No calls. No texts. Ella had been absent all day.I swung by Coach Lynch’s office, but he hadn’t heard from her either. After begging my way out of practice—promising to rejoin the squad ASAP—I headed for the gate.Shelton and Hi were waiting.“Change of plans,” I said. “I’m gonna run by Ella’s place before going home.”Shelton scratched his nose. “Why? Looking to collect another virus?”“She missed a big thing in psych today, and didn’t return any of my texts. That’s not like her. I wanna make sure she’s okay. See if she needs anything.”“You want us to walk with you?” Hi asked casually. “I’ve got nothing else to do.”I smirked. “You can come, Romeo.”“You sure?” Hi licked his palm, then used it to slick his hair. “With me around, she might not even notice you’re there.”“I’ll risk it. I’m just popping my head in, anyway. Shelton?”He shrugged. “Why not? Mr. Blue will want to ferry us together anyway.”“Good point. Can you text him we’ll be late?”Shelton nodded, digging out his iPhone as we headed down the street.The Francis family lived in South of Broad, the ultra-exclusive neighborhood at the tip of the peninsula.
