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"UGH, WHAT IS THAT?" Sophie gagged and glared at the silver strip on her locker.
Dex looked a little green. "I think it's reekrod. Elwin must've picked the flavor today."
"Remind me to yell at him the next time I see him."
"Planning another visit to the Healing Center?" Marella asked.
"Going to make it a daily habit?" I played along.
"Very funny."
Marella gave her locker the tiniest lick and shrugged. "He's done worse."
"Yeah, well, I'm taking all my books with me now," Sophie said.
"Oooh—smart thinking," Dex agreed, reaching for the rest of his books. He grabbed a small silver box and tore it open. "Here. Take a Prattle to get rid of the taste."
For once Dex had good taste in candy. It was sweet and chewy—like caramel mixed with peanut butter and filled with cream.
"Which pin did you get?" Marella asked as he pulled out a small velvet pouch, like a Cracker Jack prize.
Dex removed a tiny silver horse with a glittering black mane.
Marella gasped. "A Prattles' unicorn? Please tell me you want to trade."
"Maybe." His eyes darted to Sophie. "Unless you want it?"
"I don't have any to trade."
Marella's eyes stretched as wide as they would go. "You don't have any Prattles' pins?"
"Oh Sophie, I'll show you my collection later!" I smiled at her and popped the gooey sweet into my mouth.
"I think Sophie should have it." Dex placed the pin in her hand before she could argue.
Marella snorted. "Of course you do."
"What? She needs to start her collection."
"Whatever you say." I smiled and shook my head.
"What's the number mean?"
"There's one pin for every creature alive on the planet—that we know of. Right now there are only one hundred and eighty-five unicorns—so that pin is super-rare." Obvious bitterness leaked into Marella's voice.
"Hey, Sophie?" a vaguely familiar voice asked behind her. "Can I talk to you?"
We all spun around and I scanned - with a look of disgust - Biana. "Uh, sure," Sophie said.
Biana glanced at Dex, Marella and I. "Can we go somewhere more private?"
Sophie hesitated half a second, then shrugged to her friends and followed Biana toward a deserted corner of the atrium. "Um, what's up?"
