“Like what?” I ask. Alone time with Aiden? Don’t have to ask me twice! We haven’t had any real alone time since before the accident.

“Your choice.”

“So if I wanted to get pancakes . . . ?”

“Then you’re getting pancakes,” he replies, making my heart squeeze.

“Then how can I say no?” I’d never say no. Who knows how much time I have left with him?

“Good. I’ll meet you at your locker after fourth period.” He kisses my forehead quickly, an act that for some reason feels so much more intimate and sweet than a kiss on the lips, and leaves in the opposite direction with Julian.

Noah and I have the same subject, and we’ll drop Annalisa off along the way, continuing along to room 341, the class that started all of this, these friendships that mean so much to me.

“Well, damn. I’ve never felt more like a fifth wheel in my life,” Noah grumbles. “Anna and Julian were on one side of me making out, and Amelia and Aiden were on the other side of me making out. But no one’s over here making out with me before first period.”

“We were not making out.” Annalisa and I defend ourselves at the same time.

“Yeah, yeah.” He dismisses us. “Maybe it’s time I find a nice girl and settle down. Any suggestions?”

“Kaitlyn,” Annalisa says flatly.

We both swing our heads over to look at her.

“That’s not even funny,” I deadpan.

“No, I’m not talking about Noah,” she explains, tilting her head in the direction she was looking. “I meant Kaitlyn is coming.”

Sure enough, the she-devil herself is marching right in our direction.

I can practically feel the excitement coursing through Kaitlyn’s veins at getting to pick a fight with me. She must have gone stir crazy over the break without having me to annoy the shit out of. She and Makayla stop in front of me and cross their arms over their chests in what seems like practiced synchronicity, barely even noticing Annalisa and Noah at my side.

Kaitlyn has the same icy, blue eyes and permanent scowl etched on her face as always, but she looks different somehow.

“I’m glad you tried to fix your face over the break, it needed a lot of work done.” Kaitlyn sneers at me. “But I thought people get plastic surgery to make themselves look better, not worse. You should consider suing your doctor.”

Back at it again. Is it bad that I’m almost excited to trade insults with her? This feels somewhat normal, innocent even—at least in comparison to what we’ve just been through. “You must’ve sued the shit out of your doctor, then, Kaitlyn. I mean, I’d be pissed if my face came out like that.”

“Kaitlyn’s face came out great!” Makayla jumps to her defense, earning her a glare from her friend and an amused eyebrow raise from Annalisa, Noah, and me.

“I didn’t get plastic surgery, dumbass,” Kaitlyn hisses at her second-in-command before turning back to me. “Either way, that monstrosity you call a face is distracting everyone here. I could get you a paper bag to wear if you’d like?”