My expression clouded as I thought of it. It wasn’t due until Friday, but she’d assigned it a week earlier than Mr. Cho’s syllabus had stated. I don’t know how Vik looked up to her so much. She didn’t know what she was doing at all. Maybe if she spent less time dolling herself up like a trollop, she’d be better prepared for class. Half the time she didn’t even talk about science, and when she did, she clearly got everything she said out of Marine Biology For Dummies. I would know, I’d read it. My parents thought it was a decent intro to their precious field. But decent or not, Ms. Epistola had no place stepping into wise old Mr. Cho’s shoes as often as she did. If she really was an adjunct at the university and so chummy with Vik’s folks, then my parents had to at least know who she was. Maybe they could talk to the school board about her. And while they were at it, talk to Vik’s parents about letting her ‘tutor’ him.

I winced as I thought of Vik… He’d given me the silent treatment for the rest of the day after lunch, but even if he really did hate me now, I still had his best interests at heart. The Scarlett woman had to go. I would definitely have to tell my parents everything about what had been going on with that trashy phony… whenever they got home.

The sudden remembrance that I was alone for the night immediately undid all the good my anti-Epistola internal venting had wrought. I slumped with a deep sigh and dug the heels of my palms into my stinging eyes.

Riley. My Great One.

No. No, no, NO! Don’t degrade his perfect flawless memory with tears. Love him enough to let him go. That’s what my beloved Phantom did for the only one he ever loved. That’s what I would do for Riley. And do it with the dignity Riley deserved from pathetic, immaterial me. It was the greatest thing I had left to offer. It was kind of funny, really. I had dared to dream that I might be Christine in the situation. But if all the sadness of the world was in anyone’s eyes right now, it was in mine.

I cleaned the white goop off my now-smooth legs and wandered out of the bathroom like a blind person.

When I got back to my room, I found Riley sprawled across my bed, using my laptop.

I yelped, practically jumping out of my skin.

He looked up at me with a slow languid movement, and I felt the old familiar fluttering awaken in my chest when our eyes met. My mouth must have been hanging down to my knees.