The Similars (The Similars #1)(30)

“But you could,” says Tessa. “You look just like him, share his DNA and everything. Don’t you think that could be…useful?”

Jake smiles. “Obviously. Did you know our keys are interchangeable?”

Tessa stares at him. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. I heard Ransom and Fleischer talking about it. Because the key system is set up with our DNA, the keys can’t distinguish between two students with the same genetic makeup. It’s never been an issue before because Darkwood’s only had three sets of identical twins in its history, and they’ve always shared a room. And the administration made sure the twins all logged in manually for exams, but it wasn’t a problem aside from a few test-taking snafus.”

Tessa leans forward. I can tell she’s more than a little interested. Madison too.

“So, in a nutshell,” says Tessa, “if you had Jago’s key, you could get into his room. Even take his exams…”

“Fascinating, but we should go,” Madison cuts in. “I have a planning session for DAAM in twenty minutes.”

DAAM? What’s that? Some new extracurricular she’s taking on to impress colleges? Not that she needs it—being leader of the Ten is enough to secure a spot at any university she wants.

“It’s weird,” says a hushed voice behind me. Levi. Of course. He’s here for duty too. “They look like my friends,” he says. “Only…”

“Only they aren’t,” I say flatly.

For a moment, I consider how ironic it is that I view the Similars as copies of my classmates, and he views my classmates in the same way.

That’s when we notice Jake, Madison, and Tessa staring at us. They quickly stand, gathering their papers and stashing them in their bags.

“Oh, look,” Tessa says. “It’s one of them. And he’s made a friend.”

Madison smiles at me. “I’m impressed, Emmaline. You took my advice and adopted Oliver’s clone. Good for you.”

I want to slap her, but I stay where I am. “Don’t worry,” I mutter to Levi. “I won’t make a scene.”

“I wasn’t worried,” Levi says, as Madison, Tessa, and Jake turn away from us. “Have you heard anything? About Prudence?”

I shake my head. “No.” My frustration comes through in my voice. “I’m her best friend, and no one’s told me anything.”

“We could go to the hospital,” Levi suggests. “See her. Find out—”

If she’s dead. I finish the sentence in my head, but not out loud.

“We can’t leave. We have duty.” I gesture to a cart of textbooks, handing Levi a note that I found on top of the stack. “It says we’re supposed to sort and reshelve these, Dewey decimal–style.”

“Most of these books look like they get checked out about once a century. Don’t you think they can wait?”

Though a voice in my head warns me not to make more trouble for myself by skipping out on duty, my heart is with him. He doesn’t have to ask again.

“Let’s go.”

*

We walk together down the wooded path that leads to the highway. Levi directs us, consulting the map on his plum.

“How long till we’re there?” I ask, breaking our self-imposed silence.

“Thirty-seven minutes,” Levi answers. “But add an extra seventeen hours to that. The map doesn’t account for how slowly you walk.”

“Funny,” I say.

“Anytime,” he replies.

We lapse back into silence. As the afternoon bleeds into twilight, I zip my hoodie to my chin, wishing I’d worn a coat. Levi is wearing another long-sleeved shirt, but no sweater or jacket, yet he appears unaffected by the temperature. I trip over a rock and bump into him. His arm is solid beneath his sleeve.

“How did you do that thing?” I blurt.

Levi knits his brow. “What thing?”

“The other night, by Dark Lake. You flipped through the air. You were practically flying.”

Levi shrugs. “It’s called tricking. I learned it on Castor Island where I grew up.”

“I’ve never seen anyone do that before,” I say. “You know, in California. Where I grew up.”

Levi looks thoughtful. “California, huh? What’s that like?”

Levi’s legs are longer than mine, and I have to add an extra step every few yards just to keep up, so my voice is a bit breathy when I respond. “I thought you knew everything, Mr. Stratum Three.”

“I’d never been anywhere until this summer. Surely you’ve read the tabloids? I’ve lived my whole life within a four-mile radius on a compound made of steel and glass. One of the perks of being the DNA mistake of the century, remember?”

“I’ve read the articles,” I say. “And the blog posts. And the in-depth exclusives. Everyone has.”

“So you know my existence is a complete and total fluke. I’m only here because some lab technician implanted cells that were taken from your friend,” he says, eyeing me, “and all the others.”

“Was it really an accident?”

“An accident or a mistake,” Levi answers. “Either way, we were created by a lab tech who had no idea of the ramifications of what he was doing.”