“Hey,” Jude said. “Do you want to go to the rink together tonight? I can pick you up. Or I mean, I guess it wouldn’t be picking you up so much as me coming to your door, and then us walking to my car. So… do you want to walk to my car with me?” He hit me with his best smile yet. Hopeful and nervous and full of possibility.

It was what I’d been wanting for two weeks. More alone time with Jude. Proof that he wanted more alone time with me. But I couldn’t get my brain to focus on that now. “I actually have some things to do before, so I’ll drive myself. See you there.” I tried to hurry out of the auditorium, but Margot stopped me by the doors.

“Want to come over for dinner and then go to the rink?” she asked. I gave her the same excuse I gave Jude. “I’ll meet you there,” I said. “Seven?” I inched toward the doors.

“Sure.” Margot gave me a tight smile. “See you at seven.”

When I got home, I went down a Diya Rao rabbit hole. When I was supposed to be eating lunch, I was Googling her. When I was supposed to be choosing an outfit that would look decent with skates, I was reading a profile of her in the newspaper’s “High School Heroes” column, where she talked about her Broadway idol, Shoba Narayan, who was apparently the first South Asian woman in a lead role on Broadway in over a decade.

When I was supposed to be leaving for the rink, I was on the Pittsburgh Musical Theatre Song Contest website, watching Diya’s first-place performance of a song called “Could I Leave You?” by Stephen Sondheim. Her performance was riveting and raw. She owned Sondheim’s intricate, gut-wrenching lyrics. Before I knew it, the tears came.

This was what Diya had ditched Jude for. As I listened to her sing the final notes, all I could think was You did the right thing. After the song ended, all I could think was Jude and Ethan and Margot would hate me for thinking that.

I took a deep breath, wiped my eyes, and looked at the clock: 7:45. I was really late. I checked my phone and I had five texts.

Margot: Where r u?????

Margot: If you don’t get here soon I’ll be so bored I’ll try to do a triple axel and I WILL get hurt and it WILL be your fault.

Ethan: Seriously she’ll do it you better come now

Jude: hey, everything good? if you’re staying away so Margot will do a triple axel, awesome idea. but certain people really want to see you.

Jude: just to be clear, I’m certain people. I really want to see you.