Page 114 of Hide and Keep

Assuming that shit’s rhetorical, I don’t bother with a response. Xerxes is not a good teddy bear name.

We spot a bunch of orange-and-white uniforms under a giant canopy tent. The girl Ever calls Scoops is the first to notice us. Her face is covered by as much makeup as Ever’s, making her unrecognizable but not enough to hide the horror in her eyes as they settle on Ever.

“Please tell me the other girl walked away worse off.”

Ever chuckles. “You should know me better than that.”

I think she’s going to say “I’m too prim and proper and prissy to fight,” but she ends with, “I wouldn’t let her walk away at all,” and I almost laugh, too. Ever can’t fight. She can get a cheap shot in like no one I’ve ever met, but fight? Actually fight? She’s more likely to annihilate her enemies with that mouth of hers than physically hurt them.

“It’s my fault,” I say. I don’t know why.

Scoops swings her gaze to me, her eyebrows almost as high as the tent we’re under. “Really?” She drags the word out into about five syllables more than necessary.

“I accidentally rolled down the window on the drive here.”

Now Ever’s giving me suspicious looks, too. I’m not telling the truth about the car ride. Ever brings out the worst in me. In the heat of the moment, my actions seem justified, but after the fact, that shit’s embarrassing.

“Can you help her?” I ask her friend.

Scoops rolls her eyes and grins. “Like you even have to ask.”

When she whisks Ever over to a corner, I follow, setting Ever’s bag next to her chair.

“Gimme,” her friend says, her hand out by Ever’s face.

Ever takes out an earbud and gives it to her. Scoops pops it in her ear, then gets to work undoing all of my…work. God, I did a terrible job.

Crossing my arms, I stand almost elbow to elbow with her, watching everything she’s doing. She gives me a quick side-eye but doesn’t say anything. She does sing though, clueing me in on what they’re listening to. “Fly” by Nicki Minaj and Rihanna.

“Major?”

“Yeah?”

I don’t know when I started responding to that name.

“Can you get the tape out of my bag?”

“What do you need tape for?” I ask, leaning down to see what her friend just did to get the bow to stand up like that.

“To cover my tattoo.”

Cover herribtattoo? Or does she have another one that I haven’t seen yet?

“What’s wrong with your tattoo?”

“Nothing. It’s just the rule. All tattoos have to be covered up and piercings have to be removed.”

That’s fucking stupid. Her tattoo’s not even offensive.

“Uh, yeah. Hold on. I will when she’s done.”

“Who?”

She tries to twist her head, but Scoops keeps her straight.

“Um.” I glance at Scoops. “What’s your name?”

To me, she says, “Technically, Dakota, but everyone just calls me Kota.” Then to Ever, “Your bodyguard’s watching me like a hawk, making sure I don’t assassinate you.”

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