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“Not a morning person. Got it.”

“I could fall asleep standing up if given a few minutes.”

“I’m tempted to walk away just so I can see if that’s true. It would be quite a talent.” He tugs on his book bag strap. “Let’s see, what else do they put on those chalkboards? Favorite color?”

“Green,” I say immediately, and gesture down to my bottom half, the only part visible with my coat. I’m wearing another one of my flowy bohemian skirts (over leggings to keep warm). This one is a green paisley that matches my green gem earrings.

He nods approvingly. “Same, actually. Favorite food?”

“Anything with sugar and carbs.”

“Wow, two for two. If it has sugar, it’s my friend. I know the best place for pancakes, by the way. It’s a secret, but I might be willing to divulge.”

“I’m really glad we met, then.”

My whole body is buzzing from this short conversation. I know I’m getting way ahead of myself, but I already have the impression that this boy is someone I could talk to for a long time.

We walk together to the entry doors but stop under the eaves before going in. A few other people walk by, but we’re at least twenty minutes early and the parking lot is mostly quiet.

He leans against the rough brick of the building. “I still don’t know the most important thing on the chalkboard. What’s your name?”

“Quinn Norton.”

“Nice to meet you, Quinn. I’m Logan Weber.”

I meet his eyes and my breath catches. I remind myself that all I know is Logan’s name and maybe four of the most basic facts you could know about a person. It’s possible he’s this friendly with everyone he meets. Who knows, maybe he’s waiting for his very serious girlfriend to arrive and then he’ll take her hand and they’ll skip into school together becausethey love each other so much. But I can’t help feeling that there’ssomethingthere. A little spark that energizes me in a way that pancakes or a healthy sleep schedule never could.

“You’re going to pre-calc now, right?” he asks.

I blink in surprise that he remembered this random detail from our last conversation. Then I mentally add another green flag next to him.

“Yeah. It’s not the best way to start my morning.”

He winces sympathetically. “I’m taking geometry just to avoid Mr.Winchester. He has a reputation.”

“Another drawback of being the new girl. I don’t know who to avoid.”

He glances at the entry door, then rocks back on his heels. “Feel free to ask me—I’m happy to give advice. Though right now I have to go meet Mrs.Andrews to talk about my history essay. But I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah, totally.”

He lopes away and I watch his back, feeling light and hopeful. Dad might deserve a hug tonight for his early workmeeting.

Chapter Three

One of the most annoying things about moving is that everything needs to go someplace, but no one can agree where that place should be, or if they have decided, something else has already been put there.

“Mom, there’s no space for these old DVDs!” I call down the hall. It’s the first Saturday since I started school, and I was looking forward to sleeping in this weekend. Unfortunately, my parents have had me working since eight-thirty.

“Try the cabinets under the TV.”

“Andrew already filled them with video games.” I glare at the boxes at my feet. Mom put me in charge of clearing out the boxes in the living room, but they’re filled with so much miscellaneous crap that it’s impossible. Which is why she gave me the task.

“Well, I don’t know,” she calls. “Just find a place, honey.”

I sigh and shove my sweaty bangs off my forehead. Thebangs were an impulsive choice a few months ago when everything blew up with Paige, Caden, and my old D&D group and I needed a change. I grabbed a pair of scissors and started chopping—thinking I might look like a dark-haired Taylor Swift—but it turns out I’m not good at haircutting. Or making life decisions in general, apparently. They’re taking forever to grow out, like they want to stick around to remind me of my past mistakes.

“Hey, Patrick’s here!” my brother yells from the front door. “I’m heading out.”