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I never got the chance to answer A h the cabin door, Zu in tow, and told us they were leaving

"Okay, okay, slon," Lias, as Hina’s mouth ran aattention to--irl she had, apparently, elected to speak for her Every time Hina opened her mouth, Liam and I reverted back to the saht her on her way to the drawers, steering her to the futon and forcing her to sit She must not have picked up on our shock, because her face was bright and glowing I studied it, the way her smile seemed to crackle with her own brand of electricity, and felt so inside of me shrink in defeat

"Us and three others," Hina said, breathlessly I wondered if she had run all the way over froot permission to leave the cao…for a hike?"

Zu made her Are you serious? face

"Help me out here Tell me what you want to say"

Hina was finally silent, and for a oing to open her mouth and have out with it Lia But Zu only slipped her notebook back out of her pink duffel bag and wrote in her neat, looping handwriting When she flipped it over, she was looking hio with them to California

I know I should have been happy for her I should have been celebrating the fact that she was finally able to coined what she’d ould be a future without us

"I thought Clancy turned down Kylie’s request to leave?" I asked Hina

"He did, but she said she finally wore hiainst a cabin wall

"My parents have a house there," Hina explained, "and they’re waiting for us The West Coast govern to turn us back over to the camps"

"What about Zu’s parents?" I asked "They--"

To her credit, Hina knehat I was trying to ask withoutter trip," Liaoing? That Talon kid?"

She nodded, and all of a sudden her eyes were onsht burst into tears instead We all waited as she scribbled out another hasty note and showed it to Liaain

You don’t have to worry aboutabout you" Lia?"

Hina at least had the decency to look guilty "We actually have to leave right now Kylie is worried Clancy e his mind He wasn’t…all that happy"

"That’s a little fast," I choked out "Have you really thought about this?"

Zu looked right at me when she nodded The next note was for both of us I want to be with my family I just don’t want you to be mad at irl, Zu We just want you to be safe It would killhappened to you"