Upgrade (Augmented Duology Book 2) by Heather Hayden (the top 100 crime novels of all time .TXT) 📕

“The team needs you. I bet we would have won first place this spring if you’d been there.”

“Maybe.” I smiled at the compliment and bit into my burger.

“Sounds like we’ll be doing lots of training together, then.” Dan raised his orange juice in a toast. “To Annabeth!”

I knocked my carton against his and took a swig.

Neela knocked cartons with Dan as well, and her eyes remained locked on him as she sipped her water. “What else do you like to do for fun?”

He shrugged. “Depends on where I am. We just moved from Rockwell; it’s by the ocean so I did a lot of diving. Before that we lived in Marshbridge, near the mountains. I used to do a lot of rock climbing. Snowvale’s a lot more urban, though.”

“We do have a nice beach by the lake,” Neela said. “And there’s a forest at the edge of town, but it’s creepy. Most people avoid it.”

I cringed as her words brought back memories of last March. I’d gone into the forest in search of help. The lab I found, the revelation of who—and what—I was, and then the explosion. The roar of the flames destroying everything, including all my biological parents’ research. I still flinched at the thought of the augments, now deactivated, hiding in my DNA. If Halle hadn’t created the cure in time…

Another bite of burger grounded me in the present. I chewed and swallowed, focusing on the flavor of the soy protein patty instead of those dark thoughts. All of that’s behind me now.

It took me a moment to focus on the conversation again. Neela had taken over and was saying something about meeting after school.

“What do you think, Viki?” she asked, giving me a bright smile.

“Hm?” I mumbled around another bite of burger.

“Weren’t you listening? I was telling Dan about the mall. We’re all going after school today. You interested?”

She knows I don’t like the mall. I glanced at Dan.

“We can train today if you’d rather,” he said.

It was tempting to say yes, just to see the look on Neela’s face. Instead, I shook my head. “It’s fine. We can do that some other day.” Burying my disappointment in a spoonful of pudding, I changed the subject. “What classes are you in this term?”

The question was directed at the girls as a whole, but Neela pounced on it first. “The usual, but I’m taking Advanced Ceramics this time, because Ms. Robins said I was ready for it.”

“I’m in that class, too,” Dan said.

“Awesome!” Neela turned to him. “Can I see your schedule? Maybe we have a few classes together.”

“You’re in history with us,” I said.

Her gaze flicked in my direction. “Oh, cool.”

Dan pulled out his phone and held it out to her. “Here’s the rest of my schedule. I tend to get lost in new schools, so if you don’t mind helping me find any classes we have together, I’d really appreciate it. Viki’s in some of my classes but not all of them.”

“Sure thing. Here, let me give you my number.” Neela’s fingers flew across his phone screen. Soon she’d determined they had four classes together, including physics. “I don’t have a lab partner yet. Would you mind being mine?”

“If the teacher doesn’t assign lab partners, sure,” Dan said.

“They don’t, usually,” I mumbled. My mood, along with my appetite, was sinking into the depths of my untouched carton of fries. I should have known better. Neela’s just interested in the cute transfer student. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.

“Great.” He smiled at me. “So we can be partners in chemistry.”

Mood lifting a little, I smiled back and nodded.

“I can’t believe you’re taking two science classes in one semester,” Neela said.

“I want to be a scientist but I’m not sure what field yet, so I’m trying out different ones. I’m taking an online class in computer science as well, through the local university.”

“That’s amazing,” she said. “You’re a genius.”

I rolled my eyes then bit back a laugh when I noticed Annabeth doing the same thing while she tapped away at her phone. The two of us had often chuckled quietly in the background whenever Mel or Neela made a move on a new guy. Her gaze flicked up, and we shared a quick grin before she returned to texting.

Dan busied himself with his pudding, apparently oblivious to Neela’s attempts to flatter him. “I’m just good at science.”

Taking the brief lull as an opportunity to redirect the conversation, I asked Annabeth and Mel what classes they were in.

“Nothing exciting for me except Advanced Ceramics,” Mel said. “Annabeth’s taking Latin again, though, which has even history beat for boring.”

Annabeth shook a fry at her. “Don’t mock it. It’s fun. Makes Biology more interesting, since I can figure out what the Latin names for flora and fauna mean.”

“I thought ‘flora’ and ‘fauna’ were Latin?” Mel asked innocently.

“You know what I mean!” Annabeth pitched a fry at her.

Mel ducked.

I chuckled. For a brief moment, it felt like old times again, teasing each other and making jokes.

The moment didn’t last.

“You’re acting like middle schoolers,” Neela scolded, shaking her head at them before turning back to Dan. “Let’s meet at the front door after school to head to the mall? Is that all right for you?”

He hesitated, glancing at me. “Actually, I just remembered that I promised my parents I’d work on unpacking today. Maybe tomorrow, though? Or sometime later this week?”

I peeked across the table. Neela’s smile shrank a little, but she gave a gracious nod.

“Sure,” she said. “Let’s plan on that.”

Dan finished the last of his fries and peered at my tray. “Are you going to eat your fries?”

I pushed the tray across the table to him.

He