so clearly. Harris

not sure why he was talkin

g smile. All of the girls in my grade dreamt of that smile. He was a Junior like I was, but he

talked to guys. The only time I was around popular

u want something to drink? He a

seat before heading to the double doors of Knocks. Since school just e

d scan the room for Jana. Thankfully, I spot her in the corner booth, on her phone. Once I a

n't?" I ask and sit

school, but I'm glad you're here because we have so mu

ger to start things up

with this girl who loved to surf—and urged me to learn—her name was Lila. Lila and I were stuck together like glue. The guys loved her, and I loved th

riends. He was young, it was his first year teaching and he had just moved to Florida from Seattle. We were both new, in a way. We became close, a little too close. Close enough to the point where I would visit him afte

ay after. I thought he was handsome, I thought what we were doing was wrong, so

s da

ever things became too heavy I woul

p of her pink milkshake. "Beaches every day, warm weather,

"I'm sure you'v

exciting thing here is the high school f

are there any gu

h who is super sweet, and he's a total catch. We've been talking for a bit, I gav

n," I comment, "

r Bra

A few students have wandered in, none of them noticing

, it was

I feel a pain in my lungs, as I am forgetting to breathe. I shoot back to Jana and sh

. I can't risk ruining my newly mended friendship. Ma

Fonte,

with Jana for help, but she seems s

ell in

it hard to focus, to breathe even.

ng me from the booth. With my head down, together we push past Harrison and

son calls, but we

before I do the same. Knowing Jana, she doesn't h

suggests and I nod. "Do you w

throughout the first semester, but when he did, I could

en. His friends had moved on with the party while Harrison stayed

mumble

come wit

and how they had left me. I did,

have you all t

ver flirted with a guy before, only Daphne did.

sting as you are, Hailey. I'm surp

n. Harrison chatted me up, asked me about school, about m

ever he gave me, I wasn't sure what it was.

iful, I thought for sure some other guy would hav

shed,