Extraordinary October by Diana Wagman

thought about Tannenbaum and detention—again. Okay, gym class was lame, but at least I showed up and I never, not once, used my period as an excuse. Personally, I think that sets women back 100 years. I mean it happens every month—time to deal with it, ladies. But Tannenbaum really did not like me and so I didn’t like her. It was so nice and easy to be pissed off about something so normal like the PE teacher and detention, because when I thought about Walker and the dream or vision or whatever I’d had when I hit my head on the rock I felt sick to my stomach.
    As Ms. Lani, the biology teacher, droned on, I looked through the window and saw Walker’s beautiful silver Porsche pull up in the parking lot. I saw him get out of his car. I had to talk to him. Immediately. I had to. I didn’t raise my hand or anything, just said, “Excuse me,” and ran out of the room.
    â€œWalker!” I was well aware my entire class—including the teacher—could see me in the parking lot. I tried not to look like a crazy person, but I was feeling pretty nuts.
    â€œI want to talk to you.”
    Walker didn’t seem surprised. He turned his startling blue eyes to me and smiled. “Great.”
    â€œDon’t,” I said.
    â€œDon’t what?”
    Don’t be so sweet, I wanted to say. Don’t be so cute. Definitely don’t touch me and make me feel all loose and Jello-y. But I couldn’t say that to him. “Did anything happen this morning?”
    He looked puzzled.
    â€œDid we talk? Did you have a fight with Trevor?”
    â€œI just got here.” He looked calm and clean, not as if we’d been running through the woods and fighting crows. “Your poor head. Now what?” He reached for my forehead and touched the bump with one finger.
    That touch. Like warm syrup running through my veins. I remembered his arms around me in what had to be my dream, the way he inspected every part of me to see if I was okay, the way we almost kissed. Had to be a dream. Had to be. I shook my head. “Sorry,” I said.
    Then he ran his hands through his hair and the sleeve of his button down shirt pulled back and I saw the long, raw scrape down his arm.
    â€œYour arm,” I said.
    For a second his face shifted, blanched as if he’d been caught, but returned to normal so quickly I couldn’t be sure I’d seen anything. “What?” he asked.
    â€œThat’s quite a scrape.”
    â€œYou’re not the only klutz around.” He laughed and pulled his sleeve down. “I tripped.”
    He was lying. I knew it. But if the morning had happened, then how did I end up in the grass? I was dizzy. “I have to sit down.”
    He caught me as I swayed and led me to the curb.
    â€œI don’t feel well,” I said.
    â€œTake deep breaths,” he instructed. “Slowly.”
    I breathed. I looked up at him, but he was scanning the sky. My stomach lurched. “Looking for crows?” I asked.
    He squatted in front of me. “Please,” he said, “Please stay away from Trevor.”
    His face was so serious, so beautiful, almost shining in the sunlight. I thought of Trevor and he was dark and mysterious and yes, kind of sexy in an earthy way. “Okay,” I said even though I wasn’t sure I should. I wobbled to my feet. “I’ll stay away from him—for today—but then you have to tell me what is really going on.”
    â€œI will,” Walker said. “Trust me.”
    That again. “When?”
    â€œTomorrow.”
    The rest of the day passed uneventfully except Ms. Lani gave me detention for running out of class to “talk to a boy.” I didn’t tell her I already had detention, and I hoped she wouldn’t find out.
    The fireflies were out again in the empty lot as I rode the bus home at sunset. They were the highlight of an otherwise sucky day. I did get out a couple stops early so