"Hey, Ophelia, sorry. I'm just struggling with my Fisher-Price phone."
Ophelia snorted. "Jane did issue you the KidPhone, then? I told her that was too cruel, even to me."
"Yeah, yeah, you'd think with buttons as big as those, I'd be able to use it, yadda, yadda. Why am I doing your snarky work for you?" I sighed. "And thanks for calling me back. I know my e-mail was vague, but I didn't want to set off the Council alarms."
"Ooh, subversive. You surprise me, Meagan. Fine, I'll bite. Why am I calling you?"
"I was going through your probationary file."
"Intrusive," she commented.
"And I saw this e-mail that you sent Jane, a little bit before I was turned."
"Meagan, I send out a lot of e-mails."
"I believe you told Jane that it was none of her blanking business who you blanking had contact with when it wasn't on the blanking campus?"
"Oh, yeah, I do remember that. I took particular delight in using the f-word as all of the parts of speech."
"Good for you, but can you tell me what Jane did to deserve such a display of profane grammar?" I asked.
"Tina asked me for a copy of all my contacts in the area. She said Jane asked her for it. I sent my masterwork of obscenities . . . And now that you mention it, Jane responded in an e-mail that she didn't know what I was talking about. I thought she was simply being obtuse, but then . . . I got distracted with Jamie and the mixer and your situation, and I forgot all about it. That's not like me."
"You've had a lot on your mind," I told her.
"I juggled illegal business transactions, working for a shadow government, and raising my sister alone, while looking completely fabulous. I think I can handle my freshman year."
I tried for a placating tone. "You are a total badass. I want to be you when I grow up."
"Of course you do. Everybody wants to be me." She sniffed.
"And so modest, too."
"Meagan, if I've taught you anything during our too-brief friendship, it's that modesty is for losers," she said. "I'm assuming Jane has you documenting my rudeness in triplicate, so the Council can hold it over my head?"
"Actually, no, it's just not adding up. There's a missing link in the communication chain, and it's driving me crazy."
///
"Well, if I can help in any way, let me know. It's been downright tedious without you here. I mean, I enjoy Keagan and Morgan's company, but . . . I got used to your being around, that's all."
I grinned into the darkness. That was as close as I would ever get to Ophelia saying she missed me.
"Meanwhile, if you need me to come to the Council office for any reason, please just say the word. Between midterms and the police presence on campus, I could use a little space."
"Police presence?"
Ophelia sounded exasperated. "Ever since that building burned off campus. The remains found in the basement were vampire, apparently. So the police, naturally, are focusing on the most concentrated population of vampires in the area. And because of my history, they've taken a particular interest in questioning me. They seem to think I had something to do with it."
"You . . . didn't have anything to do with it, did you?"
She deadpanned. "Meagan."
"I'm just asking!"
"I would never leave that sort of evidence, honestly. It's like you barely know me." Ophelia's voice trailed off. On the other end of the line, I heard a door open, followed by two distinct thumps, like shoes hitting the floor, and the rasp of a zipper. Ophelia gave a little gasp.
"Augh, Jamie is there, isn't he?" I groaned. "You have to warn me when you start messing around like that! So I can immediately hang up!"
"Then you should probably hang up now," Ophelia whimpered.
"Gross. When you're done, tell the girls I said hi." I hit the big red end button and dropped the phone into my bag. And then I bathed my hands in sanitizer, because that would make a big difference.
"I need new nonpervert friends," I said to myself, sighing and bumping my head against the railing.
So Tina told Ophelia that Jane asked for a list of Ophelia's contacts. Jane didn't know who asked for Ophelia's contacts list but knew it wasn't her. Ophelia sent it but didn't know why anyone would want it. Jane and Ophelia had no reason to lie. That left Tina, the same Tina who seemed to have trouble counting vampires, who couldn't possibly be as adorably clueless as she pretended to be. But why would she want a list of Ophelia's contacts? Maybe she wanted to have some sort of intervention-style confrontation with Ophelia about her rude treatment of the roommate who kept stealing Ophelia's body wash?