The Ten Keys to Success is one of my mother’s self-help books. It sits alongside many, many others, like the entire Chicken Soup collection—including but not limited to Chicken Soup for the Single Mother’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Teenager’s Soul (and no, I haven’t read it, much to my mother’s dismay), Chicken Soup for the Pet Owner’s Soul (never mind that we don’t have a pet. Thanks to me, because I was too irresponsible at eight years old to care for the 100-gallon saltwater aquarium Father Hillman had given me. Hello?). And then there was my personal favorite— Alien Nation: Understanding Today’s Teenagers. Kori and I had a good laugh when we discovered that one. We went to the school’s Halloween party as—you guessed it—aliens. When people asked us about our costumes, we said we were dressed as our true selves and it was the rest of the year that we wore costumes.

So when Kori exclaimed, “It’s the key to the universe and beyond!” I cracked up. Josh started laughing too, but since he had no idea why it was so funny, Kori and I laughed even louder.

“Come on, we’re going to be late,” Kori said, taking hold of my wrist.

I grimaced down at Josh. Well, more down at my vintage burgundy Docs. They might as well have been red with his blood; in fact there probably was some on the soles. “I’m really sorry.”

Then I ran. Up the stairs, through the doors, past my locker, and into Señora Rosa’s classroom. I slid into my chair as the second bell hit its last note. Josh wasn’t so lucky.

“So, check it.” Kori handed me a laminated card as she slid into the seat next to mine two periods later. Supervised study was the only class we actually had together. It was “taught” by Coach Kent, who spent the majority of the hour reading the paper—in the men’s room. So there was minimal supervision. And even less studying.

“A license?” I asked.

“Correction: my license.”

“But, you’re not …” I held it up, turned it over. “It looks so real.”

“Should be. It is real. The guy at the DMV did it. All me. Well, except for the messed-up birth date.”

I eyed her, wondering if maybe this was the guy who was IM’ing her. I didn’t really want to hear, but I asked anyway. “And why would he do that?”

She returned my narrow-eyed stare, more playful than angry. “I didn’t do anything sexual with him, if that’s what you’re insinuating. Although he is pretty cute.”

“So why’d he do it, Kor?”

“Kieren gave him a clean urine sample.”

“Gross. So, wait—Kieren’s clean now?”