Jesse drove until 11:00 AM the next day. By that point, Ramona had woken up. "We should probably stop for a while," said Ramona. "Let the car rest."

"Rest?" Genesis asked.

"Yeah, we've been driving it literally all night long," said Ramona. "That might not be good for it."

"I did stop a little while ago," said Jesse. "So I could top off the gas."

"That's good," said Ramona. "But we should take another stop."

"Okay," said Jesse. "But...what are we gonna do while we let the car rest?"

"I don't know," Ramona admitted. "Maybe find somewhere to go shopping?"

As if in answer, Genesis saw a mall just off the freeway. "There," she said. "We can go check that mall out."

"Sounds good," said Jesse.

***

Jesse got off the highway and found a parking place right beside the mall. He, Genesis, and Ramona went into the mall, but they found that they had no idea where they wanted to go. There were just so many shops in the mall, it was impossible to know where to start.

"Maybe we should get some food," said Genesis. "I'm getting really hungry."

"Me too," said Jesse.

Ramona opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she saw something that caught her eye. "Hey," she said. "That crystal place looks cool."

"Crystal place?" Genesis followed Ramona's gaze and saw a small store called Purple Star that sold crystals, shiny rock sculptures, and geodes.

"Yeah," said Ramona. "I kind of wanna check it out."

"Why don't you go ahead?" Jesse suggested. "You can meet us in the food court later."

"Alright," said Ramona. "Have fun."

While Ramona went to check out Purple Star, Genesis and Jesse went downstairs to where the food court was. Here again, they weren't sure where to start. The food court offered sandwiches, pizza, Mexican food, heated pretzels, and crepes. "Uh...where should we go?" Genesis asked.

"Wherever you want," said Jesse.

Genesis looked between the options for a minute before saying "How about crepes?" she said.

"Alright then," said Jesse.

They ordered two egg and sausage crepes and a plain cheese crepe for when Ramona caught up to them. Once they'd gotten their crepes, Genesis and Jesse sat down at a table in full view of the mall's main hallway. They knew that that way, it would be easy for Ramona to find them. "Well," said Jesse, "Looks like it's just the two of us here."

With a start, Genesis realized what this was really about. Jesse just wanted to have some alone time with her for a "date" of sorts. Then again, after their conversation last night, Genesis should've known he'd pull something like this. "Yeah," she said. "I guess so."

"So Ramona says you used to be a boy," said Jesse. "Is that right?"

"Yes," said Genesis. "I used to be Gene Rookwood, but then a witch turned me into a girl."

"That's what Ramona told me," said Jesse. After a moment's hesitation, he asked "Does this feel awkward at all? Going on a date with a guy?"

"I mean...not really?" said Genesis. "I am female now, so I'm probably supposed to be dating guys."

"Not necessarily," said Jesse. "You know about Zoe Fletcher?"

"Yes."

"I read that she still liked girls after her transformation."

"That's what I read, too."

"So...you don't still like girls even after being changed?"

"Well...maybe part of me still does," said Genesis, "But for a little while now, I've been looking at boys a little different."

"Really?"

"It's complicated," said Genesis. "At first I didn't feel attracted to guys, because I kept having guys hitting on me and trying to sexually harass me."

"Ooh. That's rough."

"That's an understatement," Genesis said with a shudder. "When Wallace Mendoza-my former best friend-pulled up my skirt and then tried to grab my boobs-that was traumatic."

"I feel you," said Jesse. "One time I was at a party, and a girl tried to grab my...you know."

"Ouch."

"Are you still getting hit on?"

"A little. But not as much as before."

"That's good."

"But lately I've been feeling kind of attracted to boys. Like, I haven't had a crush on anyone, but...I kind of...want to have a boyfriend? Like, obviously, it might make other guys stop hitting on me, but...it just kind of feels right. A guy needs a girlfriend, and a girl needs a boyfriend."

"I get it," said Jesse. "I told you before that sometimes I feel kind of lonely, and part of it is not having a girlfriend."

"Is that why you wanted to take me out?"

"Kind of," Jesse admitted. "We did get along pretty well at Pride Laboratories, and you did invite me along for you and your sister's road trip. So I figured, I don't know, maybe it would be worth a shot."

Genesis smiled. "Well, maybe when we get back, we can have an actual date," she said.

"Oh, so this isn't an actual date?"

"Well...I mean, like, maybe we can try making it official and see how it works out. You can introduce me to your family, and I can introduce you to mine."

"That sounds good," said Jesse. He ate the last bite of his crepe and looked out at the mall's main atrium. "What's taking Ramona so long?"

"I don't know," said Genesis. She glanced up at the line for the crepe store and noticed a familiar-looking man among the line. For a second, she had trouble placing who it was-but then she realized it with a start.

"Jesse," Genesis said tensely. "We've gotta go."

"What? Why?"

"I think I just saw Lucas Jacobson!"

Jesse's eyes widened. "What?"

"Come on! Let's find Ramona and get back to the car!"

Jesse turned and saw Lucas in the crepe line, and he was frozen with fear. "Come on!" Genesis repeated. But then Lucas turned and saw them. When he did, he smiled and approached them.

"Well, well, well," said Lucas. "It really is a small world."

Genesis' blood turned to ice. "How did you find us?" she asked.

"I didn't," said Lucas.

"You're lying," said Genesis. "You sent that school shooter after me. And then you just happen to run into us at the mall in North Carolina?"

Lucas smiled knowingly. "When you have the resources I have, you can do some wondrous things," he said. "I was able to track the phone calls and texts Jesse made on his phone."

"You what?" Jesse asked.

"Did you think I didn't know that you were forging a friendship with Genesis? It was very easy to observe-especially for someone whose job is to moniter you in my workplace. So when Genesis walked off, I felt you were the most likely person she'd try to stay in contact with. Since you'd given me your cell phone number when I hired you on as an employee, it was easy to trace your calls. And even easier to track your cell phone."

When Jesse didn't respond, Lucas turned to Genesis. "Now, we don't have to use any unnecessary force," he said. "All I need is some of your blood."

"I can't give it to you," Genesis reminded him. "I've told you why."

"And I've told you I can cover any medical bills needed for your condition," said Lucas. "Come on, now. Think of how many trans women-and men-will benefit from this. You'll be doing the trans community a huge service."

"No," said Genesis. "I won't do it for anything." She jumped up from her chair and ran from the crepe store with Jesse right on her heels.

"Come back here!" Lucas shouted as he ran after them.

Genesis didn't bother heeding his words. She pushed her way through a clump of people and ran for the escalator up to the upper level. She started running up the escalator, but for some reason, she didn't seem to be going any higher. Rather, she seemed to be at the same level as before. It took a minute to realize she was going up the wrong escalator-the one that was going down instead of up!

"Genesis, look out!" Jesse warned from the right escalator. Genesis looked over her shoulder and saw that Lucas was bearing right down on her. She backtracked, ducked to avoid Lucas grabbing her, and then started up the escalator going up. She and Jesse ran all the way up to the mall's upper level.

When Genesis reached the top, she had to falter when she felt a stitch in her side from all the running. But right when she was about to start running again, she felt a strong hand grab her shoulder. "I have you now," said the voice of Lucas Jacobson.

Genesis froze with fear. She had stayed still a second too long. Ordinarily, she'd try to break free of Lucas' grip, but she'd forgotten how to move.

"Hey!" Jesse shouted. He threw his cell phone at Lucas' head, and bulls-eye! It hit him right in the face with the force of a baseball. Lucas was so stunned, he loosened his grip on Genesis. Genesis found her strength and pushed Lucas off of her and into the escalator that was going down. Lucas stumbled and fell onto the escalator as it started to take him downstairs.

"What's going on?" Genesis and Jesse turned to see Ramona approaching them with a large, shiny amethyst in her hand.

"Lucas found us," said Genesis. "We've gotta get out of here!"

Ramona didn't need to be told twice. She, Genesis, and Jesse ran for the exit and came out into the parking lot. They raced over to Ramona's car and quickly piled into it. The moment everyone had closed their doors, Ramona shifted the car into Drive and pulled out of the parking lot. She came to an intersection right near the freeway entrance and ran the red light to get on the highway. Several passing cars honked their horns, but somehow Ramona avoided getting hit. She got on the freeway and floored the gas until they were going ninety miles an hour.

It was almost ten minutes before Genesis caught her breath. "That," she panted, "Was close." She heard the car beeping and realized she hadn't even put her seat belt on. She promptly put on her seat belt.

"How did he even find us?" Ramona asked.

"He tracked my cell phone," said Jesse.

Ramona's eyes widened. "Then you'd better get rid of it," she said.

"I did. I threw it at Lucas in our little fight back there. And I didn't bother picking it up."

"Good."

"Will he try tracking my phone?" Genesis asked.

"Did you give Lucas your phone number at all?"

"I don't think so."

"Then you might be fine," said Jesse. "For now."

"But if he tracked our calls and texts, does he know we're going to see Rachel Miller and Lanie Evans?"

"I think he might," Jesse said ruefully.

"So what do we do?"

"We'll just have to get to Georgia as fast as we can," said Ramona. "Maybe, just maybe, we can find Rachel before Lucas finds us again."

To be continued...