The Outliers (The Outliers, #1)(70)

“I know that!” It’s Stuart shouting at Dr. Simons, who is shaking his head and staring at the ground. “You think I’m f*cking stupid!”

Is Dr. Simons telling Stuart off for giving Cassie that cigarette? Maybe, but it looks like something more. And it definitely feels like Cassie is still hiding something from me.

When I glance back at Quentin, he’s still watching me. I turn away. Uncomfortable because there’s something between us or because I’m just uncomfortable in general. I’m not sure I’d even know the difference.

By the time I’m finally halfway down the driveway, I’ve completely lost sight of Cassie. I have to scan the woods a couple of times before I spot a glowing orange dot to the right. That weird hat Cassie had on.

“Oh, there you are.”

When I turn, Miriam is next to me. And she seems surprised to see me. But also, weirdly, like I am exactly who she was looking for. Where did she even come from? A second ago she was at the top of the hill organizing food. Wasn’t she?

“Were you looking for me?” I ask.

She smiles at me with a twinkle in her eye that’s part sweet, part totally checked out. “Oh, no, dear,” she says, then puts a papery hand on my elbow and squeezes. “But are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I mean, why?” Does she know something I do not? Can she see through to my insides and their slow, toxic unfurling? She was once a nurse.

“You just look tired, dear.” She smiles. “And you’re important. We need you to keep up your strength.”

“Important?” I ask. “Why?”

Because we need you to take care of Cassie, I think.

“Everything is about to change and we’ll need so much help with the transition.”

She’s talking about the Outliers. At least I think she is. And I should probably just nod and smile and leave her be with her maybe-fuzzy brain and all that joy pouring out of her in a beam. But I don’t like the way she’s talking about this situation like it’s the Rapture. Because I’m pretty sure the Rapture starts with everybody being dead.

“The transition?” I ask, because I can’t help myself.

“Oh, yes,” Miriam says, as if she is surprised that no one has told me. “After Cassie shares her gifts with all of us, and we share them with the others. It’ll be a rebirth for all of us. And we have your father to thank.”

And who knows? Maybe Cassie is the Second Coming, my dad a king. That would make me a princess, I guess. If only that were a thing I had ever wanted to be. If only that changed the fact that we need to get the hell out.

“Right, yeah,” I say, because she is definitely waiting for me to agree.

And with that, Miriam smiles some more and walks away. When I look down, the sticks in my arms are trembling. Because none of that has made me feel better. It’s just made me more convinced we have to go. Now. I’ll just have to make Cassie see that.

I follow the little orange dot of Cassie’s hat through the woods until I finally reach her and Fiona. A red gas can is on the ground between them, and Cassie is brushing at her legs and coat. They look wet, and I can smell the gas from steps away.

“I’m so sorry,” Fiona says to her, and obviously not for the first time. Fiona grips her fuzzy purple beret to the top of her head like she’s a teakettle about to blow.

Up close, she’s much prettier than I realized, with bright hazel eyes and freckles across her nose. Actually, this is the closest I’ve been to any of the others aside from Miriam and Quentin. All the little twosomes have mostly kept to themselves like islands in an archipelago.

Fiona steps forward, pulling her beret off her head like she’s going to try to dry Cassie’s jeans and coat with it. “I don’t know how I did that, Cassie. I’m such an idiot.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Cassie waves Fiona away. But she sounds like she might cry.

“What happened?” I ask, still clutching my sticks.

“I tripped on that rock, and the gas can just went flying,” Fiona says. “Of all the stupid things.”

“I’m just going to go … dry off,” Cassie says.

“Cassie, you can borrow some of my clothes,” Fiona offers. “I even have an extra coat. They’re in the red duffel bag in the cabin we’re staying in.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Cassie says as she starts for the driveway.

“I’ll come with you.” I smile back at Fiona as I drop my sticks. “Don’t worry. It was an accident.”

“But she seemed so upset already.” Fiona looks pained. “She must be overwhelmed. Excited, but overwhelmed.”

“I think more overwhelmed than excited.”

Fiona nods, then smiles. It’s a beautiful, serene smile. Maybe a tad too serene under the circumstances. “But once we’re out of here, done with all this, she’ll see how incredible it is. It’s going to be a fresh start for everyone.”

“Cassie, wait,” I call as we reach the top of the driveway, but she doesn’t turn, doesn’t slow down. Actually, it seems like she might even be speeding up. “Cassie, come on. Wait!”

Finally, she stops, her back to me, shoulders hunched in the pale-gray, misty morning. I have to jog to catch up before she takes off again, putting a hand on her arm when I finally reach her so she can’t take off again.