I text my fears to Ana. Even though she’s busy at her dance studio today, she responds to reassure me that several of those things are unrealistic. And what’s not unrealistic, she’s certain I can handle. I’m not so sure, but it’s too late to turn back now. We’re already pulling into Brittany’s neighborhood.

Brittany lives in a beige house with impeccable landscaping at the end of a cul-de-sac. There are two cars in the driveway. I recognize one of them as being Brittany’s.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” Lex says as her car settles down onto the driveway.

“I think I have to do this alone,” I say, even though I wish she could be there. Brittany probably wouldn’t be happy if I brought along a random extra person. “Thanks, though.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for you out here,” she says.

After walking up the front path, I stand in front of the white front door and work up the courage to ring the doorbell. This feels like my last chance. If I can’t convince Brittany to come forward with me, it’s my word against Mr. B’s. And I’m not sure the school will even care about what I have to say alone. Gathering all my courage, I summon a spark of electricity and send it skittering onto the metal circle by the door. The doorbell rings.

A few agonizing moments later, Brittany opens the door. She’s dressed nicely for being at home—a short jean skirt and a peach crop top—but there are dark circles under her eyes that her makeup doesn’t completely hide. “Hey,” she says, and then she stands there like she doesn’t know what to do. “Um, come in.”

Chapter 36

Brockton Scholar Brittany Cohen has been a member of the T. K. Anderson Drama Club and the Thespian Honor Society since her freshman year, and she has been seen starring in many school plays and musicals since then. Her passion for service can be seen in her work with the T. K. Anderson Hearts for Arts program, where she provides free dance and music lessons to underprivileged children in the local area. She has won the T. K. Anderson Student Philanthropist Prize, and her performance in the musical RENT won the Cappies Critics Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical.

—The Brockton Foundation website

I follow Brittany inside, glancing surreptitiously around me as I do so. The house is strangely empty. There’s almost no furniture in the front room—just one white couch and a silver lamp in a wide, empty space. Brittany hurries through the room and down a hallway.