“Maybe you’d feel better if you went for a run. I have so much more energy now that I’ve started exercising. Have I mentioned that, Dan?”

Dan glanced up from his reading. “Only five times,” he muttered. “Today.”

“The point stands,” Felix replied from the floor. He was in the middle of his billionth set of push-ups.

For the past few days, Dan had basically kept to his room, watching TV shows online and occasionally reading materials for classes. He hadn’t heard from or spoken to Abby or Jordan since that night they’d all blown up at one another. At dinner, Abby sat with her new art friends, while Jordan had apparently stopped coming to dinner entirely. So Dan had started sitting with Felix, listening to how much his roommate was enjoying all of his classes and how he wished the program were longer than five weeks. At least one of them felt that way.

“Seventy-five,” Felix counted. He paused, out of breath, and switched to a kneeling position. His palms were red from the floor. “You’re welcome to join me at the gym this evening. It might really cheer you up, take your mind off of things.”

Dan had to admire his determination. Protein shakes and daily trips to the gym were quickly turning Felix’s once spindly physique into Fight Club material. He was still wiry, but Dan wouldn’t want to pick a fight with him in a dark alley.

“Thanks,” Dan said. “Not sure the gym is my scene, though.”

“You never know unless you try.”

Felix stood up and went to the closet. He pulled on a T-shirt and a Windbreaker, then packed a sports bag with a roll of clean white socks and a water bottle. “At least get out of the room, Dan,” Felix told him when he got to the door. “Take a walk. Get some fresh air. You can watch Battlestar Galactica at home. Don’t let this temporary setback ruin your whole summer.”

“Uh. Okay?” Dan watched Felix slip out and close the door. “Thanks, Oprah.”

But of course he was right. Dan got off his bed, shut his laptop, and changed into clean clothes. Just as he reached for his cell phone, it started buzzing so violently it nearly fell off his desk. Dan dove for it and was relieved to see MOM on the display.

“Hello?”

“Hi sweetie.” His mother’s voice was almost completely drowned out by the sound of TV in the background.

“Speakerphone?” he asked with a chuckle. “Really?”

“Your dad wants to say hello, too. No big deal. So how is it going? Do you still love college?”

Her enthusiasm was always infectious, and Dan found himself smiling despite his bad mood. “It’s not really college, you know that.”

“I know, I know, but still . . .”

“Is that Dan? Hi, Danny boy!”

“Hi, Dad.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, pacing from one end of his bed to the other. “So yeah, I’m doing fine, guys. Everyone is supernice, and the classes are great.”

“How is Abby?” his mother asked. Of course that’d be the first place her mind went.

“She’s fine, really an amazing artist. And it turns out Jordan’s like, a math prodigy.”

“Oh, good!” More than happy, Sandy sounded relieved. “Well, just wanted to call and let you know we sent a package with some goodies. I think it should have gotten there already, but I didn’t know what the mail situation was like where you are. There’s enough in there to share with Abby and Jordan, too, if they like Little Debbies and candy as much as you do.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“I hope you’re not studying all the time,” his father said. “You enjoy yourself this summer, all right?”

“I will,” Dan said, meaning it. He glanced around for his coat. “But listen, I should get going and look for that package, it’s pretty dark out already.”

“Okay, Danny, and let me know when you get it. We miss you! We miss you every day.”

“Thanks, guys. I miss you, too.”

Hanging up, Dan pulled on his jacket and left the dorm for the first time all day. The evening was pleasantly cool. He walked through the quad, where Yi and his orchestra friends were out playing music on the grass. Dan took a moment to stop and listen. For the first time in days, he felt his mood lifting.

He made good on his promise to his parents and set off toward the academic side. It would be nice to have something from home, and plus Dan was hungry enough to eat a whole box of Little Debbies himself.

Out on the lawn in front of Wilfurd Commons, a resident advisor led a group of students through yoga poses in the grass. Dan skirted around them and walked to the side entrance of the building. A convenience store–student union next to the cafeteria housed post office boxes for each student.

Dan found his box in the middle cluster, number 3808. Crouching, he peered into the tiny glass window and was surprised that it was actually quite full. He used a little key he’d been given on move-in day and opened the door to pull everything out. Sure enough, there was a green piece of paper telling him he could pick up his package at the mail desk. There were also some flyers from the school, mostly information for students interested in applying to the college proper. There was a sketch Abby had done on the back of an assignment. He remembered seeing her doodle it during class. It showed the three of them in full suits of armor, standing on top of a fallen mound of books with “SCHOLASTIC VICTORY, HUZZAH!” written boldly across the top. Dan tucked the drawing away with a smile. He didn’t know when she had put it in his box, but maybe it was a sign that she was ready to be friends again. He decided he would call her when he got back to the dorm.

Finally, there was an envelope that simply had “3808” written on the front in thick black ink.

Oh no, not again.