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Ran bowed her head to Nigel. “It is a good plan. You should do it.”
They all grinned, especially Isabela, at her approval.
Now, all they had to do was wait for Professor Nine to separate from Archibald and Greger.
When it became clear what Isabela and her team had pulled off, a cheer went up from the dejected student body, many of whom had spent the afternoon getting beaten down by the Peacekeepers. Colonel Archibald and his people loudly questioned the validity of the results.
“What were we supposed to do?” the soldier with the red beard, the one who Taylor had convinced he was dying, complained. “Shoot at Professor Nine? He wasn’t part of the exercise!”
Greger, the Earth Garde liaison, watched Isabela with new admiration. “I must say, it was an excellent ploy. True outside-the-box thinking is not easy to teach.”
Professor Nine beamed, an entire day of losses forgotten. “I taught her that.”
Isabela smirked, but didn’t say anything in response to Nine taking the credit.
Archibald shook his head. “That would have never worked in a true battlefield scenario.”
“Indeed?” Greger cocked his head. “In the chaos of a true battlefield, I think her technique would have been even more successful. She could have slipped in and out, undetected, as one of your own soldiers, Archibald . . .”
Isabela tuned out all the praise and commentary. She’d only wanted to show up Lofton and collect the recreation hours for herself. The beach called to her, classes did not. As they walked back to campus among their cheerful peers, Isabela hugged Taylor, and stroked the spot on Nigel’s face where she’d punched him as Nine.
“Did I hurt you too bad, skinny boy?”
Nigel chuckled. “Don’t flatter yourself, Izzy. I had to sell that punch like a professional wrestler, yeah? You got none of Nine’s strength.” He stroked his neck. “Those shock collars, though. Nasty bit of business.”
“Yes. I did not enjoy those either,” said Kopano. The Nigerian’s usual grin hadn’t yet reappeared after his defeat by the Peacekeepers.
“There she is! The champion scammer!” Lofton swooped in and pulled Isabela into a hug, literally sweeping her off her feet. Her face remained expressionless while he spun her around. When, at last, he set her on the ground, Isabela put a hand on his face and shoved. Lofton stepped back, his features drawn in confusion.
“You mad at me, babe?” he asked.
“Bloke’s good at picking out those subtle details, huh?” Nigel said in a loud aside to Ran, who nodded in agreement.
Isabela lifted her chin and rolled back her shoulders, her chest out, as she fixed Lofton with a withering stare. She had fully intended to let their relationship come to a painless close with his departure in a few days, but this morning’s slight was too much to let slide.
“You boys, always mistaking boredom for anger,” Isabela declared, her voice loud enough that the other students on their way back to campus couldn’t help but overhear. “I am tired of your dumb face and soft brain. Good-bye forever, Lofton.”
Isabela turned on her heel. Lofton, stunned, grabbed her arm.
“Whoa, wait! What about—?” He lowered his voice. “What about our plans for tonight?”
“Those plans are canceled,” Isabela replied. She stuck her finger in his face. “You would be wise to forget they ever existed. Furthermore, I forbid you from thinking about me in that way during your many lonely nights to come. Now, get off me.”
Lofton let her go and Isabela resumed her walk to the dorms. Nigel and Kopano were both holding in laughter. Taylor came up alongside Isabela and hooked her arm through her roommate’s.
“You okay?” Taylor asked.
“Why would I not be okay?”
“You just broke up with your boyfriend.”
“Pfft. I have already forgotten him. My only disappointment is that we cannot . . .” Isabela trailed off. She’d been looking forward to her evening plans with Lofton. Just because he was out of the picture didn’t mean those plans had to change. “Come,” she said excitedly to Taylor. “We must celebrate our victory!”
Back in their suite, Isabela pulled clothes out of her closet, trying to decide what she would wear for the night.
“You’re crazy,” Taylor said, leaning in her doorway. “I’m not sneaking out.”
“No, I am not and yes, we are,” Isabela replied. “Come on, Taylor! You will love San Francisco. I found a bar where they don’t ID.”
“I don’t really drink.”
“Ha. Well, whatever, we can get you some new clothes, at least. Have dinner. Sit in a restaurant like normal people. Check out some boys who lack delusions of grandeur.” Isabela turned to face Taylor. “Does that not appeal to you?”
“When you said you could help me escape, I didn’t think you were serious.” Taylor shook her head, slightly in awe of her roommate’s secret life as a jail-breaker. “How long have you been doing this?”
“I went for the first time a few weeks after I got here. Just to see if I could. And I could.”
“How many times since?”
“Like, every other week?” Isabela pressed her hands together in a steeple pointed at Taylor. “Please, roommate! You must come! I am getting over a breakup. I cannot stand to sit around this dormitory and do nothing.”
Taylor snorted. “Oh, now you’re broken up about Lofton, huh?”
“I feel a deep emptiness yawning open beneath me and will surely sink down into it if you do not come with me to San Francisco,” Isabela said with a straight face.
“I will go,” Ran said.
Neither Taylor nor Isabela was aware that Ran had been listening to their whole conversation. Taylor turned with a small smile to look at Ran. Isabela’s eyebrows shot up and she dropped a dress onto her bed.
“Eavesdropper!” Isabela yelled.
“I apologize,” Ran replied. “But you are a very loud talke
r.”
“You want to go?” Taylor asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.
“Yes,” Ran said. “I have been stuck on this campus since before it officially opened. I would like a break.”
“You know we aren’t going down there to do meditation, right?” Isabela asked with a sternly arched brow. “We’re going to party.”
“Yes,” Ran replied. “Good.”
“Well, if you’re both going, I can’t just sit here by myself,” Taylor relented. “You sure we won’t get in trouble?”
“We will never be caught!” Isabela declared.
Ran turned to her. “I would like to invite Nigel.”
Isabela stuck out her tongue. “Why don’t we just invite the whole school?”
“Well, he was on our team today,” Taylor said. “He should get to partake in the victory party.”
“He enjoys drinking, like you,” Ran observed to Isabela. Then, she cocked her head. “Unless it will be too difficult for you to sneak that many people out.”
Isabela tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Of course not. I already know how I will do it.”
“In that case,” Taylor said, unable to keep the blush out of her cheeks, “could I invite someone, too?”
Shirtless, Kopano stood on the common room couch and punched the air. “What was the name of this band?” he yelled to be heard over the music blasting from Nigel’s iPod.
“The Dead Kennedys, mate,” Nigel replied, already thumbing through his collection to choose the next song.
“I cannot understand anything they’re saying!” Kopano shouted.
“I know! Isn’t it great?”
“Yes! It makes me want to throw this couch out the window!”
The door to their suite banged open. Isabela entered with a flourish, dramatically covering her ears. Taylor and Ran followed behind her.
“Ugh, turn those terrible sounds off,” Isabela complained.
With a smirk, Nigel released his Legacy’s hold on the music. The screaming of the Dead Kennedys was reduced to a tinny buzz, emanating as it was from a pair of simple headphones. He slouched down in his chair and eyed the three girls. Meanwhile, Kopano hopped down from the couch and began to search for his shirt.
