Page 53 of Lolli-Gag
“Answers.”
We all stare at each other for a long moment. I don’t know what room seven is, and I'm terrified to find out what those answers are.
Room Seven
Lolli-Gag
“No!” Jagger spits, turning his head slightly. But Vinny ignores him.
“You want to know where they took everyone? Right? What Master D is doing? What happened to Axel?” he asks, and my heart stops.
Axel.
“You know where Axel is?” I ask.
“I know where to start,” he says, but Jagger growls.
“That’s not an answer.”
Vinny finally looks at him and narrows his eyes. “No. It’s the only door we have,” he states, and Jagger steps closer. They’re almost chest to chest now. Two different kinds of danger. Jagger all impact, and Vinny all silence.
“You expect me to let you take her somewhere Master D wants her?” he asks, and Vinny chuckles. The sound is weird coming from him.
“No, I don’t,” he says, and Jagger nods.
“Good.”
“I expect you to come with us,” Vinny states, then his gaze snaps to mine. “Lolli.”
Why does my name sound different coming from him? Quiet and unpolished—like he doesn’t use it unless he has to.
“Don’t,” Jagger warns, but Vinny ignores him and doesn’t look away from me.
“You called me Ghostboy,” he says, and I swallow.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“You saw me when no one else did,” he says softly, and my fingers twitch.
“You were watching,” I say, tilting my head.
“Yes.”
“Why?” I ask, but his face doesn’t change. Something in his eyes does—a tiny crack.
“Because you were real,” he says, and his words steal the breath right out of me. Jagger notices and his jaw tightens. Vinny takes a step closer to me. “Master D wants you scared. Confused. Looking for things he can hide from you. Room seven is where he thinks he gets control again,” he says, and my eyes widen.
“And you’re taking me there?”
“Yes,” he answers, and I giggle.
“That sounds stupid,” I say, and he nods.
“It is.”
“Then why?” I ask, and his gaze flicks towards the door then back to me.
“Because if we don’t walk out of here and into that room, they will drag us in there separately,” he states, and Jagger curses under his breath. “I don’t need you to trust Master D—I just need you to trust me long enough to get inside,” he says, and something stirs in the back of my skull.
