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With the other two yearbook members on an errand for ain,in place Twenty-six minutes left of class That’s twenty-six too ?” I ask Kelsey

“Well, the play needs so about it My dads both want me to be ‘less of a spectator, more of a participant’ this year How ‘bout you?”

“You know I’m not,” I sass back as I frown at the screen, then resize a talk bubble back to norly now “But I want to see who is auditioning”

“Obviously Frankie will get the lead, but we don’t really have any fe ladies this year Have you noticed that?”

I give it a raduated last year”

“Willa graduated last year,” Kelsey echoes with a somber nod

My eyes flick to the door again It’d be so easy to just walk on out of the school The other two members of the staff are such pushovers, they wouldn’t tell anyone if we left Also, Ms Reyes is very likely not going to return for the rest of the period We could pretty much screw off for the next half hour if anted

“You’re tes Kelsey in a silly falsetto

I biteon “I’m tempted”

Without so , she flicks off her monitor, hops off her chair, and darts for the door I’h, we scurry down the hall toward the exit of the building We settle on a spot just outside the school baseball field under the bleachers to hang out, our asses on the shaded part of the concrete Patches of dead grass, dirt, and weeds spread out before us, ending several yards ahead at the brick outer walls of the gymnasium A few stray trees nearby hiss in the wind, their tall and spidery shadows dancing across the dirt in front of us

“Okay, so …” Kelsey kicks her heels into the ground, setting free a cloud of dust “I feel like you avoided this since lunch …”

“Avoided what?”

“Talking about a certain so”

“I’ him”

“So what’s going on?”

“He’s in his own little world all the time I tried to ask him a question in chemistry the other day, and he just looked atnotes He probably regrets sticking up forexpelled for it Strike one, the principal said I could be a third of the reason he’s kicked out of yet another school