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Yulia wasn’t waiting for either of them when they got to school. Annie scowled.

“What a bitch.”

“She’s not a bitch, she’s being normal. You’re the one being weirdly okay about this. As thankful as I am that you are,” Hollis said.

“What do you think, Walt? Is Yulia being a bitch?” Annie tugged the tassels on either side of her hat angrily.

Walt rubbed the top of their nose.

“She’s got spark. You get yourself a girl with spark, you can’t go around bein’ shocked by fire.”

“Do I have spark?”

“You’re a cream puff through and through,” Walt said, grinning. “Even angry I think.”

Annie stuck her tongue out at him, until he laughed raw and sweet.

Timothy flicked his eyes over to Hollis as soon as they sat down in English.

“Jorge is back,” he said.

“Wasn’t he supposed to be back last week?” Walt asked.

Timothy shrugged. “Don’t know. I don’t really talk to him much now. He’s beefing with James, and to be honest, we’re both kind of done with him. I’m telling you—”

“Timothy, please stop talking.” Their English teacher put a finger to her lips.

Timothy narrowed his eyes at her, before turning back to Hollis.

“I’m telling you ’cause if he acts up again, we don’t got nothing to do with it. We’ve tried to help, you’re always supposed to try to help. But now he’s on his own until he gets his shit together.” Timothy jerked his chin at Mrs. Feldman. “I’m done. Sorry about that.”

Walt and Hollis mulled about it for the rest of the day, but they didn’t see Jorge at all. Not in the hallways, not outside, not even in PE—the one class they had together.

Ten minutes before the bell rang for lunch, he was called to Mr. Feehan’s office.