THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

thing.”
    For lack of a better description when I’d first entered the Sphere and spoke to the MystiKs, I had called these two friends.
    Now, I found that word lacking when I considered the value I placed on both of them. But I couldn’t waste another minute. “Where can we meet up again?”
    “If you’re going to Maxwell’s, we can wait for you in the hall outside the front office,” Gabby suggested.
    “Good by me,” Tony agreed.
    Sticking my head into the hallway first, I sniffed for the stench of the predator and smelled a faint residue. But nothing strong enough to indicate the thing was nearby. At least, for now, I wouldn’t be as concerned over this beast.
    Could I draw on my power to destroy it if the thing attacked me? If I could even use the power outside the Sphere?
    I could only imagine how a display of power like that would go over in this world or with the Browns. That’d probably get me in worse trouble than kicked out.
    I had to stay here, no matter what.
    Signaling to Gabby and Tony that all was clear, I took off for Maxwell’s office, rushing through clumps of students gathered around lockers. When I reached the office, I looked down at my clothes that were torn and dirty. And my shirt was half as long as it had been this morning.
    I ran nervous hands over my hair, pushing it back from my face that I hoped was not filthy.
    After a knock on the wood door, I was called inside where I found Dr. Maxwell sitting at his desk. Mr. Brown stood off to one side again and Mrs. Brown was perched on one of the two chairs facing the desk.
    “You’re late,” Mr. Brown announced. “What happened to your clothes? Did you try to leave the Institute?”
    “Uh, no.” I looked down again as if I’d forgotten the shape I was in and the instrument attached to my leg. Guess one of my questions had been answered. Traveling to the Sphere hadn’t activated it. I actually smiled as I answered, “Mr. Suarez assigned me to work with another student on the Top Ten Project together. We had to dig through a bunch of old, dusty computers and stuff. Some of them snagged on my clothes.”
    “Something snagged and ripped off the bottom half of your T-shirt?”
    “I should have been paying better attention. I will from now on.” In other words, I wanted to stay. “Sorry. We got...sucked in so deep with the computers we lost track of time.”
    Mrs. Brown brightened. “Getting involved in a project and working as a team is encouraging.”
    Dr. Maxwell pointed at the empty chair. “Have a seat, Rayen.” 
    Sitting down, I took in Mr. Brown who stood with feet shoulder-width apart and arms crossed, creasing his crisp gray suit at the elbows. Questions hovered in the man’s intense eyes, shadowed beneath his furrowed brow, but he seemed in no hurry to ask them. Had Nick told him about my head injury?
    If he had, they would be shipping me off already, right?
    Lifting a paper, Dr. Maxwell said, “We have the report from running your fingerprints. You don’t show up in any criminal databases.”
    Leaning forward, hands gripping the arms of my chair, I asked, “What does that mean? I don’t...exist?”
    As that question fell from my lips, I realized I’d been hoping that V’ru had been wrong. That I did belong in this time frame. That I did have people. . .family looking for me.
    Dr. Maxwell answered, “Oh, yes, everyone exists, even if they are only a cog in a wheel. But without knowing where you came from or who your family is, we can’t generate documentation, which means we’ll have to hand you over to social services. We can’t take the liability of keeping you here.”
    My mouth went dry. I couldn’t get separated from Tony and Gabby. Or that computer. I needed to get back to help Callan. “Social Services? Are they here in the school?”
    “No, their office is downtown, about thirty miles away.”
    Thirty miles might as well be another world away. I was emphatic when I told Dr. Maxwell, “No. I want to stay.”
    “You don’t have a choice.” Dr. Maxwell leaned back, looking extremely content with this news. Maybe even pleased.
    Sweat formed on my palms. I couldn’t go somewhere else where no one knew me, and somewhere far away from the computer Tony carried with him. I turned to Mrs. Brown who had championed me earlier and seemed no happier than me about this. “I really want to stay.”
    She asked, “Have you remembered anything about your home, Rayen?”
    “I know the Sandia Mountains.