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vintage Care Bear metal TV tray on one hand. He slides the tray onto the table with a dramatic flourish.
    â€œAntonio’s pastry prescription to vanish the bad-day blues,” the old man says with a pearly white grin. “Take two glazed cake donuts filled with whipped cream and sprinkled with caramel. Enjoy!”
    Donuts soothe better than mind-numbing drugs, and when I’m finished licking whipped cream off my lips, I’m finally ready to talk.
    So I tell Rune everything: the hike to the old gym, the guy trapped in a cage, masked dude stealing my backpack, and the group of rescuers headed to the gym. When I finish, Rune stares at me, her mouth hanging open with utter shock.
    â€œI should have gone back to help the trapped guy,” I add guiltily. “But I’m sure he’s okay now. I handled everything really stupidly. Don’t hate me.”
    â€œOMG! I don’t hate you—I want to be you!” she exclaims, her kohl-shaded eyes almost popping out. “Do you have any idea who you just met?”
    â€œI have no idea who was in the cage.”
    â€œNot him! The masked dude.”
    I stare at her like she’s deranged and wonder if it’s possible for someone to get high on donuts.
    â€œYou really don’t know?” Rune asks incredulously.
    â€œKnow what? That my best friend is loco? Yes, I do know that. But I never realized it was this bad.”
    â€œThorn, seriously, you don’t get it.” She’s practically jumping in her chair. “That masked guy is legend! I’m shocked you don’t know. Everyone at school does.”
    â€œHe was wearing a mask. How was I supposed to know?”
    â€œOf course he wears a mask. That’s how he got his nickname.”
    â€œHuh?” I blink, confused.
    â€œEveryone calls him the Grin Reaper.”
    â€œIsn’t that the mythological devil dude who foretells deaths?”
    â€œNot the Grim Reaper—the Grin Reaper because of the smiley face on his mask and the smiley face stickers he leaves with his victims.”
    Now I know my best friend has completely lost it. “You’re punking me, right?”
    â€œHe’s for real, and last year the whole school was buzzing about him. He only goes after students who deserve it. The Grin Reaper is like the best bad dude ever.”
    â€œYou admire him? Even after he attacked me and threw me on the ground?”
    Rune frowns. “He isn’t usually violent.”
    â€œWell, he was with me. I can’t believe you’re defending him.”
    â€œIf you’d gone here last year, you would too,” she tells me. “Everyone is sure he’s a student here but no one has a clue who he really is.” She looks down at the table, her purple-tipped fingers twining together. “He’s the only non-boring guy at school. Ever since I heard about him, I’ve thought … well … it would be cool to see him.”
    â€œYou’ve never seen him?”
    â€œNo one has—except his victims.”
    â€œThat would include me.” I hold out my wrists, which are red and starting to bruise.
    She purses her black-shimmered lips and pauses as if thinking deeply before lowering her voice to a whisper. “I doubt he meant to hurt you. You were just in his way. The guy in his cage was his target. The Grin Reaper is all about getting justice.”
    â€œJustice?” I laugh bitterly. “You can’t be serious! That dude is dangerous.”
    â€œDangerous is my flavor of hot.” Rune sighs in this dreamy way which is so not like her. “We’d be great together—but his identity is a huge mystery. Sometimes I dream we’re alone together and he’s taking off his mask just for me. I’m excited that I’m finally going to see his face. Only I wake up. I’d give anything to know what’s under that mask.”
    â€œAn arrogant, domineering, egotistical jerk,” I