"Oxbridge, Darwin, and Brickerton," my father stated, flipping over each envelope as he sat behind his desk, a grin reaching his lips as he switched his gaze to me. "All acceptance letters. Congratulations, kiddo."

I smiled and took another sip of my chocolate milk. "Thanks, Dad. Now all I need to do is choose."

He set his eyeglasses down on the table and stared at me, chuckling lightly. "My little girl is graduating high school and going to college in a few months. Where did the time go?"

"Oh, honey." My mother burst open the door and headed straight for the envelopes in my father's hands, opening them all spontaneously with shaking fingers. "Theo told me as I was going down the stairs that your results came in today. All of them." She gasped, eyes wide as she covered her mouth with her hand, then glanced at me. "Darwin and Oxbridge! Brickerton University! Oh, darling, I couldn't be prouder."

Before I could open my mouth, she had me in her arms, dropping the letters on the table before cradling my head with her hand as she sobbed quietly. Surprised by my mother's actions, I awkwardly put my arms around her and patted her back. My dad nodded behind her. "Mom, it's okay. It's just college—"

"Just college!" she repeated in exasperation as she leaned back to look at me, strands of her hair falling from her bun. Her eyes were red and a mixture of sadness and happiness, and her lips held a grin that was as wide as my dad's. "You're not a kid anymore. I don't think I'll let you go to Darwin and Brickerton. They're too far away—"

I groaned. "Mom."

My father laughed, the wrinkles on his forehead disappearing as he did so. "Lea, let our daughter choose whatever she thinks is best for her. I'm sure she'll make the right choice and we'll support you, kiddo, with whatever you decide."

Mom wiped the tears from her eyes as she stood, brushing her blouse and skirt down. "Yes, of course, honey."

I gave them another smile in gratitude before finishing the last of my milk.

"And Faust?" my mother asked, raising her eyebrow. "Where is he planning to go for college?"

Pursing my lips, I set the glass down and answered, "We haven't talked about it yet." My voice was quiet and small. "But there are going to be college scouts coming to the semifinals and the state championships. I'm sure he, like Theo, will have a few to choose from."

Mom nodded and took her briefcase, whispered more words about how proud she was of me in my ear, and left.

"Wherever Faust chooses to go," my dad said once she was gone, "I hope he'll be happy."

I hoped the same.

I was glad to hear the roar of the Chevy's engine and to see the fainted paint of its exterior when Faust picked me up in his truck. Theo's car was gone when I stepped out of the front door.

He leaned down when I reached him with a wide grin, lightly kissing my lips. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Thank you for the ride," I answered, skimming my thumb across his cheek. "I really appreciate it."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't need to thank me?" Faust teased as I rounded the vehicle and jumped in the passenger's seat.

I buckled my seatbelt as Faust settled in the driver's. "Until I get a car of my own to drive myself."

He backed out of the sidewalk in front of my house and quickly glanced at me, a smile touching his lips. "I like being able to do things for you, Thea, so please let me."

When he said things like that, who was I to argue?

About a week had passed and everything was back to as normal as it could be. Faust came to school the day after I visited him and although he seemed distant and usually lost in his thoughts, I was glad that he was okay. The talk about the comments had also really died down alongside the looks and the whispers from the other students.

Faust's presence alone made them cower.

As for the girl who'd won Dispatch, she'd made no other attempts to converse with me in biology or to approach Faust. I found it fortunate and maybe a little funny, but the truth was that I wasn't concerned about her anymore.

And as for Nico, I made it a point to ignore him and only talk to him when necessary. His stares at lunch didn't affect me either.

"I might have to skip lunch today," Faust said, reaching out to place his hand on my knee. "Coach wants to talk to me before training after school."

"Are you in trouble?"

He laughed. "No. He just wants to go over our strategies. He doesn't want your brother and I in the court at the same time."

I frowned. "Why not? You've been placed together before."

"There's a risk of the both of us getting injured at the same time," Faust explained. "We can't afford that during the semifinals and even during the championships. He's worried."

"Oh. Okay, then. But how will you eat lunch?"

"I'll find a way." He shrugged, laughing again when he saw me still frowning. "Don't fret, Thea. I'll be fine. Thank you for worrying."

"You don't have to thank me for that."

His crystal blue eyes shone with humor. "Now you know how I feel."

Covering my hands above his, I played with his fingers and leaned against the seat. "What time will training be finished?"

The Northvale Nighthawks basketball team had been training since Faust came back to school more vigorously. Semifinals was a few days away, and they were determined to bring home the trophy so they could move on to state championships.

"Until eight or nine. It's intense. We have college scouts coming this week and the next," Faust murmured as he took a right. "You don't have to wait."

"If I finish my shift at the library early, I'll come watch you guys and we can have dinner afterwards. Sounds good?"

He merely nodded, eyes seeming lost once again, and we rode the rest of the drive in silence.

The truck pulled up to the parking lot, and Faust twisted his whole body to face me once he shut the engine. "Thea," he started, crunching his eyebrows together, all humor and good vibes from this morning gone as he cleared his throat. I began to grow worried. "I need—I need you to know...that I'm grateful you're still here even when half my teammates threatened you, even when those jerks said those awful things about you, and even when my best—I mean, when Nico was rude to you and even when that girl who won Dispatch approached you because of who I am."

I swallowed hard. "Faust."

"What I did to still have you here with me," he whispered, reaching over to brush his knuckles over the side of my face. "I'm clueless."

Faust kissed me one last time before opening the truck door and jumping down, leaving me confused and dumbfounded.

*

"...experimental research paper," Mr. Finch was saying, writing the words on the board with a blue marker. "Although due next week, this will be a part of your grade for the final project, so don't even think about cramming this."

A few laughs resonated around the room. I continued to tap my pen against the wooden desk as I stared ahead.

"You and your partner will be performing the lab experiment involving DNA and I expect all of you to submit this research paper alongside the results of your experiment by Wednesday," he continued, eyes darting to each of his students. "The rest of the period is yours for discussion and preparation. Use it wisely."

Fifteen minutes left in first period and they had to be spent with Nico. Sighing, I tugged the sleeves of my white sweater down to my palms and turned to face him, only to find him already watching me curiously.

"We can split the research paper into two," I started quietly, switching my gaze to the notebook in front of me. "And I was thinking our topic could be easy but efficient and detailed—ginger ale fermentation and DNA extraction from a fruit. The materials are easily accessible and we can meet at either one of our houses."

My pen was furiously writing across the paper as I kept my hair a curtain between us so I didn't have to look at him. Although I had many reasons to be, I wasn't angry with Nico. Instead, I found myself hurt for the things he had said and perplexed as to why I was feeling this way. Perhaps it was because I'd never had someone hate me so much before.

Nico shifted against his seat and moved closer to me, knee brushing mine in the process. "Sounds good," he murmured, voice low. "And my place is fine."

He didn't say it, but it was clear that he didn't want to be around Theo. I nodded. "Okay. I'll get your address from Faust and your phone number so I can text you when I'm there."

He paused. "Why ask him when I'm already right here?"

Nico's tone was even and steady, but there was an edge with the way he said the words that I couldn't decipher. "I remembered you don't like being asked questions. Especially those asked by me."

I was no longer writing but my eyes stayed glued to the paper. Nico exhaled heavily. "Thea," he said, voice a little pained. Or had I imagined that? He cleared his throat and tried again. "Thea, I don't—I'm not—"

Never thought I would see the day that Nico Romero would stutter. I cut him off. "We could do the parts of the research paper separately and compile them together when we do the experiment. We'll have time to analyze and process the results the rest of the results next week."

Nico drummed his fingers against the desk. "Is Friday evening fine with you? I'm only available by then."

"Oh, wait." I drew my eyebrows together. "The, um, after-party—"

From the corner of my eye, I saw him raise one shoulder. "I'm not going."

Was this actually the same Nico Romero who had been annoyed with Faust for not going to the after-party because he had to meet my parents? Deciding it was best not to argue, I nodded again. "Friday evening it is then."

Not another word was exchanged between us anymore. A few minutes later, while I was doodling spirals on the borders of the notebook, he surprised me by snapping, "So you're back to ignoring me again?"

"I wasn't ignoring you," I answered quietly, digging the tip of the pen to the paper that the ink smudged. "I was just simply not being a bother, like I said I would be."

Hearing Nico's sharp intake of breath, I stole a peek at him for a second to see his eyebrows furrowed and his green eyes unreadable. "And now?" he asked lowly.

I shrugged. "I just shut up before you made me. I don't want to give you a headache after all."

Before he could say another word, the bell rang. I hastily collected my things, my notebook half inside my bag before I was out the door and colliding with a very hard and muscular body.

"Whoa, hey, are you okay?"

"Mm, yes, fine," I mumbled, leaning against the wall for support as Faust wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me steady.

When I was upright, Faust's eyes glanced at me from head to toe, then he peered around me to check the door to the biology classroom as students began filling the hallway. "What's the rush?"

I shook my head and managed a smile. "Nothing. What are you doing here?"

"I was...worried about you." His eyebrows scrunched together as he kept his stare away from me and trained to the classroom. "And can't I see my favorite girl before her next class?"

"You can, though yours is in the opposite building," I said slowly. "Are you okay?"

Nico exited the classroom. He and Faust exchanged glances before the green-eyed boy briskly walked away.

"What was that?" I asked, staring after Nico's back.

Faust finally looked at me. A smile touched his lips but it didn't reach his eyes. "Nothing. And yeah, I'm fine. Come on, I'll walk you to your next class."

He took the strap of my bag and placed it on his own shoulder before putting his arm around me. We walked to history together, receiving curious glances from the other students as we went past.

Something was bothering Faust, and it was enough for him to lie to me and to act paranoid in the halls that treated him like a king.

*

"Are you going?"

I looked up. Sutton was waiting for answer. "Going where?"

"The Senior Year Dance," she clarified with a grin, sitting upright against the office chair. The staff room was a little less crowded now that the meeting regarding feedback on our latest issue was over. Tara perked up at the mention of the dance. "It's in two weeks—the Saturday after state championships."

Oh. Right.

I'd been so caught up in my mess of a life that I'd forgotten about the dance. In the start of senior year, I'd sworn to Theo that I'd go in an effort to step out of my comfort zone. The truth was that I'd always dreamt of experiencing a night full of fun dancing with friends while being dolled up, and now that it was here, it seemed silly to pass up the chance.

"That's exciting," Tara cut in as she flipped through her notes. "We finally have something to look forward to."

I thought about it, wrapping my finger around the curl of my hair. "I mean, I want to go, but—"

"Then it's settled," the blonde said, clapping her hands. "You should save a dance for Tara and I. You need to suffer in heels."

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes as the girls gave each other high-fives. "I think Paula mentioned something a few days ago, she said we should go shopping this weekend. Tara, you should come too."

Sutton scratched her chin. "I'll have to check my schedule. I'll probably just rent a dress or something if I can't come."

The brunette nodded. "Thanks for the invite, but I'm not sure I'm available. I might borrow a dress from my sister instead. How about you, Killian?"

He kept his eyes glued to the computer. "Shopping really isn't my favorite hobby. But if you're talking about the dance, then sure. Sounds fun."

"Great!" Sutton clapped her hands again, grinning. "I'll see you guys there, then. Ticket selling is next week!"

I tilted my head to the side. "Were you just marketing your student council project to us?"

She sent a wink my way before returning her attention to her laptop. "Maybe."

The rest of the members and I worked on our individual school load for the rest of the hour. Killian packed up first, then Tara, then Sutton, instructing me to lock up as soon as I was done. My shift at the library wasn't for another half hour, so I dedicated myself to finishing my homework before going to work.

Being too invested in my assignment, the sound of the door opening slipped past my notice. I almost jumped in surprise when a flash of red dropped itself directly on top of my book.

I raised my head, eyes meeting Nico's angry greens. "What—"

"I didn't think you'd bring it to the lost and found," he said through gritted teeth, looking away.

I blinked, fingers coming to hold the scarf. "This is yours?"

"Just—" he cut himself off and took a deep breath. "Keep it."

Before I could say another word, Nico was already gone.