The rumor is that the Pig Farm Party Shack used to be on a pig farm, in, like, 1970. It’s a shack, if the definition of shack means three flimsy particle board walls and a plywood floor. That it’s the place to be on a Friday night is just part of the Norwich charm.

It’s less than ten minutes from my house, but it feels like the middle of nowhere. Stenn drives all the way up West Hill and partway down the other side. He turns left at a tiny church I’ve never really given any thought to before. It looks white and dainty in the Audi’s headlights. Above us, the clouds look haunted, lit by an almost-full moon. It’s freezing cold, way too cold for November: Hoth Rebel Base cold. I turn the heat full blast while waiting for the seat to toast my buns.

Stenn knows the way better than I do. A mile or so down the church road, he slows down and leans closer to the windshield.

“You see it?” I ask.

“Not yet.” Ruby pokes her head between us. Backseat driver. Stenn jabs a finger at the window. “There it is.”

A wooden sign, weathered and gray, announces Loblolly Road. Two parallel tracks of mud, gravel, and huge potholes disappear up into the darkness.

“Looks really steep,” I observe.

“We can make it.”

“Your mom will kill you if you break the car.”

Stenn’s face is glowing from the dashboard lights. He turns onto Loblolly Roadercoaster. “Hold on to something.”

He guns it. We surge ahead, Mach 10. The car slams through ruts and potholes, shooting mud everywhere. I claw the dashboard. Ruby yelps.

“Slow down!” I yell.

“Can’t,” says Stenn. “We’ll get stuck.”

The road goes up, steep as a cliff. I look over at Stenn; his jaw is clenched so hard that his cheeks are puffed out. With a whimper, Ruby slinks down to the floor of the backseat. More stability there.

The car shoots up the hill like a bat out of hell.

“We’re going to tip over backward.” I am strangely calm.

“You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake…”

I love a man who can quote The Empire Strikes Back at a time like this.

“I take it back!” I say.

We make it up Loblolly, almost to the top of the hill. Stenn wrestles the steering wheel to keep us on the road. When the incline decreases, he slows down a lot. “Fun, huh?” He smiles.

“Yeah. I just need to change my undies and I’m all set.”

“Sarah,” Stenn says.

“Stenn,” I say.

“Was that a joke? Were you…did you just say something funny?”

“I thought it was pretty freaking hilarious. Why?” Pretty sure I know why he’s asking, but…

“It’s just…a joke and going to a party in the same night?”

“I know. It’s a whole new me.”

“It’s the whole old you.”

“Come on, I haven’t been that bad.”

“If you say so.” The guy is smart; he knows when he needs to let things drop. He reaches into the backseat to give Ruby a pat. “You know, we’re basically behind your house, on the other side of the hill.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

“I’m a helper,” he says, grinning. He is coated in Good Mood Teflon tonight. My sarcasm slides right off.

Something glints red in front of us: reflectors. Taillights of parked cars, lined up on each side, half in ditch, half on road.

“Soccer team,” I say.

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.”

I manage to swallow my snark, instead doing my best to match his Good Mood Teflon. “You…are welcome.”

Yay, me! Look at me go. A whole new (old?) Sarah.

Stenn pulls forward and shifts into park. He leans toward me and moves his head back and forth, swaying like a cobra, until he catches sight of something. “There,” he says, pointing past my window toward a small structure. “They revamped the party shack.”

Squinting, I can make out some silhouettes, backlit by a big fire, sparks drifting up.

“It’s supposed to be big tonight. They were talking about getting two kegs.” He looks at me, gives me a kiss on the cheek. “Ready to say hi to everyone?”

No, definitely not ready. Not used to parties without Jamie. Can’t I just stay antisocial? Awesome. Thanks.

He must notice my pronounced lack of any kind of movement toward the party, because he squeezes my mittened hand. “You know, I think this is really good. A good step. You’ve been so not into the party scene.”

“Thanks a lot,” I say. But it manages to come out soft.

“You…” He kisses me on the cheek. “Are welcome.”

I take a deep breath. “All right. Do I look okay?”

He makes a face at me. “What kind of question is that? You always look gorgeous.”

Which is way too sweet a thing for him to say. I peel my lips back. “Anything in my teeth?”

“Can we go?”

I stick up my nose. “Any bats in the cave?”

“You are booger-free. And you’re beating around the bush.”

“You know full well there isn’t any bush.”

“Come on, we’re going.” He pulls the latch on his door and starts to open it.

Immediately, so fast it’s a blur, Ruby slips out of the car and tears off into the woods.

“Was that Ruby?” Stenn says. He’s as shocked as I am.

“She must have smelled something,” I say, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. I stumble out of the car and slam the door. “Ruby! Come back here! Rubes!”

Nothing.

“Ruby!” I cry. “Get back here!”

Nothing nothing.

“Did you see where she went?”

Stenn points across the road, “That way somewhere. I’m so sorry, Sare. She always sticks with you. I didn’t expect…”

My heart is in my throat. “What if she gets lost? We should—”

“You stay here. I’ll find her.”

“Nokay!” Has the boy not met me? He has to know I’d never just sit here and wait. Ruby is my heart—if your heart can have black fur and carry an Artoo and run around outside your body. Plus this wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t brought her. If she gets lost, it’s my fault. “I’ll go this way,” I say, meaning the dark woods. Since Jeremy’s lecture, I’ve been petrified of losing her—but not this way. Irony is such an utter bitch. “You go that way.” I point down the road.

“Sare—”

“No time to discuss this with the committee,” I snap. But I don’t know if he hears; I’m already halfway into the woods.