Page 87 of Foes & Cons
“Will you be assimilating information for the duration, or will you be competing in more of a quiet way?”he asks.
“I’m sorry,” I snap, “I didn’t know they’d made you the chief invigilator.”
“They did actually.”
“Well, good for you, I guess. Something else to stick on your bulging UCAS form.”
“Um, hi?” Rashawn clears his throat. “Do you guys, like, know each other?”
I turn and look at the other side of my coffin. I’d forgotten Rashawn was here too. I open my mouth to respond but Charlie Chamberlain gets in first.
“We’re friends.”
“Usedto be friends,” I correct him.
Thereare a few beats of silence before his voice materialises again.
“Used to be friends then,”says Charlie Chamberlain.
I turnback to him quickly.
“Why did you roll your eyes when you said that?”I say.
“How could you possibly know I rolled my eyes?”
“Well, did you?” Silence. “Knew it.”
“Maybe you should stop talking to save oxygen in your coffin,” says Charlie Chamberlain.
“Guys, focus,” says Rawshawn. “You used to be friends but now you’re not? Is that correct?”
The way he says it sounds so final and simple, and I wonder why I’ve spent so much time turning it over in my head when that’s what it is. We used to be friends but now we’re not. I wait for Charlie Chamberlain to answer.
“Correct,” he confirms.
“So what happened? You’re both here, so you must have that in common,” says Rashawn.
“He’s only here because of Sadie,” I say.
“Who’s Sadie?” asks Rashawn.
“His sister. Who is adorable, despite her bloodline.”
“Right,” Rashawn says. “And the sister is a Faller, but you’re not, Charlie?”
“He used to be,” I spit.
“I’m capable of responding for myself thank you, Eliza.” He clears his throat. “I still watch the show.”
“No, you don’t,” I snap.
“Just because I don’t watch with you, doesn’t mean I don’t watch it, Netflix police.”
I frown at him. Well, not him, at Frank.
“OK, I think we’re starting to unpack something interesting here, guys.” I imagine Rashawn looking at us over his glasses. “You used to watch it together?”
“He’d never heard ofVampire Fallsuntil I showed it to him.”
