A Beautiful Dark

change the world.”
    I stared at him, trying to formulate a cutting retort—and failing.
    He smiled smugly and leaned back in his chair.
    We sat in silence for the rest of the period. Every time I glanced over at him, the look on his face made it clear that he thought he’d won the argument.
    As I got into line in the cafeteria during lunch that Wednesday, Devin fell into place behind me.
    “Hi,” he said. “How were the cookies?”
    “Delicious. You should have come in for some.” I immediately wanted to slap my hand over my mouth. Why had I said that? Was I flirting with him?
    “Maybe next time. Is your aunt back from her trip?”
    “Yeah,” I said. “She got back a few days ago. She’s actually not my aunt, she’s my legal guardian. I just call her that.”
    “Oh,” he replied. “Right.”
    “She was my mom’s best friend. She adopted me when they died.”
    “I’m sorry about your parents. That had to be hard.” His eyes met mine, and I saw sympathy and understanding there. Had he lost someone, too? If not in the fire then in some other way?
    “Yeah,” I said. “It was. Is, I mean.” I wished we were back on the quiet trail in the woods. Maybe I could have talked more easily there, but in the bustling cafeteria, it was nearly impossible to get the words out. We were at the front of the line, and I turned from Devin to Greta, the lunch lady. “Turkey sandwich and an apple, please.”
    “Enjoy your lunch,” he said.
    I almost invited him to join me but stopped myself. “Thanks,” I said. “You, too.”
    I spotted Cassie and Dan at our usual table, smiling and watching as I wove through the rows toward them. I smiled back, but an uneasy feeling was creeping up on me.
    I had never mentioned anything to Devin about Aunt Jo—especially not that she’d been away.
    “Now usually I’m not one to say I told you so. . . .” Cassie cooed as I sat down. “But that is what I told you. So.”
    “Laugh it up,” I said.
    “And the timing couldn’t be more perfect!” Cassie clasped her hands together.
    We were leaving for our ski trip the next day, and as Cassie made sure to remind me, it was known for being hookup central. Apparently it was some rare combination of coming in from the cold, the endorphins produced by steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and the effect that cute ski outfits had on teenage guys. Cassie had it down to an exact science.
    But I wasn’t so sure hooking up was what Devin and Asher wanted.
    “Although you may have some competition,” she said. I followed her gaze across the cafeteria, where Asher was sitting at the end of one of the long tables—surrounded by girls. “Looks like he’s having no trouble fitting in.” I saw Maggie and Ellie on either side of him; Ellie was twirling her hair and batting her eyelashes at Asher, and Asher was eating it up, leaning in to whisper in her ear, making her throw her head back in a fit of laughter.
    I wasn’t sure if I was disgusted—or disappointed.
    Devin sat at the far end of the same table. A few of the girls tried talking to him, but he avoided eye contact and appeared vaguely uncomfortable the whole time. I smiled a little to myself and felt mildly better.
    Asher looked up, caught my eye, and winked. As though, even while he was sitting in the middle of that huge group of girls, I was the only one that mattered.
    I looked away, my blood boiling. It’s not that I was jealous—because I wasn’t, not at all—but it drove me crazy that he thought he could wink at me and I’d suddenly swoon like all the other girls at school. How could he put me in the same category as them? No way would I fall to pieces over someone so easily. I shot him a dark glare, and he just smiled, resting both arms on the table, his eyes challenging.
    “Not interested,” I said, turning back to my friends.
    Dan frowned. “Now what does that guy have that I don’t?”
    “You can ask him yourself,” Cassie said, perking up. “He’s on his way.”
    “Hey.” Asher smiled at us. “Can I sit here?”
    “What? No!” I cried, just as Cassie squealed, “Sure!”
    Asher sat down next to me and threw an infuriatingly cocky grin my way. I shot Cassie a death glare.
    “What’s going on, guys?” he asked, nipping a French fry from Dan’s plate and popping it into his mouth. Dan looked pissed. Cassie looked delighted. I wasn’t sure how I looked. “Not much,” Cassie trilled. “How are you adjusting to Northwood?”
    “It’s not