But other than a weird green fish scale tangled up in her sheets, Harper didn’t find anything at all. As far as her room was concerned, Gemma was normal.

Gemma might not have been talking to her anymore, but she had to be talking to someone. Sighing, Harper went next door to talk to the guy whom she still considered one of her best friends.

“Hi,” Harper said when Alex opened his front door.

He leaned in the doorway, his T-shirt pulled against his broad chest in a way that Harper still wasn’t completely used to. Alex had always been tall and lanky, until the beginning of their senior year when he had a somewhat miraculous growth spurt, and even though Harper didn’t care—not the way Gemma or some of the girls at school had started to care—it was still weird to her that Alex was so foxy.

Thankfully, Alex didn’t seem to notice. He hadn’t figured out that he’d gone from geek to hot, and that was good. Harper didn’t think she could’ve handled being friends with him if he’d given up nights playing video games in pursuit of cheerleaders.

“Hi,” he said. “Gemma’s not here.”

“I know. She’s at swim practice.” Harper rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. “Wow. I just realized how sad that is.”

“What?” Alex asked.

“The only time we talk anymore is when I’m looking for my sister.” She rubbed the back of her neck and looked away from him.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” he agreed.

“Can I be honest with you?”

“I always thought you were.”

“It’s weird to me that you’re dating my little sister,” Harper admitted, her words coming out in one breath. “I mean, I never liked you, not like that, you know. But … you were my friend, and she’s my kid sister. And now you’re into her.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s strange to me.”

“Yeah.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the steps. “I know. And I felt like I should’ve talked to you about it first before I asked her out.”

“No, no.” Harper waved her hands. “You didn’t need my permission or anything. I just … I feel weird hanging out with you when Gemma’s not around. Like I’m betraying her somehow.”

“No, I get that.” He nodded. “Because you’re a girl, even if you’re not a girl I was ever interested in.”

“Right. Yeah. I’m glad you get it.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

“But … I guess the thing is, you’re my friend.” Harper fidgeted with the ring on her finger, twirling it around. “And I want to be friends again.”

Alex stared at her, looking confused for a moment. “I didn’t know we’d stopped.”