Everything feels so incomplete. Like I ran half a race and then just gave up. Exams are done, school has almost broken up, I should have this overwhelming sense of accomplishment, of freedom, but I don't. I don't know why these last few days matter to me. It's not like I'd be missing anything important. Maybe it's because I never found Book-Boy, never righted any wrongs or did anything really worth doing. In the end I was no awe-inspiring, avenging goddess like Macie. I was just Harlow. Little mouse Harlow who wanted to do so much but ended up just making things worse.

The film, my film sits in the middle of my desk. It's useless now but I couldn't bring myself to throw it away. There is a scrap of torn paper I've taped to it that reads: Moments of Sky by Harlow Riley. It's the only thing I ever made that wasn't an essay or a macaroni picture. I guess I could leave it here, have it collect dust until Fall comes round again. Or maybe I'll convince my mom to have us stay down in Florida for good? We can just leave the house, everything just as it is and never come back. It will be its own everlasting memorial to Harlow Riley and the one thing she ever made. Just like my Dad's room full of empty shells.

My bag is packed and already in the car. My mom is downstairs making PB&J sandwiches for the plane and I'm waiting for Vanessa. She's late, of course, but she doesn't have a plane to catch, so I guess it's not a high priority for her.

I'm watching for her at my window when I suddenly see her sprint into view. I smile and dash down to meet her.

"Stupid... Bus..." She pants. "How do you do that every morning?"

"What do you mean?" I laugh, leading her into the kitchen and pouring her some water.

"Got on the wrong bus..." She explains, downing the glass. "Ran back to the stop... Missed the next bus... Ran to the next stop... Might as well have run the whole way here!"

"Well, I'm glad you made it. It would've sucked to leave without seeing you."

She holds up a bag full of candy, and jiggles it so it rattles noisily. "Leaving party!"

We head upstairs, dump all the candy out onto my bed and attack it, intent on stuffing our faces as full as possible before I have to leave.

"I can't believe you're going!" Vanessa says through a mouth full of Hershey's. "There were so many things I wanted us to do this summer."

"I suppose you can do them with Derrick or Alex."

She shakes her head solemnly. "Not the same." 

I look at her and, in that moment, I feel a rush of love for her; in that stupid, heart-warming, drunken way that you can only feel when you know you won't be seeing someone for a long, long time.

"I know..."

"But Florida... That'll be great... I mean, oranges... Old people, what's not to love?"

I smile. "Yeah I suppose so. I'll miss you of course but I'm starting to think maybe my mom was right. It's been a shitty year."

"The shittiest." She nods in total agreement.

"And hey, maybe you can come down for a week or something? We could go do Disney?" The idea is a sudden, bright inspiration.

Vanessa's face lights up. "That... Sounds... Amazing! I wonder if I can convince Derrick to come down too? And Alex of course."

I make a face.

"Oh yeah, I forgot... You guys didn't make up?"

I shake my head. "He came over yesterday, but I just couldn't face him."

"Why not?" She stops eating candy and looks all serious.

"I know I'm going to sound like a total kid... But he kept Macie's secret all that time without saying anything to anyone and then just blurts mine out right as I'm about to discover who the boy behind the book is. I mean, how could he do that to me?"

Vanessa rolls her eyes. 

I gape at her. 

I was so sure of her support, she's had Alex in her bad books for ages.

"What?" I ask, eyebrows raised almost to the point of flying off my forehead.

"Harlow... Don't you think it might have something to do with him being completely head over heels in love with you since we were fourteen?"

"WHAT?!" I stare at her in complete horror and disbelief.

But her arms are crossed, and her face is exasperated. "Don't look at me like that. You can't tell me you don't know all about it."

"I really... Really don't..." I sit back, blinking hard. 

It's not possible... Is it?

"I swore I wouldn't get involved." She shrugs. "He told your mom about the book because he was really worried about you. He wanted to make up for not saving you from Austin sooner, and the Book-Boy thing... Well, he's been sick about it ever since you found it. He kept wanting to steal it from you and hide it, but he said you were so smart and determined you'd find out it was him and hate him forever." She narrows her eyes. "No offence, Harlow, but if you're for real he has credited you with way more brains than you have."

"Hey!" I exclaim, all possible offence taken.

"I'm sorry, but seriously? You never noticed the way he looks at you? How he always wants to spend time with you?"

"With us..."

"No, Harlow... With you."

"HARLOW!" Mom calls from downstairs at the worst possible moment. "Time to go!"

I sit there, stunned as Vanessa picks up the uneaten candy and shoves it in my carry-on bag.

"HARLOW!" Mom yells again at top volume.

"COMING!" I shout back.

My head is full of Alex... All this time he felt that way and I never realized it...

"I have to talk to him before I go!" I say, determined.

"Fine but do it as you go or your Mom is going to go crazy!" Vanessa pushes me, bag and all out of my room. 

I grab my cellphone out of my pocket and dial Alex's number. It goes straight to voicemail.

"It's off!" I look at Vanessa for ideas.

"Just call him later!" Vanessa's eye rolls are at near Alex levels of wildness.

"I have to speak to him now... You don't understand. How I left things... I just can't leave it like that. Do you have his home phone?"

"You don't have it?" She looks surprised.

We're out in front of the house now and my mom is staring at us over her shoulder as she locks the front door. "What are you girls talking about?"

"I need to talk to Alex, but I don't have his home phone." I explain in a, hurried, offhand way, as if it has nothing to do with her. I throw my bag on the backseat of the car and slam the door, turning to say a last goodbye to Vanessa.

"You couldn't call him anyway." Mom says with assurance, going to the driver's side.

"Why not?" Vanessa and I ask as one.

"His grandfather doesn't like people to call. I called once a while ago to make sure he was okay with Alex coming over to ours for our Movie Nights. He really laid into me. I will never admit to saying this, but that guy is a real jerk."

"Grandfather...?" I repeat, stupidly.

"Yeah... It's just the two of them I think, poor kid."

No... It couldn't be... Not after all this time... Could it? 

The cold rush of realization hits me like an unstoppable wave... A wave carrying the pages of a book, of the book. 

Grandfather. 

The little boy in the rain...

How could I have been so blind?

It's Alex.

All along it's been Alex. The book belongs to him.