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of course, but it was the one area of the cafeteria that seemed to be off-limits to anybody not on some sports team. Martin and I were not on any kind of team, but that didn’t matter. We had the golden ticket inside, and I swear everything seemed better. The seats looked comfier, the tables cleaner, and the people just a tad bit more beautiful than everybody else on the outside. I saw Belle waving to us, and we sat our stuff down at her table.
    “Sit with me,” Belle said, pulling me down beside her.
    As I sat, her pink hoodie-wrapped arm didn’t leave me, instead staying wrapped around mine. My heart skipped a short beat.
    “So you’re Theodore,” someone said from down the table.
    I looked up to see Asian Rob, a guy whose name described exactly what you’d think. He was Asian, the only one in school, actually, and I had no clue why he gave himself that nickname. I wasn’t even sure I knew of another Rob in our class, or our school, even, but nobody questioned it. I think he was Korean, his jet-black hair swooped in a hipster style. His clothes, which belonged on the runways of Paris, were always recognizable and perfect. He was an enigma of a man.
    “He’s more than just Theodore ,” Belle said.
    “What else is he?” a girl named Jillian asked.
    “Everything that’s right with the world,” Belle said, looking at me.
    “Sounds like someone has a crush,” Betsy said.
    Belle’s hand, which was resting on my forearm, slid down a little bit before cupping my hand and turning my cheeks warm. What just happened? Were we holding hands? Did anybody have their phone out? I wanted to capture this image so I’d never forget it.
    “Look at his cheeks!” Jillian exclaimed.
    I looked at Martin, his smile large, and I could sense the slightest nod of his head, as if he were confirming what I was hearing and seeing. So I wasn’t making it up. This was real life. Wow.
    •••
    “So I hear you’re seeing somebody? A girl?” Dr. Grier asked.
    Lying on the couch, I thought about what to say and how to say it. I didn’t want to just come out and say that I was seeing Belle, because I wasn’t, at least not anywhere outside my dreams, but I couldn’t help but flash a little smile when she asked.
    “Well, I wouldn’t say we’re seeing each other,” I said.
    “Your mother seems to think otherwise. She says you two have been spending some time together, and that you’re connecting very well,” Dr. Grier said.
    “I guess you could say that. We’re just rebuilding a friendship that had been lost for a while,” I said.
    “Are you sure that’s it?” she asked.
    I bit my lower lip, looking up at a swirl on the ceiling, thinking of her and if that was just it. The thing was, I hadn’t really asked Belle what we were or weren’t. Sure, she’d been flirty with me, especially at lunch and all, but what if she was just being friendly? Sometimes friends get close like that, even when it’s just platonic.
    “I’m sure,” I said.
    “Fair enough. I won’t push any further. How about we switch topics? Have you heard from your father recently?” she asked.
    “No,” I said sternly.
    I couldn’t believe that she kept asking me about my father and what was going on with him. I didn’t care. I’d told her and my mother close to a thousand times that I didn’t care, but it was like they couldn’t comprehend that. My dad and I were never terribly close anyway, so what did it matter? I was willing to bet he wasn’t that torn up about it.
    “It’s just that when a parent leaves, it can be—”
    “With all due respect, Dr. Grier, I have to stop you there. You’re a nice enough woman and a good doctor, and I’m not sure if my mom has made you say these things to me or if you’re doing it on your own, but you don’t need to any longer. If you’d like to talk to me about anything else, even something as mundane as the weather in Albuquerque, I’ll be glad to. I don’t want any more discussion about my