Page 22 of Stiletto Sins

Tears streamed downmy face as I stared at the destroyed mess of my baby. There was no bag of rice big enough to save it from the liquid damage that tray of drinks had caused. It was toast, ruined.

And I’d never felt more lost in my life.

In a weird way, my computer had become my safety blanket, my emotional support. It had been there for me when everything felt too chaotic and out of reach, providing me with a way to try to find some answers or even some hope. That was why I’d joined the MidKnight Guild, to begin with. It was a place for me to connect with others who didn’t know me as the little sister, or the screwup, and hopefully uncover the lies we’d been told about Sariah.

And it had been a safe haven for a while. Obsidian and Blackhawk had become my friends.

FINLEY, AGE 16

Obsidian: Has anyone heard from Mongoose? He missed another check-in.

Oblivion: No, I haven’t. Did he ever send over the files from the mark he was working on?

Blackhawk: Yeah, I got them. He said he had some things to take care of in his personal life, but would be back on for the next task.

Obsidian: I wish someone would’ve told me. I’m team leader.

Blackhawk: Only because no one else wanted it. Don’t get too high on yourself or I’ll sic Oblivion on you.

Blackhawk: Speaking of, I can’t believe you changed the name of the mean girl so that every teacher called her “Anita Hoare” on the first day of school roll call. That’s hilarious and hardcore.

Oblivion: Been looking at my application again? Anyone ever tell you that you have some stalker tendencies?

Blackhawk: All the time. Don’t ignore the compliment, little hacker.

Oblivion: That was a pretty great one. By the end of the day, her face was so red that I almost felt bad for her.

Obsidian: What about when you programmed the teacher’s phone to make a moaning sound every time he got a message, Hawk? He never could figure out how to make it stop. Now, that was hilarious.

Blackhawk: That’s because I disabled all of his settings. He was an asshole. Always trying to look down girls' tops and let the popular kids get away with whatever they wanted. It wasn’t right. Especially when that one guy superglued your seat to your butt. He needed to be taught a lesson.

Oblivion: Wait? Do you guys know each other in real life? I just thought it was from other hacker clubs.

Obsidian: We’ve known each other for years, actually. We were placed in the same foster home for a while and then ended up at a group home around the same time.

Blackhawk: Yep, and now Sid is my roommate.

Oblivion: So, you’re both in college? Or high school?

Obsidian: Getting a little too personal, Oblivion. We can share what we wish, but asking directly is frowned upon.

Blackhawk: Oblivion is cool, Sid. We can trust him. Yes, we’re in college.

Oblivion: Well, if we’re sharing information, then you should know I’m not a him, I’m a her.

Blackhawk: Really? That explains a lot, actually, but also badass, Oblivion.

Obsidian: Oh great, now Hawk will be obsessed with you. Before he starts mooning over the hacker chick, is everyone prepared for the next task?

Oblivion: Yep. I’m ready.

Blackhawk: I’m not mooning. Geez.

Blackhawk: But yes, your royal pain in my ass, I’m ready.

Obsidian: Good. We can’t mess up another task. I’ll see you all tomorrow at 22:30. Mongoose better be there or he’s off the team.

Obsidian signed off.