"Okay, listen. When I was at the first house-the group home-I had this friend. And they thought he was the one who started the fire, even though he wasn't. So he got sent away to this, uh...facility, and he can't stand it there. He needs my help to get out."

Mimi rubbed her eyes. "So you ran away for a friend."

"Yes. I promised him I'd always have his back. And I'm gonna keep my word."

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

G.o.d, I was so sick of relying on other people to get what I wanted. I couldn't wait till I'd figured out how to take care of s.h.i.t all on my own...but in this case, I really did need her help.

"Mimi, I owe owe him." him."

"Well, you wanna know what I think? I think you should never owe s.h.i.t to no one."

I slammed my fist into the couch, and a puff of dust arose from the impact. "He's my best friend, and it's not like I've had a f.u.c.king s.h.i.tload of those! You know things haven't been easy for me since you f.u.c.king left!"

"I didn't leave because I wanted to, a.s.shole!"

"But you did!" My voice cracked, and heat gathered in my face. Weak, pitiful tears would be next if I couldn't get a handle on myself. "You left, and Hector kept beating up on me, and there was no one there!"

Mimi didn't deserve this. I knew she didn't. It wasn't her fault.

"Alejandro, I didn't want to leave you alone." Her tone softened. Old Mimi might've cried with me, but this one kept her emotions in check, her expression oddly calm. "I had to do what I had to do."

I wiped my face with the back of my arm, catching any moisture before it could escape. "He's the first person I've been able to count on in a really long time, okay? And I'm not gonna let him down." A small part of me knew I was building Seb up to be more than he was-or maybe ever could be-but I couldn't stop. "So either help me, or get the f.u.c.k out of the way, 'cause I'm gonna get him out."

Moments of silence ticked by while Mimi studied her nails. They were painted pink, like Star's.

Then she sighed. "I dunno, Alex. What all do you need?"

Hope burst forth in my chest. I scooted forward on the couch, trying to contain my excitement and probably failing. "I have a plan. But this place is really far away, so I need a car...and a few other things."

Mimi crossed her arms. "I hope you know what the f.u.c.k you're doing."

We parked Mimi's beat-up Camaro-or Angel's Angel's beat-up Camaro-in the same spot I'd been in with Suzie. It was already eleven in the morning, because Mimi had insisted on showering before we went to the store to get the supplies. I could only pray the Richards hadn't discovered my absence yet-after all, I could've still been sleeping. And if they had, well, hopefully Suzie wouldn't realize I had the means to get all the way out here again. beat-up Camaro-in the same spot I'd been in with Suzie. It was already eleven in the morning, because Mimi had insisted on showering before we went to the store to get the supplies. I could only pray the Richards hadn't discovered my absence yet-after all, I could've still been sleeping. And if they had, well, hopefully Suzie wouldn't realize I had the means to get all the way out here again.

I tugged on the sweater I'd used since Ms. Loretta's, then secured a baseball cap on my head. "Okay. I'm ready. Remember, we gotta make this fast."

Mimi scowled. "If you get me arrested, I swear I'll f.u.c.king kill you."

A different lady-an older Latina one-was sitting at the front desk. I walked up to her casually, letting Mimi do the talking.

"We're here to see a friend," Mimi said in her most adult voice. I reminded myself that she was was an adult now-almost twenty-two. an adult now-almost twenty-two.

"Who are you here to visit?" the lady asked.

s.h.i.t. No one had asked Suzie any questions, and I wasn't really prepared for an in-depth interrogation.

"Sebastian," I answered, since I'd never told Mimi that detail. And all of a sudden, I realized I didn't even know Seb's last name. f.u.c.k. f.u.c.k.

"Oh, yes." The lady smiled. "That's nice."

I guessed Seb was a pretty memorable kid. I'd certainly never be able to forget him.

The lady wrote down Sebastian Smith Sebastian Smith in her sign-in book, under the Resident's Name column, then turned it over to Mimi. in her sign-in book, under the Resident's Name column, then turned it over to Mimi.

"Names and ID, please."

ID? Jesus f.u.c.king Christ. Suzie must've been able to skip all this since they knew she was a social worker. What the h.e.l.l were we going to do now? Jesus f.u.c.king Christ. Suzie must've been able to skip all this since they knew she was a social worker. What the h.e.l.l were we going to do now?

"I f-forgot mine," I stuttered.

The lady seemed undisturbed. "Just hers is okay."

Great. Not that Mimi was going to want to give her name and ID when we were about to arrange a f.u.c.king prison break.

Mimi smiled a very warm smile, reaching into her oversized purse without a hint of concern. "Here you are." She handed over a card. While the woman examined it, she took up the pen and wrote on the visitor's line: Elena and Josef Marquez. Elena and Josef Marquez.

"All right." The lady pa.s.sed back the ID, and I caught a quick glimpse of Mimi's picture on it-next to the name Elena Marquez, Elena Marquez, of course of course. "You just need your visitor's stickers"-she peeled off the backs and gave them to us-"and do you know what building he's in?" "You just need your visitor's stickers"-she peeled off the backs and gave them to us-"and do you know what building he's in?"

"I know," I said quickly, already walking away. "Thanks!"

I didn't breathe again until we were outside in the sunlight. "Holy s.h.i.t, Mimi," I gasped. "I was scared there for a minute."

Mimi smirked. "I'm always prepared, hermanito hermanito."

"That was a really good fake."

"It better be, for what I paid." She huffed. Then she took a look around. "Jesus, Alex. I thought he was going to be in some detention hall or something. This place looks really nice."

"He hates it here," I said defensively.

She rolled her eyes. "You two sound f.u.c.king perfect for each other. You hate mansions, and he hates beautiful countryside."

I ignored her. She didn't know what she was talking about-she was just trying to get a rise out of me. And I had other, more important s.h.i.t to worry about. "Let's go."

We reached Seb's cabin, and by the time I got to his room at the end of the hallway, he was sitting straight up in the bed.

He must've heard me coming, but maybe he had to see me to believe it, because the moment I stepped into sight his eyes grew wider than ever before, and his mouth fell open to accompany them in shock. You came back for me! You came back for me!

I didn't care that Mimi was in the room. Nothing in the world could have stopped me from running to him and pulling him into a tight embrace. "I told you I would!" I laughed in his ear. "Didn't you believe me?"

"Alex," Mimi said testily, her eyes trained on the door. "C'mon, move it. You can do this s.h.i.t later."

I knelt down in front of Seb. "Listen, I got a plan to get you out of here...but it's gonna involve breaking some rules. You okay with that?"

He nodded.

I'd already turned around to get the stuff we needed from Mimi's purse before the importance of that moment sunk in.

He'd f.u.c.king nodded. nodded.

"You and me," I said as I ripped open a plastic bag containing a brunette wig, "we're gonna have a talk when we get out of here about what you can and can't understand, you got it?"

No response.

I settled the wig over Seb's blond hair, tucking the loose strands away so that none could be seen. Then I took the second baseball cap we'd bought and stuck it on top.

"What do you think?" I asked Mimi.

"I think he looks like a white kid in a wig."

I rolled my eyes. "Gimme your makeup."

She handed over a bottle of cream foundation, and I worked quickly to smear it on Seb's face and neck. It was sort of fun, actually, getting to touch his skin like that. His complexion gradually darkened, and I finished by putting a bit of it on his hands. Then I gave him my sweater, complete with the visitor's sticker still attached.

He wasn't a perfect replica of me, but it'd have to do.

"Now, you gotta walk out the door really fast," I told him. "Don't stop at the front desk. Let Mimi do the signing out or whatever if she has to. And keep your head down."

That last part should've been easy enough for him, but the rest of it had me worried. I was counting on the fact that he could understand and follow my directions, and that was actually a pretty big risk to take.

But I had to believe he could handle it. I had had to. to.

"All right. Go ahead, Mimi. And if that lady asks, tell her the reason we left so soon is 'cause he was sleeping, okay?"

Mimi nodded impatiently. "I know. I got it, Alex."

Seb stood and walked to Mimi's side, and I couldn't resist giving him one last hug. "Mimi's gonna drive to the bottom of the hill and I'll meet you there, okay?" I adjusted the sweater, smoothing it out on his shoulders. "Listen to what she tells you, all right?"

No nod this time, but maybe that was because he was nervous.

"And Mimi," I whispered, even though he'd obviously hear me, "just so you know...Seb don't talk."

"What?" She stared at me.

"He can't talk. He's like...mute or whatever."

"Oh, Jesus Christ," Mimi muttered. "Can we please just get out of here?"

I pushed them out the door. My hand might've lingered a little too long on Seb's back, but I was pretty sure Mimi didn't notice.

Once they were gone, I started taking really deep breaths to calm myself. Filled with both excitement and dread, my body shook in weird, jittery spasms. I wanted to pace or do jumping jacks or something to pa.s.s the time, but I couldn't risk wasting any energy I might need later.

It took an eternity for each minute to go by. Eventually I felt I'd waited long enough, and I stepped out the door with a purposeful stride, psyching myself up for success.

I'm gonna walk right out of here, and no one's gonna stop me.

When there was no activity at the front desk-and no sign of Seb or Mimi-my heart leapt. I didn't stop and instead plowed right past toward the door, almost at a run.

"Excuse me." A voice froze me in my tracks. "Didn't you already leave with your sister?"

I only turned around halfway. "Forgot my hat," I said, touching the cap.

"Oh," the lady responded. She blinked a few times, then seemed to shrug off whatever concern she'd had.

I forced my ready-to-explode body to go three more normal steps, open the front door, and slowly close it behind me.

Then I took off.

I ran down that hill so fast my shoes skidded across the ground, spewing bits of rock and dirt in all directions. About twelve feet from the bottom, I slipped on some wet gra.s.s, but decided to use the momentum to my advantage, tumbling over headfirst as I tightened myself into a ball.

It got me down there faster, anyhow.

The Camaro was waiting for me by the roadside, and Mimi and Seb burst out before I could gather my scrambled brains enough to stand.

"Alejandro! Jesus, are you okay?" Mimi cried.

"I'm okay." I laughed, struggling to my feet. "I'm okay." Then I grabbed Seb, lifting him off the ground with a crushing hug. "We're okay!"

Seb smiled-his real real smile-and his hands tightened around my shoulders. I could just feel the happiness coursing through his fingertips and straight into my body. smile-and his hands tightened around my shoulders. I could just feel the happiness coursing through his fingertips and straight into my body.

"We made it, Seb! We made it!"

Mimi opened the car door, looking at us like we were both insane. "Will you two idiotas idiotas please get your a.s.ses inside so we can leave?" please get your a.s.ses inside so we can leave?"

"Oh, right." I grinned at Seb, and he grinned back. "Let's get the h.e.l.l out of here."

Chapter 16: Vermin.

Mimi and I sat at the kitchen table, waiting for Seb to emerge from the shower. I could tell he hadn't liked the feel of makeup on his skin because he'd been smudging it all over my sweater during the ride back.

"I don't get it." Mimi swirled a spoon around in some black coffee. "How do you even know he's all there?"

I sighed. "I just know, okay? Just because he can't talk don't mean he's r.e.t.a.r.ded."

"But what all did he do for you that you felt you owed him this much?"

s.h.i.t. I'd never be able to explain that one.

"You wouldn't understand."