Page 76 of Back Outside Edge

Hi. This is probably coming out of left field, but are you Evan Marquez’s sister?

She doesn’t answer right away. Of course she doesn’t. She’s at school, if her picture is recent. But a few hours later, my phone dings with the first notification I’m happy to see in a week.

SophMarq17

OMG, is this really Stefan Petryk?

Well, I guess I should have expected that one.

Stefan_Petryk_Official

Yeah. I’m friends with Evan

SophMarq17

Well, yeah. Duh. He only about you all the .

Stefan_Petryk_Official

He does?

I’m getting side-tracked. Completely off topic. But it still warms my frozen heart to read it. And, oh, thank fuck, she’s talking about him in the present tense. The worst hasn’t happened.

SophMarq17

He’s like in with you. Obvs.

Another spasm around my heart. This might be the first time it has managed a full beat in a week.

Stefan_Petryk_Official

Do you know how he’s doing? Where he is? Nobody knows anything, and I’m going crazy. I need to go to him, but I don’t know where to go

SophMarq17

Really? That’s so weird. I thought you guys had like PR teams and shit.

Stefan_Petryk_Official

Skate Canada does, but they don’t even know how he is. Nobody’s said anything

SophMarq17

OMG, so my brother is like… Schrödinger’s skater.

What teenage girl knows about Schrödinger?

Never mind.

Stefan_Petryk_Official

Basically, yeah

I hesitate for a moment, suddenly terrified, but start typing again.

Stefan_Petryk_Official

Please tell me that he’s alive