Speed chucked the beer bottle on to the field. He looked at her. “Cock tease,” he said, “Slut.” She watched the foam sputtering onto the Astroturf. He closed his fingers into a fist and punched the bleacher seats beneath them. He ran his fingers through his hair. Finally, he shoved his fists in his pockets and stomped down the bleachers. From the field he looked up at her and asked, “What the hell do you want from me?” Even from the distance she still saw his desire for her beneath his jeans. Speed walked away unspeaking.

Elle wanted to call Sophia and get a malted shake together. She wanted to calm her nerves and talk about what a dick he really was. She wanted to talk about how different boys were, how it was that they could both want you and hate you at the same time. She realized she was lucky he hadn’t pushed her or hit her. Nobody was around. It made her realize late it was and how alone she felt.

She stood up and walked down the steps of the bleachers. Elle focused on the sound of gravel sloshing beneath her sneakers to keep her mind from racing when a low moan emitted from beneath the bleachers. She jumped, frightened. In the shadows, she saw a girl hunched over with her hands on her knees as if playing leap frog. Behind her was the Narc. He held on to the sides of her hips. The Narc looked up and stopped what he was doing. The girl turned and looked directly at Elle before quickly turning away.

Sophia wasn’t at school the next day. When she showed up at Elle’s doorstep after school, her hair was unruly, tousled, and salt-glazed. She smelled of the sea and her nose was red. She flopped onto Elle’s bed and the first thing she said before “Hi” or “How are you?” was, “It was so much fun. You should have been there. Ashley did a beer bong and then got in the water without her top on. And Jeremy paid for everyone’s beers.”

“Why were you with Ashley?” Ashley was the leader of a clique of six girls called the six-pack. They were known for being fast and fine. They were popular, rich, and white. They were a year older than Elle, two years older than Sophia, and Sophia worshipped them.

Sophia said, “Jeremy’s friends with the six-pack. I was waiting for you when they came by.”

“Whatever. Thanks for waiting.”

“You didn’t even want to go, right?”

“Whatever.”

“What’s your problem?” Sophia popped up from the bed.

“I mean if you need to do it with the Narc to hang with the six-pack, it’s your deal.”