As we walk, I twirl the cotton friendship bracelet on my wrist. Hazel and I made each other one when we were ten. Mine is black and purple, and it’s a basic braid with black beads at each end where the knot is. Hazel’s is black and pink.

Neither of us like purple or pink anymore, but we both keep them on.

We reach the end of the path, and a car pulls up beside us.

The dark window slides down.

“Caleb,” I say, my heart doing a little flip. Beside him is his friend Owen, who lifts his hand in a lazy greeting.

“Get in, Piper. I’ll give you a lift.”

“Err,” I say, turning to Hazel…whose mouth is practically sitting on the road.

Maybe I should have mentioned meeting Caleb to her, after all. She’s going to have a lot to say when we get back to my house.

Caleb laughs. “Both of you.”

“We have our bikes,” I start to explain, looking back.

“I know, but more rain is forecast anytime now. You can get your bikes tomorrow.”

Hazel’s mouth snaps shut. She nudges me. “Yeah, we can just get them tomorrow, Piper.”

“Okay,” I concede. I don’t really want to get soaked anyway.

Hazel walks around to the other side of the car.

I open the back door and get in. “Thanks, Caleb.”

He looks at me in the rearview mirror and smiles. “Anytime.”

Hazel shuts the door.

Caleb drops his eyes and pulls out onto the road. I watch him in the mirror, though he’s now focused on the road. His eyes turn hollow, and his smile falls. He presses something on his door, and the car doors lock.

3

Don’t. Panic.

How humiliating would it be if I freak out and he’s just locked the doors for safety? My mom does that. No one is going to carjack us because our car is old and there is never anything valuable inside, but she insists on having locked doors at all times.

He’s not your mom.

Hazel either hasn’t noticed or she’s not worried. Her eyes flit between Caleb and Owen like she’s not sure which one of them to crush on more.

I swallow. He hasn’t asked either of us where we live.

“So, my house is on Park Lane,” I say, tugging at the sleeve of my top.

Owen looks over his shoulder. “We’re going somewhere else first.”

“Yeah? Where?” Hazel asks. She sounds unconcerned and intrigued.

Why isn’t she concerned?

“Don’t worry, you’re going to love it.” He grins. “Where are my manners? I’m Owen. Caleb told me about meeting you, Piper, but he didn’t mention your friend.”

He told Owen about meeting me? Is that good or bad?