That was what they were learning to do at Whitfield. Teddy shook her head. “It’s not the same.”
“A debate for one of Clint’s classes, to be sure.”
A cab pulled up, and someone walked toward it to open the door.
“Thank you,” Teddy said.
“My pleasure, Ms. Cannon,” said a woman with hair so blond it appeared almost white.
It wasn’t until they were in the taxi, on their way home, that Teddy wondered how the woman had known her name.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
HOW TEDDY SPENT THE REST of break: rolling a Ping-Pong ball back and forth across her desk with her astral body, stalking Christine, wondering if Brett would turn up in Timbuktu, and avoiding Clint.
When she entered the dining hall on the first day of second semester, she saw Dara, Pyro, and Jeremy gathered around their usual table. Her heart skipped as she approached: she was happy to see them, even Jeremy. The realization hit her—she had friends. Really, really weird ones.
She looked at Jeremy, but he avoided her gaze. They hadn’t talked since his party. She still didn’t know what to make of the events of the exam, Molly’s actions, or her account of them.
“We were wondering where you were,” said Dara as Teddy took a seat.
“Turns out Jillian is a very effective alarm clock. I’m lost without her.”
“When will she be back?” Dara asked.
“In time for today’s assembly, I hope,” Teddy said, sipping her organic orange juice. She turned to Pyro. “When did you get in?”
“Last night,” Liz said, squeezing his shoulder. Teddy hadn’t noticed her at the table. Pyro changed the subject, asking about Teddy’s exam.
On the one hand, Teddy had never wanted anything serious with Pyro. On the other, she couldn’t deny that a part of her felt a tiny bit—not jealous but, okay, jealous. She described the retake, play by play.
“That sounds tough, Teddy,” Dara said. “Hey, has anyone heard from Molly?”
“She seemed pretty shaken up after the exam,” Pyro said.
And they didn’t even know what had happened on the course. Teddy looked at Jeremy. He put his fork down. “The stress of the exam was a lot for her. After we got back to campus, she passed out. She didn’t wake up after almost a week in the infirmary. I was really worried. But she’s on her way back to campus. She said she feels like a whole new person.”
Teddy still didn’t know the whole story, but something about Jeremy’s and Molly’s accounts didn’t add up. “Excuse me,” Teddy said. “I’m going to wait for Jillian at the dock.”
“I’ll come with you,” Jeremy said. “Molly might be there, too.”
Teddy tensed as Jeremy followed her out of the dining hall. They walked in silence until they hit the quad.
“Look—” Teddy began.
Jeremy cut her off. “I know you think that I had something to do with what happened during the exam. I wanted to talk to you about it at the party, but you left before I could speak with you alone.”
Was that before he made a move on Christine or after General McCreepy came on the scene? “Listen, Jeremy. I don’t know what’s going on between you and Molly, but I know what I saw in that warehouse, and what I saw wasn’t my friend. I know what mental influence looks like.” She thought back to Clint and the casino, the guards’ and Sergei’s blank stares.
Jeremy flushed. Teddy had never seen him angry before. Usually, he was a cipher, but now his fists were clenched by his sides, knuckles white. He paused and let out a long breath, then spoke. “You know she was asked to leave last year. But do you know why? She hurt someone, Teddy. It’s in her file. Corbett ruled it an accident, and he let her come back. But her abilities get the better of her sometimes, send her into fight-or-flight mode.” He softened. “I was trying to get her under control during the obstacle course. She wasn’t listening to me. She attacked.” He looked down at his hands. “I’m not a strong telepath. You’ve seen me in class. Mental influence is even more challenging. I was trying to protect you—both of you. It didn’t work.” He stared Teddy straight in the eye. “She wanted to run the course. Prove that she was stronger than last year. I should have been the one to go in.”
In a way, what he said made sense: Molly’s erratic behavior, why she didn’t want Teddy inside her thoughts. Had Molly been hiding what had happened last year? Was she afraid that if Teddy found out, she wouldn’t want to be Molly’s friend? At that moment, Teddy wished she could get a clear read on psychics. But when she studied Jeremy’s face, she didn’t feel the anxiety that accompanied a lie. Short of breaking in to his mind, she would have to trust him.
“She really wants to stay at school,” Jeremy said. “She’s been trying to keep her stress low. Dunn has been helping her. And I would appreciate if you would help her by not bringing up the exam.”
“You want me to pretend like it didn’t happen?”
“If she’s at school, we can help her. If she’s out there . . .” He left the thought unfinished.
By the time Teddy and Jeremy reached the dock, Dara had caught up. Teddy was grateful for her presence; she didn’t want to talk about Molly anymore. The three of them stood in the sun, stomping their feet and shoving their hands into pockets. There was a chill breeze coming off the bay. Teddy scanned the passengers milling about the upper deck of the ferry. She spotted Jillian and Molly standing together by the railing. Jillian was slumped, head down, while Molly stood tall, eyes on the horizon.
“I wonder what’s wrong with Jillian,” Teddy said.
Dara squinted at the view. “I wonder what’s wrong with Molly.
