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motivated, I admit, by the hope that she might teach me telekinesis. Also, I wanted a demonstration. I didn’t exactly think she was lying to me, but some stubborn part of my brain still couldn’t quite accept it. It didn’t make sense. Besides, how did Victoria know all that math stuff that she made McMoron write? Calculus, Mrs. Goldstein had said. No one in grade seven knew calculus unless they were some kind of math genius. So how could Victoria have done that?
    I stood in the schoolyard, thinking and waiting for Ben and Victoria. The rush of kids funneling out the doors had slowed to a trickle. I looked at my watch, shuffled impatiently from one foot to the other and rewound my scarf around my neck more snugly.
    On the other side of the fence, a skinny guy with a shaved head was pacing back and forth along the sidewalk. He kept stopping and looking up at the school. “Hey,” he called to me, “is school out already? I’m looking for someone.”
    I wondered who. He was maybe twenty or so, way younger than most kids’ parents. Plus he looked out of place, somehow. He had a tattoo on his neck—a spider or something with tentacles. And that shaved head and really bad skin. He looked tough and a bit creepy.
    I certainly wasn’t going to hang around and talk to him. “Ten minutes ago,” I said shortly, backing away from him. “Mostly everyone’s gone except the teachers.” I thought I’d mention the teachers just so he’d know there were adults around. Just in case.
    He muttered something under his breath about not looking for any damn teachers and shoved his hands deep into his pockets before wandering off. I watched him go, his skinny legs weaving back and forth as he walked down the sidewalk. Maybe he was drunk. I shrugged. Whatever.
    The door opened again and Victoria emerged, waving and grinning, her short brown hair tucked under her hat. “Sorry! I had to meet with Ms. Allyson about making up some work.” She wrinkled her nose. “Extra math homework. Yuck.”
    I thought of the equations on the chalkboard again. Calculus. But it sounded as if Victoria was no math genius. I hesitated, wondering whether to ask her; then I decided not to. I didn’t want to sound as though I doubted her story.
    Half a block away, the creepy guy pulled away from the curb, wheels spinning in the snow. I gestured toward his car as it drove away. “Jeez, that guy sure didn’t look like he was in any shape to be driving.”
    â€œWhat guy?”
    â€œI don’t know who he is. He was hanging around the school.” I shrugged. “He seemed kind of out of it, but he said he was looking for someone.”
    Victoria spun around to look, but the car was gone. She stared down the empty street for a moment; then she slowly turned back to face me. “You talked to him? What did he look like?”
    â€œHe looked sort of, umm, like a drug dealer or something.” I made a face. “Okay, I know that’s a stupid stereotype.”
    She cut in, her voice urgent and her face suddenly pale. “Describe him.”
    I frowned. “What’s the problem? You know him or something?”
    There was a silence for a moment; then she laughed. “Nah. Just curious.”
    â€œHuh. You sounded kind of…,” I broke off. I didn’t want to pry. “Well, he was tall and skinny. Maybe twenty or so. Jeans. Shaved head. Long coat, kind of an army coat or something. And he had a tattoo of a spider or something on his neck.”
    Victoria didn’t say anything. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth so tightly that it was almost as white as her face.
    â€œAre you okay? I mean, if there’s something wrong, well, you could talk to me. If you wanted too.” My stomach tightened. I didn’t know what was wrong, but I wished I’d never mentioned that stupid guy. I didn’t get it. Victoria had just moved here.