Finn checked back over his homework, chewing on the end of his pencil, looking for that elusive answer to number thirty…

His thoughts were interrupted as his cell phone blared a grainy rendition of Carrie Underwood’s “Don’t Forget to Remember Me.” He glanced at the caller ID and hastily flipped it open.

“Where have you been?” he hissed. It was early in the morning and his roommate was still asleep. A voice filtered through, fervent and excited.

“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call for weeks!”

“Sorry, my other phone got washed one time—I didn’t get a new one until now.”

A heavy sigh rushed out of the receiver. “Look, I found Adrien a few weeks ago, in New York…”

Finn listened intensely without a word, shock etched on his face as the other retold the story. Thirty minutes passed and homework was left untouched.

~

Seven A.M.

Finn’s roommate rose groggily from the cheap mattress. He glanced around, bleary-eyed.

Finn had left hours ago.

END OF BOOK 2