Chapter 1

It was the first day of senior year. Everything felt the same, but somehow different at the same time.

The hallways were just as loud, the classrooms looked just as boring, and everyone seemed to have spent the summer growing up without asking my permission.

But before we get into all that, let me introduce everyone.

First, there’s me, Alex. I’m the shy one of the group. I play softball, make Kandi bracelets, and listen to music whenever I can. Talking to people isn’t exactly my superpower.

Then there’s Jules, who loves music and video games and somehow manages to stay awake until midnight playing them.

Emma is our theater kid. Give her a stage, a song, or literally any excuse to act dramatic, and she’s happy.

And finally, there’s Makenna. She loves cats and reading, and I’m pretty sure she could finish an entire book before Emma finished telling one story.

“Hey, Jules!” I called as we met in the hallway.

“Hi, Alex!”

“Hey, Emma,” I said.

“Hey! Hi, Kenna!”

We were halfway through deciding what to do after school when Emma suddenly stopped walking.

“GUYS. Look at that poster!”

She pointed to a colorful sheet of paper taped to the wall.

THE ART CLUB

Photography. Art. Songwriting.Musical theatre

Everyone welcome.

“Wait, drawing ?” Jules asked, stepping closer.

“And musical theatre !” Emma said. “We literally have to join.”

“We don’t have to,” Makenna replied, already reading the poster again.

Emma stared at her.

“Okay, fine. We emotionally have to join.”

I laughed. “Honestly? Let’s do it.”

“It’s settled,” Jules announced. “Room 17 after school.”

And just like that, our senior year started becoming something none of us had planned for.

We just didn’t know it yet.

The final bell rang, and by the time we made it to Room 17, Emma was practically vibrating with excitement.

“Imagine if we get to make a whole movie,” she said, pushing open the door. “Or write a musical. Or—”

“Emma,” Makenna interrupted. “We haven’t even signed in yet.”

“Let me DREAM.”

I laughed and stepped into the room.

Room 17 was way different from the rest of the school. There were paintings covering the walls, shelves stuffed with sketchbooks, and strings of little fairy lights hanging around the windows. A keyboard sat in one corner, and a camera rested on a table beside a pile of notebooks.

It actually felt like somewhere I wanted to be.

“Okay, this place is sick,” Jules said.

“Right?” I replied.

Jules turned toward me with a grin. “Didn’t know you were into art rooms.”

“I make Kandi, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.” They glanced at my bracelets. “You made that one, right?”

I looked down at the purple-and-blue bracelet on my wrist.

“Yeah.”

“It’s cool.”

That was it. Two words.

It’s cool.

So why was I suddenly forgetting how to act like a normal person?

“Thanks,” I mumbled.

Jules smiled and walked farther into the room.

I stood there for approximately three seconds, mentally recovering.

Then Emma grabbed my arm.

“Alex.”

“What?”

She narrowed her eyes at me.

“Nothing,” she said slowly.

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason.”

I knew that look.

I absolutely hated that look.

Before I could question her, a woman standing near the front of the room clapped her hands.

“Welcome to the art club! I’m Ms. Rivera. Find a seat, everyone. We’re going to start with a little activity.”

There were tables arranged in groups of two.

Emma immediately dragged Makenna toward one of them.

“Come on, we’re sitting together.”

“Why did I know you were going to do that?” Makenna sighed.

That left me standing beside Jules.

We both looked at the same empty table.

Then at each other.

“You can sit there,” Jules said, pointing to one of the chairs.

“You can sit there too.”

“I know.”

“Right.”

PLEASE. SOMEONE TAKE ME OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION.

Jules laughed.

Not in a mean way. Just a little laugh, like they thought I was funny.

Then they pulled out the chair beside them.

“Come on, Alex.”

And for some completely unreasonable reason, my heart did a tiny flip.

I sat down.

Ms. Rivera handed everyone a sheet of paper.

“For today’s activity, I want you to draw something that represents who you are. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to make sense to anyone else. Just make it yours.”

I stared at my blank page.

Okay. I could do this.

I drew a little softball first, then a few colorful beads, and finally a pair of headphones.

Beside me, Jules was drawing a video game controller with tiny stars around it.

“That’s actually really good,” I said.

They looked at my paper.

“So is yours.”

I immediately looked away.

“Thanks.”

A few seconds passed.

Then Jules leaned closer to look at my bracelets.

“Do you make those for other people?”