Twelve Steps to Normal(62)

I expect to feel angry—that means Peach is going to stay here longer, which is not part of my twelve-steps plan—but I don’t. Instead I feel sort of bad that I yelled at her yesterday. The last thing I want is to make things harder on her.

“Oh,” is all I can think to say.

“Well,” Saylor says after a beat. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

I nod. “Yeah, okay.”

The back door closes, and I begin gathering up my books. That’s when my eye catches something sitting near my extra pencil, and I realize it’s one of Saylor’s intention bracelets. When I turn it over, I read the word that’s been branded into it: Forgive.

I’m not sure if he purposefully left it here or if it fell off, but before I can think about it too much, I fasten the thing around my wrist. I don’t know what draws me to it, but even so, I have a feeling Saylor won’t mind if I keep it.





TWENTY THREE


BECAUSE I REALLY DO WANT to raise my algebra grade, I end up in the library with Ana on Thursday. She’d agreed to stay an hour later than usual because of my Wavettes practice, which is nice of her. I find her sitting near the reference desk when I push through the double doors.

I’m a little intimidated as I walk over to the table she’s claimed for us. Ana has always been effortlessly gorgeous. Her dark-brown hair hangs down in a braid over her shoulder, and she sits upright with perfect posture.

When she spots me, she smiles. “Kira! It’s great to see you. It’s been too long.”

I’m reminded why she’s popular in her grade. She can easily make anyone feel welcome.

“It really has.” I take a seat next to her, setting my book bag in the chair beside me. “Thanks again for helping me out.”

“It’s no problem. Alex caught me up on what’s going to be on your test next week.”

I pull my algebra textbook and flip to the chapter we covered today about radical functions. “I should warn you that I’m pretty hopeless.”

She waves that aside. “I doubt it. Let’s see what you’re struggling with.”

For the next forty minutes, Ana patiently breaks down Mrs. Donaldson’s most recent lesson. By the end, I’ve even managed to solve a few homework problems on my own.

“See? I knew you could do it.” She smiles at me. Her eyes are the same shade of soft brown as Alex’s, and it catches me off guard for a moment. “Sometimes it helps when someone else explains it in another way.”

Relief breaks through my chest, even though I know I have a long way to go. “Thank you, seriously.”

She dog-ears one of my textbook pages and taps her pencil eraser on the remaining practice problems. “Come see me a few more times before your big test and do these over the weekend so you don’t forget. If you get confused, just text me.” She writes down her number on my spiral.

I glance up at her. “I really appreciate it.”

Ana shrugs like it isn’t a big deal. “I had Mrs. Donaldson last year. I know how she can be.”

“Yeah, but you’re way smarter than me.”

She laughs modestly. “No.”

“Seriously. Alex told me how you guys are up super early to help with the restaurant, and you’re in a ton of clubs and volunteer with tutoring—”

Ana flushes. “Alex told you that? About Rosita’s?”

I try to backtrack. “Well, I mean, yeah he mentioned it once.” Now I’m the one blushing. I don’t want to offend or embarrass Ana. She’s so sweet. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“No, don’t be sorry.” Ana studies me for a few seconds. “You know, I’m not surprised. He’s always been really open with you.”

If Alex’s former crush was obvious to me, then I’m sure Ana and Marlina were also aware. Alex didn’t seem ashamed when he told me about helping his mom out at Rosita’s. Then again, it’d always been easy to talk to each other. But that had slowed when—

Right. When Lacey asked him to Sadie Hawkins and in a weird fit of unannounced jealousy, I quit speaking to him as much.

“I have to get going.” Ana closes her spiral, giving me another warm smile. “But like I said, text me over the weekend if you have any more questions.”

“I will,” I say.

With a small wave, Ana grabs her backpack and walks out of the library. I pack up my things and head toward my locker to get the books I need for my homework tonight. As I’m walking past the auditorium, there’s a loud bang as the doors slam open. A bunch of kids emerge from the theater, including Alex.

My breath sticks in the shallows of my throat.

“Kira, hey!”

He begins to walk over to me. Somehow I find my voice.

“Hey.” My tone feels a few octaves too high. “I just finished tutoring with your sister.”

If Alex notices, he doesn’t say anything. “How’d it go?”

“Really good.”

He grins. “Good.”

A beat of silence falls between us, and I find myself wracking my brain so this moment doesn’t have to be over.

“We’re running through the first act,” Alex says. “For the fall play. All-hands-on-deck mode. I have to move a few props during scene breaks.”