“Number four…,” Constanza began, her green pen poised above the paper. Jen giggled, and Maria made a silent hushing gesture.

Jessica looked down at her books, especially the heavy trig tome. Her energy was beginning its usual prelunch fade. She liked Constanza and her crew, but the way they’d teased Dess left a bad taste in her mouth. She remembered how things had been for her in Chicago, before she’d moved here and become Miss Popular.

Jessica looked over at Dess again. One of the books on the table was Beginning Trigonometry. If Dess was half as smart as she pretended to be, it might be worth asking her for help.

“I really should get some work done,” Jessica said. “My mom went insane and put me in all these advanced classes. Trig is killing me already.”

“Okay,” Constanza said. “But if you think of anything else weird about Bixby, make sure you tell me. I want to get the new girl’s perspective.”

“I’ll keep you posted.”

Jessica gathered her books and moved over to the corner. She sat down in the other big chair across the low table from Dess. The girl’s feet were propped on the table, shiny metal rings decorating her ankles over black stockings.

Jess thought she heard a whisper from back at the table but ignored it.

“Dess?”

The girl looked up at her without expression. Not impatient or annoyed, just strangely neutral behind the glasses.

Jessica’s fingers started to tug her trig book from the stack.

“Do you think that…” Her question faltered. Dess’s stare was so cool and unblinking. “I just wanted to ask you,” Jess started again, “uh…do you always wear sunglasses when you read?”

“Not always. They make me take them off in class.”

“Oh. But why—?”

“I’m photophobic. Sunlight hurts my eyes. A lot.”

“Ow. They should let you wear dark glasses in class, then.”

“They don’t. There’s no rule. But they don’t.”

“Maybe if you got a note from your doctor.”

“What about you?” Dess asked.

“What about me, what?”

“Don’t your eyes hurt from the light?”

“No,” Jessica said.

“That’s weird.”

Jessica blinked. She was starting to wish she had stayed at the other table. Dess had been interesting to talk to in trig class but not interesting in a fun way. The girls back at Constanza’s table must be wondering what she was doing over here, talking to this girl. Jessica certainly was.

But she had to ask: “How is that weird?”

Dess pulled her glasses down half an inch and peered into Jessica’s eyes, an intent expression on her face. “It’s just that some people, certain people, who move to Bixby find that the sunlight here is hideously bright. They suddenly need to get sunglasses and wear them all the time. But not you?”

“Not me. Does that really happen to a lot of people?”