Kisses in the hallway

like floor wax, cheap p

d lightly against the cool metal, pretending she didn't exi

s glossed, phones glued to palms, laughter sharp enough to slice skin. There were the boys who hadn't learned their voices yet, who jostled each other

l gave way with a gentle click, and she sighed at the small

could master it. She'd been mastering it since she was eleven, when her mom fir

te binder. Her backpack strained at the zipper, threatening to burst. She made a me

. Not worth it. Nothing here was worth it, except for the escape plan: straight A's,

ay without moving her head too much. Observing. That was the other thing

e for an Instagram shoot. His hair was sunlit, skin warm olive under the harsh fluorescent lights. He wore his letterman jacket like a crown. Surrounding him were his loy

im smile at something one of his friends said - that smile t

e exist. She snorted under her breath. He did

n her pocket. She dug it out, screen cracked

ing today, don't forget. Mr. Lewi

ht. She tapped o

at my locker. F

ghth grade - the only person on earth who could spot her in a crowded hallway and still wave like a maniac.

e cruel laugh - giggled and smacked his shoulder playfully. He grinned back, eas

bad soap opera with a terrible budget, she thought. All they d

floor, but no one even flinched. Perfect. She tugged her hoodie tighter, settled he

-

he slap of sneakers on linoleum. She navigated it like she always did: should

ir, lockers rattling behind them. Another girl squeezed past with her makeup bag ope

er for punctuality - if you weren't five minutes early, you were ten minutes late. And she needed that te

r phone again.

ng coffee?

a t

? Dream on. I'll o

he tiny worn patch on her backpack. She'd been meaning to fix that for mo

pology, even though she wasn't sure why. She w

-

championship plaque shone bright gold. Jace's name was on it, of course. He was practically carved into th

n a while. Not just when she raised her hand with the right answer. But to

ss. She'd die before she'd

-

owding the main hall. She paused on the landing, adjusted her bag. Her phone buzzed again - N

! Two glittery hearts, a badly drawn disco ball. She laughed. She'd rather do

lutching a crumpled map of the building like it might save his life. She almost offered directio

-

usty old art classroom. She could already hear the du

you? You're gon

s, phone still clutched in her fingers, backpack hal

Her hair fell into her eyes. She pushed it away, books slipping dangerously in her gri

step - and that'