Chapter 3

Maya shows up at my apartment the next morning while I'm packing for Westbridge.

She lets herself in, looks at me, then stops.

“Okay, this is rude.”

I glance over. “What is?”

“You disappeared for a year and came back looking like this.”

“Looking like what?”

She points at my waist. “Like you secretly hired a trainer and forgot to tell me.”

“I did hire a trainer.”

“That would've been useful information.”

I laugh and toss another sweater into my suitcase.

Maya and I met in foster care when we were kids, so she's seen me through pretty much everything, including the year I got sick and somehow convinced myself moving in with the Emersons might finally give me a family.

That didn't last long.

She drops onto the edge of my bed.

“So, I saw the group chat.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. I muted it after someone put your face on a hippo.”

“Smart.”

She watches me fold a pair of jeans.

“What about Chase?”

I stop for half a second, then hand her my phone.

She reads the screenshots Sabrina sent me.

Her expression changes almost immediately.

“I'm just having fun?”

“Yeah.”

“He actually said that?”

“Apparently.”

Maya keeps reading.

Then she looks up. “Please tell me you're done with him.”

“I am.”

“Then why haven't you blocked him?”

“Because I want to see what he does Friday when I'm standing right in front of him.”

She studies my face for a second.

“Okay. I can work with that.”

My phone buzzes before I can answer.

It's a notification from Westbridge Confessions, one of those anonymous campus gossip accounts people pretend not to follow.

The post already has hundreds of comments.

Someone put my old picture next to a photo of Chase at a party.

The caption says:

WESTBRIDGE'S FAVORITE GOLDEN BOY HAS A SECRET ONLINE GIRLFRIEND

Under it:

And apparently they're meeting in person Friday.

Maya leans over my shoulder.

“These people seriously need hobbies.”

I scroll through the comments.

There is no way he knew what she looked like.

Voice catfishing is actually insane.

Imagine pulling Chase Nolan and refusing to FaceTime.

Then I see a comment from Chase himself.

Chase Nolan: We're just friends.

I stare at it.

Last night he called me baby.

A few days ago he told me he couldn't wait to see me.

Now, in front of everyone at school, I'm just a friend.

Maya reads over my shoulder and lets out a short laugh.

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“That man has confidence for someone this stupid.”

Before I can answer, my phone buzzes again.

Chase.

A voice message.

I press play.

“Baby, you around? I barely slept last night.”

Another message comes in.

Can you send me one of your recordings?

Maya looks at the screen, then at me.

“He really just told the whole school you're his friend and came straight back asking you to put him to sleep.”

“That's about right.”

“What are you gonna say?”

I think about all the recordings I've made for him over the past year.

I used to redo them if there was too much background noise. I bought better equipment after he complained once that my mic sounded fuzzy. I even learned guided breathing exercises because he said they helped.

At the time, I thought I was taking care of someone I loved.

Now it just feels embarrassing.

I type back.

Can't tonight. I'm packing.

He replies almost immediately.

You're being cold.

Then:

Call me later?

I lock my phone without answering.

Maya watches me for a moment.

“You still going Friday?”

“Oh, definitely.”

“To her birthday party?”

“Yes.”

She smiles a little. “Good. Because after everything she posted, I really want to see her face when you walk in.”

I zip my suitcase shut.

“So do I.”