“Yep. Still the cutest nerd I know.”

“Do you think he’d date a high school student?” Amelia often set her boy-sights high, determined to land guys that were mostly unavailable to her. I liked her confidence, even though her plans almost never worked.

I always supported her unrealistic hopes because I knew that she knew they were just that. “He only graduated last year, right?” I wasn’t exactly sure because he’d gone to a high school across town.

“Yes, but I feel like college years are like dog years compared to high school years.”

I opened my locker and pulled out my towel and bag. “Dog years?”

“Yes, for every year you’re in college, you’re like seven years older than a high school student.”

“You’re weird.”

“And proud of it.”

I opened my bag and stared inside blankly. “Were you out there for my last race or were you already in here?” Amelia swam the race right before mine so she was often changing when I was up.

She scrunched her nose, looking guilty. “I’m sorry, did you want me to watch? Are your parents not here tonight?”

“No, it’s not that. Heath Hall was here. He jumped into the pool.”

“What? And I missed it?”

“He completely distracted me . . . and probably all the swimmers.”

“That sucks. So . . . did you get a good look? Who is he?”

“What?”

“That’s the online debate. He’s obviously someone from around here because most of his public appearances—”

“Public disturbances,” I interrupted.

“Have happened within, like, a hundred-mile radius.”

“How do you know this?”

She turned one way and then the other as she looked at herself in the long mirror on the inside door of her locker. “Someone did a map of them.”

“People have too much time on their hands.”

She shut her locker and leaned her back against it. “By the way, did I ever tell you that my brother met the real Heath Hall last year? I mean the guy who plays him—Grant James.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, only a million times.”

“That’s because it’s cool! And Grant James is hot.”

I shoved my towel into my bag and zipped it up. “Is that what Cooper said?”

“Yes, actually, he did. Was this guy hot?”

“What? No, I mean, I don’t know, he was wearing a mask.”

Her eyes went wide. “Just a mask?”

“Yes, just a mask.” I shoved her shoulder. “No! He had on a Speedo and a rash guard too.”

“So . . . did he have a nice body?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t paying attention. He jumped into my pool!”

Amelia raised her eyebrows. “Your pool?”

“Well, my lane, whatever. He spread his bad mojo all over it.”

She laughed and slung her backpack over one shoulder. “You and your rituals.”