“Thought you were rushing off to first period. Get your education on.” I flutter my eyelashes at him.

“If you’re gonna start interrogating the senior class, I gotta at least supervise.”

“Interrogating? I’m just asking questions.”

“I’ve never known you to do anything delicately.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“I just mean you get shit done. Besides, Cuddy and Demarcus won’t tell you jack unless I seem cool with it.”

“So, they know something?” I watch Cuddy and Demarcus as they end practice and make their way toward Quincy.

“Here you go. I don’t know what they know. And you know what they say, snitches get—”

“Stitches. Yeah. I know the rules. Do you, though? Aka, older sister who’s a cop.”

“Don’t play me. I can’t choose my family.”

Quincy tries to egg me on more but I’m back out, looking at the track. The team is finishing up, and I notice Scott is missing. He’s the one who told Chris about Jamal and Angela messing around. I need to work up a plan to talk to Scott. Maybe check his response, or even learn how Chris reacted to Scott’s news. I try to spot Dean, because he might be able to speak to them in a way I can’t.

Dean is packing up his things. I didn’t even think about him being here until now. As close as we are, he never talks about track with me since I quit. He didn’t get why I knelt during the anthem because I knew the coach wouldn’t let me get away with it. He didn’t get I don’t care if I had the clout to influence change. I wanted people talking about it, then maybe it would start a conversation. That didn’t work for Dean and me, so we just let it go. That meant letting go of talking about track, too. I hadn’t thought about how that’s an unspoken part of our friendship.

Dean waves at me, and I wave back. Normally I’d run to Dean, say what’s up, but Cuddy and Demarcus are now joining us, and they won’t talk in front of Dean. Quincy’s saddled up next to me, so Dean disappears down the breezeway.

“Yo.” Quincy goes in for fist bumps and side hugs with Cuddy, then Demarcus.

I stand back, waiting for the rest of the team to go into the lockers and get ready for school.

“Cuddy. Demarcus.” I give them a nod, handing out my Know Your Rights workshop flyer I’m running later tonight. This should warm them up and put their guard down.