One

During the first week of classes after Christmas break, between fourth and fifth periods at Mooresville High School, Trisha Thompson went looking for Christina Eckloe. She found her best friend crying in the girls' bathroom. Her sobs were muffled and sounded almost like a kitten mewing, hardly the reflection of a breaking heart, but Trisha wasn't fooled. She'd heard Christina cry before. And it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Tucker Hanson.

Trisha slipped into the unlocked stall where Christina was hiding, her hands covering her face. Trisha unrolled a swath of toilet paper and handed it to her friend. "Here, use this. It's more absorbent than your palms."

Christina took the wad of paper without looking up. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "H-how did you find me?"

"When you didn't show up for lunch, I started checking the bathrooms. This was my third stop."

"Wh-where are the others? I don't want them to see me like this."

"Kim and Darby went on to class. Cody's waiting outside in the hall."

"Why couldn't I get a guy like Cody?" Christina asked.

"You mean instead of a jerk like Tucker? That's always been my question to you, hasn't it?" Trisha felt angry. "Tucker is the reason you're crying, isn't he? I mean, he usually is the reason you cry."

Christina nodded.

Trisha sighed. "What'd he do this time?"

"We had a fight."

"Over what?"

"You don't have to talk to me like I'm a child," Christina said. She stood shakily and edged past Trisha out of the stall.

Trisha followed. "Sorry...