"If we take the L out of lover, what do we get?" Mr. Miller asked as the final bell rang.
"Over!" the students shouted in unison, clearly loving this daily routine.
"Exactly right. Take the L out of lover and you get over. School is over today, people. Get out of here."
[COUNTDOWN: 00:20:17]
The numbers burned in Mark's vision like acid. He'd been watching them all day, unable to focus on anything else. Unable to think about anything except those relentless seconds ticking away.
He'd thought he could approach Becky at lunch, corner her somewhere casual, but then he and Daniel Sterling had been summoned to the principal's office for a twenty-minute lecture about violence on campus. Twenty minutes that might have been his best window, completely wasted listening to threats about suspension and disappointed expectations.
Now he had less than twenty minutes to complete an impossible task.
Mark grabbed his backpack and stood. "Meet you outside," he told Henry, who was already lost in his phone, scrolling through whatever teenage garbage passed for entertainment.
"Mark, wait up." Alex's voice stopped him at the door.
Not now. Please, not now.
Mark turned, forcing his face into something neutral despite the screaming urgency in his chest. "Yeah?"
"Thanks for yesterday, man. Standing up for me like that in the cafeteria." Alex's gratitude seemed genuine, which somehow made it worse. "Nobody's ever done something like that before. Most people just watch."
Mark needed to leave. Right now. Every second was precious, irreplaceable. "It's cool, don't worry about it."
"Wait, just one more minute," Alex insisted, stepping closer and lowering his voice. "I told my sister what you did. She wants to meet you. Says anyone who'd help a stranger like that must be worth knowing."
Mark's jaw clenched. "One minute. That's it."
"I live with her, by the way. My parents thought it would be good for us to be more independent, you know? Anyway, maybe you could come over sometime?"
Mark's blood went cold. Alexa Sentara. Ben's granddaughter, Alex's older sister. Twenty-three years old and, according to Hugo's memories, completely unstable. A diagnosed sex addict who'd been through every treatment program money could buy.
Ben had spent millions trying to control her impulses, keep her away from scandals that could damage the family name. She collected boys like trophies and discarded them just as quickly.
She was the absolute last person Mark wanted to meet.
"Sure, sounds good," Mark lied smoothly. "But I really need to catch someone right now. Can we talk about this outside?"
"Yeah, no problem. Sorry, didn't mean to hold you up." Alex backed off, still smiling that privileged smile.
Mark pushed through the door into hallway chaos. Students everywhere, lockers slamming like gunshots, voices echoing off tile floors in an overwhelming cacophony.
[COUNTDOWN: 00:15:30]
"You need to complete tasks on time," the system voice chimed in helpfully. "This is just the beginner level."
"Is that Alex kid still getting these notifications?" Mark whispered, trying not to move his lips too much.
"Negative. Once you completed the first task, the synchronization was severed. This system is now exclusively yours."
Small comfort. Mark scanned the crowded hallway, looking for short dark hair and today's ribbon. Then he saw her.
Becky Moonwell moved through the corridor like royalty parting crowds. Students literally stepped aside for her, creating a path without being asked or told.
The respect she commanded was different from fear. It was something else entirely. Distance. Isolation. A bubble of space that kept her separate from everyone else. She walked alone, no friends at her side, no laughter or gossip or the casual intimacy teenagers usually shared. Just silence and empty space.
[COUNTDOWN: 00:13:47]
Mark's heart hammered against his bruised ribs. He needed to do this now. No more waiting, no more planning. Just action and hope.
He adjusted his trajectory, timing his steps like he used to time market moves, and walked directly into her path. They collided with believable force. Both stumbled. Mark's backpack hit the floor with a thud that was probably too dramatic to be completely accidental, but nobody seemed to notice or care.
"I'm so sorry," Mark said immediately, reaching out a hand. "That was completely my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going."
"It's okay." Becky took his hand, let him help her up. Her grip was surprisingly strong, confident. "I wasn't watching either."
Up close, she was even prettier than he'd realized. Sharp features, intelligent eyes that actually seemed to see him instead of looking through him. "Really?" Mark smiled, letting genuine surprise show on his face. This was working. She was actually talking to him. "You seem pretty aware."
"Yeah, I do that a lot actually. Zone out." She brushed off her dress absently. "Students kind of just make room for me, so I don't have to pay attention to where I'm walking."
Mark noticed the slight bitterness in her voice. The way she said "make room" like it was a curse instead of a privilege. Like being untouchable wasn't actually a gift.
"Why do they do that?" He kept his tone curious, not judgmental. Not prying, just genuinely interested in her answer.
Becky studied him for a moment, like she was trying to figure out if this was genuine curiosity or some kind of elaborate setup. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe because of my parents."
"Who are your parents?" Mark asked, even though he knew exactly who they were. Richard Moonwell, commercial real estate mogul. Catherine Moonwell, silent partner in half the development deals in three states. But people liked talking about themselves, liked being asked questions, liked feeling heard.
"Are you kidding me?" Becky's expression shifted toward suspicion. She started walking again, faster now.
Mark followed, keeping pace. "No, seriously. I don't know."
Students stared as they passed. Whispers started immediately, spreading like wildfire. The nerd talking to Becky Moonwell? Mark Lidorf? What universe was this?
"I thought you were heading the other direction," Becky said, stopping abruptly to let Mark catch up. She pointed back the way he'd come, toward the parking lot exit.
[COUNTDOWN: 00:08:12]
"Doesn't really matter, does it?" Mark said, pulling out the line he'd learned decades ago in a different life. Make them feel like they're worth changing direction for. Make them feel important, valued, seen.