I grabbed my backpack and started walking across the atrium as he downed his coffee, tossing it in the nearby bin and raced to follow me.

To my surprise, Larry stretched a hand to Troy on our way out as if they were old friends. “Good luck tonight, bro.”

Must be the suit.

We walked in silence until we reached the corner waiting for the light to turn. Aside from dauntingly waiting for him to say something about my drawing, it was strangely comforting having him by my side. There was a sense of protection that calmed my nerves—even if my nerves were all Troy-related. With one hand on my back, he shifted to walk on the street side. It was the faintest of gestures, but it was so gentlemanly that it almost made me smile.

He wore his suit well. Not awkwardly. He wasn’t as fidgety as last night—or as I remembered him. He was secure and comfortable in his own skin. His chin raised, eyes level, but not a genuine smile for miles.

“I remember your sketches,” he finally said, his eyes on the street in front of us and watching the light. “You did the banners, the yearbook. And I think you also orchestrated…”

“The courtyard,” I finished as we walked across. His hand hovering behind me but not touching me.

“To set the record straight and to prove to you I’m no trespassing criminal, I secretly got permission from the Assistant Principal and the Dean to do it.” I bit my lip. “I just made it seem like it was vandalism and that we were breaking rules.”

He laughed. “Why?”

I shrugged. “To pretend I was badass. To break my nerd reputation. To start off my senior year as one of the cool chics.”

“I always thought you were cool.” His voice was distant.

“No, you didn’t.” Troy Hartman only noticed me after everyone at school thought I was so cool for what I’d set up. I got all the spray cans and outlined the design for everyone to have a small part. What no one knew was that I’d shown the finished product to the school and received approval. But no one had to know that.

My response made him look at me finally and the small smile faded. His eyes drifted and I wondered if he was trying to picture the sketch of him. The way too detailed for my comfort right now sketch of him and I wanted to sink into a hole.

Just be proud and screw everyone else.