"So," Terra said as she sat down with her ice cream. "Are you going to tell me what that was all about?"

I pulled my legs under the picnic table that we found ourselves at as I took a bite of the cold treat. The sweetness made my mouth tingle as I tried to think about how to answer her.

"I was just trying to make sure Tawnya couldn't hold anything against me." I shrugged as I took another bite.

Terra clicked her tongue, "Oh come on. You went outside with Andrew, everything was fine. Suddenly you're running back to the house and demanding we leave."

"Yeah, sorry about Chad by the way."

Terra shrugged, "It's no big deal."

It felt like a big deal.

"At least, no big deal if you tell me what's really going on." She cocked an eyebrow.

I sighed. I tried to figure out how I could tell her without telling her.

"Terra I moved here because I did a terrible thing." Her expression changed as she took in what I was saying, "I had to leave Hanover."

She shifted uncomfortably, "What terrible thing did you do?"

I felt tears sting the backs of my eyes as I looked at my new friend, "I killed someone."

I had thought Terra would never speak to me again after my confession but to my surprise, she told me that it wasn't my fault. I was confused. I had thought as soon as someone knew my horrible secret, it would be all over the school and I would have to move again.

All weekend I dreaded Monday. When it finally came and I entered the school, no one seemed to care. I had been there a week so my newness was starting to wear off. There were no strange whispers or looks. Everyone was going about their business like any other school morning.

When I saw Terra at her locker I smiled.

"You didn't tell anyone," I commented as I opened my locker.

She looked up at me and chuckled, "Why would I? You asked me not to, and we're friends."

I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. Back in Hanover, everyone turned against me after the story came out. Even though I had nothing there, I still found myself desperate to go back to the familiarity of home.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"You wore your hair down today," I acknowledged as some of her braids fell over her shoulder.

Terra looked up at me sheepishly, "Uh yeah. I guess I kind of liked it."

I knew what she really meant. She meant that Chad had noticed and she liked that.

Just as I was about to turn to get my books out of my locker I heard a loud bang next to me. I turned to see Tawyna leaning against Andrew's locker, her arms crossed

"Hello?"

"How did you like the party?" She wasn't asking out of kindness.

"T be nice." I heard Terra close her locker. She came and stood beside me looking at her sister.

Tawnya put her hand to her chest and feigned hurt, "I'm always nice."

"That's not true," Terra replied.

"All I'm wondering is if your little friend had a nice romp with Andrew in the garden?"

My blood ran cold at her words.

"You... you... saw?"

She gave me a vicious smile, "Yeah, I saw. And wouldn't it be interesting for the whole school to know that you are indeed the newest Mary Magdalene?"

"Oh stop!" Terra said loudly.

Tawyna pushed up off the locker, "I warned you to stay away from him."

I pressed my lips together. My hands were clammy as I tried to think of what to say- what to do.

"Rori!" I heard my name come from behind me.

We all looked to see Andrew walking quickly towards us.

"Be careful Magdalene," Tawyna warned.

I grabbed Terra's hand and pulled her down the halls towards the library. I knew it was the one place we could lose him, by hiding in the stacks.

Terra kept protesting, repeating my name over and over until I finally stopped in the far corner of the upper level of the library.

"You can't let her get to you like that!" Terra was breathing heavily from the exertion of our escape.

I wiped away some of the tears that fell, "All I wanted was to finish my senior year."

Terra took a breath then pulled me into a hug, "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"It's not your fault. I just want to know why Andrew is so desperate to know me." We stepped back from each other.

"Well to start with you're beautiful," Terra said and I chuckled, "And you're new."

"So maybe once I'm not so new he'll give up?" I asked.

Terra shrugged, "I can't say for sure, but I've known Andrew since Kindergarten. Right now, I don't think he's gonna stop trying to get to you until he knows you're okay."

"What do you mean?"

"He thinks he did something wrong, and he's worried about you," Terra explained.

Realization washed over me, "He called you this weekend, didn't he?"

Terra's teeth dug into her bottom lip as she nodded.

"He's not a bad guy," Terra tried to reassure me, "But he is a guy."

I sighed as I walked over to the balcony that overlooked the library. I didn't see him, so it was likely he had either been stopped by Tawyna, or he had come in and given up looking.

I could run as long as I wanted, but it wasn't that big a school. Eventually, he'd find me. Not to mention, we had History today.

My heart thundered as I stood outside the history classroom. I peered inside and saw Andrew sitting on a desk surrounded by his usual horde.

"We going in?" Terra asked.

"I wish I was the type of person who skips class."

Terra laughed, "Come on."

Andrew's eyes instantly landed on me when I stepped into the room. I quickly turned away and walked towards mine and Terra's usual desks. I could feel him watching me the whole way, but he never had time to come and see me because Mr. Foley thankfully walked into the room.

"Good afternoon class." He beamed at all of us, "Andrew, desks are for textbooks, not your butt. Down."

Andrew did as instructed, giving me one last glance before he was in his seat and paying attention to the front of the classroom.

"Well, I have good news and bad news." Mr. Foley clapped his hands together. "The good news is, this class has no final exam."

Loud whoops and cheers erupted. Mr. Foley nodded and smiled letting the excitement play out for a moment.

"Alright! Alright!" He yelled over the cacophony. The cheering died down and he continued, "Now, in place of an exam you have a semester project."

Groans now filled the classroom.

"And it counts for fifty percent of your final grade." He spoke over us.

More groans and murmuring.

"Have no fear! You won't be doing your project alone." He lifted up a plastic jar that was filled with folded papers, "You'll have a partner."

"We don't get to just pick?" One of Andrew's friends whose name I hadn't learned yet piped up.

"Lady Luck will tell you who you're partnered with."

More groans.

"Alright, Brittany!" He began calling names from the far side of the room.

One by one he called students up and pairs began to form. Some people were happy with their partner, while others didn't seem too impressed.

"Chad." Mr. Foley wiggled the jar.

Chad slowly made his way from his seat to the front where he reached in and picked through the slips before picking one out.

He smirked as he read out the name, "Chad!"

There were some giggles. I looked over at Terra who seemed to be letting out a breath.

"Give me that." Mr. Foley laughed, "Try again."

Chad sighed and put his hand back in the jar. This time he had a bit of a reaction to the name he read.

"Terra."

He looked in her direction and I could've sworn she was going to pass out.

Chad took his seat as I leaned over and whispered, "Lady Luck was good to you."

Terra giggled.

"Andrew." Mr. Foley called next.

I swallowed hard as I watched Andrew walk up to the front. I turned my attention to Tawyna who was sitting forward in her seat, her fingers laced as she watched, hopeful.

I didn't know what I was feeling. Hope as well I supposed. I couldn't be sure that it was hope that he would pick me, or hope that he would pick anyone but me. He slowly opened the stark white paper.

"Rori."

All heads turned in my direction. If it was hope, it had now turned to crushing guilt. Had I willed this into happening? Andrew's eyes were set on me and I felt my breath hitch under his gaze. I could also feel the searing stare of Tawnya who was seething in her seat.

Andrew returned to his desk and Mr. Foley called the next person up. I dared a glance out of the corner of my eye toward Andrew. He was tapping his pencil on his binder... smiling.

"So what time period are we doing?"

I walked along rows of books about medieval Europe. I suddenly ran into a hard chest. "Oof!"

A light chuckle as I looked up to see Andrew. He had his usual grin and I felt my heart flutter.

He backed up, "Well what's your favourite time period?"

I pressed my lips together as I thought, "I suppose I've always been into Victorian-era clothing." I pulled out a book about Victorian sewing.

"We could do a project on how the British Empire expanded in the Victorian era," Andrew suggested.

"Sounds like a very Canadian project." I joked.

Andrew rolled his eyes, "Do you have any ideas?"

"How about we talk about the separation of Massachusetts. You know, when Maine actually became a state." I tossed an idea back.

"Okay, so like covering the thirty-five-year campaign."

"And the abolitionists versus not."

"Done." Andrew put his hand out.

I took it and we shook. I felt a jolt of electricity run up my arm. I instantly pulled back, letting out a gasp.

"You do that a lot." Andrew commented.

"Do what?" I lied horribly.

"Pull away every time we have any form of contact." Andrew clarified, "It's just... something I noticed."

He ran his finger along some of the book spines as he walked along the aisle. He wouldn't look at me, and I wasn't sure why. It felt a little impersonal to ask me a question like then not acknowledge me in any way.

"I don't want to give you the wrong idea." I answered.

"That's fair," he leaned against the bookcase shoving his hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket, "And, I've been coming on too strong."

I was surprised at his admittance.

"This morning I was trying to apologize but you took off before I could." Andrew looked at me, "I'm sorry Rori. I do want to be friends, but if that's too much we can just be project partners."

I felt a little bad that I hadn't given him the chance to say those words. Maybe he was a good guy after all. Then Tawyna's face flashed through my mind, and her words. I couldn't change the fact that I was Andrew's partner on this project, but I also couldn't risk being the school... Mary Magdalene. Even standing here talking about something not project-related felt like I was playing with fire. I looked between the stacks, to see if there were any prying eyes.

"Rori?"

I looked up at Andrew, "I think for now project partners is the best title for us. Then, I don't know. We'll see?"

He looked a little disappointed, his blue eyes losing a little of their sparkle as he nodded.

"We should find books and come up with a plan." Andrew was quick to jump on our new arrangement.

"Okay," I agreed.

We set about finding what we needed before we sat and broke down what each section of the project would cover and who would research what. When the bell finally rang to signify the end of class we had the majority of the project mapped out and a somewhat cohesive schedule to follow, one where our meetings were somewhat limited. Andrew and I went our separate ways with a wave, and despite my effort to fight it, I felt sad to see the back of him.