going to survive.
Feeling Amy’s and Elva’s arms close around her, Haley
wanted to break down and weep.
She wasn’t sure how much time she had before Snake came
looking for her. She could say she’d met up with her friends
because she wanted privacy. They were just sitting in the food
court the whole time. She knew he’d find her. She already had
the whole thing rehearsed. She just needed fifteen minutes
alone with them to tell them in person what was going on with
her.
She started as soon as they marched to the food court and
ordered smoothies. They chose a table far away from anyone
else, and since it was just after ten in the morning, it wasn’t
very busy. Then she told them everything. Everything about
her dad. Everything about her current living situation. About
her bodyguard. All of it.
“Whoa,” Elva sighed. She was Haley’s best friend from
summer camp. Since the camp was for New York kids, she
and Elva found out they didn’t live that far away. Even though
they went to separate schools, they were virtually inseparable
after that week. Elva was blonde and waiflike. She was tiny,
but she was a serious badass. She was studying graphic design
and could do art like no one’s business. Even through all their
differences, nothing was going to change the fact that they
were besties.
“Yeah. Whoa,” Amy echoed. She was Haley’s best friend
from high school. Amy looked more like Haley, and they
shared way more of the same interests. Amy would call it
dorky interests, since it usually included band and music and
other things people in high school had seen as uncool. It didn’t