At lunchtime, I was starving. I couldn’t remember eating dinner last night. Though I’d certainly had enough glasses of water to fill me up, thanks to Gloria’s attempts to keep me hydrated. Ethan got on the lunch line, claiming he had a craving for chocolate milk, but I saw they had giant soft pretzels and knew he was going to surprise me with one. I played along.

Beth was chatting away with the girl sitting next to her. I couldn’t remember her name. Actually, I didn’t remember the names of any of the kids sitting with us. Beth always did all the talking, and everyone else pretty much listened.

I used the distraction to text Dylan back. Not that I wanted to. I just didn’t want him sending any more obnoxious texts while Ethan was around. I’d have to figure out how to block a number on my phone, but until then, I hoped this would shut him up.

Wrong number.

It vibrated almost instantly. What, did he sit on his phone, waiting for it to ring?

Sam?

Nope. Wrong number.

Silence. Hallelujah! I tossed the phone back in my bag, satisfied that was the end of that.

Ethan returned with two soft pretzels and a chocolate milk. “Surprise!”

“Aw, thank you.” I kissed him lightly on the lips.

“You two are so cute,” Beth said. “How did you meet? I mean, you both just moved here, but you get along like you’ve known each other for a while.”

Damn her and her ability to figure things out.

Ethan squeezed my hand under the table. “We met the day we both got here. In the general store. When I saw her, I knew I had to meet her.”

It was times like this that I understood what my mom had always said about Ethan. He was romantic beyond his years.

“And of course she couldn’t resist my charm,” he added. And there was the typical seventeen-year-old boy attitude.

“Actually,” I said, “it was his goofiness that attracted me to him. He knocked over an entire display of toilet paper.” I was amazed how the lies just rolled off my tongue. Even Ethan look shocked by how quickly I’d come up with that story. “We’ve been inseparable ever since.” I popped a piece of soft pretzel into my mouth before I took the story too far. After all, it wasn’t the same story we’d told Mrs. Melrose in the guidance office. Not that I was worried any students would be gossiping with her.

“Totally cute,” Beth said. “I’m predicting you two are still together at prom.”

Ethan and I smiled. If only she knew that we’d already been to one prom together. My parents hadn’t wanted me to go, but since I was running out of time, they couldn’t exactly say no to me.

I finished my lunch while Beth went on and on about Shannon and how she had practically thrown herself at Mr. Ryan in the hallway. The girl had no shame. I just hoped she hadn’t mentioned finding Ethan and me in the bathroom together. Seeing Mr. Ryan was going to be awkward until I knew for sure. I was kind of surprised he wasn’t avoiding me after Shannon’s last rumor about me having a crush on him, but apparently he was used to the female student population acting this way and got over these things quickly.

Beth started in on the break-in next. She said the principal had had the camera by that exit replaced since there was no footage of the old man on it. At least one thing had gone in my favor. She also mentioned an elderly man who was reported missing a month back. He didn’t have any family but the neighbors discovered he was gone. Reporters were assuming it was the same guy.

I didn’t want to hear any more so I stood up. “I’m going to the bathroom. Be right back.”

Ethan nodded and took another bite of his pretzel, which he was now dunking in his chocolate milk.

I tossed my trash and headed to the bathroom across the hall from the cafeteria. I went to the sink and checked my teeth in the mirror, making sure I didn’t have any food stuck in them.

“I figured you’d come here eventually. You seem to like the bathrooms in this place.”

I jumped at the sound of Dylan’s voice. I turned to see him standing in the doorway of the last stall.

“You go to this school?”

“No.”

“Then why are you here? And why are you in the girls’ bathroom of all places?”

“Waiting for you, like I said.” He shifted his weight, leaning against the side of the stall. “My turn with the questions. Why did you lie in your text?”

“What text?” I played dumb.

He took out his phone. “Should I call it now?”

“No!” My phone was still in my bag on the bench next to Ethan.

“So, you admit you lied then? I didn’t have the wrong number.”

“Fine. I lied. But only because I wanted you to stop texting me.”

“Why was my texting you a problem? You didn’t want me showing up where Ethan would find you talking to me, so I found a way around that.”

“You sent me that same threatening message three times!”

“You didn’t respond. I thought it didn’t go through. I’m not big on texting.”

“You prefer yellow Post-it notes, right?”

He ventured out of the stall. “Look, we need to talk. I don’t care how. Phone, text, in person, you pick, but we have to clear some things up.”

“No, we don’t. I already know all I need to know about you.”

“From Nora?” He stepped toward me. “She’s lying to you.”

She’s lying to you. That was what the note on the floor of Ethan’s car had said. “The note wasn’t for Ethan. It was for me.”

“Of course it was for you. I have nothing to say to your boyfriend after he beat the crap out of me.” His hand rose to his nose, which was still healing from Ethan’s punch.

The door opened, and before Dylan could get back to the stall, Beth walked in. “Whoa, dude, I think you got the wrong bathroom.”

Dylan glared at me like this was my fault.

“Do you know him?” Beth asked.

“No. He scared me. I wasn’t expecting to walk into the girls’ bathroom and find a guy in here. Let alone a guy that doesn’t even go to school here.”

“Who are you?” Beth asked Dylan. “Did you break in here?” She turned to me. “Another break-in. That’s two in less than a week.”

Dylan stared at me. If he was waiting for me to defend him, it wasn’t happening.

“Stay there,” Beth said. “And don’t try anything.” She opened the door and yelled down the hall, “There’s a strange guy in the girls’ bathroom!”

Two teachers rushed into the bathroom. I recognized them from cafeteria duty, but I didn’t know their names.

“Right there.” Beth pointed, as if they couldn’t figure out which one of us was the intruder on their own.

They asked Dylan a bunch of questions, and he stood there shaking his head at me. Blaming me. One of the teachers radioed the main office, and a moment later, the school cop came bursting into the bathroom.

“You ladies, go back to the cafeteria,” he said.

Beth grabbed my arm and led me out of the bathroom. Ethan was waiting at the cafeteria door.

“What’s going on? I heard Beth yell, and then the cop ran in there.”

Beth patted my arm like I was a dog. “Some guy was in the girls’ bathroom. He scared Sam.”

“Some guy?” By the tone of Ethan’s voice I could tell he knew it was Dylan.

I nodded.

The bathroom door opened, and the school police officer led Dylan out in handcuffs. The kids in the cafeteria went wild, hooting and cheering.

Dylan stared at me. As he passed by he said, “Nothing is what you think.” He didn’t sound angry. More like hurt.

Ethan rubbed my shoulders as I stared at Dylan’s back getting farther and farther down the hall. I couldn’t help wondering if I had things all wrong. Was there a reason I’d memorized his number before I gave Ethan the note? Was there a reason I hadn’t told Ethan about all Dylan’s attempts to talk to me, all his notes?

Had I made a mistake?

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

ETHAN and I made plans to meet up in the girls’ bathroom again during next period. He suggested we meet in one of the stairwells, but since most of the hall monitors that period were men, I figured the girls’ bathroom was safer. Besides, who would think another guy would risk getting caught there so soon after Dylan was taken away in handcuffs?