Ari took the file to her dorm, in hopes no one would see it was gone. She jammed in her earbuds and shuffled Billie Eilish.25Please respect copyright.PENANA37eHUwgfHP
Devyn was asleep, snoring softly. Ari turned on the flashlight on her phone and studied the file.
The sound of a book falling off a shelf startled Ari. She moved her flashlight to face the bookshelf. "Asher, what are you doing here?" Ari whispered. It was indeed Asher, the boy who she had run into in the music room.
"What was that?" Devyn asked groggily, sitting up. Ari quickly turned off the flashlight to hide Asher in the shadows.
"Devyn!" Ari said quietly. "Why are you awake?"
"I heard a noise."
"Sorry, I was studying for history and I knocked over a book," Ari apologized. "Go back to sleep. I'll be quieter."
"OK," she said quietly as she laid back and drifted off to sleep.
Ari stood up and grabbed Asher's arm and led him outside the door. "What are you doing here?" Ari whispered.
"I--"
"Nope, don't even answer. I don't even care." Ari sat back down on the floor and started re-reading the files.
"Where'd you get that?" Asher asked quietly.
"None of your business."
"Why do you have it?"
"Important reasons."
"Can I see it?"
"No."
Asher grabbed it from her and read it. "Blah, blah, blah, power source, blah, blah, blah, basement, blah, blah, blah, dangerous, blah, blah, blah . . . death. Unexplainable abilities. Only a few days left to live. Oh, God. . . . Ari, where'd you find this?"
"A meeting room or something. I'm trying to find where the basement is."
"Ari, you can't just go into a meeting room or something and grab a file! That's against the rules or something."
"Stop saying 'or something'."25Please respect copyright.PENANAIFQo5MDfoP
"That's not the point! You can't just steal something!"
"If I'm able to do it, I do it. Even if it's breaking the rules, I still do it. That's just the kind of person I am. You'll let me get away with it, right?"
Asher hesitated. "Only if I get to help you."
Ari burst out in quiet laughter. "You amuse me. I work alone."
"OK, well, I guess I won't tell you where the basement is . . ."
Ari looked up at him with a glint in her eye. "You could be useful."25Please respect copyright.PENANAWMF1p5CE3h