Time Bomb: Prologue–Chapter 6

With four bombs having already gone off, there appears to be one explosive device still inside the school that could detonate at any time.

And, boy, did it make the wrong impression.

Folksy. Friendly. Everyone’s idea of the perfect dad and former army-communications specialist who always puts his family and country first.

All signs of a strong, well-brought-up girl. A girl everyone claimed to know from school. One parents and teachers pointed to as an example to others. One who had been taught to calculate her appearance and demeanor down to the plain red color of her cell-phone case.

“Yes. I’ll make that distinction tonight, and don’t worry. The event will be the perfect place to highlight the positive points in the bill and to take charge of the conversation. If you have other things you want to talk about, I’ll be at the office in a half-hour. Good speaking with you, too, Tim. I appreciate your dedication. We’re going to turn things around.”

Tim hadn’t been on her father’s staff as long as the others, but he was smart and perceptive, which is why her father’s chief of staff hired him right out of graduate school.

Any students reported would then have to hand over their passwords to social media and email accounts or face suspension and a potential investigation by federal authorities.

Those who didn’t report suspicions before a harmful event could be charged with aiding and abetting.

And by catching and circumventing threatening behavior early, there was a good chance of diverting those students toward a more positive path.

And by catching and circumventing threatening behavior early, there was a good chance of diverting those students toward a more positive path.

But when Tim had sat with her and listened to her talk about the threats she’d gotten and how people made a point of telling her they were going to vote her father out of office, Tim had admitted the backlash was concerning.

But Rashid could tell there were other things—like the facial hair that he had started growing earlier than anyone else in his class, and the adherence to his faith that prevented him from shaving it—that were creating an invisible wall between them.

The hijab made her stand out even more than his untrimmed beard did.

Since some of the other students chose to grow beards and mustaches, his own beard was sometimes interpreted as a personal choice instead of a mandate of faith.

Despite the open windows, the apartment was sweltering.

“Look,” Z said with a deliberate sigh. “If that’s all you came here for, I’ve got to get going. There’s a teacher I have to talk to at school, and I don’t want to miss him.”

Yeah, the conversation would suck, but at least there wouldn’t be this void.

There wouldn’t be seeds of hope and resentment growing in the silence.

They were only a year apart in age but eons apart in everything else.

Sam leaned against the doorjamb as the screeching song ended and a slower but equally loud ballad began.

Mom almost sang the idea, and Cas cringed.

Mom reached over and adjusted the gauzy, decorative silver-and-black scarf she’d insisted on looping around Cas’s neck this morning, then looked back toward the road.

She looked up at the large staircases on either side of the incline that led to the main entrance above and remembered how she’d clung to her father’s words.

How she’d looked at the sprawling brick-and-cement three-story building from the bottom of the steps with its narrow, shining glass windows and at the brand-new auditorium with its bright marquees welcoming everyone the first day of class.

Well, the girls who made snide comments about her clothes and the boys who laughed at her weight could have their opinions.

“So which of those mad skills are you planning to use today?” Bianca asked. “Your fierce gluttony or your well-developed sloth?”

“I think sloth has already been accounted for, and gluttony is coming up next.”

“As a result of my superior intellect and outstanding athletic prowess, varsity football practice was canceled for the day. JV, however, is still meeting, because they don’t have a leader with my vision and sense of purpose.”

“Neither.” Although both were totally viable options. “We’re going for the prize behind door number three.”

She tried to pretend she was unyielding, but he could see she was smiling, which made the tension in him ease.