2: Borro

the gala's cli

s, a woman composed entirely of measuring tape and judgmental

eptable," she conceded, which i

-suede monstrosity that was supposed to make me look "sporty" and "d

me. She was reading a report from one of her charities. My mother didn't need to watch

"the hemline. We said a modest t

"A Vances does not follow a trend, Madame.

Snip

away, standing on a cold ter

tual invitation. Three o'clock. I had a lunch with the Junior League at one, follo

ing a strange, frantic t

," my mother murmured. "You're slo

rade, legs dangling over the abyss, flashed in my mind. He was the slouchiest person I had ever me

one with the b

to my lunch, to my tutoring. I would smile. I would be

lunch had been, as predicted, a pastel-colored hell. Three hours of women twice my age

e. It was where pe

for my family since before I was born. He was as

?" he asked, his eyes meeting mine

blouse sticking to my back. My heart was no longer

t K

you want to flip th

form slowly. It erupted from m

I... I have the mos

a flicker of... nothing. He

My entire life was a performance. "It's one of the bad ones. The kind I get fr

ance. Shall I

e moment. T

nd I need to pick up a new textbook for my French supplemental. I promis

Elm Street was three blocks fr

aid, his brow furrowing. It was the first time

"But they're the only ones who have it. It's an old edition. Pl

rted, on Elm Street. It was a security breach. But a migr

he said, and the car sign

rom my

brick, faded murals, and neon signs that buzzed even in the daylight. Arthur pulled up in front o

Please," Arthur sa

lied, and slid

. It smelled like roasting coffee, car exhaust, and... garlic? My silk blouse and tailo

o into the

s sure they knew. They knew I was an imposter, a girl in

corner. And

pa

s a large, concrete doughnut covered in graffiti. But it was alive. Two old men played chess on a concrete t

s 2:5

was insane. He wouldn't even be here. It was a line. A joke. H

t turne

I saw

d guitar case was at his feet. He was wearing the same dark hoodie from last ni

a guy. Eatin

ow long. The world stopped. The s

f he sensed m

smiled. A slow, easy smile that did

oud enough to carry. "3:02 PM. Her Highnes

g slightly into the soft grass. "You

aring a tiar

s a he

ed it perfectly into a bin ten feet away. He didn't move t

ng to his hoodie. "Your swan

Much more comfortable." He patted the bench next to him. "Have a s

it splintered. I sat, in my thousand-doll

he words tumbling out. "He thinks I have a migra

c," he s

ic," I

wasn't the cold, calculating silenc

d, "what's t

wh

al world. The broken fountain. The disti

e honesty of it shoc

e, I realized, an even brighter green in th

"It's the only thin

o his paper bag and pulled out

a tiny, greasy bag of

automatically. "

ips?" he asked, h

se. My mother..

." He opened the bag for himself, and the sharp, acidic sme

d the

me. And he was right. It was a stupid, greasy, 99-cent bag o

nd took one. I

t in my

so loud it made my eyes water. It was the most

genuine laugh. "Your face! It'

y mouth full of potat

st a chi

lowing. "It's not.

eet. He talked about his sister, Maya, who was in her first year of college, studying to be an engineer. The textb

an open book, and every page

us. "What's your major? What do you do, b

er the Foundation one day. Th

. "But what do you like? When you're

to answer. And..

but all my books were pre-approv

piano," I said, the

t up. "Yeah

sy. Ch

little Hendrix, a little Stevie Ray. You know, the loud dramatic stuff." He

e words a sudden panic. I

into forty-five. Arthur wo

slacks. The anxiety was a cold wave,

, too. He was taller than I'd

started, then stop

s voice softer. "You cam

ai

d excuse I was about to make. "Most days. 3 PM. My br

en right through me. He'd kno

ust... ch

ow," h

my back straight, my posture perfect, just as I'd been taught. I walke

as exactly where I'd left it. Arthur was standin

ening the door. "I was... mom

lie tasting like salt and vinegar. "I'm

he door shut with a

gliding silently back toward my world. I

was in the drawing r

. You're flushe

ice perfectly steady. "I got my book, an

ther called. They'd like you to join them at the po

other.

pale blue, and silent. I sat on my bed, my

. I had lied.

ted a salt an

essages. No alarms. Just the q

a secret.

knew, with a terrifying, thrillin