Dee, that girl who hung around, staying out of the fray, for months, seems to have a thing for me. She’s everywhere. It’s almost like she’s following me. I see her in the Makers’ Space—always there, working on editing videos. I never look too closely, but it looks like movies that she’s cutting. But whenever I look over, she catches me and turns around.

And then there it is: I hear footsteps behind me, matching mine.

Ever since Lottie and Paige dumped me and the world caught fire. Since I was left alone on the school steps gasping for air.

Watching me, following me, trying to get my attention, but not in the same balls-out-cruel way as everyone else. I don’t know what she wants, but I’m afraid to trust anyone. I walk faster now, my heart rate going up, my face sweating. I see the school and heft my backpack further up my shoulder. She starts whistling a weird little tune. I resist the urge to look back and go into the school as the bell rings.

My phone buzzes. It’s a text from an unknown number.

I like old movies too

*   *   *

I have Media Studies for homeroom. Pete’s class. That’s how they know him now, too. Not long after he showed me the Makers’ Space, he had his big talk with our class.

The classroom was busy and loud, and there was such a layer of hair spray and body spray in the place that I swear you could almost see it. I found my seat by the window and noticed Pete smiling at two guys who were competing for his attention, talking over each other before class started. I felt jumpy. I kept my head down, just willing the class to start so there wasn’t any gap where I could attract attention.

Then: Dee. I heard her throw her bag down and sit behind me and to my right. I could sort of see her. Her legs were crossed, and she was bouncing her foot up and down, up and down. She wore oversized, loose clothes, headphones on her neck, her hair wild.

She whispered, like a hiss, “Hey. Hey, Stevie.”

No one noticed. Everyone was talking and laughing and getting settled in, on their phones and getting out their laptops and binders.

I ignored her.

“That’s okay,” I heard her say in a low voice, “I can wait.”

Pete walked to the front of the room, and everyone quieted down. He was smiling. Something is happening, I thought. Is this the day? I was so nervous that my legs jiggled all over the place. I wished Lottie and I were talking again, that I’d known this was going to go down today. But she had Paige, and they’d probably dissect the whole thing in her room, listening to records together.