you. The reason I behaved the way I did last night is because I trapped those feelings and thoughts inside for so long that they just exploded. From the day we met, I’ve been pretending to be someone else. I’ve been pretending to be the girl I thought you wanted. But I’m not her. I get jealous when you flirt with other girls. I get angry when you Snapchat with them when you’re supposed to be watching a movie with me. That’s who I am. I’m sorry I misled you for so long. It wasn’t fair to you or to me.”
Tristan stares at me for a long moment. I can tell this isn’t what he expected me to say, and to be honest, one week ago this isn’t what I’d expect me to say either.
He blinks rapidly, trying to gather his thoughts.
“We should get to class,” I say, walking past him, but he stops me, gently reaching out for my hand.
“I’m sorry, too,” he says.
Now it’s my turn to be stunned. “What?”
“For last night. I should have put my phone away. I shouldn’t have made you feel ignored. That was really insensitive of me. I know I’d hate it if you were texting other guys when you were with me.”
I’m so speechless, I can’t move. Tristan is apologizing to me?
“Do you forgive me?” He bends down and gently touches his lips to mine. His kiss is so disarming, his apology is so heartfelt, all I can do is nod.
The bell rings, snapping me out of my reverie. I glance at my phone.
Crap!
If I run, I might just make it. I take off at a sprint down the hallway.
“Ellie?” Tristan calls after me.
“We’re late!” I yell over my shoulder. “He’s not dying today! No one is dying today!”
I hear footsteps behind me. “What are you talking about? Who’s dying?”
Why didn’t I suggest we meet at Tristan’s locker? It’s right next to our Spanish classroom, while mine is on the other side of the school.
The hallways are emptying as I race up the stairs, past the library, and into the foreign language corridor.
“Why are we running?” Tristan pants from somewhere behind me.
By the time I burst through the doors of the classroom a few minutes later, Señora Mendoza is already halfway through her future conjugation of the verb ver.
“Nosotros veremos,” she declares to the class. She pauses when she sees me. “Señorita Sparks. It’s nice of you to join us today.”
I ignore her and fly across the classroom, weaving around chairs and knocking textbooks off desks in the process.
“Señorita Sparks,” she repeats, this time with a tinge of exasperation. “Will you please take your seat?”
I reach the window, flip the lock, and thrust it open just in time. The massive black bird comes soaring into the classroom, right over my head. Some of the girls scream.
“¡Dios mío!” Señora exclaims, clutching her chest. The bird makes a full lap around the room, forcing the teacher to duck to avoid getting dive-bombed. Then, just as suddenly as it entered, it flies back out the window. I slam it closed, flip the lock back into place, and saunter to my desk.
Every pair of eyes in the classroom is trained on me. Tristan is still standing in the doorway, staring at me in astonishment.
I slip into my chair and ask, “What?”
“Señorita Sparks,” Señora says reprovingly.
“Oh, sorry, I mean, ¿Qué?”
Black Magic Woman
11:25 a.m.
My history test is a breeze. If I don’t know those questions backward and forward by now, then there’s absolutely no hope for me. Daphne Gray, once again, is extremely annoyed that she has to write “100%” at the top of my paper. And she’s even more annoyed when she notices Tristan waiting for me outside our classroom when fifth period ends.
She gives me a dirty scowl and stomps off down the hallway.
“Hey,” Tristan says, his fingers lacing through mine. “Are you coming to the band room for lunch?”
“No,” I say apologetically. “I’m going to the book club meeting.”
His face scrunches in confusion. “We have a book club?”
I playfully bump his hip with mine. “Yes, we have a book club.”
“When did you join it?”
“Today.”
He still seems baffled by this turn of events. “But have you even read the book?”
I nod. “Actually, I have, but you can walk me to the cafeteria. I’m going to grab something to take to the library.”
Not only does Tristan walk with me, he even waits in line with me and pays for my turkey sandwich.
“So, you’re sure you don’t want