her once before I let go. All I get is a faint whiff of jasmine before my dream’s interrupted. And then the last person I’ll love is gone for good.
• • •
“It’s not the way the system works!” Caleb’s voice grows louder as he scales the stairs to the tower. I can’t see him from where I’m lying. But more importantly, he can’t see me.
“You already lost your Beauty Pageant bet. What do you care who gets to go next?” Austin asks in his BBQ-and-Budweiser drawl.
“I just don’t understand why she’d stoop to spare a Ghost!”
“Aw, come on. You know why. She’s still trying to get into Flick’s pants, and he’s got a weird soft spot for that Aubrey girl.”
“More proof he’s a loser,” Caleb grumbles. “This whole situation is completely revolting. Someone should speak to Mr. Mandel.”
“Give it a week or so. You don’t know what Gwendolyn has in mind,” Austin argues. “Besides, if Flick ain’t had a piece yet, he must not like girls at all. Way I figure, things’ll probably be back to normal real soon.”
They’re in the lounge. They’ll see me any second now, so I better act fast.
“You’re right, Austin,” I declare as I stand up and unbuckle my belt. “I don’t like girls. I only have eyes for you. What are you now? Number 6? So drop your pants, bubba. You’ve been outranked. And considering the conversation I just overheard, you might not want to turn down number 2.”
It’s probably my imagination, but I think I detect a whimper.
“Flick, I, I . . .” For a future politician, Austin isn’t too good at thinking on his feet.
“Were you really just questioning Gwendolyn’s decisions?” I ask Caleb. “And threatening to take your complaints to Mandel? Do you think you know better than Gwendolyn does?”
“No, of course not!” Caleb insists. “It’s just . . .”
“Just what? As far as I can tell, the system you’re so fond of works like this: you do what the Dux tells you to do, and you keep your mouth shut. Am I right?”
“Yes,” Caleb admits.
“Then don’t forget it again.” I head for the door.
“Where are you going?” Austin asks nervously.
“Gotta answer a booty call,” I tell him. “Let’s hope Gwendolyn doesn’t get all chatty when we’re finished.”
I don’t think I’ll rat them out right away. I have no idea what the consequences might be if Gwendolyn knew what I just heard. But Austin and Caleb do, and I really enjoy seeing them sweat.
I head downstairs to the ninth-floor balcony and start searching for an excuse to go somewhere other than Gwendolyn’s room. I lean over the railing. At the bottom of the atrium, the last traces of Felix have finally been scrubbed away. Lucas is standing one floor below me, surveying the very same scene. I should give him the good news about Aubrey, so I hop on the elevator and beg it to be as quiet as possible.
“Bad day for both of us,” Lucas remarks once I’m standing beside him.
“And a worse one for Felix.”
“I’m not so sure about that. At least he’s free.” Lucas looks over at me. “You’ll get used to it. A couple of Ghosts kill themselves every semester.”
“Every semester? Why so many?”
“I don’t know. But I guess I’ll find out.”
“I heard you’re in the bottom five.” Might as well get the subject out of the way. “I’m sorry. If you need any help on the outside . . .”
“I won’t. And you don’t need to pity me, Flick. I’d rather be number fifty-two than number two,” he says. “Gwendolyn’s going to own you now.”
I lower my voice to a whisper. “She’s not as bad as you think. I just heard that Gwendolyn talked Mandel into sparing Aubrey.”
Lucas’s eyes narrow. “Sparing her?”
“From being expelled.”
“Well, I know Ivan will be thrilled to hear that Aubrey’s staying.”
“I’ll be watching out for her while she’s here,” I tell him.
“Oh yeah? And what if the Wolves decide to go after you? You never considered that, did you? I bet you think you’re safe now that you’re the queen’s favorite boy.” Lucas pauses for a dramatic sigh. “Oh well, I suppose while you’re watching Aubrey’s back, I’ll just have to watch yours.”
I feel a flash of annoyance. “What makes you think I need your help? You’re number fifty-two. Maybe you should focus on saving your own ass, Lucas. Why waste your time on me?”
“Good question. Well, we can’t call it altruism, can we? I remember learning in Human Psychology that there’s