He’s right. I came because I wanted to see it. I know it’s going to be amazing. I wanted to be proud of everyone in front of my family, in front of my friends, but also in front of people I don’t know. I wanted to watch their faces when they saw these kids singing about things that a lot of us can’t even understand, even though we all connect to love and fear and death. But that’s a really long answer.

“I don’t know…,” I say, staring at the door. “I thought I wanted to see the show, but…They’re all angry because of me, not because of what anyone else did. They’re angry because of something I can’t even control.”

“But it’s not your fault,” he presses. “You can’t—I know it has to be hard, but you worked so hard on this. You can’t let them take it away from you.”

“So what am I supposed to do?” I ask, looking over at him. “Am I supposed to ignore them? What if they see me? What if they disrupt the show? That means I’ve ruined the show for everyone.”

“You don’t have to be alone, though,” he says, voice earnest. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’m here, and your teachers and your friends and your family. You’re not going to be alone. If they want to scream at you, they have to come through me.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“No, I do,” he says, sliding closer to me. “I definitely mean it. I’m not letting you down again. Especially because I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.”

My eyes snap up. He smiles, soft.

He can’t just do that. He can’t just spring that on me now.

My mouth opens. Nothing comes out. Part of me wants to tell him that he doesn’t love anyone, that he’s seventeen and doesn’t even know what love is. But I know that’s not fair, because I’m also seventeen and I love lots of people and lots of things. The other part of me is a bundle of nerves. “I’m in love with you” is one of the scariest sentences in the English language. It’s like holding out your heart to someone and asking them not to trample on it.

But Miles did it first. He’s holding his heart out to me.

“Oh Miles,” I croak.

He smiles. He’s so close; I’d barely have to move to kiss him. But he seems to read my mind and pulls backs.

“The show starts pretty soon,” he says. “Are you going?”