To the University

In your room, Roxy puts her clothes back on as you quickly get dressed, opting for jeans and a sweater instead of anything cute. You just need to hurry.

Downstairs, you find Kris ready to go, putting on her coat and scarf. Karen appears a few moments later, dressed like you are.

“I can bring this, right?” she asks, holding a wine bottle.

“Sure,” you reply distractedly, grabbing your keys.

“Where are we heading?” Kris asks, following you out the front door with the others. You all stop on the front step. It’s dark out. The wind is blowing, and it’s freezing. Leaves swirl in the dark as the four of you stand on the weakly-lit step in front of CCL house: you holding your car Keys, Roxy looking expectant, Kris looking worried, and Karen trying to get the cork out of her bottle.

“Oh man,” Karen says distractedly, shivering. “It’s freezing.”

“Let’s go,” you say, leading them to your car. Roxy gets in the front with you. “You don’t want to follow on your bike?” you ask her.

“Riding’s not fun in the cold,” she replies. “Besides, I’m coming back here anyway, right?” She looks to you for confirmation.

You start the engine and look over at her. “You help me find Sissy and Lisey safe and sound, and you can do anything you want to me.”

She grins. “That’s a deal.”

Karen whistles from the backseat, and you see Kris blushing in the rearview mirror.

You get on the road, keeping your eyes open for Lisey, but you see no sign of her on the way to the university.

“OK, girls. What could she be up to? What could make her want to go back to the school at night?” you ask.

“She forgot something,” Kris says at once. “In her locker?”

“Or she could go to the library,” Karen says around the cork, which she’s now trying to remove with her teeth. “It’s closed all next week, but open late tonight. If you want to study or read over the break, you have to get what you need now. Lisey’s grades aren’t the best. Maybe she panicked.”

“OK,” you reply, squinting at the sidewalks as you cruise through town to the University.

As you approach, you see that most of the huge buildings are completely dark, and the parking lot is all but empty. It’s not quite late enough for them to lock everything up, even though there’s nobody here. You can still get in.

There are four of you in the car. It’s not efficient to stay together; you can cover more ground if you split up. Roxy will come with you, and Kris will go with Karen.

One pair needs to stop by Lisey’s locker, then check out the library.

The other pair needs to go to Professor Austen’s office to look for clues about Sissy.

You park your car under a light in the huge, empty lot. The dark buildings loom over you, and the wind howls.

The others are looking at you expectantly. You’re the leader, after all.

Should you and Roxy take the library? Or Professor Austen’s office?