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Mia raised her chin. “Uh, later.” She nodded to Lauren and Kristnaldo and walked over to the driver. She balanced her rubber-soled shoes on the edge of the curb, hesitating beside the stretch monstrosity. How cool would it be, if Niko let her and her friends go out in the limo? She rocked back on her heels. Why had Niko sent a car? Must be time for a lecture on Hope’s packing speed. Okay, she should have helped more, but she wasn’t that eager for Hope to leave her stuck at the loft alone.
Vincent cleared his throat and opened the door.
“Everything all right with Hope?” Mia peered in. What little of the interior she could see from the sidewalk appeared posh and empty.
“I’m to give you a lift, Miss Mia.”
“Call me Mia.” Mia pointed across the parking lot at her red-hot two-door car. “My car’s over there. Does Hope want to do dinner or something?”
“It’s my responsibility to pick you up from school now. That’s all I know.”
Nope. Not getting a lift from a stranger. She squished her lips together. It would have been fun. Lauren could’ve ridden, too. Niko’s house wasn’t far from the school. She could—no, she stuck to her decision and turned toward her car. “No, thanks.”
The driver frowned and raised his cellphone to his ear. “I’ll just check in.”
Check in all you like. Mia walked away, but the whole thing felt rude, so she waved. “See you later, I’m off to Hope’s.”
Vincent didn’t protest, but like he could. She’d be yelling creeper at him so fast the whole team would come running. Lauren was only two rows up, parked over the white line as usual. She hadn’t left yet, and wouldn’t until Mia drove by and waved. Lauren had her back.
Mia shoved her bag onto the passenger seat, cracked the windows, cranked the A/C, and hit play on her phone so the music would sync with the speakers. She honked as she passed Lauren, waved at Willow and Maddie and was off.
Ten minutes later, the car finally was cooling off when Mia pulled through the gates to Hope’s building and parked in the visitor lot.
Mia typed in the code to Hope’s deadbolt. Beep, beep, beep. The lock whirred as it retracted. She slipped into the foyer and was hit first by the room’s warmth and second by its emptiness. The movers totally had come by. It smelled different. Like churned up dust, like emptiness, and it felt different. Hope’s place was always on the cold side. Now it was warm. She lowered the temperature on the thermostat to seventy-five and the central air kicked on, freeing her to move around. Weird. The movers had even taken the living room furniture. Why? All that remained was newly exposed cobwebs and corner dust. Was she supposed to sit on the floor?
The doors down the hall were open. Even hers. Suspicions poked at her and Mia walked across the beechnut hardwoods down the pale blue hallway to the end.
She stood in the doorway to the guest room. Empty. They’d even taken down her posters.
What the…! Mia picked up her phone to text Hope. Where’s my stuff? Creepers. They took my stuff, too. And all the furniture. All of it. Next she emailed Sacha about the empty apartment, freely using the word idiots and morons, and then backtracking. They’d simply been under-supervised. She should have skipped practice and helped out herself.
Hope phoned back instead of texting. “Niko hired packers. They took care of everything so we could be over here tonight.”
“Why don’t I come see your new place tomorrow? The movers can at least bring back my bed.” She was beat after practice, which had involved several laps in addition to practicing stunts, and she really needed a shower. She’d make Niko sort out the furniture tomorrow. Mia moved into the kitchen. She placed the phone between her shoulder and ear and grabbed a cold water from the fridge, which was empty, other than water. She held the cold bottle to her cheek. In a moment, you are mine.
“I’d worry too much. Come tonight, you’ll love it. You and Sacha have your own bed and bath suites. They open into a great recreation room.”
The bottle slipped from her hand to the counter. She gripped the phone tight between her wet fingers, pressing the receiver closer to her ear as if she’d misheard. No way. Hope expected her to move in with them? Without telling her in advance? Had she missed some conversation? How could Hope leave out the fact that she expected Mia to move too? She’d misunderstood. “I don’t need a room in both places.”
“What are you talking about?” Confusion made Hope sound like the junior girls whenever Willow hit them with a new routine. “I know it’s fast, but Niko wants us moved in tonight. Didn’t I tell you?”
“Not exactly. You said you’re moving in with Niko. You didn’t say anything about me.” Her insides tightened and her skin prickled.
“Of course, you’re coming with me. I never would leave you there.” Hope’s words came out almost panicked now, like Lauren’s when she made her sign up for Advanced Chem.
Mia’s shoulders tensed, but there was no use for it, she couldn’t let her sister worry. Hope hadn’t done this on purpose. She just was the worst communicator, and it wasn’t the first time, or the fifth, that Mia had had to make the best of it. Besides, what was the alternative? Stay here without furniture, alone? Hope would be on the phone to her parents so fast, and would feel so guilty, and then Mia would feel guilty.
Two hours later, Mia found herself moved in with Niko and Hope. The game room was loaded with a huge television, overstuffed couch, and a mini-fridge. She walked over to the door of her suite. Inside smelled like furniture polish and air freshener, like cleaners had just finished, and everything was sleek, modern, and new. White furniture with white bedding, and white curtains draping the over-large arched window.
The window seat overlooked the back of the house—manicured grounds and a pool. Just in front of the pool house, a blue-tiled fountain gushed six feet in the air. Mia went back through the game room and peeped through Sacha’s door into her empty room. It was just as opulent, just as lacking in personality. Wealth and luxury beyond anything she’d seen in Trallwyn. There was no way they’d be staying once Mom and Dad found out.
***
Mia lay against her memory foam pillows and texted Sacha. Get here already. They got along via email and it would be nice to have company; even if said company hadn’t yet fully embraced the idea of getting assimilated. When do you get here? Is your Dad still delaying it?
There was a delay before Mia got Sacha’s response. He got a contract he wants from Niko, so it’s fine.
A contract? It hadn’t taken many texts to realize they had a different dynamic with their kids over there. Maybe it was a rich kid thing. Quid Pro Quo. Get here already. At least I’ll have someone to talk to at dinner. Niko and Hope just stare with big moon eyes at each other. If you don’t get here soon, I?
