“This is a terrible idea,” I hissed at Lucy when James was well out of earshot.

  “Ah, come on.” My best friend’s grin only widened, stretching between her ears. “It’ll be great.”

  I turned, letting out an exasperated sigh and looking over the construction site.

  James wasn’t kidding about skeletons. Most of the building was rotting wood beams, hardly protected by the beginnings of a brick shell on the exterior and behind a rusted fence. Notices and fliers were stapled all over the front, wilted and tattered as they aimlessly flapped on the mid July air.

  Exploring an abandoned construction site was stupid enough, but my friends were insane.

  “We can’t play dodge ball.” I tried not to whine. “You know that.”

  Lucy just rolled her eyes. “It’ll be fun.”

  “Until I break something,” I grumbled.

  Lucy opened her mouth but it was James who replied, “The project fell through years ago. Even if the owners decided to start again, everything would get inspected and torn down.”

  I swallowed, unsure how to reply. It wasn’t like I could tell him the building was the least of my worries.

  “Come on, Molly.” James gave me a lopsided grin. “You gotta get moving. You always find an excuse to sit out in gym.”

  “I do not.” I scowled. Gym class was a nightmare; I had to feign dropping the ball or pretend to get hurt just to keep my secret. I was taking Lucy’s advice about private practice, sneaking into the woods to test my boundaries, but I couldn’t trust myself with others. Even Lcuy wasn’t allowed near me during practice.

  Now she wanted me to intentionally chuck a rubber ball at my closest friends, one of which had no clue about me.

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  Even now, Lucy was giving me a double thumbs up, nodding emphatically. It was impossible to find a believable reason to back out. I’d just have to fake. The sigh I let out was more than resigned. “Fine, but we’re staying off the second level.”

  With how long this house had sat out, I didn’t want to risk one of us falling through the steps.

  James’ responding grin told me I missed something.. “Deal!”

  Before I could consider any of it, he chucked a small rubber ball at me and ducked inside, Lucy hot on his heels, screaming, “You’re it!”

  My mouth gaped as I realized the flaw of my gym plan. At school, dodge ball had set teams, it was easier to fake trying in a group of squabbling, shrieking kids. With only three of us, that wouldn’t work.

  I had two options, put the ball down and leave, or tag one of them quickly and then stay out of reach for the rest of the game. I was so tired of holding back. So tired of sitting on the sidelines.

  And Lucy needed to pay for this.

  I stormed into the building, barely slowing my pace. Even on the first floor, my steps creaked. Wind slowly whistled through the beams and boards. I tried to keep my touch on the rubber ball light, worried I might pop it if one of the others startled me. Something groaned behind me and I turned just in time to see shadows flit through the living room and under the plywood steps.

  “Guys?” I headed that way, my muscles tense. To my right, someone snickered, but it was too quick for me to figure out who. I pushed up my glasses, debating my options. The chuckle might have been meant to mislead me, draw me from the steps. Then again, Lucy had no game face.

  The stairs were close. Hopefully I could find whoever had ducked under there, tap them the ball, and be done without having to throw the ball. Tip-toeing was useless; the floor boards announced every movement. So I stomped over.

  James’ harsh voice let out a low curse as a shadow jerked out from its hiding place. Just as I got close, the ball raised in my hands, something groaned far louder than before and a sharp snap stole the air. James yowled in shock and the shadow plummeted out of view.

  “James!” I ran up, dropping the ball, and yanking out my phone. The screen did little to illuminate this dark park, but I could see the hole. Mostly crumbled stairs leading down three or five steps before breaking off entirely. James lay at the bottom, his breath shallow.

  “Oh, crap!” Lucy’s words made me jump.

  I couldn’t make out her expression. My glasses were starting to fog with my panicked breath. “We have to get down there.”

  Lucy’s nod was jerky, her body shaking. She swallowed, loudly several times before asking, “How?”