And there goes my gut, clenching again. “What do you mean? When were you bullied?”

“It was, you know, silly kid stuff in high school.”

“Wait. Didn’t you go to Blue Falls?”

“Yeah.”

I can’t believe that Reese has lived this life in Blue Falls, this existence that’s so separate from my reality, and I never knew. Never saw her. Never stepped in for her. “Who picked on you?”

She sighs. “It wasn’t a big deal. Once I learned how to be invisible, they stopped.”

Now I’m not sure what’s worse, that she’s so pragmatic about having to hide who she is, or the fact that I can’t go back in time and do something about it. “Who is they?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, because if they’re still around, I can find them and scissor kick them in the face.”

She laughs.

“What’s funny?”

“It’s mighty kind of you, Fitz, but really it’s nothing to be concerned about. There were some snide comments and laughter at my expense, but it didn’t last long. I’m sure it’s because I started school late and had no idea how to act around people.”

At Granny’s, just the other night, everyone laughed at Reese’s discomfort. More guilt wiggles its way inside me. “Why is that?”

“I spent most of my life at home studying and having private tutors, but after I turned fifteen my parents made me go to school. They said I needed to be socialized. They weren’t wrong. But I leaned quickly it was best to stay under the radar. Especially since college started and I’ve had to live amongst all you normies.” Her voice is teasing, and I use that glimmer of humor to smother the tension simmering inside me, the sadness at how Reese has been treated and the helplessness at not being able to change any of it. At least not in the past. But in the here and now? And the future?

“Normies, huh?” I ask. “Does that include me?”

“Yep. You’re a total normie. Popular, athletic, handsome.”

“You think I’m handsome?”

Silence. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone there but I can’t stop the smirk on my face spreading into a full-blown smile. “I bet you’re so red right now.”

“At least I didn’t say you’re not unattractive.” She deepens her voice to imitate my speech, making me laugh.

The more she talks, the more she reveals these little pieces of herself, the more I want to know. So I have to ask, “Why did they wait so long to put you in school? You’ve lived in Blue Falls your whole life, right?”

“Yeah. I don’t know. I think initially, they thought tutors would be best for their lifestyle. Sometimes we would travel with them and a nanny, of course, but most of the time Scarlett watched over me. I never really had kids my own age to play with. I wasn’t a normal kid right off the bat though. I never really played like kids do in the mud or whatever. I mostly wanted to read.”