Page 3

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” I said, but it was sweet that he had.

He studied my face. “How did it go?”

“Great.”

His brows shot down, and I got the weirdest feeling he was disappointed by that answer. I reached out my hand, ready to lead him away to where I could tell him all about the audition and then try to make it until lunch without losing my mind.

“Actually”—he pointed at the door, not taking my offered hand—“I think I’m going to try out.”

“What?” I said, my heart jolting in my chest. It seemed to understand his meaning more than my brain did. I was so confused.

He didn’t clarify; he just disappeared through the door with one small smile over his shoulder.

Mason, who was next in line, pointed at the closed door. “He totally cut the line.”

Chapter

two

“YOU LOOK LIKE YOU’RE GOINGto puke,” my best friend, Deja, said when I found her in her first-period class. I waved to Mrs.Burns and pointed to Deja, asking without words if I could take her. Mrs.Burns nodded, probably thinking I was here on some official school business. I was not. This was absolutely personal.

I pulled her out of her seat and toward the door.

“What’s happening?” she whispered as we went.

I didn’t speak until we were all the way out of the room, down the hall, and outside under the nearest tree—a tall eucalyptus, its bark peeling off in strips.

“Is your grandma okay?”

I nodded and wanted to use that question to snap my focus back into perspective, but I was on the verge of tears. “Do you know where Jensen is right now? Well, he’s probably done. It took me a while to get to this side of campus from the studio.”

I swung my backpack to my front and dug my phone out. I wanted to see a message, any message, from him explaining what just happened.

“You’re not making any sense,” Deja said.

There was no message. “Sorry.” I pointed in the general direction of the front office. “He tried out.”

“Still not following.”

“For the podcast. Jensen tried out for the school’s podcast.”

“Doestry outmean something different than I think it means in the podcast world?”

“No.”

“Tell me you’re lying!” Of course Deja would be as shocked and confused about this as I was. As my best friend, she knew how long I’d been preparing for today. My preparation predated Jensen. It almost predated Deja. I’d met her in sixth grade when we both joined soccer. Unlike me, she was really good at it and had not quit last year. And although she wasn’t happy with my decision and constantly tried to convince me to rejoin the team, we were still as close as ever.

“I’m not lying.”

“Are you sure? Maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe someone heard wrong…saw wrong.”

“Me. I was the eyeballs on the scene. He literally walked in after me and said,I’m going to try out.” I said that last bit in a deep, stupid voice.

“A joke?” she said, still trying to make it make sense. “He’s pranking you.”

Was he? My sinking gut rose with that thought. “Maybe…” He wasn’t a big prankster, but occasionally we played jokes on each other. “Do you think he’s pranking me? Our one-year anniversary is this week. Maybe it’s some anniversary joke?” I pushed my knuckle under my nose to relieve my burning eyes.

“It would be a good one.”