I fall back onto my bed and look at the group photo on my nightstand. Having it there makes it hard for me to sleep, but it’s even harder without it.

I pick up the photo and hold it close to my face. There’s a small worn patch where I sometimes press my lips to it. We’re standing close together, our arms touching.

I’d really like to cut everyone else out of the photo, but this way Alissa can come into my room without realizing what’s up. There’s no need to worry about Mint. She spends half her time floating in another dimension.

“You belong with me,” I say quietly to the photo. “You just need to see it.”

Alissa. Every pizza I deliver for the rest of the evening, I’m thinking about her. As I ride my scooter home, I can still see her bare neck.

I don’t realize where I am until I’m almost at the front door. This is my old street.

How is that possible? All this time, I’ve never gone the wrong way. I settled into our new place immediately.

My heart skips a beat when I see that nothing’s changed. The sidewalk is lower in one place, where I could always ride over it on my bike without bumping the back wheel.

In the window of number 39, there’s still a line of wooden cows on the ledge. I used to spend ages looking at them when I was a little kid. Dad stood patiently beside me as I counted them and gave them all names.

The memory’s painful.

Nothing’s changed here, and yet everything has changed.

On Friday afternoon, I’m happy when I can finally leave school. I know I shouldn’t be mad at Alissa, but I still am.

She’s in love with the wrong person. Why can’t she see that?

I head into the employees-only section at the pizzeria and, as I’m putting on my apron, I spot a flyer on the table.

Curious, I read the words.

SUPER-REALISTIC ESCAPE ROOM!

THE HAPPY FAMILY

THE DOOR SHUTS.

YOU HAVE SIXTY MINUTES.

BUT WHERE WILL YOU START LOOKING?

FIND THE CLUES! CRACK THE CODES! SOLVE THE PUZZLES!

CAN YOU ESCAPE WITHIN AN HOUR?

BUT BE WARNED:

THIS IS NERVE-RACKING, BLOOD-CHILLING, HEART-STOPPING!

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART OR THE FEEBLE OF BRAIN!

THE HAPPY FAMILY IS DESIGNED FOR GROUPS OF AT LEAST 4 PEOPLE.

(THIS ESCAPE ROOM IS TERRIFYINGLY TENSE!)

I read the flyer three times to let it all sink in. The word “super-realistic” has sucked me in. I always think the haunted houses at the county fair are ridiculously fake, but this? This is something I have to do.