Eventually, the fading light outside her window alerted her to the fact that she’d been working longer than she’d realized. A quick peek at her phone told her she was right; it was already six-thirty. Time to get dressed. Annika’s stomach lurched like she was on a roller coaster. Stop it, she told herself sternly as she walked to the bathroom, peeling off her clothes as she went. It’s only Hudson Craft. The thought didn’t help as much as she wanted it to.

After a quick shower and a change of fresh clothes (a pair of linen shorts and a floaty cami top—cute but not “I think this is a date” cute), Annika FaceTimed June.

“I’m going to dinner with Hudson,” she said in a rush, as soon as June answered. “That’s a bad idea, right? I mean, I need to focus on defeating Break Up on Sunday, not gallivanting with the enemy.”

June shrugged. Behind her, there were rows and rows of colorful book spines, and a teen in glasses and a Yoda T-shirt brushed past her. “So why are you going?”

Annika chewed on her lip for a moment. “I think it’s because of what he said on my dad’s deck. You know, about his involvement with Break Up being untenable?”

June nodded; they’d already dissected that night in detail. “Right, but you know he might not bring that up again tonight.”

“Oh, I know.” Annika leaned back on her bed on one elbow, letting herself sink into the plush mattress. “It’s probably best not to push him on that. He’ll get there when he gets there.” She adjusted the phone in her hand. “But I guess the fact that he even said that, that the writing’s pretty much on the wall … he’s basically ready to give up Break Up. It’s a matter of when, not if.”

A group of loud teens passed behind her. June turned, trying to find a quieter spot. “And that makes you … want to get to know him better?”

Feeling restless, Annika hopped off the bed and perched on the blush-pink accent chair by the window, watching the trees sway in the breeze in the garden. “Exactly.” She screwed up her nose. “Is that a bad idea, though? I mean, we’re competing in two days.”

“You should still go. Have fun.”

“Really?”

“Really.” June adjusted her grip on the phone, the video tilting as she did. “Annika, Sunday’s a big day, and you’re already really well prepared. Plus, you have all of tomorrow to rehearse, too. It’s more important that you’re relaxed. It’s just dinner, right?”

“But this is the last big push to save Make Up.” Annika pulled her legs up on the chair. “It feels kind of … I don’t know, irresponsible, to just go off and do this.”

“Do you know the pitch forward and backward?”

“Yeah.”