The sun was setting at Airwalk Skatepark.

Quinn and I sat on the edge of a deep bowl, feet dangling as we drank energy drinks and watched skaters cruise through the park. The sun was fading at our backs, a red ball shooting laser streaks of pink and orange across the blushing sky. Sunglasses in position, Quinn leaned back on her palms, her tan face catching the last rays of the sun. She wore her dad's old ABU jacket rolled at the sleeves, her blonde waves tamed by a messy bun. The large hoops in her ears were as silver as the dog tags dangling from her neck.

"You pushed Tyler Moore off a bridge..." She chuckled, slurping a half-empty can. "Did you mention the part where his dad is broskies with the bad guys from Grand Theft Auto?"

"Skipped that part," I said, taking a sip of my drink and wiping my mouth. "Tyler's relationship with his dad is hanging by a thread. When he finds out Pete is stealing from him... I just don't wanna be the one who ruins their relationship."

"Pete ruined his relationship. As a matter of fact, I'm glad I broke that stupid egg."

"Quinn!"

She rolled her eyes. "What? It's not like Tyler can't afford it. And Pete was just gonna steal it anyway. At least now he can't." Quinn stood with a sigh, dusting off her jeans. "Look, I'm sure Tyler's great underneath it all. But he's only been in town the blink of an eye and already he's dragged you into his family drama. I think you should stay away from him, A. He's bad news." Quinn grabbed her board and dropped down the ramp, riding the bowl like the devil was after her.

She wasn't wrong. Falling for Tyler's charm would be as stupid as falling for a mirage. I lost track of the times I had seen Tyler on television or in the magazines, surrounded by stunning, wealthy girls. He was rarely seen with the same girl twice. Tyler and I were worlds apart. What would it cost me to cross that distance?

I flopped on my back. Hands behind my head, I lay on the concrete, contemplating the sunset until Quinn returned.

***

"You gonna eat that?" Quinn had been eyeing my dessert since the waitress brought it to our booth.

Breakfast at Night was our favorite hole-in-the-wall café—they served the best pies and rootbeer floats in town. Aunt Trina was at the Maison, on a dinner-date with Hudson, so I was having dinner with Quinn—blueberry pie and triple chocolate shakes.

Usually, I put up a fight. This time I didn't say a word, just slid my plate across the table with a heavy sigh.

"We're giving up on pie now? Okay. Now I know this is serious." Regardless, Quinn pushed aside her own empty plate and dug into mine. "Spill."

"On the boardwalk, with Tyler, it was like old times. And you're right, maybe he is bad news. But not everything is his fault. I've been thinking—maybe he had a good reason for missing my mom's funeral."

Quinn seemed to have trouble swallowing her pie. "If you thought that was true, you wouldn't be so scared to ask him, A. But let's say you're right, maybe he did have a good reason. What if the truth isn't what you wanna hear? Is it still worth knowing? I just don't want you to get hurt again."

Bells above the café door were triggered, their cheerful tinkle halting the conversation as Robin made her grand entrance. Quinn locked eyes with Robin; I gulped as the two girls narrowed their eyes in simultaneous disdain. I had been putting out small fires between them ever since Quinn caught Robin macking on her now ex-boyfriend. When Quinn responded with violence in the girl's locker room, Q was permanently kicked off the cheerleading squad. Their coach insisted that was just how young women disputed these things. Robins' parents, and the principal, disagreed.

Robin strutted to the front counter, immediately attracting the attention of a male server who had ignored Quinn and me the first five minutes of our arrival. Q eyed Robin with such intense, burning hate, I knew something terrible would happen if we stayed. World War III was just around the bend.

"Time to go." I scattered a few bills on the table, grabbed Quinn by the arm, and hustled her to the exit.

We were home-free... until the shadow of evil fell upon us.

"What's the rush, girls? You'd hurt my feelings if I had any."

Robin's sultry tones stopped us dead in our tracks. The exit was only a foot away, but it may as well have been a mile. I covered my pain with a mask of pleasantness, then turned to face Robin.

"Remember how well you're doing off probation," I sang under my breath to Quinn, whose blazing blue eyes had frozen over in glacial levels of hate. "Robin, you're looking supercilious as always."

"Of course. I'm rich." Her smile soured. Her hair was flipped over one side, a pink Coach purse dangling over one limp wrist. "Auditions for the talent show are after school tomorrow, and I know you're talented." Her smirk only widened when I grabbed Quinn, holding her back from the jail sentence that would inevitably follow. "Talent shows are good for transcripts. It'll look even better when we win."

"We?" I replied, brows raised. The talent show was fine arts territory. If you weren't a drama club fanatic, a choir activist, or could juggle flaming pins while riding a unicycle backwards and blind-folded, there was no point signing up.

"Duh." Robin flipped her hair from her shoulder and cocked her head to the side. "You've done gymnastics every year. And you're the best dancer in school—well, apart from me. Imagine if we teamed up."

"Keep dreaming, sweetheart," said Quinn, folding her arms and facing the other girl with a smug grin. "Aaliyah isn't performing with you. She's performing with me."

"I am?"

"Yeah," she replied, motioning for me to keep up.

"Oh, right. Must have slipped my mind."

"Whatever." Robin sniffed and shrugged. "The only thing I like more than winning is crushing the competition." She stepped forward, icy gaze homing on Quinn like a beacon. "I'll still wipe the floor with you, Cooper. I'm gonna steal that first-place trophy like I stole your boyfriend too." Robin's cold gaze flicked to mine. "Don't fall for the act, Aaliyah. She's not your friend." Robin spun on her heels and strutted to the front counter, not realizing she had dropped her keys.

I stooped and picked them up and stared at Quinn, who was frozen like an angry statue. Is she even breathing?

"Hello, anyone home?" I waved my hand in front of her face; she responded by grabbing the keys from my hand and high tailing it through the exit. Q was so mad she drove down to the pier, got out of the car, and threw the keys to Robin's Mercedes into the ocean with an Olympic toss.

"You can't let her get to you, Q." I joined her at the railing, looking out at the still, grey sea and the navy night sky that stretched above. "Hate is her love language."

"Yeah? When your mom died, did she spread a rumor she killed people overseas? Cuz that's what she said about my dad. She trashed him in front of all our friends for no reason. Don't tell me she did that for love because she definitely didn't do it to you!"

"You're right," I said quietly. "She didn't."

"She's as transparent as a shower curtain," snapped Quinn. "She hates me because I'm your best friend."

"You don't know that."

"It's obvious. Tyler used to be your best friend—that changed when they started dating. She used you to get to Tyler and then they both dumped you. Why are you giving her a pass?"

"I'm not! I'm just trying to make you feel better, Quinn!"

"Well stop trying, Aaliyah! I'm actually enjoying being angry!"

I raised my hands in surrender. Silence fell hard and heavy between us. We never fought, and definitely not about guys.

Quinn shrugged, helpless in her frustration. "I know some people would disagree, but my dad has always been a hero to me. I don't need to know what he did overseas because I know the man he was when he came home and that's the only thing that matters!" Her chin trembled as she wiped the wetness from her cheek. "I'm sorry for biting your head off, A. I shouldn't have brought up your mom."

"I understand where you're coming from." I knocked her shoulder with mine. "My mom would have liked you. She liked everyone. Even Tyler and Robin."

Quinn sniffed and managed a small smile. "You don't really have to sign up with me. I just said that stuff about the audition to piss off Robin."

"Are you kidding? We're gonna win that trophy just to teach her a lesson. She can steal our boyfriends—we won't let her take our dignity!" I held up my hand, forced to high-five myself when Quinn walked past me in disgust.

***