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pretty sure I was the only guy in America who used his cell phone only to make calls.
    The bell rang, and Kenny ran to his corner, slammed the door without answering me. I could hear him, muttering, shuffling around. I pounded on the door, demanding a response, but he was silent.
    Looks like Julie was going to be a problem.
    A big one.
    â€”———
    First period. I was nearly late. I had to stop at my locker and regroup after my encounter with Julie. What the hell was between her and Jeff? She seemed like an okay girl when she wasn’t intentionally pissing me off. What was she doing with him?
    Dude, you heard her. They’re not dating.
    Yeah, I’d heard her. So if they weren’t dating, what was that argument about? I dropped my backpack and slid behind my desk, trying to ignore the biting pain in my chin that was somehow worse today than yesterday. Jeff was already in his seat near the window, and Julie was already in the seat beside mine. I cursed under my breath when the desk shifted a few inches, the screech making me clench my jaw, ratcheting the pain up to maximum. Julie’s head swiveled to me, the line between her eyebrows flashing once while I cradled my head, watching her from under my lashes.
    Her black plastic glasses caught my eye again. As my gaze traveled over her curves, I realized the glasses matched her outfit—tight black pants ending high on her calves, with a skimpy white T-shirt that revealed glimpses of a smooth belly if she moved in just the right way. My mouth fell open. Black-and-white sandals showed off a toe ring. She looked up at me from under a curtain of gold hair, blue eyes crinkling at the corners.
    Busted.
    Kenny laughed when my face got hot.
    â€œThat looks a lot worse than it did yesterday.”
    I glared. “Feels worse too.”
    She made a face. “Aw. Poor little you.”
    It sounded like she was making fun of me. I swore if she told me to keep my chin up again, I would have to extend a finger.
    Kenny choked. Oh, please. Like Saint Daniel even has a middle finger.
    Okay, maybe I wouldn’t, but I would really want to. Kenny was about to retort, but luckily, the teacher walked in at that moment.
    â€œOkay, people, settle down. Settle down.” Mr. Williams hurried to the head of the class. “Starting here, everybody count off one to four and then repeat. Go.”
    He tapped the guy sitting to my right, who dutifully said “One.”
    By the time the count went up one aisle and down the next, I was a three.
    â€œOkay, grab your gear and stand up. I want the ones over here by the door, twos here in this row, threes in the back of the room, and fours by the window. Move.”
    Desks screeched on linoleum. Laughing and chattering, we mixed. I noted with a mix of interest and annoyance that Julie was also a three.
    We settled in the back of the room and watched, amused, as Paul Oliva and Lisa McKenna traded their spots with the two girls in our group and made their way to us. The girls joined the other half of their clique at the window and squealed. At the same time.
    I rolled my eyes.
    â€œYeah. Tell me about it.” Paul caught me and nodded. “I figured they’d be dead weight anyway.”
    I laughed. No doubt he was right.
    My eyes roamed, looking for something that made this classroom different from myriad others I’ve been in since I got out of juvie. The same chalkboards, the same desks, the same sounds and smells. Another Murphy.
    This Murphy was staring at me.
    â€œWhat?” I challenged her.
    Her eyes narrowed, and she shrugged. “Nothing. You just look familiar.”
    Irrational panic exploded in me, and I had to run.
    Easy! This time, Kenny pinned me in my seat. Don’t be an idiot.
    With every ounce of strength I had, I stayed put. He was right. Damn it, I hated it when Kenny was right. My father constantly reminded me to stop acting like a guilty man, which was hard to do when murderer