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“Stay safe.” Tatum rolls her eyes for real.

Greyson and Jared exchange looks.

I look around.

“Am I missing something?”

“It’s just that, like, do you even know Laine well enough to go on this trip with her? I mean, come on, she chose to sit next to Thom. I even heard they’re friends for real now. Like,talking outside of schoolfriends.” Jared explains.

“Yeah, are you sure you should be staying in a secluded cabin in the mountains with her? She could be a killer for all we know!And nobody will hear you scream out there…” Tatum adds.

“You watch too many horror movies, Tatum. Look, all we’re saying is just make sure you know her intentions with you before you go.”Greyson says, mediating the conversation like he always does.

“Intentions? She’s just a teenage girl, the same as me and Tatum.” I throw my hands up in protest.

Greyson holds up his hands. “Just feel her out to see if there’s more motivation behind the move. You talk about her an awful lot, and it is odd for her to just move across the country at the start of senior year. It’s clear that you’re intrigued by her in some capacity, just make sure you do your research.”

“Just be straight with me! What are you guys even implying? She and her mom moved here because her mom is religious, and we are right in the bible belt of the South. There’s nothing more to it.”

I’m not sure why my friends are flaming Laine, or why I’m feeling so protective over her, but they are, and I am. Perhaps after last night, hearing her story and how it made feelings about my dad that I didn’t even know I had resurface, it feels like they are targeting me in a way, too. Like sharing trauma and feelings with Laine makes us the same person.

******

On the way back home from school, I stop by ArtsToGo and grab Ms. Bardot’s order of oil pastel crayons and sketchbooks. Her intro-level class is learning shadows, so she’s sent me to get their materials.

As I’m leaving the shop, my eye catches the back of a familiar chestnut brown wave of hair at the cafe next door. It’s Laine, of course. I always tend to run into her in the oddest places.

As I walk toward her, I notice she’s with someone. A boy. When I get closer, I realize it’s Thom. The realization sends a volt to my stomach, almost like someone sucker-punched me right in the middle of it.

I guess my friends were right about her and Thom. Though as much as I can admit they’re right about this, I really hope they weren’t right about the other things they said about her.

I contemplate going up to them, crashing their little tea party, and saying hi, but then I remember how Laine acted in class today when I tried to talk to her with Thom next to her, and I decide against it. I wonder if she and Thom are together. Like, together together. Like, dating together. Dating each other, I mean.

I wonder if he’s seen her cry like I have, or if she’s told him about what happened in California. But then again, why do I even care? It’s not like she’s only mine, or I even want her to be. So why do I care so much that they’re together at this cafe right now?

I mean, maybe, if what my friends said about her and Thom is true, then everything else they said could be true as well. What other secrets could she be harvesting? Maybe I do need to look more into her- I mean, this. I need to know more about her, and the trip to the mountains is the perfect opportunity to do so.

6

Laine

The ride to the mountains is long, and I, Drew, and

both of our mothers are piled into her mother’s Honda Pilot SUV. Aside from formalities, Drew’s been quiet. I’m only slightly worried that I put too much trust in her the other night at the playground. What if my impulsiveness made her feel obligated to carry that much weight? What if it was too soon to let her in, and I scared her away?

Well, it was definitely too soon, but as much as I tried to keep it in, I just couldn’t for some reason. Almost as if the moonlight was compelling me to tell her everything. To let every one of my bottled-up emotions out right then and there on that playground mulch. Even so, how stupid of me to give in and let it take over.

“Okay, go-to road trip snack?” I say, desperate to kill the silence.

“Cheese balls all the way.” Drew reaches down and grabs a jar of cheese balls from her bag.

“You had that ready!” I give a playful, surprised face.

“You betcha! It’s in case of emergencies.” She laughs.

Laughing, that’s a good sign. I decide to milk this chance as much as I can.

“What predicament could you find yourself in that could possibly call for cheese balls?” I lay my hand out and she pours a few onto my palm.