"You should've grabbed a coffee, you look exhausted, sweetheart," my dad says with low concern.

"I'm fine," I say as I keep walking out of the building.

"No, I was talking to my daughter," he says into the phone. "I don't appreciate you coming home at such inappropriate hours, Heather. You're not an adult." He huffs in frustration, "No, I was talking to my daughter."

Leo had me locked in his arms for so long. I didn't want to wake him by leaving, so I stayed until he released me from his hold. I would've slept over, but I imagined the police would be waiting when I got home.

"Miss Blakely," the driver greets as I walk up to the car.

"Oh, Heather," father calls out while the phone is against his chest, "we'll share this one."

"Great," I say sarcastically. I slide in and he sits next to me.

"Yes, pull the funds from there. Let's just say I have a feeling they're about to have a steep fall," he says into the phone. "Put it into the Berkshire Hathaway stock. Okay, see you soon." My father sighs heavily after his call ends, "so— any big plans for today?"

"Nothing bigger than school."

"You'll be straight home after."

"Maybe— are you still a partner with the New York Post?"

"Yes...why?"

"Is there any way I can get an article from a couple years ago?"

"Possibly, what's the title?"

"I'm not sure...but it has the name 'Ryan Carmichael' in it."

"Carmichael?"

"Yes, he was around my age but died after a fight went too far."

"Don't believe the media, Heather. Assume there are dollar signs behind everything you read."

"I don't understand?"

"That story is fabricated."

"What, did he fake his death or something?" I laugh to myself and hide the fact that I hope he did. I'd welcome anything that lets Leo off the hook.

"No, but I know the Carmichael's and their son wasn't killed by anyone but himself. He was an addict, and they were too embarrassed to tell anyone."

I narrow my eyes, "He overdosed, didn't he?"

"They begged me not to let the real story break. So, I withheld it, for a hefty fee of course. Ryan Carmichael had enough drugs in his system to fill a pharmacy. He was on life support for three days before they had to pull the plug. He couldn't get oxygen to his brain."

"How did you find out?"

"A reporter of mine was on the scene and was ready to print the story, but the Carmichael's paid $250,000 to bury it. As a bonus, I let them change the narrative. I'm not a monster, Heather."

"You let them lie. Why couldn't they name a charity foundation after him instead? That's what everyone else does."

"Don't be insensitive. It wasn't so much a lie rather a stretching of the truth. Yes, he was in some sort of scuffle prior to the overdose, but it was a survivable one. Heroin— I believe, was not."

"It's a blatant lie that people have to live with believing."

He raises an eyebrow, "What's your interest in this?"

"It's not important. I just overheard something at school."

"From Jace Kendal?"

"Why would you think that?"

"He was at the funeral. He left early on."

"Perhaps he was apart of the scuffle. He's never been much of a golden boy."

"We all have our tempers."

"Anyway," I roll my eyes, "you're leaving again soon, aren't you?"

"Only for the weekend. You seem to prefer it that way, so you don't have to wait until late at night to sneak in that boyfriend of yours."

"I don't sneak him in. He doesn't climb the fire escape, father, he comes through the doors like everyone else."

"Well, Friday I have a meeting on the other side of town at 9. Bring him to the Helmsley restaurant. Your mother and I can squeeze in dinner with him there at 7, but no later. I will spare him not a minute longer."

"You can't leave us alone with her-"

"I don't plan to, darling."

"You'll take her to your meeting?"

He nods, "it does involve the both of us."

"It wouldn't be about my birthday, would it?"

"Too soon to tell," he smirks.

"Please don't forget that I've grown out of needing big parties to feel validated."

"I'm sure your mother would be delighted to hear that."

"Good morning, sunshine," Audrey says deviously as she pulls the sunglasses from off my face.

"Fuck you," I groan and put them back on.

"You look terrible."

"Aw, thanks. You're the best."

"You know we have a test today, right?" Audrey sits next to me, "she is definitely not letting you wear those, so just get used to the sunlight, Dracula."

I groan and lay my head on the table,"I'm going to be sick."

"I hear you do that often."

"I'm just having fun."

"Mm," she nods, "does it burn when you pee yet?"

"Shut up, Audrey."

"What'd you do last night anyway? I know Trevor dumped you."

"I was at Milligan's place. It was supposed to be a weekend come down, but I decided to go up again," I rub my face and sigh. Maybe that edible was laced with something other than THC.

"I'll never forgive you morons for letting a goalie become popular."

"You say that like the goalkeeper isn't important."

"Whatever. He doesn't run around like the other guys so why does he get to run around with the other guys?"

I look at her before laughing, "don't tell me you let two of us play you. And here we thought little Tony didn't stand a chance."

"I was not played, and Tony doesn't stand a chance," she snaps.

"Well, if you did want him for some Audrical reason. He'd be easy to get and even easier to keep."

"I don't."

"Then I won't bother telling you."

"Good, I don't want to know," she purses her lips.

"Good," I nod.

"Good."

"Great."

"Oh, my god. Just tell me," Audrey huffs.

"Be his first taste of puss-" I see the unsettling glare start to form on her face, "...I mean, it's true. If you're his first, he'll be stuck to you like gum on the bottom of your Jimmy Choo's." She sighs as though she's letting it roll around in her head. "Oh, my god. You're actually considering it. You have some serious problems, Audrey. How have we never dated?"

She scoffs, "probably because you think the girls you date are the ones with the problems."

"You say that, but will fuck Tony in exchange for his undying obsession with you. Then you'll break his heart and make him a cunt."

"Well, now I know what happened to you."

"I was a cunt even when I was with Heather, just like you were a cunt even when you were with Ethan. And I was an even bigger cunt with Evie, and you'll be the same with Tony."

"I stopped listening the second time you used that word."

I roll my eyes and turn away in time to see Trevor walk into the room.

"Hey, man," I give him a friendly smile, and he clenches his jaw at the sight of me.

Trevor walks to the back of the class and our eyes follow him to the seat next to Penelope Becker.

She looks at him with hearts in her eyes, like she's in the presence of something greater than man.

And he looks at her like— he's making up for lost time. Penelope has never been his type, but after fucking just one girl for two months...

He leans forward to get closer to her, and she becomes a nervous wreck falling prey to his flirting.

Audrey sighs and faces the front again, "I'll talk to him."

I raise an eyebrow, "Why would you do that?"

"Because I can...and 'on the prowl' Trevor is so unmanageable."

I look at her skeptically.

She'd only care if she has something to gain or lose from it. I'm guessing she's worried that Trevor and Milligan will become buddy-buddy and Milligan will become Trevor. Unmanageable.

"Good morning, everyone," Ms. Pierce sighs as she walks in, placing her leather bag on her desk. "Clear your tables. I will pass out tests and scratch paper."

"Fuck," I groan quietly to myself.

"Make sure you have a pencil. Do not attempt these problems in pen," she continues.

Audrey leans over with a smile, "you shouldn't bother attempting them at all."

"Questions one through ten are multiple-choice," the teacher says while placing two tests on each desk, "eleven through twenty are not."

The numbers seem to blur when I try to focus on the equations in front of me. After a while— math just looks like computer code you're supposed to have a response for.

I put down my pencil and cross my arms.

An "F" it is.

Audrey glances over at me and rolls her eyes.

"Here," she slides her paper over a bit so that I could see. "If you get caught, I'll pretend I don't know you."

"Dude!" Charlie grabs me and pulls me into his row. "I've been trying to call you all weekend."

"Really? My bad, I was caught up."

"The new 'Challengers of the Unknown' dropped on Saturday, and I got one. I stood there for an hour waiting for the comic book store to open."

"Well, let me see. Do you have it?"

"Yeah," he takes off his backpack to go through it.

I carelessly look away as he does. We don't have the same taste in comics, but if I pretend to like his, he pretends to like mine.

My eyes stay glued to the entrance when I see Evan's friends come in, but he's not there. I'm not looking for him...but I still expected to see him.

This meeting is about the athletic department, after all.

He walks in a good distance behind them, and I realize I'm not the only one watching.

Evan looks over to his friends, they all stare at him like he's got food on his face. He puts his head down and walks further away to stand by himself...

"Hey," I nudge Charlie to get his attention, "What's going on over there?"

"Huh?" He glances past me to see, "Oh, the thing about Evan Andrews? The jocks are at war or something."

"War? Why?"

"I heard he was hooking up with Gina De LaRosa and left her for a guy."

"A guy?"

"Yeah, he's undecided." Charlie finally gets the comic book out, "Here you go."

I grab it out of his hands but look back at Evan. I can tell that he's struggling to breathe in here, as if everyone who glances at him sucks a bit of air out of his lungs.

Would I make it worse if I just- "Hey, Evan," I say loudly.

He eyes me pleadingly, and I move my book bag off of the seat beside mine.

People seem to stare even harder, but he moves his feet in my direction despite that.

How'd this happen, Evan?

We don't say anything. But I can't help but think he's breathing a bit steadier knowing that I'm here.

He takes a seat next to me, and we sit in complete silence, not daring to glance at one another.

I want him to feel safe, protected...warm.

"What did you do?" I whisper, hoping I don't have to be any louder for him to hear me.

He shakes his head, "I just wanted everyone to stop being mad at me for trying to make them happy."

"What makes you think that you know what makes everyone happy?"

Evan finally brings his eyes to me and stares for what feels like a long time, but I know it was merely seconds.

And I wonder—

Did he see the bruise on my neck? Is that why he looked away?

Charlie slides the comic out of my hand, and holds it up while looking at Evan. "...do you want to see it too?"

"Jaqueline Kennedy," Natalia poses in the mirror, clutching her pearls, "now," she switches hats, "Lady Diana."

"In this dress," I twirl around, "I'm feeling Dorothy Dandridge."

"A white fur," Natalia suggests.

"And a diamond necklace?"

"Definitely Dandridge," she nods.

"Costume change," I say giddily and run back into the dressing room.

"Should we take this a step further and do a rendition of Patsy and Edina from 'Absolutely Fabulous'?"

I laugh, "you watch that?"

"Guilty pleasure," she confesses. "Some like golden girls others like provocative British television."

"Would I be Patsy?"

"A cigarette in one hand, a glass of champagne in the other. You could so pull off Patsy," Natalia says.

"Okay, I'm dressed. Are you ready?"

"I'm on the edge of my seat," she replies.

I push open the door, and Natalia's eyes go wide.

"Rita Hayworth," I smile, channeling my inner Gilda.

"Oh, my god."

"I always loved the classic look. I'd dress like this every day if I could," I walk out to see myself in the bigger mirror. "Simple yet elegant, a black dress and opera gloves. When will people learn that was done decades before Hepburn?"

"You look so good," she stares in awe.

"And without the gloves-" I move to take them off, but Natalia stops me before I could pull them down.

She looks at my reflection in the mirror, "Way to show that boy what he's missing out on."

"Boy?" I raise an eyebrow.

"The one in Sant Ambroeus. Tall, kind of handsome, but doesn't look like he has one interesting thought in his head."

"Tony," I roll my eyes.

"You're into him."

"No," I say firmly.

"I think it's fine if you are."

"I'm not, really. I don't know...but he was supposed to like me. I feel like he's been stolen from me, and by a forest troll at that."

"Where are his standards? Talk about shooting for the stars and landing on a meteor."

"Some people will settle for anything that walks," I agree.

"Drop him."

"I don't like losing," I admit. "Though, winning would mean he'd be all over me all of the time. I wouldn't be able to go a day without him clinging to my feet."

"My ex was the opposite. So distant I was practically single before we broke up."

"Really?"

"I think when the right person clings to you, you won't be able to get enough of it."

"The lack of personal space would make my hair frizz up," I pout.

"I'm calling your bluff."

"Excuse me?"

"You've never once wanted someone to break every barrier of your personal space?"

Ethan.

But thank God I'm starting to wake up every day without him consuming my brain.

"Maybe just once."

"And you'd never want it to happen again?"

Not like last time. Not if it hurts.

"What are you, a therapist?" I scoff, and instead of responding, she smirks and goes back into her changing room. "Is that a 'yes?'" I continue despite being met with silence. "Hello, paging Nathalia Moreau."

The door opens, and she stands there wearing a tan overcoat and thigh-high stockings.

She winks before walking past me, "Dr. Beth Garner at your service."

"You bought fireworks at a gas station?"

"Slash fruit shop," Ned nods. "We were in one of those towns that have nothing but water towers and trees. We walked into the gas station and right off the back, there was a confederate flag— so, red flag...literally."

"And you still gave them your money?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"I didn't want to!"

I see her figure pass the windows before disappearing.

Heather comes out of the door, and I watch her curiously. We've never eaten lunch together, for some reason— this was the one boundary we left intact.

She peeks around the corner at us, and I smirk at her before waving her over.

She hesitantly emerges from the corner to walk up to me, but I welcome her with open arms.

"Hey," I instinctively pull her toward me, and she takes a seat between my legs.

Ned distractedly stops speaking when he sees Heather.

And she lifts her head up so I can kiss her lips.

"Um-" Ned searches for his train of thought, "so, I was ready to say 'fuck this,' but Lenny said we wouldn't make it any further without gas. So I went up to the register, and the lady stopped me before I could speak. She goes 'we don't service devil worshipers.'"

"What'd you expect her to think?" Jordan laughs. "The kid with a neon green Mohawk could never worship her lord and savior Robert E. Lee."

"You know what's even crazier? We were leaving the store, right— and her nephew crawls out from some sort of underground cellar they just have built next to the fucking store, and he's got gages and a Metallica shirt on, and he sells us a box of fireworks and two dime bags that had me on Neptune and shit."

I lean down to whisper in Heather's ear, "You okay?"

She nods, "can we talk later? I have something to tell you."

"We can talk now."

"I don't want to ruin your lunch break."

"Are you kidding? Come on, butterfly."

She stands up to let me climb down, and I grab her hand.

"Is this going to be a good talk?" I ask while swinging our interlocked hands back and forth.

"Well, that depends," she stops when we're far enough from everyone, "Which do you want first, good news or bad news?"

"...good news?"

"Well, I'm not sure we should call it that, actually. It's sad news...but exonerating."

"Tell me."

"Ryan Carmichael died of an overdose three days after you saw him last."

"What're you talking about..."

"He wasn't beaten to death at all. His parents lied out of shame and embarrassment. My father told me this morning."

"I don't...I can't believe it..."

"It's so typical of these families, and it makes sense, doesn't it? I wondered how no one was arrested despite the tapes being taken. You'd think they'd find a way...but there was no reason to. Ryan was in and out of rehab— he had a problem."

"I didn't do it.."

"I never thought you did."

And I wish I told you sooner, even if all you could do was lay with me and tell me that I'm not a bad person.

I drape my head over her shoulder, and she wraps her arms around me.

"I don't know how I ever lived without you in my life making everything better."

"Everything's better?" She says teasingly through a smile.

I lift my head up from off of her but stay close enough to feel her body heat. My nose brushes over hers, and she smiles because she knows I'm going to kiss her.

We're by the windows, and everyone on the other side of them can see us clear as day, but who cares?

We're the best tv show you're ever going to watch.

We give each other a series of short, tender kisses as if we want to do more but hold back.

"Thank you," I say lowly.

She nods and pecks my lips again. "I'll see you after class."

"Wait," I pull her back before she could start walking away, "what's the bad news?"

"Oh, right," Heather sighed with a reluctant expression. "Dinner with my parents this Friday. Don't wear jeans, my mother will have an aneurism."