by Diana Urban
13 Minutes Left
Scott pinched the long stick, and his shoulders slumped in relief. The long stick meant life. The short stick, the one left in my grasp, meant someone would stab me with the syringe and push the plunger. Bile rose from my stomach, and the floor spun under my feet. It took all the strength I could muster to keep my legs from buckling.
“I’m so sorry—” Scott started, but his brow crinkled as he stared at the stick in my outstretched hand. “What the hell?”
I glanced down. It was a long stick. Not the short stick.
“What the absolute fuck?” Robbie asked. Diego looked at me in wonder.
My eyes darted between my incense stick and Scott’s. They were the same length. Nobody drew a short stick. “Wait. How . . . ?”
“You cheat.” Sasha stared at me accusingly.
“No!” I exclaimed. How could we all have pulled long sticks? “It was a fair draw, I swear.”
“You were buying more time, weren’t you?” said Sasha.
“No, no, no. I swear, I didn’t cheat. That’d only be wasting time.” I spun and scanned the sideboard. “See? Here!” I grabbed the half of the stick I discarded earlier. “I definitely broke one of the sticks in half.”
“But . . .” Sasha examined her stick. “Where’d the other half go?”
“I have no idea!”
Diego grabbed the short stick from me and examined the broken end. Then he scanned the floor around my feet. “This is bizarre. You’re sure you counted out only six sticks?”
“I’m positive! And the two extras are still on the sideboard, see?” I pointed at them. “I don’t know where another stick would have come from!” Sasha still glared at me, and I glanced from face to face, searching for support. “I swear, I had nothing to do with this.” Everyone wore confused expressions. Everyone except Priya.
Realization dawned on me. As she watched my expression change, her eyes widened, and she folded her arms—not in impatience, but as though to hide something. “Oh my God,” I muttered.
Priya shook her head, but said nothing. What should I do? I knew what she did. But if I ratted her out, everyone would choose her to die for sure.
Sasha glanced between us, cocking her head. And then she spotted it. “You little bitch!” She threw herself at Priya and grabbed her wrists. “Roll up your sleeves.”
Priya wrestled to break free from Sasha’s clutches. “No!”
“Roll them up!” Sasha yanked at Priya’s sleeves, making a ripping sound as she freed half a stick from one of them. “Ha! Looks like your magic tricks aren’t so freaking magical.”
Priya burst into tears as she backed against the wall between Scott and the sideboard, her shoes crunching on the broken glass. Scott stared up at her with a baffled expression. A matching incense vase with bamboo sticks sat on that sideboard. Of course. That’s how she got a stick to swap. And that’s why she hugged me. My chest tightened. Did she mean what she said at all?
Diego tugged his fingers through his hair, gripping his skull. “How did you know which was the short stick?”
“I didn’t.” Priya’s words bubbled through her tears. “I wasn’t going to swap anything if I’d pulled a long one. When I felt it was short, I . . . I . . .” She demonstrated pulling an invisible stick from her sleeve with the same hand.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake.” He paced to the door and rested his palms and forehead against it. “This is ridiculous.”
“You’re a cheater!” yelled Sasha.
Priya narrowed her eyes at Sasha, like she was one to talk. “But not at anyone else’s expense. This way, nobody would pull the short stick, and we could figure out how to get everyone out of here.”
“All you did was waste time,” said Sasha. “We still have to choose.”
Robbie scowled at Priya. “And you pulled the short stick. It has to be you.” He pushed past me toward the syringe.
“No, wait.” I reached for his wrist, but strong arms grabbed me around the waist from behind. Sasha was pulling me backward. “Get off!” I shrieked.
“You’re the one who made the rules,” she said into my ear.
“No!” Priya shrieked, backing against the door. “Please, don’t!”
Diego came to his senses and lunged at Robbie, gripping the back of his shirt and pulling him backward. The seams in Robbie’s collar ripped, but he elbowed Diego in the stomach, spun, and shoved Diego’s chest, easily overpowering him. “Get off me, man!”
Diego grunted as he slammed into the mirror, and Robbie headed for the syringe again.
“No! Wait, I have an idea! There’s still time.” I clawed at Sasha’s arms, trying to pry them from encircling my waist, but she was too strong, too determined to let Robbie end this. My hair fell in my face as I met Diego’s gaze. “Stop him!”
Diego grabbed the chair nearest him and dragged it between him and Robbie, creating a barrier. Meanwhile, I dug my fingernails into Sasha’s arms, but she wouldn’t budge. “Please! Let me go!” Desperate to stop this, I mimicked Robbie and elbowed Sasha as hard as I could, connecting with her rib cage.
“Aaugh.” She made a gurgling noise and loosened her grip for a moment, and it was enough. I propelled myself forward as Robbie kicked the chair toward Diego. Diego didn’t yield. I hurtled past Priya and Scott on the other side of the table, sidestepping the only chair blocking my path.
I rounded the table, rushed between him and the syringe, and threw out my arms as Robbie finally shoved Diego out of the way. “Don’t!” I couldn’t let him try to kill Priya. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go at all. “Please don’t do this.”
Robbie screwed up his face, lines deepening in his forehead. “She drew the short stick. Rules are rules.”
“I have an idea.” I licked my lips, scrambling to find logic I could work with. I had to figure this out. “I know how we can get everyone out of here alive. I really think this could work.”
“What is it?” asked Diego.
I lowered my voice, darting a glance at the webcam in the china cabinet. “We fake a death. We pretend to inject someone with the poison. We pretend we’ve done what they want us to do. And we see if the timer on the bomb stops.”
“Yes!” Priya breathed.
Diego raised his eyebrows and nodded. “That’s brilliant. I can’t believe we didn’t think of it before.”
“We didn’t think of it because this one keeps making us panic.” I motioned toward Sasha.
“It’s worth a shot, at least,” said Scott, glancing at the syringe. The corner of his mouth quivered. “No pun intended.”
“We only have, what”—Sasha glanced at her watch—“twelve minutes left now? And that thing”—she jabbed her finger at the bomb over my shoulder—“that thing’s going to kill all of us. And I’m not going to let that happen.”
Sasha lunged toward me, but then she hesitated. She’d have to reach past me to grab the syringe. All I had to do was lean back and snatch it from the table. The moment stretched for what seemed like an eternity. Sasha’s chest rose and fell. My fingers tingled.
And then I moved. I threw myself at the table, closing my fingers around the syringe. I couldn’t let any of the liquid out. Diego tackled Sasha, crashing onto the table over plates and glasses and silverware.
As I backed away from them, the syringe felt heavy in my grip, like I was carrying the weight of all of our lives in my hands. It was such an all-consuming weight that I didn’t notice Sasha break free from Diego and barrel toward me. I tried dodging from her path, but she threw herself at me and grabbed my calf before I could escape. In the moment I was airborne, I reflexively threw my arms out and braced for impact before slamming onto the floor. The wind was knocked from my lungs, and the syringe rolled across the hardwood floor, bumping into Robbie’s shoe.
He knelt and picked it up.
“Robbie!” I gasped, lifting myself onto my elbows as Sasha scrambled to her feet. “Don’t let her get it—”
But Robbie ap
proached Priya, his expression pained. She backed hard into the china cabinet, the glasses and porcelain inside clinking against each other in protest, but she had nowhere to run.
“Robbie, no!” I shrieked.
“I’m sorry,” said Robbie. “But she pulled the short stick.”
Sasha nodded encouragingly. “That’s right. Do it.”
“No!” I shrieked. “You’re not a murderer.”
“None of us are murderers,” said Robbie as he gave Sasha a wary look, the syringe shaking in his fist. “But someone has to end this. She drew the short stick. It’s the only fair way.”
Priya shrank against the china cabinet, tears rolling down her cheeks, raising her trembling hands. How could I get him to drop the syringe? We were running out of time—I didn’t have time to convince him of anything. But I had to fix this. I had to—
The pepper spray. I had pepper spray in my purse. Mom made me carry it around after the grocery store serial killer went berserk. I kept my expression blank. I could surprise Robbie with the spray and make him drop the syringe without doing real damage.
I could see my purse, three feet away, still next to Sasha’s chair. Robbie and Priya stood near the fireplace. I had to keep him talking, keep him from stabbing her, while I somehow retrieved the pepper spray.
“Robbie, hear me out.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “My idea could work. We’ll fake a death. We’ll see if the timer stops. We’ll know once and for all whether killing someone stops the bomb.”
“That won’t work!” said Sasha.
“Shut up!” I refused to break eye contact with Robbie. “You’re not a killer, Robbie.” I collapsed onto my knees next to Sasha’s chair, like I was begging him to reconsider, and edged my purse under the table with my knee. “Don’t do this. She’s my best friend.”
Robbie narrowed his eyes. “What, should I kill him instead?” He nodded toward Diego, who took a huge step back and tripped over Scott’s outstretched leg. Scott yelped as Diego tumbled backward and fell onto his butt. No. This was exactly what I was afraid of. Robbie hated Diego now, and would have the perfect excuse to get rid of him on account of saving my life. I couldn’t let him stab Diego with that syringe. I couldn’t let it end this way.
But I couldn’t panic. I said nothing, and while everyone watched Diego clamber to his feet, I fumbled with my purse’s clasp under the draping red tablecloth and rummaged through it with shaking fingers.
“No, it has to be Priya,” said Sasha. “We agreed to the rules. She drew the short stick. And she tried to cheat her way out of it.” Robbie raised the syringe over Priya’s shoulder, but hesitated, biting his lip uncertainly as my fingers clasped the familiar cylinder. Was he contemplating who I’d hate him less for killing?
Priya raised an open palm toward Robbie, like she could block the needle from penetrating her skin. “Please, don’t kill me. Please.”
Robbie’s arm trembled more than ever. Priya sobbed, staring at the needle inches from her skin. He met her eyes and scowled. “Dammit!” He spun and rushed Diego, slamming him against the wall by the neck with one hand and gripping the syringe over his shoulder with the other.
“No! Don’t do this, Robbie.” I stood, hiding the pepper spray in my clenched palm. “You’re letting them win.”
Robbie scrunched his brow, the syringe shaking in his fist. “Who?”
“Whoever put us in here!” I wasn’t sure what I was saying—I just needed to distract him long enough to spray him. It was hotter than a sauna in here. So hot. It was hard to focus on what I was saying. “They wanted one of us to become a killer. They wanted to turn one of us into a monster. Are you going to be that monster?”
Beads of sweat lined Robbie’s furrowed brow. “They want all of us to die! They put us in here with a bomb!” Robbie positioned his thumb over the plunger. Diego was breathing hard, gaping at the needle inches away.
“No, you’re wrong.” I edged closer without tearing my eyes from Robbie’s. “They’re testing us, trying to get us to turn on each other, kill each other. And you’re falling right into their trap! You’re letting them prove that all you care about is yourself.” I was screaming now, my entire body trembling. “Let’s try my idea.”
“We’ve tried enough!” Sasha cried, staring at her watch. “If we don’t kill someone now, we’re all going to die.”
Riled by her words, Robbie tightened the grip on the syringe and lowered it toward Diego’s shoulder. Diego’s eyes widened in fear. “No!” I rushed forward, aiming the pepper spray at Robbie’s eyes without shooting. “Give me the poison.”
He flinched. “What the hell is that?”
“Pepper spray,” I said. “And I will use it.”
“You’re insane!”
“You’re the one about to poison someone!”
“I have to! I have to do this!”
“Robbie. Don’t give in. Prove them wrong.” I enunciated each word, fighting to keep the tremor from my voice. “Prove that you’re willing to give a damn about anyone else.” A look of sheer agony crossed his face. We’d been driven to the depths of insanity to fight for what we thought was right. He wanted to save five lives. I was arguing to save six. But he thought trying to save six might get everyone killed.
Which was more right?
Suddenly he lowered his arm and dropped the syringe on the table. “Fuck!” As Diego slid down to the floor in relief, Robbie shoved the nearest chair against the wall and kicked it repeatedly. A vein in his neck bulged, and he released a guttural growl with each kick.
Sasha covered her ears and screamed, “What are you doing?”
“Dude, I don’t think murdering the chair counts,” said Scott.
With one last kick, the chair finally splintered. Robbie collapsed next to it on the floor, buried his face in his knees, and let out heaving sobs. Everyone watched in silence, shocked by his outburst.
I glanced at the syringe, the needle gleaming on the table where Robbie dropped it. My eyes met Sasha’s across the room. We both froze for a split second. And then we lunged.
14 Days Ago
JANUARY OF SENIOR YEAR
“What the hell is your problem?” Sasha slapped her notebook on the table across from me, making me jump.
“Shh,” said the librarian, Mrs. Burr, peering at Sasha from behind her desk. Sasha rolled her eyes.
I plucked out my red earbuds and paused the track I was working on. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered.
“Bullshit,” she grumbled, folding her arms. “You’ve been avoiding me ever since the school play. Are you still mad I flubbed that song? I said I was sorry . . .”
I quirked an eyebrow at her. I still hadn’t figured out how to confront her about bullying Priya, or lying about the school play. I could just tell her off—but would she listen? Or would she just deny everything? Probably the latter.
And then she’d turn me into her punching bag, too.
I couldn’t let that happen. I had to think of some other way to get through to her without giving her a chance to simply slither away and ridicule me in hissed whispers.
Each time I saw her, I remembered how she’d laughed at Priya for knocking her teeth out. I’d see Priya covering her mouth in pain and humiliation. And I’d think, I did that. That’s my fault. Whenever I tried talking to Priya in the halls, or in class, or outside her house, she’d bolt in the other direction. No matter how many times I texted her, she ignored me. I’d racked my brain for a way to get through to her.
So I hadn’t cut Sasha from my life, but held her at arm’s length. If I could get Sasha to apologize to Priya, and if I could mend her wounds, maybe Priya would let me back in.
My knee bounced under the table. “It’s not just about the song. I . . . I’ve been upset since then. So I haven’t felt like partying—”
Sasha screwed up her face. “Why? You got the recording you wanted—”
“Shhhhh.” Mrs. Burr shushed us so hard spittle flew from
her lips. She glared at us, and so did a few other people at the neighboring tables.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake.” Sasha stood and rounded the table to sit next to me, glaring at Mrs. Burr all the while. Leaning close, she whispered, “The recording came out great. I mean, for the most part, right? You submitted your applications on time. Isn’t that exactly what you wanted?”
“It’s not about that. I’ve been upset about what happened to Priya.”
Sasha cocked her head. “Nothing happened to Priya but Priya. Besides, her teeth look even better now than they did before.” Sasha ran her tongue over her own front teeth and frowned, like she was dissatisfied with them. “Lucky bitch.”
“Nothing about what she went through is lucky!” I rasped. “You made fun of her constantly. You hooked up with the guy she liked and didn’t warn her off.”
“Hey, that’s not on me. I liked Zane for years. She’s the one who tried to get her paws all over him.” I raised my eyebrows. So she was jealous of Priya. I never realized she liked Zane so much; I figured whatever was going on between them was casual.
“Either way,” I said, “that didn’t give you the right to post that video of her falling online for the world to see.”
Sasha rolled her eyes. “But it didn’t zoom in on her or anything. You couldn’t even tell who she was.”
“But she knew. We all knew. Why did you always need to take her down a peg? You already won the popularity contest. You were already dating Zane. You’re already best at everything. Didn’t you see how much you were hurting her feelings?” I had to get her to see the light. To see that she owed Priya one hell of an apology.
Part of me was convinced she’d come around. Despite her manipulation to get those singing numbers out of me, she’d convinced the drama club to let me score the play, and did so much extra work to make it happen. She nudged Robbie to ask me out. She invited me to all of her parties, and befriended me without question. She was clearly capable of kindness.
But another part of me was worried she was a narcissistic bitch. That she was only decent when it benefited herself.
Sasha’s eyes got all misty, and finally, she whispered, “I’m not best at everything.”