I finish packing my bag, and snap the latch closed. For the fifth time today, I check my phone. Jess got back to me. I call her up.

"You ready to go?" I ask.

"You DO know I only have 20 minutes of phone time a YEAR, right?" She says over the phone.

"I can practically hear you rolling your eyes." I pick up my bag.

"Whatever. I'm out front." She hangs up and I run downstairs.

Right there, standing in front of her taxi cab, Jess stood, with her signature braid. I run towards her, but she dodges out of the way. "You ready?"

I pick my bag back up. "Yep. A whole three weeks  with your semi-friends, in Toronto!"

"Come on, we're only getting invited because I'm in the school musical." Jess pays off her cab. "Let's go down to the bus." 

We walk down together, talking about how Toronto will be. Jess got into her musical, as an extra. As a reward, she and the rest of the cast got a three week trip to Toronto, over winter vacation, and then one extra week. Because she didn't have any friends in the cast. the teachers pitied her and gave the extra spot to a friend of her choice, me. 

We got there just in time to see the bus. Jess pays her money for both of us and we sit down.

"How's your arm?" I point at the tiny scar on her shoulder from the gunshot wound two years ago.

"Better." She bites her lip. "So, you've finished therapy?" 

"Yeah. We only booked sessions for so long, and they said I made progress, so I'm done." I shrug. "Everyone that finds out about it says that I must be felling so much pain, since it was my sister that was kidnapped. But the thing is, we've never had a good moment in our lives. We fought 24/7. So yeah, I guess I miss her, but..." I sigh. "I don't know if I'll ever feel the pain I should be feeling. I mean, I should be crying, but I feel fine. I'm almost glad she's gone." I look over at Jess. "I kind of want to feel that pain."

"I know what you mean. I got over my grandma's death shockingly quickly." She holds my shoulder.

"Yeah, but you know she's dead. You know she's gone forever. Ally was kidnapped. She could still be out there." I look down.

"Alright, enough about the past. So what are you most excited for?" I ask.

Jess blushes and points to the seats across from us. "Him." I look at the seats. There's a boy sitting on the seats, reading a book while listening to music. He has the same dark brown hair as Jess, same tiny size, he looks like a gender-swapped Jess.

"Is he your brother?" I giggle. 

"Very funny." She elbows me. "His name is Riley. He's kind of cute, isn't he?" 

"For you, I guess." I nudge her. "By the way, he's staring at you." We both look back at Riley, who looks down quickly. Jess looks down, smiling. 

For the rest of the ride, we talk, sing, annoy the girls behind us, and generally have a good time. When we get to the hotel, the first thing I realize is how fancy and expensive it looks. That, and the rude looks all the adults are giving us.

"How long did you say it took to raise money for this trip?" I ask Jess.

"A cast of 200 teenagers, 50 stagehands, 15 teachers, and a year to raise all of this." She looks around then hi-fives me. "Worth it!" 

"Alright FAME cast!" We hear a teacher yell out. "And our guest!" Asia and I run over to the front of the building. 

"Everyone is checked in, head to your rooms and then feel free to explore the hotel, except for the off-limits areas and other rooms. Each one of you will wear these bracelets that cost $35 apiece." Some of the other teachers laugh. "If you happen to get lost, these will track you. Now settle into your rooms." She shoos us off to our rooms.

Jess and I get set up in our rooms. While Jess flops down on the bed, I look out the window.

"Nice view." I say. I watch all the little people below, on their way to wherever, then I see a couple fighting. They look so young. The girl only looks 13. The boy looks about 15. Then I see something I never thought I would see. 

"Oh my god." My jaw drops. 

"What's wrong?" Jess gets up. 

Without warning, I bolt out of room, Jess following far behind. I run down the stairs, and out of the building to see the couple caught int the crowd rushing down the street. The boy wraps his arms around her shoulder as they walk among the crowd. I can't even think. Everything is such a blur. 

But then I trip. I get up to see the girl's long brown hair disappear among the crowd. Jess catches up with me, panting. 

"What was that?" She pulls me back to the sidewalk. 

"I-I saw Ally."