The knock on their window came well after midnight, sharp and urgent enough to make them sit up in bed. Before they could even speak, a familiar voice hissed their name, and they scrambled to unlatch the pane. Collie Parker was crouched just outside, hair loose around his face, breath fogging in the cool night air. He grinned like he’d just outrun the devil.

“Don’t freak out,” he said, hauling himself through the window with the easy confidence of someone who’d done it a hundred times before. His boots left dust on the floor, his jacket was half-zipped, and his heart was still hammering. “I was supposed to be on a bus to the starting line by now. But…” His grin widened, almost reckless. “I’m not going. I’m not giving them the satisfaction.” He dropped onto the edge of their bed, still catching his breath, brown eyes gleaming with adrenaline. “Technically missed the back out date. But who cares?”