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“Wait, were you on the bus?”

Danielle smiled sheepishly. “Yeahhh.”

“Oh, I didn’t even notice!” Caleb said.

Danielle flew down the hills. She loved snowboarding; she loved the crisp pivot of the board on sharp turns, the risk that she could crash if she hit the smallest bump. Danielle wasn’t nearly as skilled as the boys, but she managed to keep up with them. Her confidence soared.

They got on the same lift again and talked during the three-minute ride up the hill. Danielle noticed Margaret on the lift in front of them. When Margaret was getting off the lift, she fell, rolling down the small mound of snow in front of her chair.

Both boys laughed. Danielle had some misgivings, but said, quietly enough that Margaret couldn’t hear, “When I took lessons, she wasted the entire lesson just falling,” she said. “She screwed me over because I never learned how to turn.”

The guys laughed. “What a loser,” Caleb said.

Danielle went down the hill first, and the guys caught up to her. They shared a chair on the lift going back up the blues. When the lift stopped suddenly, Caleb’s friend said, “God, I bet that fat girl fell again!”

“We should send her up to the top of the black diamond and she’ll just roll!” Caleb said.

Danielle didn’t respond this time; she felt uncomfortable referring to Margaret as fat and she didn’t want to make fun of her.

After another ride down and back, Danielle decided not to get on the lift again with the guys. She didn’t want them to think she was stalking them. They looked disappointed. I guess they kind of liked boarding with me, Danielle thought. I must not have been that bad at conversation.

Danielle went alone to the black diamonds.

BLUE, HAWAII | THE GAMER

Blue began spending more time with the AP Gov students as they prepared for Simulated Congressional Hearings. To Blue’s surprise, they welcomed him. Rather than disdain his unusual theories, they praised his unique perspective and integrated his ideas into their work.

One afternoon in AP Gov, Blue called out, “So who wants to go to the beach with me?” He wasn’t expecting an answer, but he was tired of going alone.

“Really? ’Cause I’ll totally go,” Leilani replied.

“Seriously?” Blue asked.

“Yeah. I’m down if you are.”

“Bro, that does sound really good,” Angelique said.

“Jess, you should come too!” Leilani said.

“Okay!”

“Are you guys all serious?” Blue said.

“I wanna go!” said Kaia.

“Wow, uh, all right.”

After school, Blue drove them to their houses to pick up swimsuits and towels, then to a small stretch of golden sand lined with large black rocks, in a cove tucked into the mountainside. The girls gushed over the beach, which they had to themselves. They could jump off the rocks into turquoise waters, watch turtles grazing nearby, and follow vibrant fish at a reef just offshore. The edge of the rocks formed a blowhole that sprayed when a wave passed through, bathing the group with a cool mist that felt blissfully refreshing in the hot sun.

A while later, Blue led the girls up a winding path to a nearby park where they could shower, then through a maze of questionable alleys in town to his second-favorite spot to watch the sun set. He guided them through a residential area to the top of a little-known mountain pass. The girls were astounded by the view. They mostly watched the sunset in silence, taking in the moment.

On the drive home, Leilani said to Blue, “You have all this edgy new music and take me places I’ve never been. I love how we just went on a full-on adventure out of nowhere.”

“Yeah!” Jess agreed. “I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“Well, I go out pretty much every day. You’re welcome to come,” Blue replied.

“Oh my God, are you serious?” Leilani asked.

“I don’t see why not. I just never thought anyone would want to go with me.”

“That’s so sad!” Jess said.

“Aw, but we’re your friends!” said Kaia.

Blue was momentarily speechless.

“Fine, then I guess we aren’t,” Kaia added.

“No, it’s not that,” Blue said. “I’ll show you guys something cool tomorrow