In Biology, Jessica Richards passed me a note which said our Shakespeare group was meeting after school in the Drama room. And even though many things are preferable to reciting Shakespeare with your semi-pseudo-ex (like having red-hot pokers shoved under your fingernails or having a painful dental procedure sans anaesthetic), at 3:25pm, when the final bell rang, I trotted off to the Drama room like a good girl.

Jessica and Natalie were already there, in deep discussion about costuming. I slumped into a chair hoping Dylan might forget to show up. Or maybe he could transfer to another school. That happens, right?

By 3:33pm Drew and Jason had turned up.

At 3:40pm Jessica cleared her throat. “Anyone know where Dylan is?” She was staring right at me. I felt my cheeks grow hot, and I shrugged my shoulders.

3:45pm – “We should just start. Dylan must have forgotten or something. Let’s figure out which scene we want to do…” Jessica began. And then the door crashed open and Dylan strolled in. My heart hammered.