“Come on, Dana. Stop it.” Becky played firm, but wasn’t really angry. She was too warm on the inside; too satisfied with the way her life had changed.

“I’m not going to stop anything. Are you kidding? Good God, girl. You’ve been talking about him since when?”

“First week of sophomore year.”

“And you really…?”

Becky had too much self-respect to share details, but she did slide the purple shades down her nose, and let Dana get a good look at her eyes.

“Oh my.” A wicked grin spread on Dana’s face. “So he was … um? I mean, was he pretty, um…? Come on, you know what I mean.”

Becky allowed herself the first real smile, teasing her friend in return. “I’m not at all sure that I do.”

“Now, Becky Collins. Don’t tease a girl.”

“Let me put it this way.” Becky put a finger on her lips, as if in deep thought. “If he asked me out again, I would say yes.”

“Oh my God…”

“An immediate, eager, and most definite yes.”

Dana had lost her virginity in ninth grade, so it took time for Becky to settle her down, and peel away into the morning crowd. Gibby was not in precalculus; she couldn’t find him in the courtyard or the halls. By third period, Becky decided he wasn’t in school at all. No one had seen Chance, either.

Becky used a pay phone to call his house. No answer, but that was nothing new. At lunchtime, she went looking for Dana, and found her leaning against the same wall, her earlier enthusiasms melted away, as if by the heat. Her eyes were half-closed, one foot braced against the brick. “School sucks this close to summer.”

That was all the opportunity Becky needed. “Do you feel like ditching?”

“Yes. Please. God.”

They waited until the end-of-lunch bell spilled a thousand students into the hallways, then used the confusion to slip away, across the baseball diamond and into student parking. Squatting by the car, Dana fumbled with her keys as Becky craned her neck to see if they’d been spotted or followed. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Keep your skirt on, woman.” Dana found the right key, and unlocked the driver’s door, climbing in to unlock the other side. “God, this heat.” She started the car when Becky got in. “We’re clear?”

“Right as the rain.”

“Then we are out.” She didn’t bother with reverse, but thumped over the curb and onto the street, saying, “Yes! Thank you, Becky Collins!”

“Ah, it was nothing.”

“Where are we going?”

“Gibby’s house.”

“Wait. That’s why we’re doing this?”

“He wouldn’t ditch without a reason.”

“Seriously?” Dana shook her head, half-smiling. “He’s cute and all, but I knew there was a reason I didn’t like that boy.”

“Stop. I’m serious.”