Gabi and Marnie had picked over the events of the day until the first of the weary partiers began filtering back into the dorm around 2:00 a.m. The two girls and Jordan had made a pact before heading to their respective dorms. They would all sit for this year’s exams, and they would pass, whatever it took. The counselors’ offer was too good to be true, and none of them wanted to defer and risk the decision being reversed by the council in the year to come.
Gabi was amazed by Marnie’s rapid turnabout regarding becoming a Witness. She was determined to make a team, but not just any team. She wanted to be sent to work in Willow, her old branch, and when she got there, she was going to go AWOL and continue her parents’ work. Gabi had no doubt in Marnie’s ability to do anything she set her mind to, but the thought of being separated from her was becoming harder with each passing moment.
Jordan was committed to their oath as well, though he wasn’t optimistic about his chances. His sister had studied for the exam from the time she was twelve, and even with four years of preparation, she’d barely passed. With the exception of those who received callings early, as Mathew had, no one was ever simply given a chance to take the test. It would have made a mockery of the sanctity of Witnessing, and been unnecessarily harsh for the ill-prepared. But like Gabi, Jordan wasn’t about to let the odds keep him from trying.
“My sister left all of her books and stuff when she took off for her first mission,” he’d told them. “It’s all still there, I think, in boxes in my parents’ basement.” Jordan’s voice flattened. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about the physical part, though. Ten days isn’t enough time to make much difference. The only exercise I’ve ever had is doing chores. I just wish there was some way to prepare without getting my parents’ hopes up. Even if I could keep it from them, they’re going to know I’m sitting for the exam when the shuttle comes to take me to the testing center.”
Jordan wasn’t the only one anxious to keep his exam a secret, but Gabi’s motives had more to do with protecting herself than Sam or Mathew. If Sam would freak out about something like her skipping her meds and doing a few sit-ups, he’d have a full-on seizure if Gabi told him about becoming a Witness. The fact she’d been given an actual shot at it would terrify him, not to mention break the Consecration Camp pact of silence. Most likely Sam would forbid her from taking the exam altogether. Nor could she risk confiding in Mathew. He was just as protective of her as Sam. Encouraging her to get healthy was one thing, but Mathew would want no part in helping Gabi put herself in danger. Still, as long as he didn’t suspect Gabi’s true motive, Mathew would continue to help her build her strength and endurance. The dilemma of how to get herself to the testing center without Mathew or Sam knowing about it was yet another obstacle, but given everything she’d heard about the exam itself, that was the least of her worries.
Though the other girls were wearing their white purity shifts from the day before, freshly laundered gowns had been laid at the foot of Gabi’s and Marnie’s bunks that morning. The splotches of blood left over from their ordeal in the tub room would have made poor accessories for a couple of purified girls about to receive their calling. Marnie was already dressed and applying the finishing touches to her heavily made-up eyes. Her hair was molded into a severe bob with thick bangs brushing her eyebrows, a cut normally obscured by her customary style of gelled spikes. She looked like a picture of Cleopatra from their Ancient Cultures textbook. With her dramatic onyx eyeliner, Marnie was Cleopatra’s spitting image if you took away the piercings, heavy musculature, and nicotine breath. She caught Gabi’s eye in the mirror and winked.
“Come on, girls,” Christina trilled, her long braid unwoven so that it rippled over her back and shoulders like a live thing. “The hour is upon us!” Squeals issued from the bathroom as girls streamed out, faces iridescent with gloss and eye shadow.
“Showtime,” Marnie said as she stood and shoved her makeup back into the duffel on her bed. Marnie was already packed, clothes for changing into after the ceremony in a pile beside her bag. After the post-Consecration buffet, the campers would all be shuttled back to their respective branches, which, for those like Jordan, meant days of bus travel. As she followed Marnie into the main hall where the boys were lined up in matching white pajamas with their male counselors, Gabi caught sight of Jordan. Stripped of his protective layers and hood, his skin looked powdery and vulnerable as a newborn’s. Despite the absence of his customary swaddling, Jordan’s height and bulk were still considerable. If he was strong, rather than soft as a plush toy, he could have been a Minder. At the very least, he could have easily fought off the bullies he feared.
As the girls entered, Jordan and Peter walked across the floor to join Gabi and Marnie, trailed by Zach, Beth, Luke, and Ginny. The four counselors were also dressed in shades of white: Luke suave in tailored trousers and button-down shirt, while Ginny was outfitted in a clingy, ivory wrap dress. Zach wore white jeans and a fitted T-shirt that
