Theodessa wasn’t worried. She didn’t pull out her phone to check on her brother, who was supposed to pick her up. Instead, she hid from the world, lost in her music book, humming the notes as she blotted them down, just pages from the end. Sitting in front of the school, leaning on one of the seven columns that held it up. Above was one of the virtues of a good student: courage. Ironically, the other attributes, creative, curious, or even adventurous, if you squint, would fit her better. 

“Hey, you have a really good voice.”

Theodessa flinched, offsetting her gold-rimmed glasses. Fixing her glasses, she looked up at a tall, thin-faced boy with black, shaven hair, save for the green Mohock. Silver piercings of all sizes hid his ears.

“Thank you…?”

The boy crouched to be eye to eye with Theodessa. “Are you going to join the competition?”

Theodessa averted her gaze to the floor. “I don’t think I will, but I’ve thought about it.”

“You should. You’d win for sure,” The boy says before lightening his voice with a joke. “Unless you’re in a band. Then you’ll get second place.” The boy laughed to himself. 

Theodessa gives him a puzzled look.

The boy holds out his hand. “I’m Deral, lead singer of Midnight America.”

“Theodessa,” she takes his hand.

“So.. what are you doing here?” Deral asked. “Do you just like sitting her an hour after school?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“I got dragged to the principal's office,” Deral says. “Something about the nonexistent dress code.” he rolled his eyes, smiling briefly. “Anyway, what about you?”

“Waiting on my brother.”

“He’s clearly not coming,” Deral gestures to the empty parking lot. “I can drop you off at your place.”

“And get into a stranger's car?” Theodessa shakes her head.

“How about joining me and my friends?” Deral asked. 

Theodessa raises an eyebrow. “How is that different?”

“If I was going to kidnap you, which I’m not,” he pointed to the security camera. “I stick out. No way the police wouldn’t find me.”

Theodessa thinks about it. Weighing out the worst from the best that could happen to her. She decides she shouldn’t be as suspicious as she is. He did have a point. And if he was lying, and kidnaped her, it couldn’t be worse than going back home. 

Theodessa closes her book. “Where are your friends?” 

“The back of the school,” Deral replies. “I think.”

“How do you know they didn’t leave?”

“They’d better be there,” Deral laughs. “I’m the one driving them home.”

“Alright,” Theodessa stands, stretching her stiff limbs. “Let’s go see your friends.”

Deral grinned and jumped up. “Right this way, sunshine.” he gave a mock bow before prancing to the back of the school.

Theodessa followed as though she might step into a bear trap. An invisible chain tightened around her neck, weighing her down, as she thought of the things her parents might do if she wasn’t there. Before she could turn back and continue waiting for her brother, Deral stopped.