The bathroom was, blessedly, almost empty. No one at the stalls, just the high whine of the overhead lights and the faint drip of water from a recently-used sink. The whole room was blued over by the same fluorescent haze as the rest of the terminal, but it felt different here—quieter, like the world was paused and waiting for her to catch up.

Bri drifted to the far end, picked the last sink, and braced herself on the cold ceramic edge. She didn’t bother with the automatic soap. She just ran her hands under the water, the temperature forever stuck at “lukewarm sadness.” She splashed her face. The shock didn’t wake her up so much as it made her more aware of how tired she already was.

Her glasses were smudged. She pulled them off, ran the sleeve of her jacket over the lenses, then stared into the mirror at the blur that resolved, bit by bit, into her actual face. Long red hair, half-frizzed, cut by the thick line of her frames. The skin under her eyes looked like someone had penciled in a second set of eyebrows, faintly purple from sleep debt and prescription side effects.

She stuck her tongue out at the mirror. “Nice.”

It didn’t help.

She squared her shoulders, turned away from the mirror, and pushed back out into the glare of the terminal. This time, she didn’t flinch. There was no one there when she exited the bathroom. Where was everyone?

Bri checked the clock along the wall. That’s not right. The clock’s small hand was hovering at the one. 1:20. It shouldn’t be later than 1:00. That couldn’t be right. Had she lost time somewhere? How long had she been in the bathroom? Stupid, she thought, stupid. She dug her phone out of her bag, checked, and sure enough: a dozen unread messages, all from a “VIA AU GROUP” chat she’d muted on landing.

WHERE R U

LOST LMAO

Did u get flagged at security, Bri?

Hope u didn’t get deported HAHAHA

She ignored them, locked the phone, gripping it so hard her fingers hurt. She walked faster. The anxiety started in her toes and crawled up, inch by inch, until it found a home in her chest. Would Asune leave her?

Most of the diamonds and golds had arranged their own transportation. There was a bus, but it was leaving at 1:30 and they weren’t expecting her. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. As she hauled it, she concentrated on her breathing. In through her nose, one, two, three, four. She let her breath out through pursed lips, just like every therapist had ever taught her. It did nothing.

The way to baggage claim was completely silent, eerily so. Bri drifted solo—just another overgrown high schooler clutching a regulation-sized backpack and looking slightly lost. Her combat boots squeaked with each step.

She scanned for Noah or even the taller boys from the flight—Cain and Beau had a talent for standing out—but neither materialized. Her heart did a weird stutter. Maybe she’d already missed everyone. Maybe they’d left her behind on purpose.

The baggage area was even worse: a low cavern of moving belts on autopilot, plastic chairs, but no luggage. She made a circuit of the luggage belts. Nothing. No luggage. No people. She ran back to the wall-mounted screen, desperately looking for her flight. The lines blended together, swimming. Belt six. She’d just been there.

She looked at her phone. The “VIA AU GROUP” chat was even more unhinged than before, topped with a blurry photo of Yui sleeping mouth-open. Despite her panic, she almost laughed. She was about to scroll deeper when arms wrapped around her neck from behind, squeezing hard. A hand clamped over her eyes. She yelped, stumbling forward, her own hands flying up to claw at the arms holding her. A muffled voice shouted in her ear, and for a terrifying second, it was just noise and pressure and the smell of someone else’s perfume.

“YOU’RE ALIVE!” said Asune, voice a full octave louder than necessary. She spun Bri halfway around before letting go, bouncing up and down like a malfunctioning wind-up toy. Her hair—a sharp, gleaming bluish purple—stood out in the crowd even more than before.

“Sorry. But I had to. You’re here! You’re really here! Did you die on the flight, or what?”

Bri massaged her shoulder. “It was touch and go for a bit.”

Asune looked her up and down with a critical eye. “Wow. You look like you survived a natural disaster. Wait—are you actually okay? Because you look… I mean, you look really pale. Like, your normal level of pale, but extra.”

Bri shrugged. “Airplane lighting is bad for my complexion.”

Asune grinned. “Yeah. No kidding.Well, it’s over. Flight is always the worst part. Now it’s just fun, sun, and—” she leaned in, lowered her voice, “”—maybe a chance to see you in something other than that.” She gestured at her outfit. “I brought a hot bikini just for you.”

Bri was too tired to blush, but she managed an eye roll. “What, the uniform isn’t enough?”

“It’s a cruise. These lame suckers have no fashion sense. It was suggested but not required to wear that damn uniform. Why would you wear it…unless you’re a Diamond and want everyone to know it.”

“We are going to get a drink and then the pool, like, immediately. Also, I brought four sets of contacts so you can finally see me with normal eyes if you want.”

Bri had never known how to respond. Her glasses were a shield, a deliberate choice to blur the world just enough to make it bearable. Admitting they were fake felt like taking off armor. She said nothing, just pushed them higher on her nose. “Maybe we should just get the luggage?”

“Yeah, you took so long, I already got it. Seriously. Who is your bestie?”

“Yeah, yeah. You are.” Bri rolled her eyes but she couldn’t hide her smile. The tension just drained away.

“I’ve got a limo, so let’s go. Mojitos, here we come.”

There was a lull. For a second, Bri just watched her friend vibrate with energy, and felt the beginnings of something like relief.

“Wait,” said Asune suddenly. “How did you make it from the plane to here without… um… melting down? Was it just, like, pure willpower? Or did you have help?”

Bri considered. She could lie, say she was totally fine. But it felt like too much work.

“Noah,” she said.

Asune’s eyebrows shot up. “Noah? Our Noah? President of our class Noah? The guy who should’ve flown in a private jet but is, for some reason, flying commercial with the rest of us?”

“That Noah. He was… actually nice,” said Bri. The words felt weird in her mouth, but true.

Asune processed this. “Huh,” she said finally. “That’s… surprising. Usually he only helps if there’s an angle.”

Bri shrugged. “Maybe there was. I didn’t ask.”

“Or maybe he likes you,” Asune said, and then cackled at Bri’s face. “I’m kidding. No one likes anyone on these trips. Not really. Everyone is just pretending to be normal until the adults stop watching.”

Bri nodded, feeling a ghost of a smile. “Isn’t that what high school is?”

“Yep,” said Asune. She linked arms with Bri, pulling her toward the waiting crowd. “Come on. We have to check in, and then you and I are going to eat something so sugary it’ll rewire your entire brain.”

Bri let herself be pulled along. She risked a glance back at the carousel. It was still silent. Whatever. She had a friend, and a plan, and for the first time since waking up on the plane, she felt almost ready for whatever came next.