for bed. It was only eight, but I've been enjoying my routine of watching a movie before bed.

ose big, crisscrossed eyes

g at the side of the bowl until I dropped a pinch into his tank. I watched as he swal

y finger across the surface. Gojo followed my finger around in a complete circle before giving up and swimming off in the opposite direction. I turned my attention back towards the TV and settled in for a horror movie. Of course, because right now, that's just what I need. Well, what I needed was to sto

d, throwing my jeans

ar to see when would be a good day to go shopping for homecoming dresses, and then it just hit me. I'm such a spaz! Jay, can you

aughed. "I went to v

"If he was, like, twenty years

l out." I choked, "He'

led back, "So are you sure you didn'

ut the phone down to my chest and ran to the living room, w

ike, an hour?" I asked leanin

e in bed at ten." He said

you can-"

he finished, hanging up her line. I

h a bag of Cheetos in one hand and Oreo ice cre

d, glancing at her for a brief moment b

no?" I laughed making

over, right Sam?" Sam gave a thumbs-up mo

n and retrieved silverware then ran down the hall to m

Cheetos?" Callie asked da

from her and shoving it in my mout

ng?" She looked at the

t I flipped to

vie off and flipped to something more romantic. "Let's watch a rom-com." I thought back to when the last time

ing else if you want, Jay.

turned her body to give me her full attention and moved the Cheetos between both of us. Sh

boy," I started. I knew that came

he is just kind of everywhere I go

ieked, popping open the ice cream lid, "I

around town, not anywhere. And now I've seen him at practice and the

suggested. "How about tomorrow you can point this guy out to me and I w

are right. Maybe I'm ju

use he is hardcore crushing on you too,"

and handsome type. He looks like our age if

e," Cal jeered. "I like

I saw him in the stands. "He had a loos

tell she was already making her list of go-to gossip people in her head. "I'

and popped one into my mou

ped her phone off and jammed her feet back into her shoes. "My mom is mad at me for not telling her I left the house earli

ght it and we went through the door. Sam was

said as she open

" Sam replied, popping the top

and she ran to her car. I shut the door when I heard

Jay?" Sam put an arm arou

ier," I replied.

al show." He to

k my head at him. "You don't

fter school if you don't want to hang out

hours or go hang out with Sam until the game started. Figuring I could stand the latter a bit mo

so just let me know." Sam turned his attention b

caught my eye. I walked over to the window and looked out across the park. On a bright day, I could see it all from where I stood from the window in my room. But now it was dark, so my vision was limited. There was a light flickering on a post next to an old wooden bench. I squinted my eyes a little more and saw someone sitting on the be

ed, walking over to me as I

it is. What if I was just imagining things? So, this new boy came to my school. Then he's in the cemetery... maybe he's visiting family too? Then he's at my apa

ckering of the light ceased and was now completely lit. The bench was completely unocc

e, "Why don't you try and get some sleep? You can leave your door open if you

f his name. He stopped and turned back to me

was changed." He walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "You are not crazy. If anything, you are probably managing things a lot bet

back up. Grabbing blindly at it, it fell to the floor. I groaned and bent to pick it up, almost falling out of bed in the process. It was a text from Callie. It read, "Hey, mom's