Neither of them could explain, at all, and Sina was starting to look and feel exasperated with them. What were they thinking, getting themselves in trouble without any excuses up their sleeves? And now the boy was trying to leave.

Sina snapped her fingers at the boy, an impatient method for getting someone's attention that she most frequently used on hospital interns. "Mr. Greengrass," she said sternly, "I would advise against your leaving until one of you gives me a competent explanation." She was feeling more rude about the boy than she was about the girl, but she was not feeling particularly kindly about either of them — still, she looked at Miss Farley with expectant eyes.