It feels nice to have a friendly face during first period. Even though it’s only the first week of school, it’s been pretty rough. I recognize faces and want to wave and say hello, but they don’t always recognize me. Or worse, they do recognize me and either pretend they don’t see me or give me a dirty look. Sure, some of the guys on the team have been cool to me, but it would be nice to walk through the halls of Crenshaw again with my head up.

I manage to keep my eyes open all through Ms. Parliament’s grammar lecture and even take a few notes. Camille waits for me to pack my bag when the bell rings. “Where are you headed next?” she asks.

“I’m supposed to be going to health with the freshmen,” I tell her, rolling my eyes. “I never got credit for it in ninth grade, and Ms. Woods says I have to have it to graduate. But right now, I actually have to go see Ms. Woods again. She’s put me in a freshman social studies class by accident.”

“Oh my god, that’s the literal worst,” she says. “I’ve got marketing and then AP Spanish. I’ll walk with you,” she says, falling in step next to me.

“Marketing,” I say. “What’s that like?” I ask her, happy to have someone with me in the hallway.

“It’s my favorite class!” Camille says. “I’ve told you my plan, haven’t I?”

“I don’t think so,” I say, hooking my thumbs through my backpack straps.

Camille launches into the details of her fourteen-step business plan that includes going to Coastal Texas for two years, transferring to Texas State to double major in business administration and dance, and eventually moving back to Meridien to open a massive dance studio after a storied dance career somewhere glamorous and far away. “I mean, I want to dance forever, right? But honestly that’s not realistic. At some point I’ll be old and wrinkly and won’t be able to do a triple pirouette anymore or glissade across a huge stage.”

“You really think you’ll want to move back to Meridien after you live in some cool place like New York or Paris?” I ask her.

Camille shrugs. “I’m happy here,” she says. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to see the world someday, but it’s always nice to come home after an adventure, you know? Someplace where everyone knows you and it’s comfortable.”

“I agree,” I tell her. “Your plan sounds pretty solid.”

“It’s a dream. I mean, I’m going to get those degrees and open a dance studio here at least. All that stuff that happens in between might be a little bit of a pipe dream, but what’s life without a little bit of whimsy, right?” Camille smiles, but it seems a little sad.