The next day was a Friday, the shortest class day of the week. When the bell signaled the end of Senior English at 2:00, Tess lingered at her desk, taking her time to gather her notebook and papers.

To her chagrin, Jacqui waited for her. "Come on, slow poke! Don't you know that bell means the weekend is here?"

Tess met Jacqui at the end of their row of desks and said, "Oh, I know."

Something in Tess's expression must have given her away, because Jacqui looked concerned at once. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really, but I hope it will be soon."

"You wanna talk about it?" Jacqui stepped into the hall and paused to wait for Tess, and then they began to walk toward their lockers. "I don't have to be anywhere."

"You're really sweet, Jacqui, but no thank you. I'll tell you everything, I promise. I just can't right now. I'll call you tonight or tomorrow, maybe."

Skeptical, Jacqui said, "Okay...but if you don't, I'll be callin' you."

Tess hoped she could repay Jacqui someday for her tireless friendship. Introverted and anxious, Tess sometimes felt undeserving of the support she received from her friend—now, more than ever, since Jacqui had been thrilled to coo over Isaac and Tess's relationship ever since the beginning and had no idea how complicated things were.

They had arrived at their lockers. Tess opened her locker and began organizing the stuff she'd need for homework that weekend, trying to focus so she wouldn't forget anything critical.

"Have a good weekend, Tess!" said Jacqui, slamming her locker door. "Talk to you tonight—or tomorrow. Promise?"

"Promise." Tess smiled and waved. "Have a good weekend, Jacqui."

Her braids swinging, Jacqui turned away and headed down the hall toward the main courtyard. Tess gathered the rest of her books and swung her backpack onto her shoulder, bumping her locker closed with her hip. When she turned around, she was startled to see Isaac coming up the hall toward her.

"Hey, babe!" he said. "You said you wanted to talk?"

"Yeah. Let's go outside," Tess said, turning to head down the hall.

"You were quiet last night. How'd everything go with Miguel?"

"It went well. I'll tell you about it...just not here." The halls were emptying, but there were still many students milling around, making weekend plans or lamenting the amount of homework they'd have over the weekend. Tess kept her head down as she walked, leading Isaac out past the office and into the courtyard.

Her mother's Camry was parked at the curb. Right on time. Even from a distance, Tess could see her mother's wave.

"That's your mom. Do you need to go?" Isaac asked, glancing at Clarette's car.

"No, she'll wait." Tess turned to face Isaac, looking up at him. Her palms were cold and sweaty, and her stomach ached, but knowing that Clarette was watching—just as they had planned the previous night—made her feel safe and strong. She knew Jacqui would support her, too; she was not alone. "I'm breaking up with you."

Isaac's face went blank. "What?"

She waited, watching what she had said register on Isaac's face; she waited for his reaction, her stomach churning.

"Why?" he demanded. He glanced again toward Clarette's car. At his sides, his hands curled into fists, but he kept his voice level.

"There are a few reasons. Isaac, I like you. I do. But I don't think we'll work together. I need to prioritize my studies right now, and I know that I can't do that if we're together."

"I thought you were happy—"

"I was...but the next few months are really important for me to get everything right. I have college on the line. And I think if you can't trust me, neither of us is going to be happy together. It's as simple as that."

"Tess. You can't be serious. We had one fight. One." He had moved past his surprise now and seemed to think she might be joking. He smiled at her, reaching out to put a hand on her arm. "Come on. Be reasonable. Give me a chance here."

She looked up at Isaac's smile—at the confidence in his eyes, at his charming dimples—and wavered for a moment at the sincerity in his voice. He almost made her think she was getting things wrong. Almost.

"I am being reasonable," she said. "I hope everything works out for you, Isaac."

Turning away from Isaac, Tess shook off his hand. She took two steps and was jerked back by the straps of her backpack: Isaac had grabbed onto it, halting her. "Tess, wait. You aren't even listening."

A prickle of fear swept down Tess's back. She stopped, raising her head. "Isaac, please—"

Then, Tess saw that her mom had gotten out of the car; Clarette had come around the hood of the Camry and was standing on the curb, her arms folded, a watchful, tense expression on her face. She raised her hand. "Come on, honey, your father's waiting for us at home."

The weight Tess's bag settled against her back again as Isaac let her go, and Tess headed forward to meet her mom without looking back.