"Cala."
I ignored it.
"Cala."
I dragged the blanket over my head.
The door opened.
"It's 5:58."
My eyes flew open. "What?"
"Your phone died."
I reached for it.
Black screen.
My stomach dropped.
"No."
I threw the covers off and my feet hit the cold floor.
"I set an alarm."
"On a dead phone."
"Stop talking."
The bathroom light felt harsh. I brushed too fast, dropped the cap, picked it up again. My hair refused to cooperate. The elastic snapped once.
"Of course," I muttered.
Liam leaned against the doorframe.
"You have three minutes."
"Why are you narrating my life?"
"Because you move like time owes you something."
I shoved past him, pulling on my sweater as I stepped into my skirt. Grabbed the wrong socks. Changed them. Zipped my bag halfway and gave up.
Aisling appeared in the hallway, half asleep.
"Why are you running?"
"Because she thinks alarms are optional," Liam said.
"I do not."
A horn beeped outside.
Once. Then again.
We froze.
"6:04," Liam said.
Then we ran.
Cold air hit my face. Miren's car idled at the curb, headlights cutting through the pale morning.
She leaned over and pushed the passenger door open.
"You're four minutes late."
"I'm not," I said, sliding in. "I'm exactly on time."
"6:04 is not on time."
Liam jogged around and opened the back door.
"Can I join? Practice starts at seven."
Miren looked at me.
"You didn't tell me."
"I forgot."
"You forget everything," Liam muttered.
"Get in," Miren said. "But if you're muddy, you're walking home."
"I don't get muddy."
"That's a lie," I said.
The car pulled away.
The sky was not fully dark, not fully light.
I leaned my head against the window, breath slowing.
Rehearsal. School. Morning air.
Normal.
Liam's phone buzzed.
He glanced at it.
Paused.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"You said it like something."
"I didn't."
He sat back.
Too casual.
The light turned green.
The car moved.
And whatever that was stayed where it was.