Page 43 of As You Walk On

River shrugs, withholding all the information Luca disclosed. “If you want, you can chill with us.”

I almost shout,I’m sorry, what?

Listen, River seems cool. I respect that they were in Maddie’s bedroom first, so it’s their decision, but I like our current setup. Three’s a great number. Enough to distill any awkwardness between conversations. Never too overwhelming. Perfect like TNT. We don’t need a fourth.

I don’t need Aleah’s evil glares every two seconds.

Aleah snorts, crossing her arms. “With you three?”

Her eyes land on each of us again. “Since when have any of you ever hung out?” She squints right at me.

It’s another hard and fast uppercut to the jaw.

“Tonight!” River announces as I mumble, “Surprise, never.”

Aleah’s lips pucker as my joke lands flat.

“Things is,” says River, “we’re trying a social experiment: avoid the boring, narcissistic, uncultured people downstairs who have hostile breath from consuming way too many Doritos and alcohol.”

Aleah blinks like she can’t believe what she’s just heard.

I can’t either.

Who the hell is River?

But it works. Aleah laughs. Beside me, Luca snorts into his hand. I smile at River, who’s tipped up their chin, shoulders proudly drawn back.

Aleah exhales as if she’s buying time to find her next words. “I don’t think this is the place for me. The house. The party. This...” Her long pause is accompanied by a momentary glance my way. “...room.”

“Yes, it is,” River insists, and I really, really want them to just let Aleah go. For both of our sakes. Unfortunately, River doesn’t receive my telepathic plea. “All of us have reasons for not going back downstairs yet.”

I bite my cheek. Luca and River have perfectly acceptable motives for kicking back in Maddie’s room. Do I? There’s an obvious reason why Ishouldgo back to the party. But I haven’t left yet.

“Things have been pretty chill up here,” confirms Luca, rubbing the back of his neck.

Aleah says to River, “Sorry, I thought all the narcissists were downstairs.” She jerks a thumb at Luca. “What’s he doing here?”

He clutches his chest.“Ouch.”

“Oh, whatevs.” Aleah flicks a braid behind her shoulder. “You’d rather be at home doing problem sets anyway.”

“Jesus, you monster! I’m notthat muchof a math nerd.”

“Ramírez, you love that shit,” counters Aleah. “I bet you get a boner anytime someone mentions the Pythagorean theorem.”

“Brutal and incorrect,” he says, then cackles.

“Do you two...” I wiggle my index finger between Aleah and Luca. “...know each other?”

Instantly, Aleah’s smile is ingested by a scowl and harshly narrowed eyes. “It’s kind of hard to miss people you share classes and hallways and an entireschoolwith,” she says coolly. “Among other things.”

“I didn’t mean...” I pause. Now would be the time to shut up. No need to defend myself. Let it go. But I say, “It’s not always intentional.”

Just with you, I don’t say.

“Really? People exist in the same place as you? You notice them? Don’t ig—” Aleah cuts herself off.

We both know what she wanted to say.

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