"Maybe I can rush him," Tolliver said, cracking his neck, shaking out his shoulders. "I think I can take him, keep him distracted. That'll give you guys time to run inside."
"And possibly land you in jail. Next option, please?"
"Pepper spray," Viola said. "I've never had a chance to use it. Maybe now is the time."
"Absolutely not," I said. "Also, why are all the options so violent?"
"In Tolliver's case, I blame hockey."
"And yours?"
Viola shrugged. "My difficult teen years and working at the shelter hardened me."
"Oh my gosh," I said, looking to my left. "Lottie, any thoughts?"
"Darryl's really nice," she said. "I don't think we should attack him."
I nodded.
"If Vi had her cello, one of us could hide in the case, wait for the crew to wheel in the instruments, and enter that way."
"Okay," Scarlett said, "but what if the instruments are already inside?"
Lottie blinked.
"Or what if they didn't open the case, and you got stuck in there?"
"Didn't think of that," she said. "Suffocating would be bad."
"Yeah, it definitely would."
"Toll," Lottie said next, "do you think you can scale this building?"
I sighed. "He's a hockey player, not Spiderman."
"Too bad," she said.
"I could try," Tolliver said, but I shook my head.
"You getting squished or imprisoned is not happening, Stone," I said. "Viola whipping out the pepper spray isn't either. Lottie suffocating in a cello case, no. I'll take option D."
He smiled. "And what's that?"
"I haven't thought of it yet. But whatever D is, it's gotta be better than this."
I sighed, glancing over my shoulder as a group of people flashed their passes and was let in instantly. They were all wearing matching HERS t-shirts, looking like a real-life fan club.
Maybe we should've done that?
Lottie, I noticed, was talking to Darryl again. Probably working her magic. People loved her—or hated her if they were stupid. But seriously, she had such a sunshine personality. It was hard to deny her. As Darryl shook his head, I feared the security guard might be one of the few who could resist.
"What we need is a miracle," I said.
The door opened again, this time from the inside.
And a girl with long brown hair poked her head out.
"Hey, I know you," she said. "Charlotte-Lottie-Lotte, right?"
