, something to get him back for what he said. “I dare you to streak down Main Street. It’s only fair.”

Everyone breaks out in howls of laughter, but Carlos’s face turns cunning. “You just wanna see me naked.”

“Oh, I’m not coming—that’s the last thing I want to see. I need to get home.” It’s past midnight, and my body begs for sleep. That, and I have to know if Mom’s still here or not. Even if she isn’t the perfect mother, we’ve always been together.

“Sounds good,” Miles says.

“Don’t worry, Fiona.” Joey gives Carlos a noogie. “We’ll make sure he goes through with it.”

“Awesome.” Before I chicken out, I touch Brady’s arm. He flinches, probably because I don’t have sleeves and he didn’t see it coming. But he doesn’t pull back. I lean in to whisper. “I just wanted to say thanks, for what you said.”

He smiles. “No prob. Gotta protect you.”

If The Pack and my brother weren’t there, I would kiss him right now.

After saying good-bye, Miles drives us back to the house. We’re quiet at first, but then his mouth breaks into a huge smile.

“What?” I ask.

“I like seeing you act like yourself in front of other people.” The light from a streetlamp shines on his face for a moment, and then it’s back to the green glow from the dashboard. “They’re good for you. I’m gonna make sure you can stay here with them as long as you want.”

I laugh, wishing it were that easy. “They must have put something in those burritos.”

He punches my arm. “I’m serious!”

“Fine, fine. I won’t complain.”

When we get home, Miles collapses on the couch. I tiptoe upstairs to Mom’s door. I’m not sure what I expect to see when I open it, but I hope like I’ve never hoped before that she’s there. I turn the knob slowly and peek in. Mom’s figure rests under the covers, her chest moving up and down. I watch for a moment, just because it’s so surprising to see her safe. Graham really didn’t take her.

I shut the door, deciding I better enjoy my luck while it lasts.

Mom and I don’t speak much at breakfast, not that it’s new. Her drinking a half pot of coffee isn’t new, either, but something else is. I stare at her blue-and-white uniform, “Lauren” neatly carved into a plastic name tag. Graham’s taken her “job hunting” twice in the past two weeks, but I didn’t believe that’s what they were really doing. I imagined something more along the lines of telekinetically lock picking bank vaults.

“Y-you actually got a job,” I finally get out.

She nods. “At the bowling alley. Not exactly glamorous, but we’ll be able to buy food. Thank goodness the house is paid for.”

I take another bite of my Pop-Tart, too shocked to say more. Is Graham actually protecting us? It’s too good to be true, and I know what that means: There’s a catch. I just don’t know what it is yet.

“I’ll need the car. Do you have a ride? Or should I take you to school?”

She’s not taking me to school. I’m still trying to forget the day she registered me. Pulling out my cell, I say, “I’ll find a ride.”

I head outside after I get off the phone, and Bea, Carlos, and Hector pick me up in Sexy Blue five minutes later. “Hey, chica! Hop in!”

I slide in next to Bea. “Thanks. Sorry for the short notice. My mom decided not to mention she got a job. At the bowling alley.”

“So she’ll be waxing balls all day?” Carlos asks.

Hector punches his shoulder, looking crankier than I’ve ever seen him. “What did I say about idiocy before school?”

Carlos smiles. “Remind me.”

Hector grabs Carlos’s bag and throws it out the window. He pulls up on the side of the curb. “You piss me off, you walk.”

“Fine.” Carlos opens the door. “Then I won’t have to be seen with you.”

Hector floors it once Carlos is out. He parks a few minutes later. Bea and I watch Hector storm off, and I can’t help thinking he’s the perfect best friend for Seth.

“Note to self,” I say. “Hector is not a morning person.”

Bea looks embarrassed. “You noticed?”

We laugh as we head to our lockers. I don’t mind school so much now. Hanging out with The Pack gives me a place, and I never realized how nice it would be to have one. Math still sucks, but my other classes aren’t too bad. My favorite, to my surprise, is PE. I can barely contain my excitement as I change into my uniform.

“Man, I hope we’re done with basketball soon. It’s so boring.” Bea pushes the locker room door open, and we head out to the gym to meet up with Brady.

“I don’t know, basketball’s kind of fun.” I like playing sports. It takes my mind off things, forces me to concentrate on the moment instead of my problems. There’s one goal—win. I like winning.

Bea rolls her eyes. “Maybe when you’re good it’s fun. It probably helps that you’re tall, too, punk.”

“Hey,” Brady says when we sit next to him on the bleachers.

“Mile run today! Everyone under seven minutes gets a break after,” Coach Ford calls. She’s not quite as loud as Bea, but the strange deepness of her voice makes up for it.

“Yes!” I pump my fist.

“You’re a freak, you know that?” Bea says.

I laugh. “Don’t tell me you just figured that out.”

“Don’t listen to her. It’s cool that you like to run,” Brady says.

If only he could see my smile. “I just want to see if I can get a faster time.”

Bea shakes her head. “Like I said, freak.”

“Whatever, wuss.” I love that we’ve gotten to this joking level, where I know she’s teasing me and I can tease back.

After we line up, the coach blows her whistle and off we go. Half the class is already walking around the track, not even trying. I don’t care if I look like an overachiever. I want to be the first girl across the finish line. I bet I can beat at least half the guys, too.

I push myself hard, though it’s still hot outside. The end of October doesn’t seem to matter to Arizona. Sweat drenches my back, under my arms, and even between my boobs, but I don’t care because no one can see anyway.

Halfway done.

The heat radiates off the track, burning at my legs. My lungs beg me to slow down, but I know from experience that’ll wane if I just keep going. I could use a drink of water, though. Or maybe like a gallon of water. The girl keeping pace with me finally slows a little. I smile and run harder. I feel even better when I catch up with a few boys. They struggle to keep my speed as I pass, but eventually give up and fall behind.

With the finish line in sight, I give it every last bit of effort I have, though my whole body burns.