I rode my bike to and from school for the rest of the week, sort of begrudgingly; it was only the end of March so it wasn’t even like it was that warm, and the vestiges of cold seemed to sting even worse than usual, because June had forced them upon me and I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve it. I was spoiled; this time the year before I would have happily ridden all the way through winter without complaint, but now I was rotten with the sense that I was owed something more than what I was receiving.

And that sense, even more so, was amplified when Olivia knocked on my door for the fourth time in two weeks; something this time compelled me to answer instead of getting Mom to say I wasn’t feeling well.

It was the Wednesday before Spring Fling and she was standing on my doorstep in her pyjamas. Seeing her here felt odd, like she was somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be.

We exchanged pleasantries.

‘So,’ she said, ‘how are things?’

Was this an interrogation? I felt the urge to flee, but I was tied down. ‘Yeah. Things are – they’re OK.’

‘How’s June?’

‘June’s … fine.’

‘Good.’ Olivia shuffled her slippered feet. ‘Would you like to ask what I’ve been up to?’

Ah. This was going well. I could practically hear the creak of my fingernails being pulled. ‘Sorry. What have you been up to?’

‘Well, opening night is in two weeks, so I’ve been pretty busy with that.’

I blinked.

‘For … the spring musical. Guys and Dolls. Did you not even know what –’

‘Liv, I’m sorry – what are you doing here?’

She scoffed. ‘Oh. OK. We’re just getting right into it, I guess.’

‘No, it’s just that it’s late, and –’

‘Sure. It’s late. Sorry to keep you from preparing to go to bed at, what, 4 a.m.?’ I went to speak, but she stopped me. ‘Come on. Your bedroom lights are always on.

I didn’t say anything.

‘I just wanted to know what you were doing for Spring Fling.’

‘I – I think I’m going in a group with June and Heath.’

‘You think?’

‘I’m going in a group with June and Heath.’

‘Right. Are you … going with anyone?’

I nodded. ‘The kid from my support group who I told you about. Leo. He goes to Collins, but –’

‘Listen. Miles broke up with me.’

‘Oh.’

‘Yeah.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Yeah, me too. It was pretty messy. Though I’m not sure you’re all that sorry, because this happened, like, seventeen days ago, and you’d think if you cared you would have, I don’t know, mentioned it.’

‘How was I supposed to know if you didn’t tell me?’