Chapter 2

Make New Friends but Keep the Old

My head snaps up and I stare into his serious face.

“Who told you about the movie?”

“My uncle, Oliver Finn. I asked him about you and he said you were an interesting girl. You and your friend made a movie for a project last year and everyone still talks about it.”

Mr. Finn was my History teacher last year. I liked his class a lot but I have no interest in getting to know his nephew. “I don’t talk about it.”

“Why not?”

“It happened last year. That part of my life is over.”

“It’s not over.”

He’s right, but how could he know? How could he have found out about the nightmares? I haven’t told anyone. It’s too weird and people already think I’m weird anyway. I don’t want to make it worse. This is high school. I need to seem as normal as possible. I want to fit in at least a little. That means forgetting about the movie and what happened last year, but there’s someone who won’t let me forget and he visits me in my dreams. Often.

“I’m gonna be late. Can I have my shoe back now?”

“The movie?” He’s over six feet tall and he’s holding the sandal up, just out of my reach; causing a small scene, right outside my English classroom.

I give in. “My house. Eight o’clock. Saturday night. Bring popcorn.”

His smile dazzles me. All white teeth and sparkly eyes. Finally, he hands over the flip-flop; I slap my foot into it and rush into English class. Ms. Coffman’s hardcore. She hands out detentions like mad and she hates tardiness.

I’m almost at my desk when someone comes up behind me and puts his hand on my shoulder. Turning around to see who it is, I find myself staring into Matt Riley’s face. He’s the reason I’ve sworn off boys.

I haven’t seen or spoken to Matt since the first week of summer vacation, shortly before he dumped me. I can’t remember any of the witty phrases I’ve been rehearsing in the mirror for this occasion, so I just warn him. “You’re gonna be late.”

“It’s okay. I have gym next. Mr. Burke doesn’t care.”

“Coffman’s gonna yell at you.”

“I don’t give a crap, Annabelle. What was all that between you and the new kid?”

“Nothing.”

“Stay away from him. No one knows where he came from or why he’s here.”

“Thanks for the warning. Bye. I gotta look over my notes. There’s a quiz today.” I have no idea when the next quiz is but I want to get rid of Matt Riley. Fast.

“Are you and Silver gonna hang out?”

“Why do you care?”

“I still care about you.”

“What happened to Liz? I thought you two were together now.”

“Not exclusively.”

That’s so him. “Not exclusively” is Matt Riley-speak for: “I’m waiting for the next girl to come along because she might be hotter.” I’m not good at interpreting Matt Riley-speak. I never did become proficient in his native language and I don’t want to. Last summer, I could’ve used an interpreter, though. I might’ve been spared a lot of heartbreak if someone had told me what he really meant when he said he loved me. I still don’t know.

“Matt, you’re gonna be late and none of this is your business.”

“Lots of guys you’ve known for a long time want to hang out with you. You don’t need to hook up with a stranger, Annabelle.”

“Thanks for your concern. But we’re not hooking up.”

“There’s a party Saturday, at Colleen’s. Her parents are at their Cape house. Are you going?”

“No, I have plans.”

“With Silver?”

I hate lying and it feels awful, but I don’t want Matt Riley to know anything about my life now that he’s not part of it anymore. So I answer, “We’re not together. We just sit next to each other in History class.”

That part’s true, but then I add, “He needs a study partner for a project.”

“Okay, but be careful. The dude’s weird.”

Ms. Coffman glares at me over the top of her goofy-looking glasses. They’re perched down near the end of her nose and the lenses are half the size of regular lenses. What’s up with those crazy-looking things? I think she wears them just so she can stare at you over them. To creep you out and make you feel guilty even if you haven’t done anything wrong.

I show her the smile I’ve been practicing for when I beat my personal record at the race this Saturday and all the kids on the team run over to congratulate me.

She stands down. Never underestimate the power of a friendly smile. I treat teachers like they’re human beings from the same planet as me. And I always laugh at their jokes. It helps to have a good relationship with your teacher when you need an extension for a research paper.

Coffman heads toward my desk. “Boyfriend troubles, Miss Blake?”

I want to say, neither of those douche bags is my boyfriend.

Instead I say, “No. It’s all good.” Then quickly change the subject. “New sneakers, Ms. Coffman? Very fashion forward.”

Laughing out loud, she says, “Same old sneakers. But thanks.”

Then she walks to the front of the room and starts talking about Shakespeare.