Inside the gym, the music stops, and we hear the DJ on the microphone telling everyone to drive home safely. Elijah lets go of my pinkie as groups of kids spill out of the gym and into the parking lot.

Bucky and Camille come out holding hands. Darien and Nate are with them. I want to tell them to go back inside. All of them. I want to finish talking to Elijah, but I know he’s going to clam up now that everyone else is here.

I don’t have all the answers yet. What if I never do?

I thought he hated me.

Not even close. His words just a minute ago replay in my head and turn my insides to Jell-O.

“Can I drive you guys home?” Bucky asks while we all stand outside the gym. He grips Camille’s hand tight.

Elijah hangs back away from the group.

“We’re going to walk, thanks,” I tell Bucky, hoping to get a few more minutes alone with Elijah.

“I’m going to walk with them!” Camille says, dropping Bucky’s hand.

“Wait… are you sure?” he says, looking lost without his hand in hers.

“Yeah, are you sure?” I say. I know Elijah won’t talk if Camille is with us.

“Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow.” She smiles and stands on her tiptoes to give Bucky a kiss on the cheek.

“But…”

“Bye, Bucky,” she says.

He walks backward into the parking lot with Darien and Nate. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Camille.

“So that’s new,” I say to her.

She shrugs one shoulder and smiles all sly. “He’s nice.”

“He’s been pining for you since kindergarten. Since when did you start thinking of him as nice?” I use air quotes.

“Since tonight, I guess.” She smiles again, never taking her eyes off of Bucky walking backward through the parking lot.

Elijah slides up next to us while the other three climb into Bucky’s truck. “Must be the belt buckle,” he says.

We laugh until we can’t breathe.

· eighteen ·

ELIJAH

We watch Bucky’s truck pull out of the parking lot and wave as it turns onto the road in front of the school, random laughs still erupting from all three of us.

“What happened in there, anyway?” Camille turns and asks Julian. “I heard you almost got into it with someone?”

“Ugh, it was just that asshole Evan. Running his mouth again,” Julian says.

I hope he doesn’t tell Camille the details. It’s not a big deal, and I just want to forget about it.

“Best thing I ever did was kick that kid to the curb last year,” she says, shaking her head.

“You’re telling me.” Julian laughs.

We walk for a block and a half in silence, and Main Street is starting to come into view just past Crossroads Church.

“Want to grab a burger?” Julian asks.