Oh, God. What did I do?
My cheeks reddened as Sasha frowned and tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at me. Maria’s jaw dropped. Priya looked like she was literally about to start seizing. But Robbie looked impressed, and Amy struggled to stifle her laughter. Even Zane finally looked up from his phone.
After a moment so long it broke the laws of physics, Sasha threw her head back and burst out laughing. Everyone else followed her lead.
“Oh my God! The look on your face!” Sasha finally said, wiping her eyes with her pinkies, careful not to smudge her mascara.
I let out a nervous chuckle, gripping my quivering fingers in my lap. Sasha rested an elbow on the back of her chair, poking her cheek with her tongue, sizing me up. Maybe she was impressed I’d challenged her when everyone else sucked up to her all the time.
When everyone else quieted, Robbie said, “C’mon, Sasha, I think it’s a good idea. Nobody wants to see Bye Bye Birdie anyway.”
“That’s true,” said Amy. “That’s some lame shit.”
Sasha raised her eyebrows. “You said you loved Bye Bye Birdie!”
Amy slinked back in her seat a bit. “Er . . . I kinda lied. Sorry.”
“Well,” said Sasha, “I do love Romeo and Juliet. So dark and romantic. I’d be down for that.”
Whoa. Might this really happen? Hope blossomed in my chest as Robbie threw me a conspiratorial wink.
“Yeah, I guess that’d be fun,” said Maria unconvincingly. I felt kind of bad to deprive her of her singing glory, but she’d dazzle as Juliet.
“Can I play Romeo?” asked Zane.
Robbie scoffed. “Dude, you’re not even in drama club.”
The warning bell rang, and Sasha stood and draped her messenger bag over her shoulder. “Alright, alright. Let’s talk. But we’ll need to get the rest of the drama club on board . . . everyone loves doing Broadway.” She snapped her fingers. “I have an idea.”
“What is it?” My heart leapt into my throat.
“I’ll invite them to Zane’s party on Friday. And it’d be amazing if you could bring some booze. You know, loosen them up a bit. I’m sure they’ll at least hear you out.”
My stomach twisted in a knot. “Booze? You want me to bring alcohol to a party?” I had no idea where to get drinks.
“Tequila would be great.”
“Or vodka.” Zane smirked. “Off-brand is fine, we’re not picky.”
Priya and I exchanged a wary look. “But . . . I don’t have a fake ID or anything.” I stood and stumbled after them. “Where am I supposed to get booze?”
Sasha gave an exaggerated shrug. “I mean, you could show up empty-handed. But if you want to impress them, you’ll just have to figure it out.”
59 Minutes Left
My pulse raced as I stared at the syringe of poison and the bomb atop the gleaming silver platter. Within the hour, you must choose someone in this room to die. If you don’t, everyone dies.
“That’s one sick prank,” said Robbie. “Who the hell would do this?” He grabbed the note from me, his eyes darting across the page. Diego leaned against the edge of the table, studying the bomb.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Sasha clutched her throat. “Does that mean . . . if we don’t kill one of us, that bomb will go off in an hour?”
Scott burst out laughing.
“What the hell is so funny?” asked Sasha.
He leaned back in his chair. “It’s obviously a joke, and you fell for it like an anvil.”
“Doesn’t seem very funny to me,” muttered Robbie.
“Who would do this?” Priya cried. “Who would think up something so awful?”
“Did anyone see who shut the door?” I asked. Priya and Scott shook their heads.
“No.” Diego slumped back into his seat. “I didn’t see anyone.”
“Me neither,” said Sasha. “I was too busy talking to that creep.” She motioned toward Scott, and he scoffed.
“Someone probably stood behind the door and pushed it closed,” said Diego.
Priya visibly shivered. “Does that mean someone was hiding behind the door the whole time?”
“And are they still out there?” My voice shook slightly.
Robbie slammed the note on the table and scooted his chair back with a screech, making me jump. “This is ridiculous.” He rounded his chair and pounded on the door. “Hey! Unlock the door!” His jaw tightened when nobody replied. “This isn’t funny. Unlock the door now!”
“Oh my God,” said Priya. Sasha took slow, deep breaths, trying to keep calm, but her eyes darted around the room frantically.
“Robbie.” I rushed toward him, grabbing his hand. “Calm down. It’s just some morbid joke. I’m sure they’ll get bored and let us out.”
He shook me off and knelt, peering with one eye into the large keyhole below the doorknob. “There’s no key.”
“I didn’t hear a lock click or anything,” Sasha added.
“It all happened so fast.” I touched the oak door, the wood cool under my palm, and turned back to the group. “Think they’re still out there?”
Robbie shrugged. “Who the hell knows?”
“Hello?” I called out. “Is anyone there?”
“This is bullshit.” Robbie kicked the door. “What kind of sick psycho would—”
“Shhh.” I waved him off and pressed my ear against the door, but all I could hear was Priya muttering, “Oh my God, oh my God,” over and over again. “Priya, shut up,” I said. She clamped her lips shut, her eyes glassy.
I pressed my ear against the door again, straining to hear something. A voice. Footsteps. Someone breathing. Anything. But all I could hear were the muffled baritones and strings from the orchestral music playing in the main dining room.
“Nothing?” asked Diego.
I shook my head and knelt, peeking through the keyhole. My heart raced as I held my breath. Years of watching horror movies had trained me to expect an eyeball to appear on the other side. My whole body tensed, ready to leap backward.
But all I could see was one of the red-cushioned booths across the main dining room. There was no movement of any kind. “There’s nobody there.” I stood and turned back to the group. “I don’t see anything.”
“Damn, it’s so hot in here.” Sasha touched the back of her hand to her forehead.
“It really is.” I wiped my upper lip and scanned the walls. “Crap. The thermostat must be out in the main dining room.”
“It’s gotten worse since we got here.” Priya tugged on her hair. “I just want to go home.”
I gasped and bit my lip. Home. I forgot to text Mom when Robbie and I got here. “Oh, no.” I grabbed my phone from the table and raised it toward the ceiling, but I had no signal whatsoever. Sasha tried the same thing, stretching toward the windows facing the alley.
“Nothing,” she confirmed. “I can’t get anything.”
“Crap, crap, crap.” My chest tightened like a vise squeezing my heart. What if something terrible did happen here tonight? What was the last thing I said to my mother as I ran out the door? Did I tell her I loved her? When was the last time I told my parents I loved them? A chill tore through me despite the room’s warmth, and I shook the morbid thought away. This was just a prank. It wasn’t real.