"Are you sure we can't just go inside?"

I roll my head over to look at Zoe. "You think it would be easier to find Drake inside the school, rather than outside?"

Kids pour out of the tan-stoned building. It's almost impossible to catch anyone's face, let alone Drake, who's pretty short and small to begin with.

"Maybe we should split up," Zoe says. "Watch different entrances."

I had considered this, but after talking to Hannah again today during class, she told me that he most likely rides his bike home. When I staked out the front of the building, I didn't see any bike rack, only one in the back.

"What are we even going to say when we see him?" Zoe asks.

"I don't really know." I probably should've come with a plan. But we both were just so excited when we did some quick research during lunch and discovered that the high school gets out half an hour after us. We realized that if we hightailed it out of school, we could get Zoe's Mom to drive us to the Sushi restaurant near here. Zoe's Mom is shopping right now and won't be back for us in another hour and half, plenty of time to socialize and "do homework." It was only a five minute run to the school, and we arrived right when classes were being dismissed.

"No plan. I can ride with that." Zoe funnels her hands in a make-shift telescope. "Oh my gosh, I think I spotted him!" I look at where she points. Sure enough, a thin boy whose head is barely visible above the crowd darts toward a black bike on the rack. When his face turns in our direction, I catch sight of overgrown eyebrows and an angular jaw that juts out and is squared on the chin.

"He looks exactly like his yearbook picture," Zoe comments.

"Very convenient. Let's go."

Zoe and I hurry from behind the cars in the parking lot just as Drake mounts his bike and starts riding up the sidewalk. Fortunately, he's headed in our direction.

"Hey!" I exclaim. He nearly rides right past, but stops. He squints at me, folding his arms, encased in black hoodie sleeves, over his chest.

"I would ask if I know you, but I think we both know the answer to that."

"Yes. We were in the same special abilities class."

He grunts. "What is it, Madelyn, right?"

"Yes. We, uh, just were wondering if we could talk to you really quickly."

"About?"

I exchange glances with Zoe. Help me out here.

Then again, this whole thing was my idea. And she did ask before what my plan was. I knew full well what I was getting myself into.

"I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry for your loss."

Drake just stares at me, deadpan.

"You know, Evan?"

"What about Evan?"

"He died." Has he not heard yet?

"Oh right. Forgot about that."

"Well, I'm sorry—"

"You tracked me down just to say that?" Evan snaps. "You always were the overachiever, Madelyn, but really, this is ridiculous."

I blink at him. "What do you mean overachiever?"

"Don't play dumb," Drake says. "You were always staying after class, being the teacher's pet. One day, someone ought to teach you a lesson or two about how to not be such a pain in everyone's neck."

Tears collect in my eyes, but determination helps me to brush away the welling emotions.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to bother you. I just thought—"

"That's really the problem. Maybe if you just didn't think so darn much, you'd be less of a nuisance. Some of us aren't as naturally adept with our skills, so you don't need to rub it in."

"Okay, chill dude," Zoe says. "There's no need to get all upset. Madelyn hasn't done anything wrong."

"Why are you here?" Drake wrinkles his nose.

"Excuse me? What is your problem?" Zoe says.

"I have to get going," Drake says, swinging a leg over his bike. "Some of us have to apply ourselves if we're to get anywhere in school. Then again, you wouldn't know the meaning of hard work, would you?"

Drake's feet find the pedals, and he speeds off, leaving us in his wake.

"Wow," Zoe says. "I can't believe that guy."

I can't talk. I can barely breathe. My throat constricts with emotion and tears.

"Hey, hey are you okay?" Zoe soothes. She places an arm over my shoulder. "Those things he said are total lies. Don't believe a word of them. He just has an ax to grind for some reason." I don't respond, but lean against Zoe.

The part that bothers me most is what if he's right? Maybe I'm not trying hard enough to combat my dark thoughts, the dark side of myself. Maybe I should be working harder.

If I had, would Evan still be alive?

"Let's go get some sushi," Zoe says. I nod, brushing tears from my cheeks. We start up the road, joining the fray of students. "Well, we might not have learned much, but it seems that Drake has some major problems. He's probably on those creepy sites that attract psychopaths and stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if he did it."

Three boys are walking in front of us. One glances behind at us, his brown eyes landing on us before turning around again.

"He didn't seem to dislike Evan," I say.

"He didn't seem to care that he was dead, either."

Again, the asian boy in front of us turns around, his dark, shaggy hair getting flipped into his face by the breeze. The white boy at his side looks behind, too. This time, we make eye contact, and Zoe races ahead. The boys turn around, and the dark-haired boy pulls the phone from his pocket, while the other's redhead turns to the sides.

"Hey, wait up!" Zoe cries.

I groan internally. Seriously? Why are we running after these people? I don't really want these strangers, boys, no less, seeing me with my puffy red eyes.

"Do we know you?" the redhead asks.

"Uh, I think we should be asking you the same question. Why were you looking at us like that?" Zoe asks. She gets in front of them and walks backward until the three boys pause on the sidewalk.

"We've just, uh, never seen you at school before," the dark-haired boy says.

"That's all," the redhead says. The third boy nods, and his light blond curls bob up and down.

"Uh-huh." Zoe crosses her arms. She stares them down and makes it clear that she has no intention of moving. "I don't believe you."

The boys exchange glances. "Okay, fine," the dark-haired boy says. "We saw you talking with Drake. And not gonna lie, it made us a little concerned."

"Why? We can take care of ourselves," Zoe asserts. Her confidence is through the roof.

"He has a bit of a history for being, well, a bit disrespectful. Rebellious. Violent." The dark-haired boy shrugs. "Take your pick."

"We were worried that he was picking on you both." The redhead scratches his patchy chin, a failed, high-school boy attempt to look older than he really is. "Though he typically keeps to himself most of the time."

"Oh really? Does he have any friends?" Zoe asks.

The blond boy laughs. "Friends? Naw. Not at all."

"Yeah. he came to a couple of geometry club meetings on fridays, but he never talks to anyone," the dark-haired boy says.

"Fridays?" Zoe perks up. "Do you remember if he attended three weeks ago?"

He frowns. "No clue. That would've been the second meeting. I know he came to the first one. Why?"

Zoe and I exchange glances. "It's just that, well, we used to know him at our previous school. We thought he was going to show up for an event, but he didn't come and we're curious if there was another reason."

"He hasn't told us why he missed and doubt he will give us that much information," I add.

"We just want to know if there's a good reason."

"I got you," the dark-haired boy says with a nod. "I'm Luke. If you want, I know some of the admins and I can see if his name was on the sign-in sheet. Granted, he could've come and not signed in. But we can find out if his name was on the other sheets for comparison."

"Thanks a lot," Zoe says. "If it's not too much trouble."

"It's cool." Luke grins, flashes perfectly straight teeth. If I didn't know better, I'd say someone has a crush.

Zoe and Luke exchange emails. We part ways, the boys crossing the street while we continue to the traffic light at the edge of the street.

"Well, that went well," Zoe says. "Now we just need to know if Drake has an alibi for that day. I would guess that he doesn't. He just seems like the bad news type, reclusive and mean."

"Seems that the dating app has led to more than one match," I murmur, nudging her playfully. Zoe's eyes widen.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you and Luke. He totally had a crush on you. I wouldn't be surprised if he asks you on a date now that he has your email."

Zoe blushes. "You think he'd do that?"

"I have a feeling that his helpfulness was a ploy to get your email or number."

Zoe's blush deepens to scarlet spreading on her rounded cheeks. "That's awkward."

"It's your turn," I say. "My date didn't work out, remember?" I shouldn't be cracking jokes about the dating app. But at the moment, it feels like the only thing to do.