She grabs her phone, pulling something up before passing it to me. I take the device gingerly and see a photo of myself on stage in the gymnasium, my expression one of longing, as I stand in a white dress, angel wings strapped to my back. I swipe through the pictures, feeling disoriented.

“I look like I’m having fun,” I say, staring at a photo of myself holding hands with the boy who played Romeo. I think he’s in my history class.

Ms. Warren smiles at the photos. “You were,” she agrees. “You’re a very talented actress, Allie. You have a lot of potential. You’ll go very far if you can learn to stay out of trouble.”

I frown as I hand the phone back to her, and she tucks it to her chest, looking as though she regrets her last sentence. “What kind of trouble?”

“Normal teenager things,” she says lightly. “To be honest, you had a rocky relationship with the other students here and less than stellar attendance. The school is very familiar with your mother; she’s had to deal with some unpleasant phone calls.”

“Oh,” I say, deflating.

“What happened last fall was the worst of it—” Ms. Warren stops herself, shaking her head. “You don’t need to hear about that.”

“It’s okay. I should know these things.”

“No, it’s not my place,” she says firmly. “Allie, don’t worry about your past. All that matters is right now. Your future is bright.”

She gives me an encouraging smile, and I return it feebly. “Can we take a break? I’m going to get a drink from the vending machine.”

“Of course.”

I stand from the desk and hurry out of the room, wondering why the interaction leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I haven’t had a clear picture of how the adults at school saw me, but I’m starting to get it now. Though I have to wonder what she meant by “rocky relationship.” Zoe told me in as many words that the exclusivity of our friend group meant we actively worked to keep people out of it. Does it all come down to a high school clique, or is there more that I’m missing?

Sighing, I move through the empty hallway to the vending machines. I fish some coins out of my pocket, put them through the slot, and select a water. Seconds later, the water bottle slides down, landing at the bottom with a loud thump, and I reach for it.

When I turn around, I realize I’m not alone.