3:59

TWENTY-THREE

6:15 P.M.

JOSIE SAT IN THE BLEACHERS, WATCHING NICK at track practice. She’d been there for almost three and a half hours, waiting.

He’d avoided her at lunch; that was clear. Josie knew from Jo’s cheat sheet that they had third lunch together, but Nick had never appeared in the cafeteria. It had been the weirdest lunch period of her life. Just like in the hallways between classes, people were constantly stopping by her table to say hi and ask if she needed anything, but no one sat down near her. In fact, no one sat down at the table. She had the whole, long cafeteria table to herself.

If this was popularity, Jo could keep it.

By the beginning of fourth period, she would have talked to the school janitor, given the opportunity. She was desperate for conversation.

She and Nick were supposed to have fourth-period European History together. Finally, she figured he’d be forced to at least sit in the same room with her. Apparently, not so much. Same as lunch, Nick never showed.

But if this Nick was anything like her Nick, track practice was the one place he would absolutely, positively be. Josie was right. Twenty minutes after the final bell, Josie saw him trot out onto the all-weather track in his usual red-and-white track shorts. He’d glanced in her direction and paused. Josie had waved at him, but instead of waving back, he’d turned and sprinted to the far side of the field for his stretches.

Ugh. It was like she was reliving her own crappy life. What was going on?

She had less than twelve hours to spend with Nick. She was determined to make every second count.

Even if that meant camping out on a hot, metal bleacher for three hours while Nick went through the longest workout in the history of track workouts.

It was déjà vu all over again. Sitting in the bleachers watching Nick at track practice, while Nick basically ignored her very existence.

This had to be a parallel universe. Nothing was more parallel than what Josie felt.

It was the slowest three hours of her life, for sure. With the exception of the bodies moving around the track, there wasn’t much to look at. Although every once in a while, Josie caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, a figure in the trees on the south side of the track. But when she’d look in that direction, there was never anyone there. Josie shook her head. She was just being paranoid, like Penelope and her talk of serial killers and dismembered bodies in the woods. Ridiculous. Those deaths took place in a different world, far from where Josie was now.

Nick was the last to leave the track. The coaches and managers were already packing up when he finished his last sprint. Again, he glanced at the bleachers. He must have seen her. But instead of coming over to talk to her, he turned on his heel and headed straight to the boys’ locker room.

What the hell? He was avoiding her, of that Josie was sure. Was it about Tony? Josie was determined to find out.

She just had to find him. And there was one place Nick would have to show up.

Josie shouldered her bag and marched into the school parking lot. There were only two cars left: Jo’s black BMW and a beat-up old SUV.

Bingo.

Fifteen minutes later, her patience paid off. Nick exited the side door of the gym and made a beeline for his car.

“You want to tell me why you’ve been avoiding me all day?” Josie asked, stepping out from behind his car. Her mock-up of Jo’s confidence was finally starting to feel more “make it” and less “fake it.”

Nick flinched and dropped his keys on the ground. “Shit, Jo. You scared me. What are you doing here?”

“I want to know why you’re avoiding me.”

He bent down to pick up his keys and slowly straightened up. “Avoiding you?” he said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really? Where were you at lunch? And fourth period?”

Nick looked her dead in the eye. “I was excused for both.”

“Is this about Tony?” Josie blurted out. “If you want to talk about it, I’m here for you.”

Nick flinched. “What are you, my mother?”

“I’m your girlfriend,” Josie erupted. She wasn’t sure which Nick the anger was directed at. Maybe both.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me.” She totally failed at keeping the exasperation out of her voice. She pulled the necklace out from under her sweater. “Remember this?”

“Your mom’s necklace? What does that have to do with it?”

Josie’s mouth went dry. “My mom’s necklace?”

“I told you the other day when I gave it back to you.”

Returned. That’s what Mr. Byrne meant. Josie felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach. It wasn’t a gift; Nick had just been returning something to her.

“It got mixed up with my brother’s things after the accident,” Nick continued, emphasizing every word, like he was talking to a small child who might not understand.

“The accident . . .” Josie shook her head. Was that why Jo’s mom wasn’t around? Had there been some sort of car wreck or something? Something to do with Tony?

Nick let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, I’ve told you at least twice so let’s make this the last time. You and I are just friends. That’s all we are and that’s all we’ll ever be. So no more picnic invitations; no more hugging episodes like in the hall this morning, okay?”

Nick’s face hardened as he spoke. Josie knew that look. She’d seen it before on her ex-boyfriend’s face. Just once: the last conversation they had before she caught him cheating with Madison. Nick had wanted to talk to her, but she didn’t have time, and the same fleeting look passed over his face.

That’s what she saw in this Nick. Disgust.

The realization came crashing upon her, like a spring thunderstorm barreling down the Potomac Valley. Nick hated her.

Josie felt her body sway. It was happening again, same as before. Her skin had gone clammy. Her brow beaded up with sweat, but she felt cold and shivery as if she was running a high fever. She pressed her hand to her temple and noticed that the parking lot of Bowie Prep was tilting ever so slightly to the left. As she started to lose her balance, she could have sworn she saw a figure duck behind her car.

“Jo? Are you okay?” Nick moved toward her, placing a hand on her shoulder, but Josie shook free. It was even worse here than it was back home. Not only was this Nick not in love with her, he absolutely hated her.

Josie’s face burned. She was so humiliated, like she was reliving Madison and Nick’s betrayal. She hadn’t thought anything could be as bad as that moment, but the hatred she saw in Nick’s eyes was definitely worse. She wanted to get out of there, to run as far away from Nick Fiorino as she possibly could, in this universe or any other.

Nick glanced up at the horizon. “Sun’s going down. You’d better get in my car. I’ll drive you home.”

“Get in your car?” Was he crazy? Josie backed away. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She wasn’t going to be the victim anymore. She wouldn’t put herself in the position to be hurt by this Nick in the same way she’d been hurt by her own. It was the only thing she could control.

“Jo, wait!”

Too late. Josie didn’t care if Jo’s BMW sat in the school parking lot all night. She needed to get out of there. Now. She swung around and stumbled around the corner of the gym, out of Nick’s sight.