I nod. Yeah, it’s true. We are. But does that matter? “There’s so much crap going on in the world that I just . . . I feel helpless sometimes, you know? Like I can’t stop all the bad. My JCC got a bomb threat last year. I can’t stop that from happening. But can I stop one girl from being such a shitty person? Maybe. I want to try, I guess.”

“Point taken.” He nods and sits on my bed next to me. I look at him, then back at the laptop, hoping he doesn’t see my face flush. I haven’t had a guy sit on my bed with me before.

I press play and let the movie fill in our conversation. I feel his arm next to mine, and think about how I barely knew him a few days ago, and now we’re sharing this. How I know so much more about him, his family. How cute he looks during the lightsaber scene, all excited and stuff.

It gets to the end, when Finn is flying toward the laser, and Nik whispers, “Are you . . . are you reciting the lines along with it?”

“No,” I whisper back, not having realized I was even doing it. Then, a second later, I whisper, “This is my favorite line,” just as Rose says how they’ll win the war. Not with hate, but by saving what they love.

Saturday arrives, and with it a bunch of nerves. We’re actually doing this. Jessica practically announced when and where the party would be. This made planning easy. It’s in the ballroom of a hotel. We agree to meet across the street from the hotel, at the lake, at five-thirty.

At five I get a text from Nik.

Hey

IF YOU DITCH ME I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN. Maybe I overreact a little.

That was intense.

I AM A BIT ANXIOUS RIGHT NOW.

Not ditching. Just saying I’m leaving now. Mom’s dropping me off at the mall. Want to meet there?

K. That works.

You need a vacation

I’m gonna lightsaber you.



Oh boy.

At five-thirty, Mom drops me off at the mall too. The mall is on the lake, so it’s a quick walk to the hotel from there. I find Nik in the bookstore.

“Hey,” I say, tapping him on the shoulder. He’s looking at a manga book.

“Oh, hey,” he says, putting it back. He looks at me, blinks, then says, “You, uh, you look nice.”

I look down at the light blue spring dress I put on. If we’re going to a Sweet Sixteen, I figured I’d look the part. It’s soft and flowy like a cupcake. “Thanks. You too.” He also dressed up, in a black button-down shirt and dark jeans.