She’s ready to spend her third period free hiding out in the library, but just as history ends someone knocks on the door with a note for her. It’s from Mr. Winters; he wants her to come by his office for a chat. Lulu considers not going, but she has Cinema Studies later today, so she’s going to have to see him soon anyway. Better to just get it over with.

“I haven’t listened to it yet,” Lulu lies. “Beauty, Power, Danger—I haven’t had time.” She’s hoping against hope that that’s all this meeting is about—that he wants to follow up with her and tell her more about how he knows the Riggs family, and Christine L. Thompson, and whoever else.

Mr. Winters dashes her hopes, waving them away with a hand. “Whenever you’re ready,” he says. “Though I would especially recommend checking it out now, given what you were up to over the break. Sit down.”

“What I was up to?”

“Ryan’s parents told me about the opening,” Mr. Winters says. “To clarify. I’m not the kind of teacher who goes looking my students up online or anything. I mean, I’d hope you know that, but can’t be too careful, I guess.”

“Have you seen the pictures?”

“I think a lot of people have,” Mr. Winters says. He squints at Lulu. “Is that a problem?”

“No.”

“Are you—”

“I said no.”

“Okay!” Mr. Winters holds up his hands, like he didn’t mean to start anything. As if he weren’t the one who brought this up. “Because I just wanted to say that I think they’re beautiful. Ryan’s so talented, but in particular, the pictures of you I thought were just fantastic. Really raw and brave, Lulu. Roman—Ryan’s father—suggested I take a look at some of your previous work, to give some context to—”

“What previous—”

“Your Flash posts,” Mr. Winters says. “He sent me a link to an archive, and I only glanced through a few, but I really thought that the images represented a huge step forward for you, in terms of achieving naturalism, and more effectively blurring the lines between life and art. The Flashes were so composed, largely. Whereas there’s—I already said raw, didn’t I? But there is. There’s just something so real about what happens when you put down the camera and let someone else capture you. Are you interested in modeling at all? Because I think you have some real talent, and I’d be happy to introduce you to my contacts. Such as they are, of course.”

Lulu is totally, utterly stunned. She finds herself at a complete loss for words.

“I don’t want to model,” she says eventually.