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the desk behind Evangeline.
    “Zip it, Melia,” Mrs. Hopkins warned.
    “Fitzgerald used the green light to symbolize Gatsby’s hopes and dreams,” Lacie offered in an eager voice. “Goth Girl” rarely talked in class, so everyone turned to look at her. Lacie sat hunched in her chair, protected by her dyed black hair, black fingernails, oversized leather jacket, and clunky boots. Too much make-up made her face unnaturally white and the color of her eyes wasn’t visible beneath thick black eyeliner and mascara. “What?” she said defensively.
    “That’s correct, Lacie. Maybe Evangeline can now tell us how the green light is related to Gatsby’s fixation on Daisy. Well?”
    The bell rang. Thank god.
    “Tomorrow there will be a quiz on the various motifs in
The Great Gatsby
including geography, weather, and symbols. I suggest you study for it, Evangeline.”
    “Want to go to Ben & Jerry’s?” Melia asked a few minutes later as they were pulling books from their lockers and stuffing them in their backpacks. “I’ll pay.”
    “I thought you and Tristin were going to hang.”
    “We can hook up later.” Tristin snuck behind Melia and wrapped his arms around her waist, digging his hands into the front pockets of her skirt. He kissed her neck and Melia’s eyes closed.
    “Get a room,” Raphe said as he walked up.
    “Sounds like a great idea,” Tristin replied with a wink. He glanced over at Evangeline. “E, I can’t put my finger on it, but something’s different about you today.”
    “I’m sixteen,” Evangeline offered, feeling self-conscious under his scrutiny. All day she’d caught kids glancing at her and then looking away when she turned to them.
Do I look that bad?
Now Melia was staring, too.
    “You
do
look different, E. You really do.”
    “Quit it, you guys!” Evangeline pulled a baseball cap out of her locker, tugging it on to flatten her curls.
    “Come on, E, I’ll walk you to the bus,” Raphe offered.
    “What about ice cream?” Melia called out as they walked down the hall.
    Evangeline didn’t answer because Raphe had draped his arm over her shoulders and she didn’t want to do anything to make him take it away.
Not that it means anything.
They walked down the steps outside, passing Lacie, who was sucking face with some guy in a shiny leather jacket who looked old enough to be in college.
    On the bus, they talked about World Cup Soccer—loved it; Adele’s voice—insane; their dislike of biology and cut flowers—a shame because you were really just killing them; how Ben & Jerry’s ice cream was always better than Haagen Daz even when it was just plain vanilla; and why they thought dapper old Gatsby was totally stupid for pursuing the flighty Daisy. When the bus dropped them off at their stop, Raphe walked Evangeline all the way to her house and somewhere along the way, their fingers ended up woven together.
    Is this really happening?
Evangeline wondered as her pulse raced.
Am I holding Raphe’s hand too tight? Too loose? Please don’t let my hand start sweating! Raphe is holding my hand. Things like this just don’t happen in my world.
    “I’ll see you later tonight,” Raphe said.
    “What for?”
    “
Talladega Nights
. Remember? Mind if I come for dinner, too?”
    “Course not—your mom out of town again?” Raphe’s mom was in pharmaceutical sales and she traveled a ton. His parents were divorced and his dad was out of the picture.
    “Yeah—four more days. She wanted me to stay at the neighbors, but the dad smokes and it messes with my asthma.”
    Raphe still hadn’t let go of Evangeline’s hand. Suddenly he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. After she got over her shock, she kissed him back.
Velvet lips…a hint of wintergreen.
Then it was over and her friend was tossing his skateboard onto the pavement.
    “What was that for?” Evangeline blurted out.
    “Your birthday.”
    “So, it was just a one time thing.” Evangeline muttered under her breath,