“You already took a GED?”
“Yeah, a few months ago.”
“How was it? I’m going to have to take it eventually.”
“I thought it was pretty easy, except for math. I’ve always been terrible at math. But I just bought a book and studied a little before. You’ll be fine.”
“Maybe. I’m not, like, the smartest person in the room,” I said to my feet.
“Just because you weren’t good in school doesn’t mean you’re not smart.” He laughed. “I mean, that’s always been my hope. Otherwise I’m a real dumbass.”
“I don’t think you’re a dumbass, if that makes you feel better.”
“It does, thank you.” He leaned forward, peering down the track. Lights were approaching.
We squeezed into the packed subway car, and I ended up standing over the seats, squished in between Edan and a guy who developed an instant fascination with my boobs. I turned so I was facing Edan instead.
The guy in the seat just below me leaned back, phone poised like he was taking a picture. It was pointed in our direction.
Edan was staring over my head, and I leaned closer to him, rising up on my toes so I could whisper in his ear.
“Is that guy taking a picture of us?” I asked.
Edan waited a moment before discreetly glancing over, and then looked at me in amusement.
“I think he is?”
“Why?”
“He’s probably impressed by my good looks.”
I rolled my eyes. “That must be it.”
The train went around a curve and I stumbled, lurching into Edan. I grabbed a fistful of his hoodie, and he circled an arm around my waist.
“Sorry,” I said. He dropped his arm as I regained my balance.
We got off two stops later, and I glanced back at the guy who took our picture as I stepped off the train. He grinned and waved. I gave him a confused look.
We climbed the stairs up to the street, and Edan pointed to my left.
“It should be right—”
His words cut off as the sound of glass shattering echoed down the street. A scrab flew out the front window of a convenience store and landed on the street with a roar. It was much smaller than most scrabs I’d seen, at maybe four feet tall. It probably wasn’t even fully grown yet. Its dragged its short, sharp claws across gravel and snarled.
“Not even one day off, huh?” Edan said, reaching into his pack for a weapon.
“Apparently not.” I pulled my baton sword out of my pack, unsheathed it, and screwed the sheath to the bottom of the baton.
The scrab stood on all fours in the middle of the street, nearly motionless as it observed the scene around it. People ran in all directions—into stores, toward me and Edan, away from us. Everyone moved quickly but without panic. Business as usual.
Edan and I broke into a run, dodging the crowd. The scrab lowered its head and bared its teeth at us.
Edan got to the scrab first. He ducked as it swung at him, thrusting his stun gun into its side. The scrab roared.
I tightened my fingers around my baton and aimed it at the scrab’s neck. It swiped it away with such force that I lost my balance and hit the ground. Thud thud thud. The scrab was running away.
I scrambled to my feet and broke into a sprint behind Edan. The scrab galloped toward a group of teenage boys in school uniforms. One had his phone out, and his eyes went round as he realized that the scrab was headed for him. He cursed and turned to run.
Edan stunned the scrab in the leg. It howled and screeched to a stop. The boys scurried into a restaurant.
The scrab lunged at Edan, who ducked and scrambled away just in time. He stunned it in the side.
I skidded to a stop in front of the scrab. Its eyes were full of fury as it looked up at me. Both clawed hands were headed straight for me.
I drove my baton straight up into the scrab’s neck. It jerked, a squeaking noise escaping its throat. Blood dripped onto my arms, and I leaned back, trying to avoid getting it on my face. Wetness splashed onto my neck. Gross.
The scrab stumbled backward and collapsed on the ground.
Edan lifted his arms in triumph. The crowd at the end of the street burst into applause.
“Yeah!” one of the boys in the restaurant yelled. All four of them were standing in front of the glass front window, phones out and pointed at us. Sirens sounded in the distance.
I shook my arms, blood flying through the air.
“Here,” Edan said, jogging over to me and unzipping his pack. “I have some wipes.” He tugged a few free and handed them to me.
“Thanks.” I wiped my arms down until they were clean. “Do I have any on my face?”
“Just on your neck. I’ll get it.” Edan grabbed a wipe and swiped it down my neck a few times. “Badass as usual.”
“You too,” I said with a smile.
He stepped back, taking the bloody wipes from me and tossing them into a trashcan. Behind him, two police cars stopped near the scrab.
“So,” he said. “Still hungry?”
36
We had instructions to meet Julian at the gym the next morning, and I walked over with Edan. Most of the team was already there, and they all turned and stared at us. Noah’s face broke into a huge grin.
“Oh hey, guys. What have you two been up to?” He said it like he knew exactly what we’d been up to. Beside him, Madison raised her eyebrows. Priya looked delighted. Patrick cocked his head and squinted.
Edan and I traded confused glances.
“Your adventures yesterday made the news,” Noah said. “Well, the Tumblr and Twitter news.” He swiped his phone a few
