Free Fall Into Forever by Beth Hyland

If you cross the finish line and still have one flag, you’re human. If not, you’re one of the infected. It benefits some charity.”
    “Ooh, it sounds fun,” I reply.
    “I’m Dani, by the way.” She gives a little wave of her hand.
    “I’m Ivy. Nice to meet you. Is that short for Danielle?”
    “No. Um…” She clears her throat and looks around sheepishly. “It’s short for Daenerys. From Game of Thrones . My mom read the first book when she was pregnant with me. My brother’s middle name is Harry and my little sister is Isabella.”
    “ Harry Potter and Twilight? ” Austin takes a bite of his cheeseburger.
    She nods. “Kind of stupid, I know.”
    I successfully spear another tomato on my plate. “Stupid? I think it’s cool to be named after characters in a book. I once knew a family whose kids were all named after the cities where they were conceived. Dallas, Aspen, Carmel, Sedona. So consider yourself lucky.”
    “Oh my God, that is so sick,” Cassidy says, laughing. “Who wants to know where your parents did it when your mom got knocked up? Jesus H.” She kisses her cross pendant.
    “Yeah, who wants to even imagine your parents doing it at all?” Marla says. “I sure as hell don’t.”
    Dani takes a sip from her pop. “I’d be Ballard,” she says, totally straight-faced.
    Austin and Erik start laughing.
    “What would your name be?” she asks. I can’t tell where she’s directing the question.
    Austin shrugs. “Seattle. I think.” Erik doesn’t answer.
    I look around the table. “I’d be Hollywood. Florida, that is. Not California. Top that.”
    Cassidy snorts. “I’d be Polly. Short for Kaanapali. I was born in Hawaii.” She elbows me. “Polly and Holly.”
    “Will you guys stop?” Marla holds up a hand. “This is disgusting.”
    Cassidy points a finger at everyone at the table. “Listen. No one better get pregnant while they’re going to school here. Because I’d seriously die if one of you named a kid College View.”
    Everyone laughs.
    “Speaking of conceptions and birthdays,” Cassidy says, a big smile on her face. “Ivy’s birthday is on Friday. She turns twenty-one, so we’re going to the Hardware Store Pub to celebrate. You guys should come.”
    “Happy birthday,” a few of them say.
    “Sweet,” Dani says. “I’ve got a fake ID, but it’s not very good. Do they check?”
    Austin starts to answer, but Sara interrupts him.
    “Hey, guys.” The whole table looks over at her. That’s when I realize she hasn’t told us her city name yet. I wonder if it’s funny or lame. “Do you know if Jon’s running in it? I’m not a runner, but I can be.”
    We all stare at her as if she’s just unzipped her clothes to reveal an alien underneath.
    Has she not been listening to the conversation? Dani glances over at me, eyes wide, biting her lip. She’s trying not to laugh.
    Cassidy does nothing to hide her irritation. “Running? What are you talking about?”
    “The zombie race,” Sara answers. “Is he running in it, do you know?”
    “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Cassidy kisses her necklace.
    “Just don’t get any ideas about him, okay?” Marla scowls at Sara. When Sara doesn’t respond, she adds, “I’m serious.”
    “Ideas?” Sara flips her hair again. “I have lots of ideas that involve him.”
    “Doesn’t he have a girlfriend?” I’m almost positive I walked in on him having sex at the party. And the fight I witnessed had something to do with a girl named Stella.
    “Try fuck-buddy,” Marla says. “The guy’s a total player. Slept with the slutty chicks in high school and now he’s working his way through the sororities.”
    “Sounds like you,” Erik says to Austin.
    Austin gives him the finger and takes a bite from his second cheeseburger.
    Marla ignores them. “But that’s not all. He’s been in a lot of trouble. Got arrested a few years ago and kicked out of high school for doing some seriously bad shit.”
    “Trouble?” Sara