Jane's a teenage weirdo. She's awkward, plain, anxious, and above it all, a hacking prodigy.
Ryder's the quintessential high school hero, or so it seems. Dark secrets that threaten their lives are uncovered when Jane decides to snoop into Ryder's...
The garden was rotating slowly in the air, suspended by invisible threads in the sky. A sea of clouds drifted beneath the overgrown grass and mossy stones, lit a surfeit of purples and blues. By any stretch of logic, it should have been cold here, but Jane found herself to be comfortable and warm.
"What?" she asked, roused from her distracted thoughts.
Her father was seated next to her, clad in much the same clothes as he always wore. Jeans, boots, and a stained t-shirt. A contractor's uniform.
"You know what I said," he replied. His tone was ever-patient, as if Jane were still the little girl he had left behind.
"It's- dad, come on. I'm just poking around a little bit. They won't even know."
He looked her over, eyebrows raised. "And where does it stop, Janey? You're already breaking into their accounts and spying on them. Where do you draw the line?"
A wind had picked up, speeding along the river of clouds below. The grass rustled, autumn leaves catching amongst their blades.
"I don't know... I just can't stop."
Her father was nodding, as if in understanding.
A beeping was filling the air, robotic and artificial.
"This won't end well." She wasn't sure which of them had spoken, Jane herself or her father, but the words rang true. This would not end well, much like how it had ended the last time. How she had ended up in this town.
The beeping was growing louder.
Her father's familiar touch reached her shoulders, comforting and warm. "I can't stop you anymore, Janey. I don't think I ever could. Just promise me you'll keep yourself safe."
Jane opened her mouth to reply, but her father stopped her with a wave of his hand.
"Every system has a point of failure. Even yours," he said.
The beeping was far too loud. It drowned out her reply, voice lost in its artificial klaxon.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A loud electronic beeping startled her from her rest.
She cracked one eye open, realizing she had fallen asleep at her desk again. She groaned.
A small string of drool hung from the corner of her lip. Absently, she wiped it with the sleeve of her jacket. The teddy bear lay at her feet, staring up at her. She returned the stare, still dazed from her dreams.
The hood of her jacket hung against her cheek. Her mouth felt dry.
The alarm clock redoubled its effort, beeping even louder than before. Insistent. Demanding of attention.
Jane sighed, blinking. Then froze. The clock read eight o'clock in the morning.
She leapt from her chair, slamming one hand against the reset button of the clock. The other hastily pulled the scrunchie from her ponytail, freeing her amber hair. She hopped unsteadily on one foot as she quickly removed her sweatpants. Once free of her legs, she kicked them away.
