Ace of Spades Sneak Peek(105)

We lie there in silence and I start to feel a little drowsy. From the combination of today’s stress from the ball to just being emotionally drained anyway, I find myself drifting a little.

“Stargazing?” Terrell asks.

I turn to him, looking confused. “What?”

“You’re looking up pretty intensely—thought you were searching for stars in my sheets,” he says.

I nod. “I was … Millions of stars in the sky tonight,” I say, pointing up at nothing.

“I see them … I know some of the names for them too, you know.”

“Enlighten me,” I say, watching as Terrell gets comfortable and looks up.

“That one there is called Tupac, named after the legend, of course. Scientists were like … that star is mad bright, let’s name it Tupac—”

I burst out laughing and Terrell smiles at me.

“Maybe you should consider a career in teaching people how to BS,” I say.

“Maybe I should,” he replies.

We spend the rest of the night like this. Talking, Terrell joking, making me laugh.

The last thing I think before sleep catches up with me is: No more Niveus …

No more Aces.





46


CHIAMAKA

Friday The news has been playing on Terrell’s TV since I woke up this morning.


Terrell is seated on the floor, drinking coffee next to a sleepy-looking Devon. They’re both watching in silence as the screen shows the remains of Niveus, as well as footage from last night’s fire.

They report that a faulty electrical circuit caused it, that it was an inevitable tragedy.

It all feels like a really messed-up dream, but it really happened.

Our school burned down.

I sit now, with my own cup of coffee made by my new friend, Terrell, watching the news with them.

I feel a lot of relief seeing that building go up in flames. It feels like the perfect ending to this saga.

Niveus Academy reduced to ashes.

Bold graphics flash frantically up on the screen.

CASUALTIES CONFIRMED AS THE BODIES OF THREE STUDENTS FOUND AT THE SCENE



People died?

That news makes me feel a little sick. People at Niveus were all part of this racist machine, but I knew them. It’s hard to not feel a little sad for people you knew and interacted with for years.

The first face pops up, a photo from the school yearbook. I feel a punch in my gut.

“CeCe…,” I say quietly.

“You knew her?” Terrell asks.

I nod.

“She was a popular girl at school,” Devon adds.

A popular girl.

“I wasn’t that close to her. Honestly, she was kind of a bitch to me,” I say. Though it’s not like I was ever that nice to her either, and it doesn’t make me feel any less sick to my stomach.

CeCe and I were one and the same. Both smart, willing to do a lot to protect our titles, wanting to be on top.

And now she’s dead, forever resigned to being a popular girl at school and nothing more.

Another face pops up, and it’s someone else I’ve seen around.

I feel sick.

“Did you know him?” Terrell asks.

I shake my head.

“He was in my music class,” Devon says.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

We sit in more silence, waiting for the third face. I feel anxious all of a sudden. I’m not sure why. These people wanted to ruin my life—our lives. They didn’t care about us, whether we lived or died.

So why do I feel so bad?

“Another guy,” Terrell says as the third graphic goes up.

I freeze.

I feel Devon glance at me, but say nothing.

The edges of my vision start to crumble. I don’t know how I’m meant to feel about this, or react, so I don’t think; I just sit here and let it happen.

My face is wet and I hate myself for crying. He doesn’t deserve it.

“I need some fresh air,” I say, placing my mug on the ground before getting up and leaving Terrell’s room.

I feel more tears gather as I rush down the stairs and head outside.

The morning chill wraps around me, and I feel faint.

I can’t believe it.

I bring my wrist up, wiping my eyes again, as more tears spill.

I can’t believe Jamie’s dead.

“Chiamaka?” a voice says from behind. I turn back, quickly wiping my eyes.

“Yes?” I say as I turn to face Richards.

He looks sorry for me.

He shouldn’t. There’s nothing to be sorry for. Just a girl here crying over her awful dead ex–best friend.

“Wanna get out of here?” he asks.

I raise an eyebrow. Yes, please. “Where are you thinking of going?”

“Someplace quieter than here.”

I nod. Sounds like the sort of place I need.



* * *



We get to the beach nearby a while later. We decided to walk, since neither of us is exactly fit to drive right now.

I got changed into a nicer-looking shirt of Terrell’s, one without any graphics of weird superheroes, and Devon stayed in his PJs from last night. Terrell stayed behind, said he’d make some breakfast.

When we get to the beach, I take in how quiet it is. Like truly quiet. Like the whole world has disappeared.