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were a little too big, and his knit tie looked like he had been wearing it since his own high school days. He smiled a little timidly as he mingled with the students.
    Celia tried her hand at making conversation. “Some girl got stung by a bee in the parking lot before school and had an allergic reaction. Someone had an EpiPen for her, though. Mr. Sumeletso was there, and he helped her into the building when it was over.” That sparked Mariette’s interest, and they studied the teacher for another moment.
    “I guess he looks nice enough.” Then Mariette moved on. “Have you ever gone rock climbing? I want to learn. Look—there’s a hummingbird!” Celia followed Mariette’s finger and saw the blur of a bird just outside the nearest window. They watched it for a few seconds before Mariette’s attention flitted away again. “What bus do you take?”
    “I get a ride with a friend,” Celia said, but she realized that much of what Mariette said didn’t require a response, largely because she didn’t pause long enough to receive one. At least there won’t be any awkward silences, Celia thought. Nor did the commentary stop when Mr. Sumeletso began talking. Mariette scribbled things in the margin of her notebook for Celia to see. He can’t be more than 24—he looks like he’s 17! Celia tried to concentrate. Toward the end of the class Mr. Sumeletso announced he would be coaching the new swim teams, now that Suburban had a swimming pool, and he hoped they would consider trying out. Mariette scribbled I can’t swim! with a scaredy face, and Celia wrote Me neither next to it. They grinned at each other. Celia wondered if Regine would have wanted her to remain aloof, but she didn’t dwell on it.
     
    AT THE END OF THE day, trying to put her locker in some kind of order before she left, Celia thought she had done pretty well. The only life-threatening thing that had happened had been to someone else. She had made it through unscathed, and a few moments even had been pleasant. She wasn't completely sure how she would fit into the Suburban cosmos, but she had an idea. It came largely under the auspices of the Rosary, who had cornered the market on mysterious and sophisticated at Suburban. Throughout the day Celia had watched the first year students, as new to Suburban as she was. They faltered and shrank back, still looking for their allies. Surely she would have resembled them if it weren't for Regine and the Rosary.
    Mariette was the only one so far who challenged Celia’s belief that everyone needed allies. This girl clearly navigated her day with a force of will that required no assistance. Mariette didn’t seem to need a team, and she didn’t care to wear the uniform of one, either. That made her fascinating to Celia. She remembered her panic in homeroom that morning, and knew she possessed nowhere near Mariette’s level of confidence. Celia wondered if she might learn things from Mariette, different things than she expected to learn from the Rosary.
    Burdened with her bag of books, Celia went down to the lobby to meet Regine, but when she got there she saw only Liz by herself on the far wall. From across the lobby, Celia followed Liz’s gaze to an athletic guy in an orange T-shirt, and Celia recognized him as the jock who had flustered Liz in the parking lot that morning. He had no idea he was being watched. Then Regine arrived and Celia walked with her to meet Liz and wait for the others.
    “I feel like I’ve been here a week already,” Liz said wearily.
    “I’m freaking out—I got Mr. Sumeletso for Chem Two.” Regine turned to Celia to explain. “He just got here last year, and I had Mrs. Merino for Chem One, but everyone who had Mr. Sumeletso last year practically failed his class. I aced Chem One last year, but in Mr. Sumeletso’s first class today I felt like I had forgotten all of it.”
    “I have him, too, for chemistry,” Celia said, watching Regine’s concern expand to include her. “He