Emma felt a shiver, then chastised herself for being afraid. If I already know that Mackenzie doesn’t like me, why do I care so much about what she thinks and says? she asked herself. Was it because snarky remarks hurt no matter who said them? Meanwhile, she’d been the last to get on the bus, and the driver was watching her in the rearview mirror, waiting for her to find a seat so that they could go. Emma reluctantly went down the aisle. Mackenzie looked like a viper coiling to strike. She reminded Emma of a young Excella Gionne from Resident Evil. Emma felt her stomach begin to knot. But then she saw Gavin sitting across the aisle from Mackenzie. His eyes met hers, but unlike Mackenzie’s, his looked sort of sad. Emma’s and Gavin’s parents had known each other since before she and Gavin were born. Their fathers had been best friends in high school and then worked in the steel mill together. When she and Gavin were little, they had been playmates. They’d even shared a playpen at times. But in fifth grade they’d drifted apart. It had been years since they’d said more than hi to each other.

Gavin’s father hurt his back a few months ago and had been on disability ever since. Emma’s father said Mr. Morgenstern’s recovery was going slowly because he could get to physical therapy in Franklin only once a week. Was that why Gavin looked sad?

“How’s your dad doing?” she asked him.

Gavin had just unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth. With his cheek bulging, he blinked at her in surprise. Probably because these days he and Emma barely acknowledged each other at school. “Oh, uh…not so good.”

“Sorry to hear that, Gavin,” Emma said, and sat down. As the bus pulled away from the curb, she waited for Mackenzie’s comment, but it never came. Was it because whatever mean thing Mackenzie was planning to say would sound stupid now that Emma had been friendly to Gavin? A smile crept across Emma’s face. In the never-ending battle against the Mistress of Microaggressions, she felt like she’d scored a small victory.

“I’m not doing this for Ms. B,” Caleb said. He and Zach had just left school and Zach asked if Ms. B told Caleb to walk home with him. Zach knew that Caleb didn’t live in that direction. He lived over near Cardinal Lake, the “nice” part of town. As if any part of Ironville were actually “nice.”

“So why are you going this way?” Zach asked.

“It’s hard to explain,” Caleb said.

Zach doubted that. He suspected that Caleb was lying about not being asked by Ms. B. Or maybe Caleb’s parents had told him to be friendly to Zach. It wouldn’t be the first time a kid from school had suddenly decided to be Zach’s friend. Out of the blue, someone would invite Zach over to their house. The playdate would feel awkward. Zach almost always got the feeling that the kid didn’t really want him there. The date would always include a snack in the kitchen with the kid’s mother hovering close by, pretending not to listen in. Zach would feel like he was under a microscope with everything he said and did being scrutinized. He always suspected that his own mother had asked the other boy’s mother if she’d arrange the get-together.