Belle pulled. I stood up. The world tilted slightly before settling back into place.
Naomi got to her feet on her own, slower, with the careful movements of someone who didn't trust their legs completely. She brushed grass off her shorts. Adjusted her braid. Looked at Belle, then at me, then back at Belle.
"I'm coming too," Naomi said.
Belle's eyebrows went up. "Yeah?"
"Yes."
"It's going to be kind of boring. Just sitting there while he touches me."
Naomi's jaw tightened. "I'm. Coming. Too."
Belle looked at me. I looked at Belle. We both looked at Naomi, who stood there with her pink and black hair catching the sunset light and her shell necklace visible at her collar and her entire body language screaming that she was absolutely not okay with this but was also not going to say that out loud.
"Cool," Belle said. "The more the merrier."
She started walking toward Building C.
I followed.
