“You ask all these hard questions.”

“Thank you. You need help?”

Normally, I never would have admitted weakness to another human being, let alone a girl. But this was Clarkebridge. And this was Eliza.

“Yeah.”

“I did not think you’d say that. Nick Maguire, are you asking for help?”

My shoes rubbed against the tile floor, bouncing with my leg. “Don’t get used to it.”

“I would never. I guess let’s start with the easy one? Why do you want to go to Clarkebridge?”

“Um . . .”

“Good start, buddy.”

I groaned. “I’m going to tank this.”

“Why are you doubting yourself, Nick? I thought you were, like, Mr. Confident.”

“Ha,” I said. “I’m also, like, Mr. Almost-Failing-Bio. Which I’m going to need to not be if I want to get into any of the sports majors here.”

“Maybe. Except when you go to college you can be anyone you want, right?”

“I guess.”

“Supposedly,” she said, “we’re all, like, some combination of the five people we hang out with the most. Unless you go to college with, like, Carter, Austin, your parents, and Madison . . . you’re probably gonna be different.”

I considered this. “Maybe I want to be more like you.”

“Then you’re going to have to hang out with me more,” said Eliza.

I grinned into the phone. “You want to hang out more?”

Eliza went quiet. I had to take the phone away from my ear to check that the call hadn’t dropped.

“Do you?” she asked.

Despite the heavy air conditioning, my cheeks burned.

“How’s Thursday night?”

“I think I can make that. Where are you taking me?”

“Where am I taking you?” I could imagine her biting back a smile. “You mean you don’t want to watch a movie and chill?” That was a joke, since everyone knew that phrase didn’t really mean watching a movie, and she knew I didn’t mean that as a suggestion.

“Wow. You really are a hot date,” she teased me back. “Every girl’s dream evening right there.”

“Oh, it’s a date?”

“I know you might be unfamiliar with the concept,” she said. “I think it could be fun.”

I was glad she couldn’t see me. If she had, she’d have seen how completely not cool about this I actually was.

“I don’t want to spoil the elaborate surprise I have obviously planned for you. Pick you up at six?” I asked.

“Does that give you enough time after soccer practice? I know how long you spend on your hair.”

“I’ll make it work.”

“You’d better.”

For a minute, neither of us said anything. “So . . . why Clarkebridge?” Eliza asked.

Because it already feels like home, I thought.

Yes, but why? I could already hear Eliza prompting, in the imaginary conversation in my mind.

Because . . .

I still didn’t exactly have an answer. Carter’s interview door opened, and he came walking out.

“My turn to go in,” I said. “See you, Eliza.” I winked at Carter as he approached.