Free Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

ONE
    “Addie? Addie, wake up. Addie —”
    I roll over with a groan and stretch, rubbing both eyes with the heel of my hand.
     It’s too early for this shit.
    “Addie—”
    Still half asleep, I grab James by the collar and yank him down, shoving his head
     under the blanket. He shouts and I laugh, wrapping him up in the sheets until he can’t
     get out.
    “Stooooop iiiiiiit,” he whines, little fists pounding against the sheets. “Addie,
     let me out—”
    “Hey—how many times have I told you to stop calling me that?”
    James tries to punch me through the blanket. I pick him up and flip him over in my
     arms and he screams, his legs kicking wildly.
    “You’re so mean,” he cries, wriggling around in my grip. “If Kenji were here, he would
     never let y—”
    At that, I freeze, and James can feel it. He goes quiet in my arms, and I let him
     go. He untangles himself from my sheets, and we stare at each other.
    James blinks. His bottom lip trembles and he bites down on it. “Do you know if he’s
     okay?”
    I shake my head.
    Kenji is still in the medical wing. No one knows for sure what happened yet, but people
     have been talking. Whispering.
    I look toward the wall. James is still speaking, but I’m too distracted to pay attention.
    It’s hard for me to believe Juliette could hurt anyone like that.
    “Everyone says he’s gone,” James is saying now.
    This, I catch.
    “What?” I turn back, alarmed. “How?”
    James shrugs. “I don’t know. They said he broke out of his room.”
    “What are you talking about? How could he break out of his room—?”
    James shrugs again. “I don’t think he wanted to be here anymore.”
    “But—what?” I screw up my face, confused. “Does that mean he’s feeling better? Did
     someone tell you he was feeling better?”
    James frowns. “Did you want him to feel better? I thought you didn’t like him.”
    I sigh. Run a hand through the back of my hair. “Of course I like him. I know we don’t
     always get along, but it’s really close quarters in here, and he’s always got so many
     damn opinions—”
    James shoots me a strange look. “So . . . you don’t want to kill him? You’re always
     saying you want to kill him.”
    “I’m not serious when I say stuff like that.” I try not to roll my eyes. “He and I
     have been friends for a long time. I’m actually worried about him.”
    “Okay,” James says carefully. “You’re weird, Addie.”
    I can’t help but laugh a little. “Why am I weird? And hey, stop calling me Addie—you
     know how much I hate that—”
    “Yeah, and I still don’t know why.” He cuts me off. “Mom always used to call you Addie—”
    “Well Mom’s dead, isn’t she?” My voice has gone hard. My hands are clenched. And when
     I see the look on James’s face, I’m instantly sorry for being so harsh. I release
     my fists. Take a deep breath.
    James swallows hard. “Sorry,” he says quietly.
    I nod, look away. “Yeah. Me too.” I pull a shirt on over my head. “So Kenji’s gone
     then, huh? I can’t believe he’d just leave like that.”
    “Why would Kenji be gone?” James asks. “I thought you said you didn’t even know if
     he w—”
    “But I thought you said—”
    We stop. Stare at each other.
    James is the first to speak. “I said Warner is gone. Everyone is saying he escaped last night.”
    Just the sound of his name and I’m already pissed off. “Stay here,” I say, pointing
     at James and grabbing my boots.
    “But—”
    “Don’t move until I get back!” I shout before bolting out the door.
    That bastard. I can’t believe this.
    I’m pounding on Castle’s door when Ian spots me on his way down the hall.
    “He’s not in there,” Ian says, still walking.
    I catch his arm. “Is it true? Did Warner really get out?”
    Ian sighs. Shoves his hands into his pockets. Finally, he nods.
    I want to put my fist through the wall.
    “I gotta go suit up,” Ian says, breaking away. “And