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I should have just left with the tissue sample like Geery had suggested. I’d just been so caught up in finding a way to stay with Jesse. But now that they knew about the tissue, they’d find a way to get it too. They’d keep hurting people until I gave up.

I retrieved an empty Gatorade bottle from a trash can in the corner and slopped tissue into it—only enough that the original looked almost as full. I slipped the Gatorade bottle into my pack, did a cursory cleaning of my work station, and ran outside with the water bottle in my hand.

“Jesse!” I called. I ran to where he was waiting at the end of the walkway, holding up the water bottle. “I thought I was on to something that would let me stay here. But I’m not. I failed.” I looked into his eyes, but addressed someone else. “Take this,” I said, thrusting the bottle into his hand. “Destroy it. I didn’t find anything. It’s useless. I’m going home Wednesday morning with my dad.”

Jesse took the bottle, stupefied. “Are you talking to me?”

“You have to believe me. I give up. I’m going home.”

Jesse looked at the bottle in his hand, then up at me. “What do I do with this?”

“Take it to the sink in the janitor’s closet. Wash it down the drain. And put this key back.” I held up the master key. “I’m going to start walking home and I expect to find Becca somewhere along the way.”

“Let me take you.”

“No. Go do it now. Becca’s lost. And I don’t think we’ll find her until you dump out that bottle. Call when it’s done.” I turned toward the road, but was engulfed with Jesse’s grief. He honestly believed that I had given up and was going home. And that’s how it had to be, no matter how much it killed me. I pushed forward until I could no longer feel him. Then I turned around, blinking back tears. He was still watching me, the stupid bottle in his hand. “Go!” I shouted. “Just go!”

He took a step backwards. I broke into a jog towards home, my eyes searching for Becca, wondering what they could have done to her this time. If they’d even let her live.

I was almost to Kinbrae when Jesse called. “Okay, it’s gone. Whatever it was. I washed it down the drain. What should I do now?”

I jogged with the phone pressed to my ear, looking wildly from one side of the road to the other. “I…I don’t know. I need to find Becca.”

“I’ll get in my ca—”

The phone buzzed, interrupting the call. It was a text from Trevor again. >>She’s here! I found her. Stupid kid wandered off.

I slowed to a stop and shook out my legs

>>How does she seem? I texted back.

>>Kinda dopey.

>>You think she’s okay?

>>Yeah. Probably needs a nap or something.

I called Jesse back. “Becca’s fine. Trevor found her.” My voice cracked. “But they had control of her…I’m sure of it.”

“So…does that mean…?”

“It means I’m going home on Wednesday. They won.” A lump formed in my throat. I was almost glad I wasn’t close to Jesse, so I didn’t have to actually feel his emotion. I started up the sidewalk—back in his direction—my heart still pounding, tears forming. “I have a couple of hours before my mom gets home. I want to spend it with you. I want to meet your family. See your room. I want to know everything about you.” I used my arm to wipe away the tears streaming down my cheeks. “We’ll be getting ready tomorrow. I don’t know if I’ll even get to go to school.” I saw Jesse up ahead walking towards me. His broad shoulders and narrow waist, his hair blowing in the breeze, the confident easy-going way he walked. I put the sight to memory. Then ran towards him, sobbing.

 “My family won’t be home for a while,” he said, taking me in his arms. We clung to one another and returned to the school, to the gym. Sitting side-by-side on the gym floor, I sent out texts to all my friends, spreading the news that I was moving on Wednesday. The replies came rapidly. While I typed responses, I let Jesse ask every question he could think of about my world. I answered all that I thought were safe—which meant no mention of the Stones.

I told myself that I was just making Jesse and my friends believe that I was leaving for their own safety. Just until I came up with another plan for staying. But that other plan remained elusive. I could tell Dad everything and pray he’d have a way to help. Maybe he’d know how to run a better test on the tissue. But there was a good chance he’d feel the need to tell Mom. And if there was a leak at the agency, I’d just put my friends in danger all over again. I’d have to find a way to prove to him that Mom’s safety depended on his secrecy. But once I gave him all these details, the first thing he’d want to do is go to her. It would be so far out of his nature to do otherwise. I kept that idea as a last resort.

When it was nearly six o’clock, Jesse led me to his car to meet his family. It was cruel to ask this of him. His eyes were rimmed with red. His back stiff. It would be obvious to his family that something was wrong. But I’d spend the rest of my life in regret if I returned home without having at least an image of his family in my mind.

Jesse took my hand as we walked up the path to his house. He released it just before getting to the door. A bush next to the front door shook abnormally. “Do it and die,” Jesse said without removing his gaze from the door. There was a giggle, followed by a small black-haired boy darting away from the porch with a large water gun in his arms. “That’s Sam,” Jesse said. “Nathan’s probably around here somewhere.”

I turned and scanned the yard. Sam was on the sidewalk with his gun pointed in our direction. Then I felt something wet on my toe and looked down to see the tip of another gun sticking out from the bush next to me. I bent down and peered through the branches. “Hello!”

Nathan giggled, his eyes wide.

“Did you spray her?” Jesse demanded, stooping next to me to look at his little brother.

“Jesse’s got a girlfriend!” Sam taunted from across the yard.

“Well, there you go. You met them.” He straightened, opened the front door and pulled me inside.

“They’re adorable.”

 “Jesse! Who’s this?” Mrs. Mecham was even prettier than her picture, with blonde hair coiffed dramatically around her head. She extended her hand, her eyes bright and enthusiastic. “You must be the girl who’s been taking all of Jesse’s attention lately.”

“I’m Mira,” I said, shaking her delicate hand.

“Oh, what a beautiful name. Jesse hasn’t even told us that much.” She turned back to the kitchen. “Bo! Come here! Quickly! Jesse has a friend over!”

Jesse shifted his feet miserably. Mr. Mecham ambled in with a sly grin on his gentle, amiable face. He was only an inch or so taller than his wife, shorter than both me and Jesse. I ducked my head in embarrassment at the appraising look he gave me. He slapped Jesse on the back as if he’d just won a sports competition. “Good for you son,” he said. “Good for you!”

Jesse gave his dad a warning glare, his face growing red. I turned my head away, pursing my lips to keep from laughing. The cheer felt good after being filled with so much grief and worry.

“Let’s go into the kitchen,” Mrs. Mecham said. “I’ll round up something to eat and we can visit.”

“We can’t stay,” Jesse said.

“What? But you just got here!”

I wanted to stay more than anything. I felt drawn to them in much the same way I felt drawn to Jesse. I wanted to learn all about both of them. And see the twins when they weren’t hiding behind bushes. Even meet his grandparents, especially the one that left China as a young girl. I wanted to hear that story first hand.

But there was only a short time until Mom would be home from work. I tucked their images away in an easily-retrievable place in my brain where I could study them later. “I just really wanted to meet you,” I said. “But I do have to go.”

 We had only driven a short distance towards my house when I realized we hadn’t finished an earlier conversation. An important one. I glanced nervously at his profile. “You never finished your part of the promise.”

“What promise was that?”

“That you’ll move on after I’m gone. Find someone else.”

He glanced my way. “Will I ever see you again?”

I turned my head. “I don’t see how.”

“Will you be able to stream with me?”

“I tried this morning. But you didn’t know I was there.”

We drove for several blocks before Jesse spoke again. “Can you just come in if I give you permission?”

“No. I couldn’t. It isn’t right.”

“It’s just like if I give you the key to my front door.”

I smiled. “It’s not quite the same thing.”

“Close enough.”

“I don’t know. I’ll try. But I still want your promise. You can’t live your entire life with your only companion a voice that occasionally pops into your head.”

“Sounds like a classic psychopath. With my history…that might be the perfect life for me.”

“Jesse. Please.”

Jesse pulled to the curb of our corner. “I’ll promise. If you’ll promise to do everything you can to stay with me.”

“I can’t keep trying to stay.” I looked at him squarely. “I
will
be returning home.”

He didn’t respond. An uncontrolled whimper burst from my lips. Jesse reached for me and touched my cheek. At the feel of his touch I began to sob.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to give up yet,” Jesse said.

I put my hand over the one on my cheek. It was twenty minutes beyond the time I’d told Dad I’d be home. I suddenly hated all the times we’d said goodbye in this car, never knowing if it would be the last. No words could ever be acceptable as our final ones. So I left without a response, dragging my feet home.

Dad was waiting by the front door, wreaking of worry. “Your mother is almost here. I haven’t devised a story for why you were gone all day.”

“I’m sorry…”

He scratched his head. “I’m still at a loss…”

My eyes were brimming with tears, probably swollen beyond recognition. I sniffed and swiped at my face with both hands. “I’m sorry to put you in this position. But please don’t tell her anything yet.”

I went to my room, carrying my pack instead of leaving it by the front door, so I could keep my last bit of evidence close. There had to be something else I could do. Just one more thing…

I kept going back to telling Dad everything. But from his condition this evening, I just knew there was no way he could keep any more information from Mom.

My sleep that night was filled with images of my friends running from one disaster to another. Even Jesse’s parents and little brothers were included. By the time the sun rose my head ached, my eyes were blurry, and my fingers itched to start texting my friends—especially Jesse.

Mom stopped by my door before leaving. “I know you’re hurting,” she said into the dark room.

I remained still under the covers.

“I wish there were something I could do.” She paused, obviously aware that I was awake, or she would have sent a stream. But I didn’t have the energy or desire to respond. “I’m going into headquarters for a few hours,” she continued. “You should get packed. You’re allowed to take back whatever will fit in your pack as a souvenir. A car will be arriving for you and Dad around two to take you to headquarters for some pre-launch workups.”

 So that was it. No returning to the school. No more goodbyes. Apparently the reason I hadn’t been able to come up with another solution for staying was that there wasn’t one.

Not only would I subject Jesse and my other friends to brain wipes or worse if I went to my parents, but under the Waikish Directive, they’d be forced to destroy Everett’s tissue sample. The only thing to do was get that sample safely back to Nreim where I could adequately test it. I’d still be subject to a trial and potentially that inconvenient death penalty. But if I could prove the sample was one hundred percent clear of chromosomal defects, at least there would be some evidence that could be used against the Stones. And Jesse would be safe. That’s the most I could hope for at this point. If I couldn’t be with Jesse, I didn’t really care whether I lived or died.

My biggest challenge now was forcing myself onto that transport. Boarding a ship designed to take me that far from Jesse would take an act of strength I couldn’t yet fathom. I arose, dressed, and lethargically prepared the last vegetable breakfast I’d ever have to eat. Dad was at the table taking apart a blender. “Aren’t we supposed to pack?” I asked.

He nodded, not looking up. “There are only so many things I can fit in my bag.”

When the time came that I thought my friends should be preparing for school, I sent out texts—not bothering to hide from Dad. The replies came in swiftly. From all but Jesse. Not a surprise, since he still wasn’t in the habit of checking his phone. Except I would have thought he’d keep a close watch on it today. I wandered into my room, fingering the phone.

Packing would only take a few seconds. The only things I really wanted to take with me were in my head: memories of Jesse. I could take my phone. It would be good to remember my friends by. Maybe my bikini, for a laugh. And of course the Gatorade bottle. I sent another text to Jesse, my fingers trembling. What if they knew that I still had evidence? Or even just suspected it? Maybe they wouldn’t just let me slip away.

I squeezed the phone until my knuckles were white. Willing it to vibrate. I tried to picture Jesse—to send a stream—and realized with a new wave of regret that I never did see his bedroom. The stream went unanswered, like I knew it would. He had asked me to enter without permission…to violate his privacy.

I hated to do it, but had to tell him not to watch for me. That I wouldn’t be at school. I might not even be able to do that much from the distance of Nreim. This was possibly my last chance for a connection of any kind. I pictured him again, threw out the stream, and tried to let it slip in, the way I had tried with Everett.

There was no wall this time. I slipped inside easily. But was met with blinding, excruciating pain. Jesse’s pain.

I gasped and doubled over, my head suddenly throbbing. I immediately pulled back out. Had I caused that? Or was he already in that condition? Without giving it another thought I headed to the front door. “I’ll be back in time!” I called to Dad. “I promise!” I heard him call my name as I ran out the door but didn’t slow my pace.