Brady said.
As our faux parents and almost surely future-ninja-instructors-slash-extra-superspies crowded around the porch, I couldn’t help but notice thatLynnewore a pair of dangling pearl earrings that I recognized.
Weeks ago, when I’d searched my bedroom for wiretaps, I hadn’t found any. But I had found a pearl earring I’d never seen before.
Of courseit belonged to my snooping, lying faux mother, who must have dropped it when she’d been searching my room for who-knew-what. I hadn’t remembered her wearing them before because my previous memories had been overridden.
Now that we recognized the signs for what they were, they were everywhere, impossible not to notice.
I told my friends.
Griffin said, drawing closer.
I echoed.
Layla asked.
Before any of us could answer, Alexis beamed at the five of us. She even smiled down at Bobo for a second. And she never smiled that big. She was the least smiley of the whole lying bunch.
“You’ve been asking us for what feels like forever to find you an instructor to help you advance your fitness skills to the next level.” With excitement dancing across her face, her eyes bright and shiny, she glanced back at the other adults before looking at us again. “Well.” She bit down on her lips as if she couldn’t contain her excitement, her brows arching. “We finally did it! We finally found someone perfect.”
She looked to Hunt first, then the rest of us, no doubt waiting for us to lose our shit over the wondrous news.
Hunt said.
I protested.
Layla said.
Alexis, who was without a doubt the least bubbly of them all,bubbled. “We found not just one, not even two, butthreeperfect teachers for you!”
“Wow. Seriously?” Brady said. He probably didn’t sound quite as delighted as I’m sure they all hoped, but at least he was able to play their game. I still needed a moment to tighten my mask and make sure my true face wasn’t showing.
“That’s amazing!” Brady added, sounding peppier now. “Like, soooooo super amazeballs. We’ve been wanting to up our game for so crazy long. I can’t believe it’s finally happening.”
Layla warned.
But theparentswere lapping it up. Celia actually bounced on the balls of her feet and clapped before Porter wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making me wonder if the two of them actually cared about one another. Or were they putting on a show of loving each other just as myparentshad while my mom was out banging the sheriff on the side?
Said lying mom and dad gestured for Homer, Yolanda, and Armando to step forward, and after they did, my dad introduced them. At least the teachers kept the same names, which I was grateful for. No one needed the jumble of alternate names I currently had burdening my mental Rolodex. The more lies we had to keep straight, the more likely it was for one of us to trip up in a mistake that would clue them all in.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Homer said, taking the lead just as he had at the institute. “We’re looking forward to working with all of you. We love having capable students who are ready and eager to learn what we have to offer, and between the three of us, it’s quite a lot.”
Just as back at the training center, Homer, Yolanda, and Armando were dressed in form-fitting clothing designed for movement that revealed honed bodies, sharp as weapons.
“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you all too,” Brady said.
“For sure,” Griffin added, glancing at ourparents. “How’d you guys find them?”
Orson pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stepped forward. “You know that new post-secondary institute over by the abandoned outdoor amphitheater? The one that’s almost finished?”
I asked my crew while Layla offered a noncommittal “Yeah” aloud.
Hunt answered.
“Well, it looks like it’s going to be a really amazing place,” Orson continued. “The best not just in academics but also in extracurriculars.”
Layla said.
