THE LINE BETWEEN US

ame far t

ad still buzzing faintly with the memory of the note Damian had left on my windowsill last night. I had read

ha

r coffee with the paper folded neatly in front of her. "You loo

le I could manage in return.

nose . "Alright. I'll see you later.

r gaze on me as I walked. I adjusted the stra

ess something came up. I pulled my phone out of my pock

ould just ask Mom to drive me. But I could already picture the questions she might ask,

ing against the pavement. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. I wra

ded. If he didn't show, I

hen I

e of a sports car appeared from the corner. My heart gave that stupid leap it al

en... I

ria

where I always

brown strands like it was doing her a personal favor. Even from here, she looke

ened the door, murmuring a quiet "Morning." Marianne's eyes flicked toward me, he

k at your place," he said, his voice casual, almost dis

it. No exp

For a moment, I let myself imagine him glancing to look at me, smiling at m

. I stared out the window, letting their words blur into a meaningless hum, but every now and then, Mar

ghter, my nails pres

the note fro

ver at my house with her parents, bu

ed dinner tables, champagne glasses that never emptied. The kind of life I could never re

my sneakers, at the way my glasses kept sli

hearsed the goodbye in my head. Quick. Distant. Bef

ian leaned toward Marianne with

eautiful when she smiled, and h

nched my fists around my own backpa

my legs were moving, carrying me away

Damian call

es, it would be over. He'd see right through me, through the careful, q

of the school swallowing me whole. My

first class. The hallway was crowded, students weav

the

happ

ht my foot. Or

he breath whooshing out of me as I hit the

caught me, and the sound of laughter, low, sharp

humiliation, my heart poundin

d wasn't expect