Break to You by Neal Shusterman

Author:Neal Shusterman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2024-05-08T00:00:00+00:00

19

On Train Wrecks

It’s the morning after lockdown. Yet even though things seem back to normal, they’re not. Maybe they are for everyone else, but not for Adriana. Not until she’s absolutely sure that J is okay. No, not J. He has a name now. Jonathan. Jon.

She’s in art class. Girls’ art class is held only ninety minutes every other week. Unlike the other sterile classrooms, this room has murals on the walls and old paintings by dead artists thumbtacked to the ceiling tiles, as not to mess with the murals. There’s also an actual physical teacher present, instead of a talking head on a TV screen—and she actually lets them choose their own seats.

Bianca sits by her lonesome at the opposite end of the room. When Adriana tried to follow there, Bianca stopped her.

“Art’s a private thing,” Bianca said, and told Adriana she doesn’t let anyone near her when she creates. After all the rebuffs and betrayals in Adriana’s life, you’d think this tiny rejection wouldn’t arrow to her core, but it does. She drops into a chair near the exit and watches girls fill up the chairs between her and Bianca. Monessa keeps to herself as well, not bothering to antagonize Adriana today, not even by giving her a cold shoulder. Monessa’s attitude today is neutral, which is annoying in its own way. The only girl unintentionally drawing attention to herself today is Jolene, who’s all red-eyed and sniffly because her ever-absent family burst her fantasy bubble once more.

Feeling itchy, Adriana glances back to the open door where a guard stands. Someone Adriana hasn’t seen before. A special art guard? Someone who’ll make sure none of the priceless pieces they create get stolen? Or maybe it’s something to do with the riot yesterday. Rent-a-cops to enforce the peace. Security theater. Like they have at airports. Stern military wannabes policing all those dangerous liquids.

Pip sits next to Adriana in the last empty chair in the room. After a moment, Pip leans close to Adriana. “You give any more thought to my offer?” she asks.

Adriana glances at Pip, her throat feeling dry. “Your offer?” she whispers. She knows what Pip’s asking, but somehow it feels dangerous to be beholden to Pip and her eyes that see everything. Better to feign ignorance and let Pip do all the work.

Pip’s baby face shines innocently. “You wanted information on a boy, didn’t you?”

Yes, yes, yes, she does.

“Sort of,” says Adriana. Maybe she can find out by going at it sideways. The less she seems to care, the better. Adriana glances at the clock behind her.

“Hey, what was up with the lockdown, anyway?” Adriana feels itchy again.

“Why do you think that I know?”

“Because you do,” says Adriana.

To that, Pip smiles. Maybe flattered by the fact that Adriana thinks Pip knows things. Which she does.

“A boy was poisoned,” says Pip.

Adriana sucks in a breath and the words spew out of her. “Who? Did he die? How can you get poisoned in juvie?”

A click of heels in the hallway, and the door opens.

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