Page 38 of By the Time You Read This

Delaney nearly barked out a laugh. She could have taught Intro to Calculus when she was eleven.

“No, you don’t,” Delaney said. “I don’t go to the college. I’m ... doing a favor for a friend.”

“A favor,” Gabbi repeated, tossing her vape pen in the air. “What kind of favor involves looking hot and partying with a bunch of twentysomethings?”

Delaney hadn’t just wandered onto this beach, mysterious though she might want to think herself in her own head. She’d gotten herself invited into a social forum for the local community college, because she had been playing this game for six months and had already done tons of prep work. This event was open to anyone in the group, so she knew Gabbi wouldn’t be suspicious that a stranger had wandered onto this stretch of beach.

“My friend’s daughter is here,” Delaney said, gesturing toward a gaggle of young women. If Gabbi knew them, Delaney would just sayshe’d been pointing elsewhere. “It’s her first party, she’s underage. I just want to keep an eye on her without it being a big deal.”

Gabbi side-eyed her, probably justifiably so. It was a strange excuse, but it would soon launch the very conversation Delaney wanted to have.

“I can’t tell if that’s sweet or creepy,” Gabbi said. Delaney found her honesty refreshing. Too many people would have smiled politely and edged away from Delaney posthaste.

Delaney shrugged one shoulder. “It’s tough out there for girls these days.”

A pause. “These days? Try at any point in history.”

Gabbi wasn’t wrong.

“It seems like a good group here,” Delaney said, her eyes locked on a group of boys, one of whom had a girl tossed over his shoulder. Everyone, including the girl, was laughing.

Girls sometimes laughed because they didn’t want to be killed.

But this one seemed to genuinely be enjoying herself.

“We all kind of watch out for each other,” Gabbi said, and then showed Delaney her cup. “Just water. A group of us take turns, a designated driver without the driving part. To make sure everyone gets home okay.”

And this was where Delaney had wanted to go. “Do you ever have problems?”

“Sometimes.”

“Anyone I should keep my eye out for?” Delaney asked.

“Benny Thompson,” Gabbi said without missing a beat. She jerked her chin toward a tall guy at the edge of the revelers, watching the party with a greedy expression. He slouched, in a way that was both unattractive and betrayed a lack of confidence. “And Brad.”

This time Gabbi pointed to Benny’s opposite, a handsome kid surrounded by admirers. His jaw would make the incels Delaney waded through on the daily weep with jealousy. A dimple winked to life every time he smiled, and the crowd around him jockeyed for space at his side.

As Delaney and Gabbi watched, Brad made eye contact with Benny.

They work together,Delaney thought, right before Gabbi said it.

“They work together.”

“Smart,” Delaney murmured.

Gabbi’s startled silence was louder than anything she could have said.

That had been a slip on Delaney’s part. A normal person wouldn’t have said that.

A normal person would have asked if they should call the cops.

“I mean, why hasn’t anyone done something about them?”

Brad No-Last-Name bent down to whisper in one of the girl’s ears. She laughed up at him, swatting his bicep.

The two of them broke off from the larger group, heading toward the tree line.

Benny watched them.

---