“I lost my sister. My brother moved to a different school, and I found out last night that my dad is leaving our family. If I could switch places with you, I would. I’m not saying you don’t have problems or struggles. Everyone does, but I’m saying rethink what you want. If you want to be popular so much, forget it. It isn’t worth it.”

She looked down, but I heard her say, “It isn’t worth it to you.”

“It isn’t worth it to anyone.”

That would be utopia. If everyone was kind, if everyone was worthy. If there were no hatred, pain, or suffering. If people couldn’t see someone’s skin color, quality of their clothes, where they lived. If nothing mattered except the heart and mind.

I wanted to live in a world like that. I could almost taste it, I wanted it so bad.

I gentled my tone, “If I’m popular, then trust me. I’m miserable. You aren’t. I’ve seen you with the guys.”

The second bell rang.

I was late, but as I turned down the empty hallway, which was thankfully empty, I looked back. Cora hadn’t moved, her back toward me.

Hope fluttered in my chest. It was small, but it was there.

A fourth piece inside me found the other three. They fit the right way.

Cora acted differently the rest of the day. I don’t know why it made me feel good, but it did. We went to lunch with everyone else, taking seats in the booth next to the guys. When Erin and her friends came over, Cora didn’t react like she normally did. She didn’t get all nervous. She didn’t start fidgeting. She didn’t jump when Erin said hello.

She was cool. There was a confidence radiating from her, and I knew the guys took note. Erin too, with a slight frown as she went back to her table of friends. The guys kept sneaking looks at Cora on the way back, and for the rest of the day.

I wasn’t sure if Ryan noticed anything. He was more perceptive than people realized. He just hid it better.

Kirk nudged my shoulder in our seventh period.

“What?”

He pointed his pencil at Cora, who was filling out the worksheet we’d all gotten. “What’s going on with her?”

As if hearing him—and she might’ve—she straightened, holding her head high. If she’d been wearing a crown, it would have remained firmly in place, not like the other times when she’d duck her head or hunch her shoulders.

I almost smiled with pride, but I shrugged instead. “I don’t know. She looks sexier than normal, doesn’t she?”

Ryan glanced at me, a strange look on his face.

But Kirk was studying Cora, and he nodded. “Yeah. She does.” A mystified expression flitted over his face. He nodded again. “Yeah.”

He grabbed his worksheet and bag and left our table. Sliding into the seat next to Cora, he nudged her arm.

I felt Ryan’s gaze on me, but I bent over to finish my worksheet.

His foot went to the book rest underneath my seat, and he pulled my chair toward his. He drew me close enough that our legs pressed against each other’s. “What happened there?”

I shrugged. “Beats me.” But I was grinning. I almost felt silly.

Something felt right. For once.

Ryan didn’t push it. I knew he’d ask later, and I’d tell him. Cora was his friend. He’d be happy.

After a few more minutes, I stopped trying to fill out my worksheet. My concentration was useless, so I sat back and studied the way Cora and Kirk were half-flirting/half-studying each other. They both knew something new was happening, but neither fully understood what it was.

Ryan gave me the answers for the few problems I didn’t have done, and after class, I hurried to catch up with Cora.

I bumped into her arm, grinning.

She looked over and ducked her head, but I saw her smile.

“So.” I jerked a thumb toward Kirk, who was headed toward his locker. “What was that about?”

“You know.” She weaved over, deliberately bumping back into me. “I took your advice to heart.”

“That you aren’t miserable?”

She laughed, shaking her head. “No. Well, yes.” We veered toward her locker.

I went with her and Ryan passed us, moving toward his. But he looked back with the same questioning expression on his face.

Later, I mouthed, and he nodded, stopping at Kirk’s locker first.

“Do you like Kirk?”

She’d never talked about him, just about Ryan.

“I don’t know.” She opened her locker and began to put her books into her bag. “Maybe. I mean . . .” She paused, looking at him as he joked with Ryan. “After Ryan, he’s the hottest guy in school.”

She stared at him, really stared at him, and let out a sigh. “What am I doing? He made out with the Bellini twins last night. He’d never be interested in me.”

I frowned as I really looked at Cora.