Past Midnight. Mara Purnhagen

it once after we took the long way to pick up medicine from Dante’s vet.

      “I don’t like heavy traffic,” she had said with a shrug. “And I want to be careful with my new car.”

      We arrived at school, and Avery turned into the section reserved for seniors. About half a dozen girls stood in one corner. When they saw Avery’s car, they all waved happily, then parted like a wave. They had been blocking off a specific space, I realized, to make sure that no one else could park there.

      We stepped out of the car and were greeted by a chorus of hellos. Some of the girls offered Avery quick hugs. They complimented her clothes and said how great it was to see her. I hung back, waiting to be introduced.

      “This is Charlotte,” Avery said finally. “She just moved here from Charleston.”

      The girls smiled and looked at me closely. I smiled in return, suddenly self-conscious. They were sizing me up, I thought, judging whether or not I would be accepted into their circle. I was sure Avery had told them about me, but how much?

      “Do you cheer?” asked one. I wasn’t sure who had spoken. All the girls had long, light-colored hair and perfect tans.

      “Uh, no. Sorry, I don’t cheer.”

      Avery laughed. “But we’ll overlook that one little personality flaw, won’t we?” she asked, and the other girls giggled at the joke.

      “Any friend of Avery’s is a friend of ours,” said a girl to my left, and the others nodded and murmured their agreement. I relaxed a little. Avery suggested we go to the main office to pick up my class schedule, and we all walked as one big group across the parking lot and into the school.

      We attracted more than a little attention as we made our way through the wide, crowded hallways. The girls pointed out to me where the cafeteria was and chatted about who they had for English and math. When we got to the office, they formed a semicircle behind me as I waited for the secretary to locate my schedule.

      “Your locker number and combination are here,” said the frowning woman as she pointed to the bottom of my schedule. Then she noticed Avery, and something in her face softened.

      “How are you, dear?” she asked. Genuine concern filled her voice.

      “Fine, thanks,” Avery replied brightly. Then she nudged me and we left.

      The girls passed around my schedule, comparing it with their own. “She’s in B lunch!” exclaimed one.

      Avery smiled. “That means we all have lunch together.”

      When we reached the senior hallway, Avery checked my locker number. “Callie, would you mind showing Charlotte to her locker?”

      The tallest girl in the group reached for my schedule. She looked down at the number, then up at Avery. Something passed between them, but I wasn’t sure what it was. “Of course,” she said. “We’ll catch up with you later.”