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sensible, nourishing, homemade lunch to Donny in exchange for her cafeteria hot lunch. She thought I was weird, but I never got to have greasy American food anywhere near my father.
    And then, holding a folded piece of notebook paper in her hand, Ame blurted out her brand-new plot to hook Mike Matheny, the object of her undying love.
    Donny grabbed said plan out of Ame’s hands and looked at it in disgust. “What the hell is wrong with you?” Donny asked her. “Quit pretending you are seven and just go tell him you want to jump him. Stop messing around with notes.”
    Ame grabbed the paper back from Donny. “It’s not a note. It’s a poem. Everything is not about sex, you know. Haven’t you ever wanted romance in your life?”
    “Not if it means I tread the same three feet of water for four years.” Donny and Amelia argued like an old married couple, but there was never any venom in it. That was part of their charm. Donny hugged Ame with one arm. “Sweetie, you know I adore you. You are beautiful, funny, and smart. Any guy would be lucky to have you. If Mike Matheny hasn’t figured that out by now, he’s not smart enough to be with you.”
    I hugged Amelia from the other side. “You really are beautiful, funny, and smart. And I really like your poem too.”
    “So you guys don’t think I should give him the poem?”
    Donny groaned and pretended to throw herself on the table and bang her head.
    I squeezed Ame’s shoulder. “We just think that passing him anonymous love notes—er … poems—is too … um … subtle.”
    She sighed and pulled her heavy braid over one shoulder so she could play with the ends of it. “Well, I like my plan.” Each of her fingernails was painted a different color.
    “Amelia, it’s not a plan; it’s a cop-out. Are you going to put boxes on it so he can check yes or no?” Donny hadn’t lifted her head from the table, so her words were muffled.
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I should totally take your advice and just throw myself at him. It works so well for you. Where’s your boyfriend, Donny? Oh, that’s right. You don’t have a boyfriend.”
    Donny sat up. “If that was supposed to hurt, you missed. I don’t want a boyfriend. Why buy the cow?”
    “Huh?” I asked.
    “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free. My grandma told me that when she didn’t like how short my dress was in the prom pictures.” Donny waggled her eyebrows at me. “I think she meant I was giving it away, but it works better for me this way.”
    “Ame, have we convinced you not to slip anonymous sonnets in his locker yet?” I wished she would just talk to him.
    “No. Besides, you’re one to talk.”
    My cheeks warmed. “What do you mean?”
    “I couldn’t help but notice you scoping the halls for fresh sneetch all day.”
    “I—”
    “ He’s only been here two days,” Donny answered for me. “Not his entire high school career. Nice try, Ame.” She pinned me with a glance. “Not that you are off the hook either.”
    I stuck my tongue out at her.
    Haden Black had proven to be very elusive today. I knew he was at school, and I knew every time he was near because the air around me would still, like the world was rearranging itself to accommodate him in it. I’d look up and catch a fleeting glimpse of him, and then the atmosphere would return to normal.
    What I would do if I saw him was still a mystery. I mean, I’d dreamt he was some sort of ringmaster in a macabre circus. And that we waltzed without touching. And that our hearts beat as one.
    I don’t spend a lot of time talking to boys, but even I knew that was too much too soon.
    Not to mention that I suspected that my dreams weren’t dreams and that it really happened, and that weirdness was befalling me at every turn.
    Eager to pretend that all was normal, I frowned at Ame’s salad. “Do you want half my burger?”
    She shook her head.
    “You’re not fat,” I argued, getting my retort in before she had a chance to say