MegaDeath by Tory Quinn

Author:Tory Quinn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level 4 Press, Inc.
Published: 2021-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

16

Lola entered the lunchroom at her high school feeling eyes on her from all corners. Admiring eyes, even though she had on last year’s jeans and a boring T-shirt. She wore an invisible cloak of celebrity. Lola felt her best, prettiest, quietest self. She smiled and nodded to less-fortunate kids who didn’t have a sister on the national team. Even super-popular boys noticed her. Seniors. The student council secretary. The hot college-student teacher’s assistant from gym class.

Lola set her tray down like a queen, generously staying with her original friends now that she was popular. Kiko picked at her food and looked at her with awe. She was taking it well that she was no longer the bad girl of the group. “I saw the news say your sister was so unpredictable the oddsmakers just gave up.”

Marty jumped on this like he’d been waiting for the conversation to start. “Did you see that surprise sacrifice move in Antarctica?”

“Of course! I haven’t missed seeing any games live, no matter what the time zone.” Lola saw Marty’s face fall and realized she was bragging. Not everyone was getting a free pass from their parents. “I mean, the replay was almost as good.”

Marty didn’t look mollified. “Aren’t you scared, though? For your sister?”

“No way. Megan is going to go all the way.” The question itself had raised a frisson in her gut. It was her sister. A real person. She could die. Lola covered her fear with a gulp of chocolate milk. “Can we watch at your place? In the pods?”

That did it. Marty straightened proudly. “My parents use them during the matches, but they won’t be as interested in tonight’s coverage.”

“This is so intense,” Kiko said, and they all sighed in happy agreement.

Laurel Coden, the most popular boy in school and captain of the pod team, walked up to their table then, with Kay, the most popular girl in school, and her best friend who was always standing around repeating her. All three of them wore the most authentic Team North America jackets, complete with silver death collars!

“Hey,” Laurel said, lifting his chin. “I’m your sister’s biggest fan.”

Lola freaked out. Inside. She barely shrugged outside. You couldn’t let people know you were into them. “I beg to differ, but she is my sister.”

Kay and her friend tittered. What fake laughs. “You can’t be the biggest fan. Look at your neck.”

“Yeah, look at your neck!”

Lola wasn’t sure what that was about.

Laurel leaned close. His eyes almost vibrated with excitement. “What if I were to tell you there’s a way to be the Ultimate Fan?”

“But I am an ultimate fan.” Lola’s voice was weak, breathy.

Kay tugged Laurel’s arm. “Not here. Teachers.”

“Yeah,” said the tagalong. “Not here.”

“We’ll talk,” Laurel said, and the cool kids drifted away in an air of mystery.

***

“That was barely adequate.” Coach Mustaine paced in front of a holo-screen that had just played through the end of their Death Kart race. He paused and pointed at the video with a laser, drawing a circle around Jerry’s car as it swerved too far to avoid a collision.

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