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All eyes were on me now, waiting for a response. I had no clue what they were even talking about. “I, um…”

“Guys, leave her be or she won’t want to come tomorrow,” Asher said.

“Who knew you’d find a girl who liked D&D as much as you do,” his sister said.

Mysister’s face was contorted with confusion. She was probably just as lost as I was. “Yep, D&D forever,” I said.

Asher chuckled beside me.

“Please join us,” Cori said, moving toward another table, ready to pull an empty chair over.

“That’s okay,” I said quickly. “I’m with my family.” I shouldn’t have gestured when I said it because suddenly the whole table was calling out hellos to my dad and sister. Unlike Asher’s family, who hadheard so much about me—well, Gemma—I hadn’t said a word about Asher to anyone except Kamala.

“I’m sorry,” Asher said, seeming to recognize my overwhelmed expression even without having seen it before.

“We should join our tables together,” Cori said.

“Mom,” Asher said in a loud but friendly voice, “no. We’re not going to do that. We are going to let them eat in peace.”

I gave them the stiffest smile and slinked away to my table.

“What wasthatabout?” Zoey asked, raising her eyebrows.

“He’s a volunteer at the shelter,” I said, because that was really the only true thing I could say.

“Thanks for my gift, Bird,” Dad said, holding up a leather-bound journal stamped with his initials. Why had I gotten him that? My dad wasn’t one to sit around writing down his innermost thoughts.

“You don’t have to use it,” I said.

“I will,” he assured me.

“No, but really,” Zoey persisted. “Whoarethose people? Since when do you play Dungeons and Dragons?”

That’swhat D&D stood for? I was screwed. “Since tomorrow, I guess.”

A small group of waiters came with our food and a slice of chocolate cake with a lit candle on top. They sang “Happy Birthday”—badly—to our dad, who looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. Asher’s family joined in, saving the song but causing our dad’s cheeks to redden even more.

“Are they for real?” my sister asked, eyes scanning Asher’s table.

“Very real.”

Rule:Never date someone you can’t be yourself around.

“You told him I was coming too, right?” Kamala asked the next day from behind the wheel of her car. We were on our way to Asher’s house and my stomach felt like it was in a million tiny knots.

“No, I didn’t. I’m not sure how this game works and I didn’t want to give him the chance to say no.”

“Thanks,” she said sarcastically.

“My nerves are overruling any other feelings right now, so your guilt trip is not working.”

“It will be fine. Read me some of the rules you found online again.” She nodded toward my phone, which was in my lap

“There are no clear rules! It’s like an improv game. And there are a number of different dice that might be used, none of which I understand, but apparently they all have a million sides to them.”

“I’m not going to say you got yourself into this and I don’t feel sorry for you, but…” Zoey trailed off with a hum.

“And now you’re in it with me.”