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dark. When the cold glow of light returned, Taylor saw one of the boys was looking up at her. He had stubble on his chin and a cigarette tucked behind his ear. It was Russ Kelley.
    Supposedly, Russ had been given ISS because he hit Principal Dill across the face with a computer keyboard. When he saw Taylor was watching he snorted loudly then spit into his can once more. She turned away. A few second later, she heard him repeat the disgusting display and winced.
    Taylor had never believed the rumors about Kelley's exploits, but it was clear his offense had been serious enough. He'd been in ISS since the first grading period, and the school year was almost up. She'd forgotten all about him.
    She looked down and saw someone had carved an obscenity into her desk.
    How long before people start forgetting about me? she asked herself quietly. Then: They already have.
    Only that wasn't it. Wesley was right. Somehow, the world had changed. Things were off. Who knows? Maybe in this strange, new world Russ Kelley really had assaulted their principal. Or, maybe it had been something worse.
    The legs on the teacher's chair squeaked as he pushed back from his desk. "I'll be right back," he explained. "No one's to move from their seat."
    Russ and his friend focused their attention on Taylor as their teacher started for the door. Both grinned wickedly. Taylor swallowed hard. Her palms began to sweat. She didn't belong down here with these guys. Definitely not alone. What if they tried something once the teacher was gone? What if—
    "Mr. Marsh?"
    Taylor turned to find Wesley standing in the doorway, blocking the teacher's path. She watched him hand the man a pink piece of paper cut into a small rectangle: an office pass.
    "What's this?" Mr. Marsh grumbled.
    "I'm supposed to bring her upstairs."
    "She just got here. What's going on?"
    "They don't tell me that," Wesley explained. He turned to look Taylor in the eye. "I think her mom is here."
    With that Taylor understood no one had sent Wesley.
    He was there on his own.
    Mr. Marsh flapped a hand in her direction before heading out the door. "Looks like they want you back upstairs."
    Taylor quickly collected her things before taking the long way around, navigating through the desks so that she wouldn't have to walk past Russ and his friend with their dueling cans of spit.
    "What's going on?" she asked nervously.
    Wesley didn't answer.
    They cleared the doorway, and he led her down the hall where they started up the stairs together. He was wearing his backpack. Taylor thought it seemed to bulge more than usual, and there was something orange poking through the opened zipper.
    "You're not an office aide," Taylor whispered.
    "No kidding."
    "And my mom is..." She couldn't say the word. "Why aren't you in math? Where'd you get that pass?"
    "Stole it from the computer lab."
    " What? "
    Wesley fired her a cold look to let her know that her protest had been too loud.
    "This isn't something you can fix, Wes." They were atop the staircase now, Wesley peeking around the corner. "It's like the whole world's gone crazy."
    "You believe me now?" He flashed a crooked smile so Taylor knew she didn't have to answer.
    "That's what I'm saying," Taylor said. "You can't just take me back to class."
    "We're not going back to class." Wesley reached over his shoulder, grabbed the orange handles and slid Old Man Riley's bolt-cutters from his backpack. He started into the hallway. "We're bustin outta here."
    "What are you gonna do with those?!"
    "Randy rides his bike to school, right?"
    Taylor grinned mischievously, finally catching on.
    "Hey!" someone yelled. "You there!"
    Both kids whipped around.
    Old man Riley was barreling down the hallway toward them, a fist pumping in the air. "Stop! Bring those back, I said!"
    "Oh, crap!" the kids yelled in perfect harmony.
    Taylor and Wes bolted down the hall.
    Ms. Easton came out of her classroom just ahead of them. "What's going on out here?"
    "Stop them!"
    Taylor slowed her