Page 92

With a huff, I face the front again. He’s acting immature, and I’m not about to stoop to his level.

Daniel leans forward. “In case you forgot, we have three classes together.”

I grab the bottom of my seat, biting my lip. He’ll get tiredof this. There’s no way he’ll be able to keep this up very long. I just have to wait it out.

My phone buzzes, and I keep it low and out of view of our teacher.

Mama:

Have you seen Annie? The school called. She didn’t show up to her first class, but her phone location shows she’s at school.

I haven’t seen her, but I’ll try to find her.

What is she up to? She never skips her classes.

For the rest of the day, Daniel tails me like a shadow. When I go to the bathroom, he waits outside. When I have classes without him, he meets me in the hallway directly after. At lunch, he sits at the other end of the table.

How am I supposed to talk to Annie with him next to me at every turn? Even so, I keep my eye out for her. I watch her locker and check the library again, but she isn’t anywhere.

After lunch I stop by my locker to switch out my books, but I pause right before I close it. A shiny black screen at the bottom of my bag catches my eye. I double-check to make sure my phone is in my pocket. It is. I set the bag on the ground, open it wide, reach in, and pull out Annie’s phone. There’s no sound coming from it, but the screen lights up with a call from Mama.

My heart sinks.

I have no idea where Annie is, but she’s definitely not at school.

I answer the phone. “Hello.”

“Annie? Why haven’t you been answering my calls?”

“It’s Margo.”

“Margo?” Mama’s voice is high pitched and squeaky like she’s been crying. “Where’s Annie?”

I tuck the phone between my shoulder and ear to free up my hands enough to put my backpack back together. “She must’ve put her phone in my backpack before she left this morning. She’s not here.”

“Okay, I’m going to call your father and the bookstore. I’ll let you know what I find out.” She’s trying to mask the nervousness in her voice, but it comes through as clear as day.

“I’m sure she’ll show up soon. It’s Annie. She never gets into trouble.”

“You’re right. Everything is probably fine.”

I can’t pay attention through my final two classes. It’s my fault. Annie wouldn’t have run away if I didn’t hurt her. We would’ve driven together, singing our hearts out on the way to school. She would’ve sat next me at lunch, not Daniel.

Mama calls me after school gets out. “She used her card at a coffee shop downtown. We’re going to go get her. Do you think you can find a ride home?”

I’m relieved they found her, but I dread how she’ll act when she gets back to the house. “Yeah, I’ll figure something out.”

I sit outside the school with my back against the brick wall while I wait for Cameryn to finish cheer practice. I take out my journal and lay it on my lap. I need to brainstorm how to makethis mess up to Annie. I need to come up with something epic, a grand gesture, but my mind is blank. I already have the concert coming up. Maybe I could get her something for it? Or maybe we could buy the outfit she wanted?

Daniel comes out of the school entrance. I figured he’d go catch the bus, but he sits next to me a few feet away.

I sigh, setting my pen down, irritated by how unrelenting he’s become. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

He leans his head back and tilts it toward me, letting his tired eyes meet mine. “Can’t I miss you?”

My heart races. But it isn’t right, so I dig my nails into my palms, trying to force the feeling away. “No. You can’t.”

I write down some of my ideas below the checklist I already have for my family. Maybe I could buy her a special edition of one of her favorite books. That would be expensive, and it would take awhile to get here. Still, it’s a good enough idea to make it onto the page.