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nerves, there was only one way to find out.
    She pulled the key out of the ignition, grabbed her backpack, and walked inside the house.
    At 7:15, she was ready to go. Figuring she had fifteen minutes or so before Zander arrived, she crossed the hallway into her little brother’s room. “Hey, buddy. What’cha doing?”
    Owen looked up from his book. He was often lost in his own little world, but he would usually come back to reality for a little while for Quinn.
    “Where are you going?” he asked, his watchful eyes taking in her soft, white sweater and crisp, dark jeans. She’d even put on a little make-up, though it seemed sort of silly to do so, given that she’d also packed a swimsuit in her purse for going in the hot tub.
    “Zander invited me to a party.”
    Owen raised an eyebrow, which made her giggle. Her brother was mildly autistic, and he didn’t always have the right social reactions, but somehow he’d always been tuned in to Quinn.
    At that moment, the doorbell rang. All of the color drained from her face. Zander was early. Was she ready for this?
    “Have fun, Quinn,” Owen said.
    She nodded, and leaned over to kiss him on the head.
    After taking several more deep breaths, she headed down the stairs. When she was about halfway down, she spotted him, standing there at the bottom, watching her. When she caught his gaze, he smiled. Oh.
    “Eleven o’clock, please, Zander,” her mom was saying.
    “I’ll have her home on time Megan, I promise.” His tone was light, pleasant. He was comfortable with her mom. “Hey, Quinn,” he said, as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
    “Hey, Zander.” She suddenly felt very shy.
    She reached for her winter jacket, which she’d hung on the bannister at the bottom of the stairs, but Zander was too quick for her. Pink flooded her cheeks as he held it open, slipping it first over one arm, and then the other. Megan opened the door for them.
    The walk to the truck was awkward. Zander stayed right behind her, but just as they reached the door on the passenger side, he stepped in front of her to pull it open. As she climbed into the cab, she got the distinct impression that he’d vacuumed inside very recently.
    This was beginning to feel a lot like a date. She didn’t know if that thought made her giddy or nervous. Probably both. Zander slid into the seat beside her, and turned on the engine, then adjusted the heater. “I hope it didn’t get too cold,” he said. Yes, definitely both.
     
    Jake Price lived only a few blocks from Quinn – in nicer weather, they could have walked – and so there were only a few minutes of the awkward silence in the car before Zander was walking around to open her door. There were a few other cars parked along the stretches of trees between the houses, but not as many as she would have expected.
    “How big is this party?” she asked Zander, as she tried to ignore his hand on her arm, steadying her on the ice.
    He shrugged. “Just senior football players – and whoever they bring.” They reached the porch, and his hand moved from under her elbow to the empty air in front of her – he was clearly expecting her to take it. “Ready?” he asked, tipping his head toward the door, his whole face lighting up with a grin.
    Heart hammering furiously, she reached to take it. As soon as his fingers closed around hers, it got easier. This was Zander . He’d been her best friend before even Abigail.
    Once they were inside, the evening felt much less like a date. There were quite a few people she didn’t know well, but Bristlecone High School wasn’t big enough to accommodate strangers. Jake’s mom managed a card shop in Pinespar where Quinn liked to shop sometimes, and she smiled kindly at Quinn before she and her husband disappeared upstairs.
     About fifteen minutes after she and Zander got there, Abigail showed up, on the arm of Adam Lamos. Quinn raised an eyebrow.
    As soon as Zander and Adam were engrossed in a battle on the