socks because I wanted to dress like it was summer when technically it was heading toward winter. Arizona winter, but still. I felt better until I tripped over the edge of my guitar case. I snarled at it and kicked it all the way under the bed. My door creaked open.
“Uh, knock, please,” I said. When I turned around I could see Jonah standing in the small opening.
He pushed open the door but didn’t breach the threshold. I should’ve opened my arms and let him run to me but I didn’t. I offered him a stiff smile. “Yes?”
“Can you get me some cereal?”
“You know how to get your own cereal, buddy.”
He frowned at the space under my bed. “I didn’t do it.”
I sighed. “Jonah. It’s important to take responsibility when we do the wrong thing. If you can’t tell me what you did, then how am I supposed to believe that you’re sorry?”
His bottom lip stuck out. “I’m sorry that you hate me.”
I sighed. “I’m mad that my guitar is broken and I’m mad that you touch my things without asking. But I don’t hate you. I will never hate you.”
“I didn’t do it.”
It was a lost cause. One day the truth would come out. And even then, it wouldn’t matter. My guitar would still be broken. “Okay, go eat.”
I sat down on my bed and docked my phone on my stereo, turning it up as loud as I could stand. Listening to Blackout didn’t necessarily accomplish its intended purpose of relaxing me—because now they made me think of Cade and the letters. But I would not let him ruin my favorite band for me. I turned the music up another notch.
I opened my notebook and stared down a sketch I had started in detention. I wasn’t sure what I wasn’t liking about the design.
Jonah appeared at my door, his mouth moving but only music sounding. I switched off the song.
“Someone’s at the door,” he said.
“Oh, okay.” I stood up. I figured it was the mom of one of Wyatt’s teammates, coming to pick him up.
When I rounded the corner though, Cade Jennings was standing in the open doorway.
I’m sure my face fell in shock. Cade’s expression was also one of utter surprise.
I was so shocked, in fact, that I slammed the door in his face.
What was Cade doing here? Did he figure out the truth about the letters? My heart was pounding. It was probably too late to go run and change my clothes. He’d already seen me and my knee high socks. I took one step back and then I heard Cade knock three times. I tried to pat down my crazy hair once before giving up and opening the door again.
Cade’s initial look of shock had softened to his normal look of smugness. He took in my hair and outfit.
“Shut up,” I said.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face did.”
“Really? And what did my face say?”
“You know what your face said.”
He laughed a little and shrugged.
“Why are you here?” I demanded.
“I’m Wyatt’s club coach. We have practice today.”
“Oh.” Ugh. Cade was my brother’s coach? No wonder he’d been surprised to see me. He probably hadn’t realized I was Wyatt’s sister. “Okay. Just be nice to my brother … please,” I added.
I wouldn’t have felt the need to add that if the real-life Cade was like the one in the letters. But he wasn’t, so I did.
Cade shrugged with a smirk. “I will. He can’t help who his sister is.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “Right. I’ll go get him.”
I hoped Cade would stay by the door but instead he followed me into the kitchen. Wyatt wasn’t there, though; only Jonah sat at the table, eating his cereal.
I glanced back at Cade, and saw that he was looking at the underside of his expensive sneaker. He’d clearly stepped on the crunched-up pile of Fruity Pebbles on the floor. Great. I watched as he brushed his foot against the kitchen tile, then leaned against the counter, almost knocking over a bunch of bowls that were still half-full of milk.
I groaned inwardly. Cade was in my house judging me all over again with new criteria to add to his list. I stacked the bowls and set them in the sink.
Wyatt came running into the kitchen. “Hi, Coach!” he said to Cade. “I’m ready!”
“You must be Wyatt.”
My brother nodded, then glanced at me. “What’s wrong, Lily?” he asked. “You look mad.”
“I do?”
“Are you still mad that Jonah—”
“Ate all the Lucky Charms?” I quickly