Mimi jumps. She feels invaded, somehow, that she’s being watched

T

here’s a crowd around Kayla’s desk, jostling and arguing as they vie for attention.

“Kayla, pleeeeaaase check mine over, I totally messed it up…”

“Heyyy, hold on! I was here first.”

“Tomorrow I’ll issue tickets, with a numbering system,” Kayla announces. There’s a brief silence, then a titter, as if her classmates aren’t sure if she’s joking.

Mimi, standing with narrowed eyes in the doorway, knows she isn’t.

Her sister is serious, and tomorrow will undoubtedly find her with a booklet of bold, printed raffle tickets so that her classmates can await their turn in an organized fashion.

Their turn for what?

Mimi does a quick run-through of the day’s schedule. Oh, right, that Earth Science research assignment. Miss Licht is a stickler for grammar and spelling, heaven knows why. It’s not as if she teaches English. But that would explain why half the class is crowded around Kayla, begging her to read over their work and check for mistakes.

Mimi’s throat tightens. Her own essay is a hodgepodge of words, sentences, and a couple diagrams cobbled together from the textbook and her very patchy notes. Whatever.

Her friends haven’t arrived yet, it seems, but wait — there’s a flash of coral next to Ella’s desk. Her bag is here. And Shoshana’s coat is draped over the back of her chair.

Mimi frowns. They’re here, but they’re… not. Not in the classroom, that is.