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She jerks, eyes focusing on him.
TRINA: What? Sorry. I’m, um—we’re almost there.
She scrubs her palm against her jeans, an unconscious gesture.
KYLE: Are we the first ones?
NICK: Up here!
TRINA: I guess not.
She flashes a tight, nervous smile at Kyle.
TRINA: Let’s go.
Her voice is too loud, too brightly cheerful, and her brother doesn’t respond. He follows her as she marches toward Nick’s voice. Soon the light from the phone dimly illuminates Nick Dessen and Vanessa Han. Nick is gawky and lean. His sneakers are duct-taped together at the soles, and his shirt is much too light for this weather, but he doesn’t seem to mind. His shaggy brown hair hangs down past his jaw. On someone else it might look roguish; he just looks young. Vanessa has a knit cap jammed down so low it brushes the top of her round glasses.
NICK: Hey, Kyle.
He gives Trina a questioning look. She shrugs, a hiccup of movement.
KYLE: I liked Becca, too. Besides, anything’s better than staying home.
NICK: Oh, it’s cool you’re here. I kind of thought Trina’d bring a boyfriend.
Trina doesn’t respond; she seems distracted.
NICK: So... no boyfriend, then. Uh, Earth to Trina?
Trina blinks. Shakes her head.
TRINA: I, um. Paul and I broke up.
NICK: I heard. The whole school heard.
KYLE: His voice gotveryhigh.
They share a chuckle, then stand awkwardly as Trina doesn’t react, the brief burst of renewed friendship withering, becoming distant again. Vanessa examines her hands. Kyle pans the phone around the clearing idly.
KYLE: So this is where it happened?
VANESSA: R-roughly. W-w-we don’t know exactly wh-where.
Another beam of light pierces the trees, and Kyle keeps the camera trained in that direction as two figures approach. Anthony Beck and Jeremy Polk enter the dimly lit area.
TRINA: [Muttering] Great.
ANTHONY: We’re the last ones here, then?
He tries to catch Trina’s eye, but she crosses her arms and looks at the ground.
NICK: Other than Sara. You brought Jeremy.
His voice is too neutral to read as anything but unfriendly.
JEREMY: So what do you think this is? My money’s on prank or some kind of ARG, geo-caching-type thing. Good, you’re recording. We can be internet famous.
NICK: Whyareyou recording?
