The Final Six (The Final Six #1) - Alexandra Monir Page 0,47

say no to a letter like that.” She lowers her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “And her being the prime minister’s daughter certainly helped me get a yes from Dr. Takumi!”

My face turns strangely hot as I listen, though I don’t know why I care. So what if he has a girlfriend back home?

“The PM’s daughter?” Beckett cocks an eyebrow. “You’re a dark horse.”

“It’s not like—” Leo starts, his cheeks reddening, but Asher interrupts.

“Own it, man.” He fist-bumps Leo, and I feel my insides go twitchy with irritation. And for the first time since we met, the sight of Leo’s smile makes me feel worse instead of better.

By the time we make it to the library for our turn at the computers, I’m practically bursting out of my skin. I can’t stop fidgeting as Lark sets up the video-chat monitors and logs each of us in; I wait impatiently for her to finish getting Katerina set up before coming around to my seat. Finally I’m logged in, my eager face staring back at me from the left-hand corner of the screen. And then—

“Naomi!!”

“Azizam!”

Sam and my parents’ faces fill the screen, and as I gaze at them, it’s like taking my first real breath after days underwater. My eyes fill with tears as I forget everyone else in this room, forget everything but them.

“It’s so good to see you,” I manage to choke out. “I miss you so much.”

“Not as much as we miss you,” Mom says, placing her hand up to the screen.

“How are you, sweetie?” Dad asks, and I notice he’s wearing the fuzzy green sweater I got him for Father’s Day. I’d give anything to be able to reach through the computer and hug him.

“I—I’m okay. I can’t stand being away from you guys—it’s just as hard as I thought it would be. But luckily I made a couple of friends here, and that helps a little.”

“Of course you did,” Sam says with a wistful smile.

“That reminds me. We have something to show you,” Dad says, his voice rising in excitement. I hear him fumbling offscreen, and then he holds up a copy of Time magazine. “Incredible, right?”

I suck in my breath. It’s us, the Twenty-Four, on the cover of the magazine—under a bold headline that reads, “The Teenagers Saving the Human Race.”

“Wow,” I murmur. It’s surreal to see me and my teammates on the cover of a magazine—but more than pride, the sight fills me with fear. Fear that we’re leading on the public, lifting their hopes too high, when there’s no guarantee our story won’t end differently from the Athena disaster—or that Europa won’t turn out to be every bit as perilous as Earth.

“They devoted the most space to you and Beckett Wolfe,” Sam adds, taking the magazine from Dad and flipping through the pages until he finds what he’s looking for. He holds an article up to the screen, a feature titled “The First Nephew and the Iranian-American Prodigy,” with a glossy photo of me and Beckett standing stiffly next to each other on arrival day.

“Knowing how President Wolfe feels about immigrants, he must love all the attention on our heritage.” Dad laughs.

“That’s true,” I say with a smile. Beckett is probably just as thrilled to have to share all his press with me. I know it’s petty, but I can’t help feeling a flicker of satisfaction at the annoyance this headline will cause him.

“Enough about me, though. I’ve been dying to know how you guys are doing.” I peer closer at the three of them. “Sam, how are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Going to all my appointments and taking my meds. You don’t need to worry, Sis,” he says with a wry grin.

But as I study him through the screen, I feel a wave of anxiety. He looks even thinner than when I left, and there’s no hiding the weariness in his eyes.

“Are you resting enough? Eating enough? I thought families of the Twenty-Four were supposed to get extra food—”

“Yes to all three,” Sam says, chuckling. “I’m fine—but I can see space camp hasn’t changed you a bit.”

I try to smile, to shake the feeling that his reassurance is just a put-on for my benefit.

“We’re taking great care of him, sweetie. Don’t worry,” Mom says, wrapping her arm around Sam. I feel a pang in my chest at the sight of them, so close while I’m an impenetrable distance away.

“What’s it like over there? Are you enjoying yourself at all?” Dad asks, looking at me