CHAPTER TWENTY
"Wait!" I grab the laptop and bring the screen to my face. "It is her."
"Who? Who's her?"
"I never told you, but when I was looking for the history book—the one that had the photo my parents escaped to in it—there was this girl who worked at the library. She was so hot, I couldn't get over it." I point at the screen. "But that's her."
"But I thought there wasn't any more of you guys—I mean, besides the Peace Hunter people. So how come she's there? How is that possible then?"
"That's right. I forgot to tell you."
"Are you kidding me? There's more?"
"O-h-h-h yeah." When I start telling him about Perry and what he'd told me the day before, Mario clutches at his chest like he's been shot.
"No!"
"Yep."
"No!"
"I'm dead serious."
"You're lying."
"I swear on Bud and Estelle."
"Our teacher's a Photo Traveler, too? Man, my life is so effed up. Wait—and you said he never saw his sister again? Is that her?"
"I'm about to find out."
"You mean—"
"You got it. I'm going there too. Right now."
"You sure that's safe? I mean, what if something happens? You're the only one who can save Edwin."
"Uh—yeah, but ... look, if that's Perry's sister, I want to know. Maybe there's more that she knows. And if not, wouldn't you want to see your sister again after years of thinking you'd never see her again?"
"I guess so."
"Exactly. I'll be right back. Wait here."
"Where the hell else am I going to go? I'm a simple human, remember? No special powers. I'll be right here. Just waiting. All by myself."
"Don't be such a baby."
"Whatevz, man. Let me print out the picture for you. The last thing we need is the computer shutting off or the site's server crashing and something happening to the picture. Not risking it. You may have super powers, but I think ahead."
"Aren't I lucky?" I grin. "You know, you'd make a really great sidekick."
"Shut up. You're not funny." He prints the photo and hands it to me. Then I recite the chant.
I land in the middle of a swarming herd of paparazzi. I bump into one guy and we go tumbling down to the sidewalk. His camera breaks my fall, but my fall breaks his camera. He starts yelling and insulting me, but I mouth "Sorry!" and clamber to my feet. The crowd of media-hungry photographers has pretty much already stomped past us, completely disregarding us as they try to catch the young celeb getting into her car.
I don't have any more time to waste. I start searching for Dakota's violet eyes, remembering where she was standing in the photo. I spin around toward the edge of the sidewalk and catch her short blonde hair swaying in the air as she stalks away.
"Dakota!"
She turns around. Her eyes fill with a mix of shock, terror, and disbelief.
"It's me! Gavin! From the library! Let me talk to you!"
She whips around and darts into an adjacent outdoor mall of boutique shops. I take off running after her on the multicolored brick pavement, weaving through kiosks and crowds of shoppers, but she's got a pretty decent head start and it's worked to her advantage.
