Jeremy and the girl were sitting on opposite sides of a table for four, leaning in close to one another, giggling and laughing.

I ambled over to their table and casually dropped into the chair beside Jeremy. They’d ordered burgers and shakes and were sharing a large order of fries. A cell phone was sitting on the table right in front of Jeremy.

“Oh, shit,” Jeremy said. “You.”

“Who’s this?” the girl asked. She looked about the same age as Jeremy.

I smiled at her. “I’m Cal Weaver.” I offered my hand. The girl, caught off guard, raised ketchup-smeared fingers. “That’s okay.” I said. “How’s it going, Jeremy?”

“How’d you find me?” he asked.

“Honestly?” I said. “Dumb luck. Who’s your friend?”

“This is Charlene,” he said, rolling his eyes and slowly shaking his head.

“Who is this guy?” his girlfriend asked.

“This is my new bodyguard,” he said dismissively.

“What’s your last name, Charlene?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Wilson.”

Jeremy said, “I’ve known Charlene since like third grade.”

“The Miata yours, or your parents’?” I asked her.

Her tongue moved around in her mouth. “It was my mom’s but she gave it to me when she got a new one.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this a school day? Do your parents know you’re here instead of in class in Albany?”

“School’s over for today,” Charlene said.

She had me there.

“So, you two going steady?” I asked, reaching for one of their fries and popping it into my mouth.

Jeremy rolled his eyes again. “God, what century are you from?”

I smiled. “That’s what we called it back when we went to sock hops.”

Jeremy blinked, as though I’d just spoken to him in Swahili.

Charlene jumped in. “We’ve been friends forever,” she said. “Like Jeremy said, since we were just kids. I’m like the only friend he’s got left. All these people who said they were his friend, once everything happened, they all abandoned him. It’s like they didn’t even know him any more. But not me.”

“Yeah,” Jeremy said. “It’s true.”

“So I came up to see him. Is that a crime?”

“It’s not like she’s on probation,” Jeremy said. “Look, she’ll bring me back to Madeline’s house in ten minutes.”

“That’s gonna be hard,” I said. “I’ve got Charlene’s car blocked in.”

Jeremy wilted. “Come on, man. I just wanted to get out.”

“Like the other time?”

“Huh?”

“Your mom says you’ve slipped out before since you got to her aunt’s place.”

He took a bite of his burger, looked at Charlene, as though trying to pretend I wasn’t there.

“Where’d you go?” I asked.

Chewing.

“What I’m wondering is whether you were seen. Charlene here isn’t the only one who knows you’re staying in Promise Falls. Your entire fan base seems to have figured it out. You just missed all the fun at the house.”

He stopped chewing and looked at me. “What?”

I told him about the brick through the window. He closed his eyes briefly, something that might actually have been a wince of guilt or regret.