My knuckles brushes against Headmaster Glinda's door. My skin connects, but it doesn't make any noise. I bring my knuckles back down on the fine oak, ready to tell her the truth, ready to take Andrew's place. Before my knuckles hit the wood, I draw my hand back to my chest.

A frustrated huff escapes my lips. Nervous energy bounces me from one foot to the other.

Why is this so hard?

The Main Office of the ITF is surround by glass windows. The glass melts from the ceiling, making it curve into a puddle on the floor. They are mesmerizing when the light catches. I should know. I've been staring at them for at least twenty-minutes.

Headmaster Glinda's door is fine oak with decorated carvings on the edges. The door's beauty should make me want to trace its designs, but the thought of touching it makes my stomach flip.

I made up my mind last night. Telling Headmaster Glinda about my Test was the right thing to do. I found proof that my Test scores were tampered with, and Andrew wasn't lying. I might not remember every question on the Test, but I do remember the last one.

And I didn't choose to send the Outercity food.

But I know Andrew would've.

I know Andrew passed.

And I didn't.

But even now, a breath away from the truth, my hands refuse to knock. How will I survive in the Outercity? I can almost feel its polluted air choking me.

What will I do in the Outercity? Work in a factory?

I'll never see my family again. My mother will probably disown me or deny my existence.

Oh my mother. My family will get hell fire for this. But even then, the Innercity will keep turning without me. Emma will go to a university. Even Ida will get to live in the Innercity, probably working as a glorified maid or something. Andrew will come back. He will start the ITF without me, but at least his studying worked. Maybe he will settle down, start his own family, and forget about me.

Maybe they will all forget about me.

"Cassandra?" A familiar feminine voice asks behind me.

I gasp and jump away from the Headmaster's door. My hands hide behind my back.

Emma walks towards me. Her irritation from last night is gone, replaced by suspension.

"What are you doing here? Class doesn't start for another hour."

"I-I'm here for a meeting with Headmaster Glinda." My voice trembles, and I will it to stop.

"Oh," Emma says, her eyes travel to the finely made door then back to me. "Aren't you gonna go in?"

I look at the door again, thinking whether I should. It's the right thing. Andrew doesn't deserve to be in the Outercity for one more second.

"Actually, Headmaster Glinda isn't here. I was just leaving. For breakfast." My reply is sharp and choppy. I curse myself for not being able to hold it together. When did I turn into a clammy, nervous freak?

Something passes over Emma's face, almost like a smirk, before it dissolves into a genuine smile.

"Can I come?" She asks.

I'm a little taken back but nod anyway. I need to keep my friends close. It isn't like my stalker is going to let me make anymore.

I glance back at Headmaster Glinda door and promise myself that I'll come back. Though deep down, I hope I never have to see her door again.

***

The rest of the day dragged on. Emma tried to act like everything was still okay between us, but I knew what I said to her last night still bothered her. I promised myself I'd find a way to make it up to her. I didn't want to lose my only close friend before I left.

If I left.

The Dinning Hall dims as the Sun sinks into the earth, leaving trails of pink and purple. The lights above adjust to the change of lighting. I look out over the horizon of the Innercity. The gold and silver towers climb to the top of the clouds. Trains glisten like crystals as they shoot cross the city. Bus and automobiles travel like ants on the white cement. I let myself soak in the view, only now realizing that I never looked at it before.

Why would I, when I thought I would live here forever?

I feel like I'm suspended between two choices, and everything I think, say, or do will change everything. All I know is that I don't want to change anything. The early courage to walk to Headmaster Glinda's door is gone. I can't make myself go back there. I can't make my lips form the words that will damn me.

Andrew's smile creeps back in my mind. His giggles. His unhealthy obsession with photography. I think back to a time when I thought it was cute. My thoughts travel to when I was fifteen. Stupid and naïve. But in love.

I thought it was Andrew who wouldn't make it to the Innercity, that he was the reason we could never work.

But it was always me.

My eyes graze the skyline until I see someone standing in front of the window. Her hand presses against the window's surface as she looks at the top of the towers. No, over the top of the towers, almost looking for the white wall on the other side of the city.

I watch Ida's shoulders lift, a breath shaking her tiny torso.

"Ida! Come sit with us!" Emma calls, not looking up from her tablet.

For a moment, I think Ida is going to ignore Emma. But she doesn't and walks over like an obedient dog.

Ida sits across from me and plops her purse on the table. It flips over with a smack, and some contents fall out. Her tablet shutters on the table. I find myself leaning over to see the open window on her tablet. My eyes roam over the screen, catching an elementary website logo, but before I can study it more, Ida snatches it off the table.

"When did you get that?" I point to the hiding tablet.

"A week ago." She answers. A memory tickles the back of my mind of her holding her tablet when Emma and I fought last night.

"Bu—" I start, but Emma grabs my arm across the table. Her eyes are wide and startled. I blink back at her, my question forgotten.

"I forgot to tell you!" She starts, her eyes still panic, and she scrambles with her words. "I ran into someone at my party. They're going to have dinner with us."

"Okay? Why do I care?" I ask a little sharply. I know I should be nicer, but I can't help but be irritated at her interruption.

Emma ignores my tone and keeps smiling.

Her eyes flutter above my head and settle back to me. "This is why I wanted you to come last night." She squeezes my arm and looks again over my head.

"Who is it? Daniel?" I ask.

Her eyes never leave the spot over my head. I try to play her game and ignore the irritation of being left in the dark. Though, the need to turn around itches my brain.

A smile blooms over Emma's face. "You'll never guess."

Before I can say anything, arms embrace me from behind and raven hair elopes my shoulders, tickling my neck. Familiar flowery perfume invades my senses, making my eyes water slightly.

My heart squeezes.

"Jessica?"

Her emerald eyes peek over my shoulder with wide red lips. She squeals and holds me tighter, rocking me back and forth.

"OhmycityOhmycityOhmycity! I missed you so much!"

Jessica squeezes me once more before taking a seat next to me. My mind is blank yet overwhelmed. I thought Jessica was Displaced, gone forever, but now she's here.

"H-how?" I ask.

"Oh, I have so much to tell you." She squeezes my hand. "Wait! I bet you have so much to tell me! How is your world domination going? Does the famous Cassandra Goodwill already have her seat on the ITF throne?" She giggles. "Oh Great City, I have missed you. You have to tell me everything!"

My mouth tries to form words. I look to Emma for help, but her head rests on her hand, watching our reunion. My minds races to tell her something, but the Cassandra that left the Testing Room hasn't been able to do anything she wanted. Now there's only paranoid, blackmailed Cassandra.

"Everything has been great!" I say through gritted teeth.

My tablet vibrates in my pocket.

Thankful for the distraction, I pull it out and read the screen.

Wonder what your friend will think about Andrew? Next time I hear you're at Headmaster Glinda's office, we'll find out.

Jessica's excited babbling muffles in my ears. I glance up to find Emma and Ida listening to Jessica. Jessica waves her hands around in dramatic gestures. I wonder how Jessica is able to be so happy when a week ago she was escorted out of the Testing Room.

My friend's eyes are full of life and animation, like they have always been. Like they were when we went to weekend parties in secondary school, or when she gossips about one of the boys she hooked up with.

Something tugs inside my chest. How cruel can fate be? Emma, Jessica, and I made it to the ITF, only for me to give up my spot.

I don't know if I can walk away from them. Even for Andrew.

"I have to go." I say, still clinching my tablet.

I hug Jessica again and head to my dorm, the storm churning in my mind.

I throw the Dinning Hall doors open, threading through students. I ignore the sideways glances and whispers. Instead, I focus on keeping my tears from spilling over my cheeks.

Any choice I decide to make is a trap. If I decide to stay, my stalker won't leave me alone, especially now I know the threat is real.

I reach the elevator, touch the holographic pad, and click the up button. Students gathering around me and wait for the elevator. Once the elevator reaches us and the other students shuffle out, I slide in first.

My brain bangs against my skull, wanting to let my tears flow. The other students wait outside the elevator, watching me. One girl with a ponytail moves to cross the elevator's crystal doors. I lock eyes with her, her foot freezes, and she retreats into the hallway.

No other person tries to enter, and I watch their faces disappear as the crystal doors close.

My back leans on the wall behind me. Tears still threatening to overcome me, but I can't.

Almost there, I tell myself. I'm almost there.

The only other time I almost lost myself in front of others was after I decided to stop talking to Andrew two years ago, when my mother was hosting a dinner party for something about her work. It was always about her work. Usually, I would be in a little sun dress, with braids, sitting around the dinner table while making small talk. But that night, I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed.

I couldn't stop thinking about Andrew, and what he had said to me the week before. I also couldn't stop thinking about the way he looked at me when I ignored him at school. His heartbreak.

During another rotation of Andrew's sulked face flashing inside my eye lids, my mother barged into my room. I still remember her perfect golden hair and black dress. She radiated grace and sophistication. But her face was pulled into a grimace.

"What do you think your doing?" She bit out. "Everyone is asking about you."

"Tell them I'm not feeling well." I mumbled under my plush comforter.

My mother marched over to my bed and flung my covers off. "Get up."

New tears replaced the old dried tears on my face. "I-I can't."

Mother grabbed me under my arms and pulled me into a sitting position. "Get yourself together." She narrowed her eyes and leaned over to get a better look at my face. "Is this about Andrew?"

"I—"

"We talked about this Cassandra," she said.

"I-I feel so—I don't know. Wrong."

Mother inhaled, her nostrils flaring. "Listen." She touched my cheek, and I found myself leaning into her touch. She pulled her hand away. "Even if you feel good, or bad, or sick. You are Cassandra Goodwill, and anyone will try to exploit you. So, how do you protect yourself?"

"Don't let anyone know." I whisper.

The elevator slows to a stop. The open doors reveal an empty hallway, and I secretly thank the Great City. I tip-toe to my room and quickly enter my dorm code on the holographic pad.

I fall into my room and let go of my tears.

My head buries into my arms as I fly through scenario after scenario of me telling Headmaster Glinda about Andrew. No matter how many times I rehearsed the speech in my head, I couldn't say it out loud.

I'm Cassandra Goodwill. What if someone recognizes me in the Outercity? My life could be in danger. Would Andrew want that?

I sit up from my bed and run my fingers through my hair.

Someone opens the door, and it closes with a click.

I turn over my shoulder. "Jennifer, can I have a minute?"

"Everything okay?" Ida's voice rings out.

I slump back to my bed and groan. "Why is it always you?" I mumble.

"What?"

"I said why are you here?" I correct myself, fighting the urge to snap at her. Even though she's Outsider, she was nice to me. And we're the only people here.

Ida shuffles closer, "You didn't look so well. Jessica was talking, and your face turned sea green."

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine," I say.

Ida's small frame stops before sitting on my bed, trying to judge my reaction. When I don't stop her, she settles.

Ida's sunken in cheeks have added a little color since the first day I saw her. Her boney fingers and arms look a little fuller. I meet her dark eyes.

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask.

An invisible wall builds between me and Ida. Her shoulders scrunch to her ears, and her eyes flicker to my face, daring me to ask. Apparently asking personal questions isn't a two-way street. But Ida doesn't realize that I don't take threats. I make them.

Or at least I thought I did.

"What's the Outercity like?" I push my question.

Ida flinches back, moving her face away from me. Her fingers dig into my comforter for a second before getting up and moving away.

"Are you making fun of me?" She asks.

I roll my eyes behind her back. "Not everything is about you. I'm just curious."

Ida whips around. Her eyes search mine. "Is this about Andrew?"

It's my turn to look away, but only out of shame. Wait.

Wait.

My heart coils in my chest and burns. "How do you know about Andrew?" My words cut through the air between us.

Ida watches me in cool curiosity.

"I. Asked. You. A. Question." I move off my bed. The burning in my heart spreads to my arms into my fingertips. Why haven't I guessed it before? How could I be so blind?

"You do you mean how do I know?" She asks.

Her words sound sincere, but how can they be? She knows about Andrew. She sat at my feet and asked me about him. No one else has ever mentioned him before. I can't try to think about how she knows. From what I already suspect, I underestimated her.

I grab my tablet, looking through my messages until I find it. I watch her reaction as I respond to my stalker's latest threat. I press send.

Nothing happens. The urge to throw my tablet against the wall is so overwhelming that I rear back my arm to throw. Then I hear it.

A humbled chime fills the room.

In Ida's bed.

Of. Course.

Ida just got a new tablet. Ida needs anything she can get to move up in the Innercity because she is an Outsider. Ida was only being nice to me to get closer. Of course, she would go for me. She chose her target carefully.

I shove past her and yank her comforter, her sheets, her pillows off her bed. Her belongings fly past me, but I can't stop. Fury. Absolute fury. Its burns inside me, making my vision fill with light dots. It's here. I know it is.

I lift the naked mattress and find her stash of junk. Her colors, pencils, sketchbook, and lying beside it will a bright notification circling the screen, my message.

It reads, Got ya.

My fingers shake with her tablet in my hand. I whip to her, showing off my evidence. A familiar smile creeps on my lips. Relishing in the power of complete control. I got her. My stalker. She can't touch me now.

Because if she does.

She'll regret it.

"Is this why you were being so nice to me, Ida?" My sickly, sweet voice snaps Ida out of her paralyzed surprise.

She takes a step forward. I hold the tablet higher.

"What are you doing? That's mine!"

"Stop playing the victim, Ida! I'm so sick of it." I slither closer to her. "Did you really think this would work? That I wouldn't see through this petty attempt to bring me down?" I bark out a laugh. "Did you think people would accept you once you ruined me? Huh?" Our faces are inches apart. "You're an Outsider. And will always be an Outsider." I whisper.

"Go to hell." Ida snaps.

"You've already been, and if I have anything to say about it, you'll never escape." With all my strength, I throw the tablet on the floor, breaking it into a million pieces.