Warm Loud Stupid · Still Falling

Val had been dragging through the week flat—tired, head down, mornings blurring together since the merged lunch mess. School didn't land the way it used to.

The library smelled like old paper and floor wax. Ashley found him in the back corner, earbuds out, book open like it could shield him from the week. Golden hair under the fluorescents. Bright smile already waiting. Liz drifted in beside her.

"You've been hiding in here since lunch Tuesday, haven't you," Ashley said.

"I'm reading."

"You're avoiding," Liz said.

"I'm fine."

"You said that Monday. And Wednesday. And yesterday," Liz said.

Ashley leaned in. "Something wrong?"

Liz echoed her. "It's pretty obvious, Val"

Val's shoulders dropped. "It doesn't bother me."

Ashley's grin came back. "True, why would it, Val is still living the life. Dawn on the bus, twins everywhere—"

"Three girlfriends?" Liz picked up.

"No. It's not—"

"We're not doing floor plans yet. Relax," Ashley said.

"Have you kissed anyone?" Liz asked.

"No."

"Okay." Ashley folded her arms. "Then how far have you gone?"

Heat crawled up Val's neck. "Dawn worked my shoulders and neck. At the last sleepover."

"Massage. Sure," Liz said.

"During a sleepover, suspicious," Ashley said.

"That's it. I'm not—" His ears burned anyway. He couldn't finish the sentence.

"How many sleepovers? Ballpark was cute. I want a number," Ashley said.

"Four," Val said.

"With who? Where?" Liz asked. "We're kind of asking for floor plans."

"Every one." He named them—Dawn and the Gu twins, Mei and Xian. "Always the same house in town. The twins' place. Never anywhere else."

"Okay, last one." Ashley's voice went syrup-sweet. "If you had to pick—"

"Who's prettier?"

"Dawn."

His face flamed. "You tricked me!!!!!!!"

Ashley and Liz burst out laughing and dragged him sideways into a double hug—warm and loud and deliberately stupid. Liz's elbow knocked a stack; Ashley ruffled his hair. Val groaned but didn't pull away.

The homeroom bell cut through the stacks. They let go. He gathered his bag.

His chest sat a little higher than when he'd sat down. The cafeteria still stung if he thought about it. For now the weight had eased.