He’d pulled me in and up so hard that by the time our bodies met, he was leaning back so much I was practically on top of him. But I didn’t feel unsteady. His arm, wrapped tightly around my waist, felt like it could hold me there for days. His swift heartbeat reverberated in my chest as we gazed at each other.

Well? his eyes seemed to say, a little nervous, a little hopeful. What do you think?

A movement in the corner of my eye distracted me—it was Mrs. Sorenson, doing a shimmy at the piano and raising her eyebrows up and down at Ms. Langford, who was fanning herself theatrically with both hands.

“The chemistry!” Ms. Langford yelled, doing a little jig.

“Fantabulous!” Mrs. Sorenson clapped.

Teacher hormones. Nothing kills the mood faster. Jude lowered me carefully to the floor. He chuckled at Mrs. Sorenson and Ms. Langford acting like giddy teenagers. I joined in, but all I could think about was his arm around my waist, and how the parts of me he touched still felt warm.

“You okay?” Jude asked. As we walked out of school together, it was like he’d become a magnet. My stride kept veering closer to him until we’d bump arms and I’d startle, moving away and mumbling an apology.

“Of course, why not? I mean, why wouldn’t I be?” I picked up the pace, my boots rapping against the floor. I’d stopped in the bathroom to change back into my normal clothes. I’d been both excited and annoyed to find Jude waiting for me in the hallway.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said.

Oh, no. I could hear the smugness in his voice. When I glanced back at him, it was just as I suspected. Man, a guy does one good lift and suddenly thinks he’s a big deal.

“Cockiness is not a good look on you,” I said, shoving the door to the parking lot open and walking through without holding it.

Jude caught it with his elbow and was beside me again in a second. “Oh, I know. Arrogance kills elegance, right?”

I remembered saying that to him after callbacks. But I was too frazzled, and angry that I was frazzled, to acknowledge that we had an inside joke. “What is that supposed to mean?” I said.

“Wait, really?” Jude’s smile faltered.

I slowed down finally, pulling my hat out of my coat pocket and putting it on. “Oh, right. I said that. To you.”