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“Sarah said John’s parents are stressed about him getting a tennis scholarship after being kicked out of the academy. And then he was just arrested….” The air became uncomfortable when, paranoid, they looked over at me, wondering if there was a remote possibility I could hear what they were saying.

I stared back impassively, and anyone who turned in my direction looked away quickly. I knew I must look jarring—heavily made-up smoky eyes and tattoos in contrast with my pristine, sporty tennis outfit. It was fun standing up to these people in a way that was harder to do with my friends. But I was annoyed by the interruption in the conversation. I found myself wanting to know more details about John.

“Come on, y’all! Back with your partners. Let’s go!” Clap clap. Everyone reluctantly unwound themselves, took a last drink, and stood up. I watched John hit another shot. I couldn’t tell he was injured at first, but then I saw him favor one shoulder. That’s why he’d been testing it when we sat in the police station. Wow, I’d ruined his tennis career too. He must have reinjured it when he pulled Liv from the water.

“Pretty impressive, huh?” I looked up in surprise when one of the tennis-team girls spoke to me. She was a senior at the bottom of the ladder but firmly held a place in the clique. I remembered her name was Meredith.

“Especially if he’s injured. He doesn’t play with the team?” I asked in spite of myself. Luckily everyone was suddenly more focused on John than on me for once.

“No. Never. He and his younger brother have always had private coaches. And then John was gone last year….” She trailed off and looked past my shoulder. “Is that…person…waiting for you?”

I glanced around, uninterested. “Grace Ellen?” I asked. My tennis partner was dragging herself back to our court. It was hot and humid, but Jesus she was dramatic.

“No. That guy. In the BMW? Over there.”

I whirled around to look. Unbelievably I recognized the familiar BMW, a new car that looked like it had been through a war. I was so relieved, I could have cried. It felt like someone had decided to come get me out of jail. Angus rolled down the window and stared straight at me, dark sunglasses on and loud music trailing out of the car. I remembered I was mad at him, but in spite of myself I had to admit he looked like a handsome badass.

“He is.” Heads turned to watch me as I jogged over to the car.

When I reached it, I slowed and crossed my arms across my chest. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Get in.” He looked all around.

“I can’t!” I gestured around me.

“Look,” he said, frustrated now. “Just get in for a second.” He took off his sunglasses, revealing those electric eyes, and reached over with a long arm and opened the passenger door. He looked different. More conservative. There were no uniforms in the upper school, so Angus usually wore jeans and whatever band T-shirt he felt like wearing. But today his curls were brushed and he was wearing an untucked button-down. This was something one of Liv’s A-group boyfriends would wear.

I felt all eyes on my back as I reluctantly climbed into the car. “I have about one minute.” As pissed as I was, it was so good to see him. It made my stomach ache with longing to know he got to drive away from here and go back to my old life. Like a child, I wouldn’t look at him. I made the mistake of glancing out the window, though, and I already saw a few people pointing.

“Nice outfit,” he said, laughing at me. “What is this look? Goth tennis-Barbie?”

“Shut up.”

“Do they stare at you all the time?” I could feel Angus trying to get me to look at him.

“I think they’re getting used to me maybe.”

“How are you?” He made his voice buttery-soft and gentle, like he used to when we were alone.

“Fine.”

“Really?” he scoffed. Silence. Then, “We miss you.”

I looked over at him. I snapped. “If that’s true, then why haven’t any of you said a word to me? What happened to family coming first?”

“At first we were mad at you. What were you thinking, Julia? Wow. And you really humiliated Liv.”

“I don’t know. I was off my game.” Angus saw my face burn red and lifted the back of his hand to my cheek. He seemed thrown for a moment when our eyes met.

Angus dropped his hand and dragged his gaze away to stare straight ahead. He continued, “When Liv was fine and the whole thing with the cops blew over, we tried. You know we all went to Novak to ask for you to come back, right?” When he saw my look, he said, “No one told you? Yeah, we—most of the group from Barton Springs and even George—went to Novak.”

“What happened?” I suddenly felt one hundred percent better knowing my friends had fought for me. It was the first thing that had made sense since that day.

“Novak shut us down. We aren’t supposed to communicate with you. Which is bullshit. So that’s why I’m here. To check on you. I also need to talk to you.” He angled his body so he was facing me now, arm going around the back of my seat.

“Wait, what do you mean you’re not supposed to communicate with me?”

“We aren’t supposed to go near you,” Angus stated matter-of-factly.

“What did he say exactly?” Now I looked Angus full in the face. I had been surprised he would come here, but now I realized it was safer than him being seen with me in front of our own people. The thought enraged me.