I can’t tell if Lydia’s flushed or if she’s blushing. Claudia pulls out of the parking lot, heading toward our school.

“I just took it,” Lydia says after a moment. “So I have to take it this time every day. I think it’ll be fine.”

“How do you feel?” Claudia asks before I can. “Better?”

“Definitely,” Lydia says, letting out another big breath. “Ian and I are starting to—you know, take more steps, so I’m glad I’m prepared. I thought I’d feel worse about lying to my parents, though.”

“I think that’s normal,” I say, leaning back in my seat. Memories of my appointment with Dr. Walker make me wish I lied to my parents more often. “Sometimes you need your little secrets.”

“You guys are great,” Lydia says. Claudia doesn’t take her eyes off the road, but I smile at her, even though she can’t see me. “And I love you lots. I know that you didn’t have to wake up so early before school—”

“That was Simone’s problem,” Claudia interrupts. “Not mine. I’m always awake.”

“Okay, but I already have an issue with waking up before nine,” I say. “It’s not my fault that I feel more awake at night. The American Academy of Pediatrics—”

“—says that kids shouldn’t be up so early,” Lydia finishes, laughter in her voice. “We know. You only say it every single morning. I could probably recite the study in my sleep.”

There are already a bunch of cars in the school parking lot. It’s a large brick building that could be a firehouse or a nunnery from the fifties, but just happens to be a center for learning. Claudia’s eighteen-year-old Bronco couldn’t look more different than the sleek silver cars beside it.

“Come on, guys,” she says, pulling out her keys. “I still need to go to my locker. There’s a project I shoved in there. Lydia, you’re responsible and I love you. Tell Simone that she’ll have sex one day with the right person.”

I flip my middle finger at her. She just flashes a smile. I try to follow her into the building, pushing past the cool burst of fall air outside, but Lydia immediately hooks arms with me.

“What’s this about sex?” Up close, she doesn’t look as clammy as she did earlier. “It’s fun. You should try it.”

“I thought you guys weren’t there yet?”

“Well, there are different tiers.”

“It’s not the issue of having sex,” Claudia says, stopping at her wide blue locker. I lean against the others as she fiddles with her combination. “She doesn’t think she could find anyone to do it with her.”

“What?” Lydia glances at me. “Why not?”