Free No Safety in Numbers by Dayna Lorentz Page A

Preeti near a vending machine kiosk talking to some girls.
    “We’re leaving,” Shay said.
    Preeti scrunched up her face like she was going to argue, but then saw Nani and went to grab her purse. Shay scanned the mall directory. Harry’s was at the end of the hall, and there was a Domestic Decor on the first floor.Then she ran her finger over the word
Grill’n’Shake
.
    Marco.
    The Grill’n’Shake was just above them and near the elevator. It had padded booths. And if they were changing locations, why not move to a place where she would have someone to talk to about all this?
    Preeti trotted over to the kiosk, still struggling to get the strap of her bag over her head.
    “Let’s move,” Shay said, striding into the hallway with one arm linked through Nani’s. She walked as fast as she could without dragging her grandmother outright down the tiles.
    “Where are we going?” Preeti asked as she shuffled along behind Shay.
    “The Grill’n’Shake.”
    “Fine,” Preeti said, hugging her arms across her chest. “But I want to sleep in Hollister. And I get my own shake.”
    Shay stomped right up to the hostess station. “Table for three.”
    The hostess scribbled something on a paper and handed Shay a vibrating, plastic disk with blinking red lights. “When it buzzes again, come up here.”
    Shay gritted her teeth. She was so close to seeing Marco.
Only a few more minutes,
she told herself.
    Preeti nudged her in the back. “We need to find Nani a seat,” she said in a small voice.
    Shay turned. Her grandmother leaned against the railing. She half smiled at Shay and waved. She’d walked too fast.
I’m an idiot!
    Taking her grandmother’s arm, Shay led Nani to an empty chair in the waiting area beside the hostess stand. “Just a few minutes, Nani,” she said, squeezing her hand.
    “It’s better here than the food court?” Nani asked, brow furrowed.
    Shay scanned the crowd. There were no police officers anywhere. No fingers pointing at them. “Much better.”
    Preeti slumped on the floor next to Nani. “Can I have the phone?”
    “Who are you calling?” Shay kept her eyes on the crowd, watching for any inquisitive officers.
    “She can use it if she likes,” Nani said, pulling the phone out of her bag. “The last thing I need is another call from your parents.” She smiled and passed the phone to Preeti.
    Preeti flipped it open. “It’s dead,” she said. “Do you have the charger?”
    “No wonder your mother has not called since this morning,” Nani said, her voice suddenly sounding concerned. It was one thing to be constantly pestered by Ba and Bapuji, and another entirely to think that they were trying to pester them but couldn’t get through.
    “We’ll go to the mobile phone place after dinner,” Shay said.
    “Why are you so desperate to eat at the Grill’n’Shake?” Preeti asked, eyes squinting like she knew she was onto something. “You don’t even like their fries.”
    Just then, Ryan—of all people, Ryan—came strolling toward the hostess stand from the dining area.
    Shay was not angry. She wanted to be angry, demandher book back and let that be the end of it, but instead all she felt was joy at seeing him again.
    “Shay?” Ryan walked up to her, a smile creeping across his face.
    “Hi,” she said, brushing her hair behind her ear. “I guess everyone had the same idea.”
    He pulled her book out of his back pocket. “I really liked this,” he said, placing it in her hands.
    “You read it?” she asked. She hoped he couldn’t see the tremble in her fingers.
    He smiled. He was gorgeous. He’d read her book. “I didn’t have much else to do last night,” he said.
    “Yo! J. Shrimp!” Some huge guy waved at Ryan from halfway down the hall.
    Ryan waved back. “I have to go,” he said. “But I want to talk to you about it. The book. I mean, if you want.”
    Her heart began to pound in her chest.
Yes, I want!
    “Sure,” she said. “We could meet at Baxter’s