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“Hannah.”
It takes me a second to realize that she’s giving me my end of the bargain.
“That’s your name?”
She nods.
“Hannah,” I sigh out, looking forward to saying it in all different sorts of circumstances.
“Yep. Now, flip that coin!” She rummages in the pockets of her navy-blue shorts, coming up with nothing. “You do have one, right? ’Cause I’m all out.”
Hesitantly, I pull a quarter from my back pocket. I fiddle with it for a moment as if I were having trouble gripping it, stretching out the time I have with her.
But all good things must come to an end.
“Call it.” With a flick of my thumb, the silver sails into the air, rotating fast.
“Tails!”
The coin lands neatly in my palm, and I slap it down fast on the back of my opposite hand. Drawing out the suspense, I peek under to catch the first glimpse.
George Washington’s head comes into view, and my eyes flick between him and the eager girl in front of me.
“You’re in luck.” I slide the coin back into my pocket. “The Spot is yours.”
The resulting happy dance is a joy to watch.
Hannah pumps her fists in the air and sways her hips back and forth, chanting, “I win! I win!” in time with her movements.
With a dramatic flourish, she drops her fat book bag onto the coffee table before turning back to me with a triumphant chuckle. “I’d say good luck next time, except …” She trails off, the smile fading from her face as she stares over my shoulder. “Shit sticks. Really?”
I glance behind me, intending to fight whoever took away her happiness. But the space is empty. Just a few shelves and a wall with a clock.
“I can’t believe this. The one Tuesday I get the chair, and my time runs out.”
When I turn back around, Shorty has the straps of her bags over her shoulders.
She’s leaving.
“Hey. What’s all this?”
I want to step in front of her, stop her from walking away, but I hold myself back.
She grimaces. “Group project. Gotta meet my partners in the science building. Looks like you win today, Lucifer.”
Hannah grins at my frown, probably thinking I dislike the nickname instead of the fact that she’s about to disappear. It’s not until she’s almost around the corner that I get my voice back.
“Wait!”
One of her eyebrows quirks up as she pauses to look back at me.
“You didn’t tell me your last name.” It’s lame, but it’s the first thing I could think of on the fly.
Hannah shakes her head and waves, calling out to me as she vanishes around the corner, “The Chair and my first name are enough. You can’t have everything!”
That sounds like a challenge.
9
