Lennon starts to slow her pace and hesitates. “It’s just…things are different after midnight. The air feels…heavy and all the lights flicker. Sometimes I swear the wind moans.”

Maybe Lennon believes some of the woo-woo stuff after all. “So you’ve been out past curfew?”

It takes Lennon a moment to answer. “Once.”

It’s the only word she offers, but the way she delivers it—so light, like a feather coming to rest on a still lake—ripples through me, and I know whatever she saw after midnight is something she doesn’t want to remember. Tension builds between us—the push and pull of my wish for answers and her resistance—but I don’t want to press her, because I need at least one friend so I can prove to Mom I’m trying.

We slow to a walk after running two laps. I look to see if Coach David is watching—he isn’t. Then I glance toward the field and find Shy looking back at me. He has his helmet cradled in his arm; his blond hair sticks to his forehead. I catch his stare before he has a chance to hide his narrow eyes and tight lips. He tries to recover, smiling brightly and waving. I wave back, but his expression makes me think what happened in art has left him both curious and suspicious of me.

“It’s almost unfair,” Lennon says.

“What is?”

“The way he’s making you a target with his attention.”

I’m about to say how ridiculous that is when a ball comes speeding through the air directly at my face. I snatch it quickly with one hand before it can hit me, and the momentum nearly throws me off-balance. Lennon looks at me as if I’ve grown two heads. I had been so caught up in the moment, I’d let instinct take over. I quickly drop the ball, but everyone’s still staring, and no one moves to retrieve the ball at my feet.

“That was awesome,” she says. “How did you do that?”

“It was nothing.” I try downplaying what she saw, but Lennon isn’t having it.

“I don’t know many people who have reflexes like that.”

I try not to move that fast usually. This is the problem with not keeping my skills in check—everyone wants to exaggerate them if they see something slightly off. Tomorrow I’ll be the freak who moves at the speed of light.

“I’m pretty sure you’re exaggerating. I just got lucky.”

Lennon folds her arms over her chest. “You don’t have to hide the fact that you’re a badass. Everyone will know after today anyway, and they will be even more curious about you.”

I frown. “You don’t think people will get bored of speculating about the new girl?”