Sneak (Swipe Series)

arrested.”
    “I heard your dad works for DOME.”
    “I heard your mom works on Barrier Street.”
    “I heard . . .”
    “I heard . . .”
    “I heard . . .”
    Finally, Erin swung around, her classmates piling up on top of one another as they stopped short in the line that was following on her heels.
    “It was my fault Dane got kidnapped,” she said. “I was arrested the night of his concert. And my dad does work for DOME. I was there the day DOME raided Slog Row; I was there the day Logan flunked his Pledge. And I have no idea if we’ll see either of them ever again.
    “You all treated Logan like dirt when he was at this school, and you’ve never treated me much better. So stop acting like this is all some personal tragedy to you , like your own stupid lives are the ones that have been ruined, and leave me alone before I give DOME another reason to arrest me right now .”
    She stood facing the group for some time, nothing but heavy breathing between them.
    Then one of the girls in the back of the group started giggling, and the giggles slowly spread among the clique. Eventually those giggles turned to laughter, and then the laughter turned to jokes among the friends.
    Erin turned from the group, walking away with her head held high, too quickly for any of them to hear her sniffle once and then again a second time.

    Minutes later, Erin passed Wright Lane, Logan’s street, with its familiar buildings and shrubbery. She blinked a few times to see it through the mist in her eyes.
    “Thinking about him?” someone said.
    Erin jumped. “I didn’t see you there.” Hailey had a knack for showing up unannounced and starting conversations without saying hi.
    Hailey is a great spy , Erin thought a little enviously. She really did respect that about the girl, even if she couldn’t ever say so.
    “Sorry,” Hailey said.
    Erin eyed Hailey for a moment. And suddenly she became very embarrassed, and she turned away quickly. “No, no, it’s fine. And yes, actually. I was thinking about him. Logan was the only friend I had out here.” She sighed. “He might have been the best friend I had anywhere .” And as soon as she said it, Erin knew that it was true.
    “I get it.” Hailey sighed. “I liked him too.”
    They shivered quietly for a moment.
    “He was such a dork though,” Erin said, laughing all of a sudden. “I mean, man , what a nerd.”
    “I know!” Hailey laughed. “He was the worst.”
    What was this? Were they really becoming friends? Erin didn’t even know anymore how she’d feel about it if they were.
    “You okay?”
    “I’m fine.”
    Hailey frowned. “Anything else bothering you?”
    “It’s nothing,” Erin said. “It’s just . . . my dad’s just making me do something I don’t want to do, is all.”
    Hailey nodded, trying hard not to reveal too much of her interest. “It must be hard, just you and him out here alone.”
    “We’re not alone,” Erin said. “My iguana’s out here too.”
    “Oh, that’s right!” Hailey said. “I’ve seen him, haven’t I? The little guy you had in the park when we first met. So cool. I’d forgotten all about him!”
    In fact, Hailey couldn’t have forgotten about Iggy if she’d wanted to, after seeing him so many countless times through windows, after hearing him through walls, after talking about him with members of the Dust . . . her forgetfulness was completely fake. And yet Hailey’s excitement wasn’t. She really did think Iggy was amazing, and that Erin was pretty cool for having him.
    “He keeps me company,” Erin said. “But yeah, it is hard, since you mentioned it. Mom and I were pretty close.”
    “But you must still talk to her, right?”
    “You’d be surprised. It’s . . . it’s hard. But you know a thing or two about that,” Erin said. “I know your dad . . .”
    “Dead. Yeah.”
    Erin nodded.
    “And anyway, Mom’s . . . she’s not doin’ so great herself. Sometimes I think I got the short end of the stick when it comes to family. Just a whole lot of bad luck.” Hailey shook her head.
    They’d found a bench now, at the edge of the park between Erin’s neighborhood and Hailey’s, and they sat for a while.
    “My family is broken,” Erin said, for the first time to anyone. “I think that’s why Mom’s been spending more and more time in the E.U. these last few years. I think that’s why my dad took this transfer to Spokie too. They won’t even tell me how they feel about it. They just blame it