Code Name

XVI

A few days pass. I can't tell if Trent has any knowledge or suspicions about what Tracy did at the concert. If he does, he's done a great job of hiding it.

I walk up to the pyramid and find Becca waiting patiently for me to arrive. Since she explained everything with her and Josh, our relationship has been back on track. We've walked with a little more spring in our step and walk a little closer to each other. It feels fantastic that there's no more friction between the two of us.

"Hey, Danny-boy," she says as I sit beside her.

"Hey, Bec--" I'm cut off when she leans in for a heavy kiss. I, without second guessing myself, kiss her back.

It's only when we hear Nate's voice that we separate. "God, can't you guys get a room."

We look up and see the others standing to beside the black pyramid steps. Nate immediately sits next to Becca as Trent and Tracy take their place to my left. I see a look in Tracy's eyes. She's obviously still bothered but appears to be doing her best to cover it up and put it behind her.

"How was the concert?" Trent asks.

"You need to ask the three of them," Nate says. "I didn't get to see it cause I slept through it."

"It was pretty fun. We ran into Becca there and so Trace and I just spent the night with her," I begin to try to avoid bringing up Tracy and I.

"We were having a good time until Mike ruined it all." Becca continues.

"Yeah, I heard about that. He soaked the whole crowd and left the stage dry." Trent pauses and thinks over everything. "Hey, how did you guys not get eliminated then?"

"I knew Mike had something going on. When he said he had a surprise, I assumed the worse and got the three of us to go through the snack bar window. After that, we snuck out the lounge and left the concert."

"Nice. How did you piece together what was going on?"

"Josh told me. He gave me a tip and we figured it out by the last set."

"Josh? Josh Delent? Why did he help you out?" Trent seems very intrigued by the conversation at this point.

"Yeah. He actually doesn't like Mike that much. He's only being his partner because he's paying a bunch of money."

"Wouldn't getting Mike eliminated screw his game over too?" All of us turn to Becca as we all want to know as well.

"He isn't trying to get Mike eliminated. He just knows that with his money and Josh being a former winner, he has an unfair advantage. So, he's agreed to help us out. He won't actually go with us and hold him still. But he will give us some information that we could use to do it ourselves."

"What does he know?" Nates asks.

"Well, he apparently knows something. He was wondering if he could meet up with all of us. He genuinely wants to help. I was actually wondering if I could give him your address so he can explain it all inside the conservatory."

Trent thinks over again. "I don't know. How can we trust him."

"We can," Tracy interrupts. It's the first time we've heard her speak all day. "He helped us out at the concert. If he has anything to say, I think it couldn't hurt to hear him out."

"Fine. I suppose that we can give it a shot. But if he comes in and blast all of you, don't say I didn't say so."

"Great," Becca says. "I'll tell him to meet us on Friday. Danny-boy and I can have him follow us after school in his car. Once we're there, we'll see what he has to say and decide what to do from there. Sounds like a plan?"

We all nod in agreement. Then, Wess and Harley walk beside us. Besides a quick glance at Nate, they don't pay much attention to the bunch of us. Nate begins to stand up and wraps his fingers into fists.

"Calm down, dude," I tell him. "They're just passing by. No need to get your ass kicked again."

He only sneers but still stays in his place. "I just hate looking at them. She should be with me. Not clinging to his side."

"Why don't you get a girl of your own?" Tracy questions. "There's no sense in holding on to her anymore so why not look out for yourself for a little bit."

"It's not about me getting someone new. It's about me getting even. Excuse me if I want to get back at the guy that stole my girlfriend."

"You did get back at them," Becca says as she gets slightly frustrated with calming Nate down although Wess and Harley are long gone by now. "You eliminated Harley. Who knows, you might be able to get your hands on Wess eventually too. For now, let it slide and, for god's sake, chill the hell out."

Nate keeps his silence and sits back down. Part of it might be realizing what she says is true and the other part being not wanting to get in a fight with Becca. Quite frankly, I don't blame him for the latter.