Chapter 2

The cheap floral carpet of a motel lobby. That' s what I saw first.

Jess was shaking my arm.

"Sarah, come on, sleepyhead! We need to check in. The Championship starts tomorrow!"

Jess Baker. My best friend since kindergarten.

The date. I knew that date.

The motel. This was the motel where they found "Ace."

My breath caught. This was it. The day before it all went wrong.

A second chance.

A wave of nausea hit me, real this time, mixed with a cold dread.

"Jess," I mumbled, clutching my stomach, "I don't feel good."

"What? You were fine on the drive up."

"It just hit me. I think... I think I' m too anxious. About the competition."

I sat up, trying to look genuinely ill.

"I can' t do it, Jess. I' m going home."

Her smile froze. "What are you talking about? You' re Sarah Miller! You' ll ace this, no problem."

"No, really. I' m not feeling it. My stomach..."

"Sarah, don't be ridiculous. We drove all this way. You' ve been looking forward to this."

Her insistence was... strange. Too strong.

Last time, I' d been excited, a little nervous, but fine.

"I' m serious, Jess. I' m going to call Mom and Dad to come get me. Or I' ll take a bus."

I stood up, my legs shaky. "You go on and check in. Have fun."

"But... Sarah!" Her voice was sharp. "You can't just leave!"

"Watch me." I turned and walked out of the motel lobby, not looking back.

I didn' t check in.

That was the first change.