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practically squealing with excitement. I put my hands to my temples; I could feel the headache developing already.
    “So are you allowed to go out?” she asked. “Because if you are, I could pick you up for the basics class on Saturday, and maybe we could go and get some coffee? Unless you don’t drink coffee? I can’t remember if you do or not. I love coffee. If I could drink it in my sleep, I totally would.”
    “Of course I’m allowed. I went to the Halloween Bash on campus last night,” I said.
    “Sweet! Did you dress up? I went as a ninja this year, which is so not creative, but it was all I had.”
    “I wore my sister’s old roller derby uniform.”
    “Ohmigod!” Darcy waved her hands in excitement, agitation, or some combination thereof. “Do you like derby? You’ve got to come to these tryouts with me in a couple weeks! Say you will; no one else wants to come, and I don’t want to go by myself.”
    I reached out and grabbed her hands before she stuck a finger in my eye. “What tryouts?”
    “You know the Apocalypsies, right? One of the junior derby teams? They’re looking for new skaters.” She squealed. “I’m so psyched!”
    “I wouldn’t have pegged you as the derby type.”
    “Yeah, well, I’ve changed since you were here last.” She tossed her hair. “So what do you say? I could really use a cheering section.”
    “Sure, I’ll do it. But didn’t the season start already? My sister skated with the Hotsies before she went to Smithton, and I’m pretty sure they’d already started by this time last year.”
    “Two of the Apocalypsies died in a car accident. Isn’t that the most horrible thing ever? Anyway, if they don’t fill their roster, they’ll have to forfeit the rest of their bouts.”
    “That’s terrible.” I looked down at my legs. What I was about to say was stupid, but I had to do it. I had to ride the wave of my dojo triumph, if only to get my mind off the fact that I’d splatted on the pavement yesterday and then topped it off by getting beaten up. “I want to try out too.”
    “B-but …,” Darcy started sputtering. “But you can’t do that. You didn’t go to skills camp. It’s a requirement.”
    “Why?” I put my hands on my hips. “You want me to come to the tryout; I’ll come. But I’m skating. Skills camp is for people who don’t know the basics, but I used to practice with the Hotsies all the time. They would have taken me if I’d been old enough. I could probably still do all that stuff—T-stops, plow stops, booty blocking. You name it.”
    “Well … okay. I mean, if it’s okay with them, it’s okay with me. Maybe we could each get a spot!” She almost visiblyshook herself back into hyperactive peppiness. “I’ll pick you up, and we’ll go together. Isn’t that perfect? I can’t decide whether I’m excited or nervous! I’ve always wanted to be a rollergirl!”
    A shiver ran down my back and out my toes. I wanted to try out, but the word “rollergirl” brought back that creepy feeling from yesterday. Even if it was totally irrational to be afraid now. It’s not like the crackhead from last night was following me; that was ridiculous.
    “Yeah,” I said. “That’s pretty sweet, all right.”
    “Wheee!” Darcy clapped her hands and danced around in a circle. “I’m so excited!”
    I couldn’t help it. I laughed.

    After my dojo visit, I dorked around at home until Saturday-night dinner. Rachel got to the dining room right after me.
    “When are you going back to the dorms?” I asked as I sat down. My chair was wrapped with orange and black gauze. At our house, Halloween decorations went up in early September and stayed until Christmas. Sometimes later.
    “Tomorrow morning,” she said. I couldn’t keep the disappointment off my face, and she winced. “I know. But I’ve got an exam in Abnormal Psych this week, and I’ve got to make it to the study group or I’ll fail.”
    “Maybe I’ll come up sometime soon. I