He caught up with Maria as she was leaving the girls’ bathroom. She looked up at him and started to smile her fake smile, but he wasn’t having it.

“Just tell me,” he said.

“Tell you what?” Maria tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

He didn’t want to play this game. They were supposed to be friends. Best friends. Best friends didn’t try to trick each other.

Brandon took Maria’s hand and laced his fingers through hers. Usually that brought her back to earth, but this time, she just kept fake-smiling.

He couldn’t talk to her here, in the middle of the humanities hall. He had to get her somewhere she could drop the act.

There were only a few minutes left before the period ended and students spilled out of the classrooms on either side of them. Brandon’s eyes skittered up and down the passageway. The only option was the row of language labs at the end of the corridor. The tiny rooms were barely big enough for one person to turn around in, let alone two, but he didn’t have time to be picky. Brandon led Maria by her hand down the hall, pushed open the door to the nearest lab and ducked his head in to make sure it was empty. He ignored Maria’s awful fake laughter as he pulled her in after him.

“What, do you want to make out?” Maria giggled. The desk and headphone set took up most of the space in the room, so Maria had to stand right up against him. “You could’ve just asked.”

“This is serious,” Brandon said. Maria’s fake smile was still in place, but there was a dark look in her eyes.

“Serious, huh?” She giggled again. “What, do you want to talk coordinated outfits for homecoming? I’d love to see you in a cornflower-blue cummerbund.”

“I’m not interested in homecoming, Ree.”

“Oh, but you have to come to homecoming! Don’t make me face all these Acheron robots without you. Promise you’ll come!”

“Sure, whatever. I promise. Just be quiet for a second and let me say something.”

Maria raised her chin. The challenge was in her eyes. She was daring him not to say it.

He took a deep breath and said it anyway. “I need to know why you haven’t told anyone.”

“Told who what?” Maria’s eyes were wide and calm. She was giving him one last chance.

For a second he was tempted. He could just let this go. Switch back to the way things had been between him and Maria before. Or as close as he could get to that.