Days before Rodney finally broke up with Erica, Hunter slouched against his locker, his grip on his biology textbook slipping ever so slightly. His gaze was distant, lost in thought about he screwed everything up again. Micheal, a fellow basketball player, leaned beside him. He watched Hunter's detachment with a furrowed brow.

  "Ok, what's the deal?" Micheal prodded, nudging Hunter's shoulder. "You've gone all bruting dark knight on me here. Clearly, something is eating you,"

  Hunter rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to tell Micheal the truth. "It's Chelsea... I thought there was something there, but I don't know, Mike."

  "So breakup, it's not like you haven't done it before," Micheal raised an eyebrow. "I mean why are you holding on if it isn't working out?"

  "It's complicated," Hunter said, his voice barely above a whisper. "My parents actually like her, I mean it. This is the first time they have ever liked anyone I dated."

  "Sure but you should be looking for someone who makes you happy, not them" Micheal crossed his arms, adopting a mock-serious tone. "I mean your parents are tight asses, but you won't live with them forever, they'll get over it."

  "You're right," Hunter conceded, pushing himself off the locker. Throughout the day, he rehearsed the breakup in his mind, drafting and redrafting the message until finally, during the last period, he tapped out the message he had been dreading.

  "Chelsea, we need to talk. Is there any time we can meet up," he texted, feeling a small knot tie itself in his stomach.

  "Sure, after school?" came Chelsea's quick reply.

  "See you then," he typed back, sealing his fate.

  With the final bell's ring, Hunter's feet carried him through the crowds of students. His eyes caught Rodney strolling ahead, Erica's hand in his. Hunter's breath hitched, Rodney was with someone else. In a daze, he collided with Chelsea, who stood expectant.

  "Hey, what is up with you recently?" Chelsea caught herself before she tipped over.

  "Chelsea, I—" Hunter faltered, mouth dry. The words twisted inside him, and his mind focused on Rodney with Erica. "I love you." He panicked, the words escaping before he could think. "I've been distant because I didn't know how to say it."

  Her face brightened, eyes sparkling with relief as she leaned in to kiss him. "I love you too, Hunter."

  ---

  Days later, the echo of the gavel signalled the close of the student council meeting. Ally and Matt had been chosen to be the DJs for the spring formal and students slowly filed out of the room. Hunter stayed behind to clean up.

  "Hey, how have you been?" Rodney asked, drawing Hunter's attention.

  "I've been good, Rodney," Hunter replied curtly, not wanting to show Rodney any sign he was hurt by what happened.

  "Ok, well I need to tell you something," Rodney began, the worry on his face was obvious. "You should know about Erica, just in case—"

  "Save it," Hunter snapped, his patience fraying. "I know all about you and your new girlfriend."

  "Girlfriend?" Rodney's confusion was palpable. "No, she's not my girlfriend."

  "Could've fooled me, you've been getting awfully cozy in the halls with her," Hunter retorted, stuffing some papers into his bag.

  "Hunter, you don't know the whole story..." Rodney grabbed his shoulder, but Hunter shook him off.

  "We're done, remember," he said coldly, turning away.

  "Hunter, there you are," Chelsea said as she entered the room. Her eyes flickered between the two boys, sensing something was off between them.

  "Everything okay?" she asked tentatively, looking from Rodney to Hunter.

  "Everything is great" Hunter smiled, his perfected fake smile. "Rodney just forgot something here, but he found it and we were just leaving." He wrapped an arm around Chelsea, guiding her out and casting one last glance back at Rodney, who stood in the room with a worried look on his face.

  ---

  Rodney walked slower than usual to school the next day, Erica's threat still loomed over him. He wondered if they had actually erased all the pictures or if she had stashed some knowing what he would try to do. A chill crawled up his spine as he passed the gnarled oak at the corner like someone was watching him from it. For just a moment, he saw a flash of a ponytail, and he could have sworn Erica was tucked behind it.

  "Hey, man, you look like you're hunting ghosts," Derek said, falling into step beside Rodney, causing Rodney to jump.

  "What, no," Rodney tried to laugh it off. "I just didn't get much sleep last night. I had a nightmare about Erica outing me again."

  "Erica?" Derek scoffed lightly, hands shoved into his pockets. "Don't worry about her. We destroyed those photos, every single one of them. She doesn't have magic powers, she can't hurt you anymore. She's got nothing."

  "Right." Rodney forced a half-smile, but it wavered as his gaze darted to a tree a few yards ahead. Erica's figure seemed to meld with the trunk, dark eyes fixed on him. Without thinking, Rodney bolted toward the tree. When he reached it nothing was there, just another trick his mind was playing on him.

  "Rod?" Derek called out, perplexed, jogging over. "What's going on?"

  "I thought I saw..." Rodney panted, still looking at the tree. "I thought I saw someone behind this tree."

  Derek swept the area, finding nothing but an old garden gnome. "I didn't see anyone, Rod. It must be the lack of sleep."

  "Must be," Rodney conceded, glancing back at the tree as they continued their walk to school.

  They got there just as the bell signalled the start of the school day. Rodney's first period was in the library and he settled into an old armchair, flipping through the pages of the assigned reading. He tried to focus on the book, but his eyes kept trailing to the gaps between shelves, half-expecting to catch another glimpse of Erica lurking nearby.

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  "Looking for something—or someone?" Madison asked as she took a seat next to him.

  "I'm just worried about..." Rodney trailed off, shaking his head. "Never mind."

  "Erica?" Madison leaned against the table, her blue eyes sharp and searching. "She isn't here, Rodney. I've been here since I got off the bus this morning, Erica is probably in her homeroom."

  "Fine, I get it. I'm losing it," Rodney mumbled, then sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just get worried she is planning something else. I mean this is the second time she has tried to out me."

  "You should tell Mr. Rogo about it," she urged. "Maybe they can do something about it. I mean it's so messed up that she can do that and just get away with it."

  "Mr. Rogo," Rodney echoed, the idea that he could tell Erica to stay away from him did sound nice. "Yeah, maybe I should."

  "Good, he'll know what to do," Madison said firmly. "Remember to use your support system, Rodney."

  "I will," Rodney replied. "Thanks, Madison."

  He stood and made his way over to his teacher, he didn't think he could wait and risk any more freakouts. He was excused from class to see Mr. Rogo, and he practically raced down the halls to get to his office. But as he got closer, he started to wonder if there really was anything Mr. Rogo could do to put his mind at ease.

  Rodney's hand hovered over the brass knob, his pulse thrumming in his ears. With a deep inhale that did nothing to steady his nerves, he pushed open the door to Mr. Rogo's office.

  "Rodney?" Mr. Rogo looked up from a stack of papers, his brows knitting together in concern at the impromptu visit. "This isn't our usual time. Is everything okay?"

  "Can I talk to you?" Rodney asked, he closed the door behind himself as if there were a crowd of people gathering in the hall to listen in.

  "Of course," Mr. Rogo gestured to the chair opposite his desk. "You know this space is safe for you."

  Settling into the familiar cushioned seat, Rodney folded and unfolded his hands in his lap. "Ok, I don't really know how to explain,"

  "That is ok, take your time and we will walk through it all together." Mr. Rogo's voice was calm, and grounding.

  "Okay, well—" Rodney exhaled shakily, "I've been seeing Erica everywhere I go. Like, on my walk to school and in the library, but she's not really there."

  "Erica? Is this a girl in one of your classes?" Mr. Rogo leaned forward slightly, attentive.

  "Well no not really. She is just a girl who likes me but I don't like her in that way. I told her I didn't want to be with her and she threatened me."

  "Hmm, so she didn't take the news well, how do you feel about the way you told her?" Mr. Rogo probed gently.

  "I mean I wasn't the nicest but she was the one who wouldn't stop pushing me," Rodney admitted, "I shouldn't feel guilty about it. She is the one who threatened to out me and made me drag Derek into it."

  "How do you feel about having to involve Derek in it?" There was no judgment in Mr. Rogo's tone, only the desire to understand.

  "I mean I don't feel great about it... I think he assumed something about it that I didn't bother to correct him on," Rodney said, carefully skirting the full truth of the blackmail.

  "So Erica threatened to out you and Derek stepped up for you. Is it possible you feel like if Derek had known the full truth, he wouldn't have stepped up for you and that is where your guilty feeling is coming from?"

  "Probably," Rodney sighed, the word heavy. "I guess this means if I want to stop seeing Erica, I need to tell Derek the truth, doesn’t it?"

  "I think Erica was in the wrong for threatening to out you, if it happens again you need to come to me immediately. But yes, I think your guilt has manifested into these visions of Erica, a threat you need to face," Mr. Rogo suggested with a nod.

  "Ok, I'll talk to Derek. Thanks, Mr. Rogo," Rodney mumbled, standing up, feeling anything but relieved. He exited the office, the dread pooling in his stomach.

  Finding sanctuary among the greenery of the school greenhouse, Rodney dialled his sister's number.

  "Marcy? Hey, can I get some advice?"

  "Rod, are you alright? Shouldn't you be in class right now?" Marcy's voice crackled through the phone, laced with immediate concern.

  "Kinda. It's about Erica. She threatened to out me if I didn't go out with her," Rodney confessed, wanting to get that out of the way first.

  "That's serious, Rodney. She sounds like a total psycho. You should tell mom," Marcy urged.

  "No need; I handled it," Rodney deflected. "But the only reason she was able to threaten me is because I was with Hunter even though he was dating Chelsea."

  "Rodney..." Marcy paused, disappointment evident even through the phone. "You need to break it off with Hunter. It'll hurt, but it's better than living a lie."

  "I did." Rodney's heart sank. "But I also didn't tell Derek about it, and feel guilty that I haven't."

  "So tell him, he'll understand. He loves you, almost as much as I do but the longer you wait the worse things are going to get," Marcy replied.

  "I will. I love you too," Rodney hung up the phone.

  Rodney pocketed his phone, he knew Marcy was right and so was Mr. Rogo. He had to find Derek, tell the truth, and brace for impact. His steps were slow, each one heavier than the last as he headed for the greenhouse door.

  Rodney's fingers lingered on the latch of the greenhouse door, the cool metal grounding him as he inhaled the earthy scent one last time. With a deep breath, he stepped out into the crisp afternoon air, a gym class catching his eye as they ran laps around the track.

  "Oof!" Rodney grunted as he collided with someone just outside the door, landing hard on the ground.

  "Sorry, I thought you saw me coming," Ally apologized, steadying herself against the doorway. Her blonde hair glimmered in the sunlight, framing her apologetic blue eyes.

  "Hey, it's alright. And, uh, thanks. Matt told me the truth about the audition," Rodney said, as he dusted himself off. He wondered why Ally had been looking for him out here, they hadn't talked since he was hospitalized.

  "Oh that was no big deal, honestly I need him too," she replied, dismissing the gratitude with a flick of her hand. They shared a moment of awkward silence, the kind that stretched like a tightrope between two people with too much history and not enough words.

  "Rodney, I'm sorry..." she started unexpectedly, drawing Rodney's gaze.

  "Sorry for what?" he asked, his brows knitting together in confusion.

  "For everything, for abandoning you, for leading you on, for getting so mad at you and for earlier this year... when you were in the hospital... I wasn't there for you," Ally's voice faltered, her regret tangible. "I have been a terrible friend."

  "You don't need to be sorry Ally," Rodney interjected, not sure if putting his arm around her would comfort her or just be awkward. "I've been a terrible friend too. I cared more about what I wanted than how you felt." The truth felt good to say out loud, and they both shared a small grin.

  "And what I did wasn't because of you. My dad's death really messed me up. The Parker, the first person I loved moved and stopped texting me. And I just felt like I couldn't tell anyone how I was feeling like I would be a burden to them if I did," he continued, "I know now I shouldn't have held it all in, sharing it is the only way people who care about you know what's wrong, and can help you."

  "Still, I feel awful about it. I've been trying to find a way to tell you for months," she admitted, her gaze dropping to the gravel beneath their feet.

  "Thanks for telling me now. I'm glad we could talk," Rodney conceded with a nod, feeling a little lighter talking to Ally again. "I should get going. There's an apology I need to make myself."

  "OH, ok, it was nice talking again Rodney," Ally said, a soft smile finally breaking through.

  "See you around, Ally."

  With that, Rodney turned away and strode toward the school doors. He found Derek leaning against the school's brick exterior, backpack slung over one shoulder, looking over a textbook in one hand.

  "Hey, Derek," Rodney called out, approaching with hesitant steps.

  "Rod, how are you feeling? I know you were a bit off this morning," Derek inquired, closing the book.

  "I better, I guess. I talked to Mr. Rogo and we kind of sorted it out," Rodney admitted, his throat tightening with each word. "We came to the conclusion I needed to talk to you,"

  "Oh really? Why?" Derek asked, now looking concerned.

  "Well because I didn't tell you the truth. I mean you know about me and Hunter from before but I kind of got back together with him. We were hooking up even though he's dating Chelsea and I felt guilty about not telling you," Rodney confessed, bracing himself for Derek's reaction.

  "Rodney, you're an idiot," Derek said, far too calmly for Rodney's liking. "Didn't you learn anything from when you kissed him while you were with Ally? No wonder it was so easy for Erica to get the better of you,"

  "I know, I know, and I'm sorry. It was dumb and I ended it," Rodney pleaded, hoping it would make things better.

  "Rod, you did that the last time too," Derek pointed out, his voice heavy with skepticism. "This time, I need to see some real change if you want me to believe you."

  "I swear, Derek," Rodney promised, his heart sinking at the hurt in his best friend's eyes. "I'll prove it to you."

  Derek sighed, his expression softening just a fraction. "We'll see, Rodney. We'll see."

  The bell rang and Rodney watched as Derek walked away, wondering what exactly it would take to prove to Derek he had learned his lesson.