“Your English classroom is just around the corner,” she says, and I take the copy of my schedule from her hands, along with a slip of paper with the combination to my locker. I adjust the strap of my backpack. “But don’t worry, I’ll get someone to show you around.”

She gets up from her chair and shuffles to the door, then pokes her head out of it.

Sofia takes the opportunity to check in on me once again, her voice quiet. “Everything okay so far?”

“So far,” I say, thinking about the boy in the hall. The day hasn’t even truly begun yet, and it’s already strange.

“Here she is,” Mrs. Gallagher announces, gesturing for someone else to enter the cramped office.

A blond girl enters the room, wiggling her fingers in a wave. I instantly recognize her from the photos on my bedroom wall. She’s tall and slim, wearing a plaid skirt and collared shirt paired with a matching headband. It’s odd to see her in motion when I’ve grown used to seeing her frozen in time.

“This is Zoe Harris,” Mrs. Gallagher explains. “She’ll be your tour guide. She’s also one of our brightest students.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” she says, though there’s a hint of pride in her voice. She addresses my mother. “It’s good to see you, Ms. Castillo.”

“Thanks for doing this, Zoe,” Sofia says. She checks the watch on her wrist and looks at me apologetically. “I should really get going. I have an appointment with a client.”

“Oh,” I say, suddenly panicked by the thought of her departure. “Okay.”

“Remember you can always call me,” she says. “You’re very brave.”

It takes everything in me to resist scoffing at her last words, because they imply that this was my decision. If I had any say at all in the matter, I wouldn’t be here right now.

Sofia calls out a parting word on her way out, and Zoe motions to the hallway, allowing me to exit first. An air of discomfort lingers between us.

She holds her arms out wide, gesturing to the linoleum floors and walls lined with navy blue lockers that stretch out ahead of us. “Welcome to Pender Falls High,” she says unceremoniously. “Otherwise known as My Least Favorite Place in the World, population five hundred.”

This earns a short laugh of amusement, and it’s a slight reprieve from the tension I’ve been feeling this morning.

“We’ll start the grand tour at your locker.” She rounds the corner, and I hasten to keep up with her. “We can grab your stuff for English. It’s actually a decent class. Ms. Warren is the best teacher here.”