“Welcome back, Cam,” Tina Walters said, after what seemed like forever.
“So what did you…” Eva Alvarez started, then stopped herself as if she’d already said the wrong thing. “I mean, did you have…Or…It’s good to see you,” she finally blurted.
“It’s good to see you too, Eva.” I forced a smile. “It’s good to be back,” I said, even though it totally felt like I had just left.
“Here.” Liz pressed closer to Macey. Together, the two of them were about as wide as a regular person, so I was able to squeeze onto the bench.
“Thanks,” I told her, pushing a few of her books aside, skimming over words like neurosurgery and cognition.
“Doing some light reading?” I asked.
Liz grabbed the books and shoved them into her backpack.
“You know, the brain is totally fascinating. Of course, it’s a myth that we only use ten percent of our brain function.”
“Of course you use more,” Zach and Bex said at the same time. They gave almost identical laughs, and I flashed back to what I’d heard the night before. I saw the way Bex and Zach sat together on the other side of the table, and my head hurt for reasons that had nothing to do with blunt force trauma.
“So where were you?” Macey asked, looking at me over the top of Liz’s head.
“Macey!” Liz hissed. “You know we’re not supposed to bother Cam with questions. Her memory will return if and when she’s ready.” She sounded like she was quoting someone or something verbatim.
“Last night,” Macey clarified, with a smirk in Liz’s direction. “Where were you last night?”
“Hospital,” I said, and risked a look at Zach and Bex—wondered what it would have been like to return to our suite after overhearing the two of them together. “I had to spend the night in a hospital room.” (Totally not a lie.)
“Are you…” Liz started.
“I’m fine,” I said, maybe too quickly. “Tests. They ran a bunch of tests.”
“Good,” Liz said with a decisive nod. “They did an MRI, didn’t they? What about an EEG? PET scan? We really need to get a baseline assessment. The Barnes theory says that memory is—”
“That’s enough, Liz,” Bex said softly, and for a second, no one had anything to say.
Well, no one but Tina Walters.
Tina seemed exactly like her old self as she pushed aside a bowl of strawberry jam, leaned on the table, and lowered her voice. “Well, I heard that while they were looking for you, they found someone else.”
She stopped and let the silence draw out. If she wanted someone to ask who it was, she was disappointed, but didn’t show it as she whispered, “Joe Solomon.”
Sure, Joe Solomon was two flights of stairs away, but judging by the looks on the majority of faces at the table, no one besides my roommates, Zach, and I seemed to know it.
Tina gestured with a piece of extra-crispy bacon. “He’s alive and well and working for the Circle in South Africa.” She took a bite. “Maybe he’s the one who had you?” she asked, turning to me. “Or maybe the Circle kidnapped you, but Mr. Solomon is really a triple agent and he—”
“I don’t know who was holding me, Tina,” I said.
“Really,” Tina started, “wouldn’t that be something? Mr. Solomon out there. With you and—”
“I’ve heard enough.” Bex stood, shaking her head.
“Bex—” I started, but she wheeled on me.
“What?” she snapped. “What do you have to say?”
It was a really good question. And I’m sure I totally had answers, but right then my reasons for leaving, for running, for chasing the Circle halfway around the world were gone, lost, like the rest of my memories. So I just sat, looking at my best friend in the world, and the only words that came to mind were “I’m sorry.”
The look she gave me was one I’d never seen before. Was she mad or hurt, terrified or indignant? Bex is the most naturally gifted spy I know. Her eyes were impossible to read.
“Oh, Cameron, here you are!” Professor Buckingham’s voice sliced through the crowded hall.