I get ready for school on Monday the way I always do. Up at six so I canrun for half an hour. Oatmeal with berries and orange juice at six-thirty, ashower ten minutes later. Dry my hair, pick out clothes, put on sunscreen.Scan the New York Times for ten minutes. Check my email, pack my books,make sure my phone's fully charged.

The only thing that's different is the seven-thirty meeting with mylawyer.

Her name is Robin Stafford, and according to my father she's a brilliant,highly successful criminal defense attorney. But not overly high-profile. Notthe kind of lawyer automatically associated with guilty rich people trying tobuy their way out of trouble. She's right on time and gives me a wide, warmsmile when Maeve leads her into the kitchen.

I wouldn't be able to guess her age by looking at her, but the bio myfather showed me last night says she's forty-one. She's wearing a cream-colored suit that's striking against her dark skin, subtle gold jewelry, andshoes that look expensive but not Jimmy Choo level.

She takes a seat at our kitchen island across from my parents and me."Bronwyn, it's a pleasure. Let's talk about what you might expect today andhow you should handle school."

Sure. Because that's my life now. School is something to be handled.She folds her hands in front of her. "I'm not sure the police truly believedthe four of you planned this together, but I do think they hoped to shock andpressure one of you into giving up useful information. That indicates theirevidence is flimsy at best. If none of you point fingers and your stories lineup, they don't have anywhere to take this investigation, and it's my belief itwill ultimately be closed out as an accidental death."The vise that's been gripping my chest all morning loosens a little. "Eventhough Simon was about to post those awful things about us? And there'sthat whole Tumblr thing going on?"

Robin gives an elegant little shrug. "At the end of the day, that's nothingbut gossip and trolling. I know you kids take it seriously, but in the legalworld it's meaningless unless hard proof emerges to back it up. The bestthing you can do is not talk about the case. Certainly not with the police, butnot with school administrators either."

"What if they ask?"

"Tell them you've retained counsel and can't answer questions withoutyour lawyer present."

I try to imagine having that conversation with Principal Gupta. I don'tknow what the school's heard about this, but me pleading the Fifth wouldbe a major red flag.

"Are you friendly with the other kids who were in detention that day?"Robin asks.

"Not exactly. Cooper and I have some classes together, but--""Bronwyn." My mother interrupts with a chill in her voice. "You'refriendly enough with Nate Macauley that he showed up here last night. Forthe third time."

Robin sits straighter in her chair, and I flush. That was a big topic ofdiscussion last night after my dad made Nate leave. Dad thought he'dstalked our address in a creepy way, so I had some explaining to do."Why has Nate been here three times, Bronwyn?" Robin asks with apolite, interested air.

"It's no big deal. He gave me a ride home after Simon died. Then hestopped by last Friday to hang out for a while. And I don't know what hewas doing here last night, since nobody would let me talk to him.""It's the 'hanging out' while your parents aren't home that disturbs me--" my mother starts, but Robin interrupts her.

"Bronwyn, what's the nature of your relationship with Nate?"I have no idea. Maybe you could help me analyze it? Is that part of yourretainer? "I hardly know him. I hadn't talked to him in years before lastweek. We're both in this weird situation and ... it helps to be around otherpeople going through the same thing."

"I recommend maintaining distance from the others," Robin says,ignoring my mother's evil eye in my direction. "No need to give the policefurther ammunition for their theories. If your cell phone and email areexamined, will they show recent communication with those three students?""No," I say truthfully.

"That's good news." She glances at her watch, a slim gold Rolex. "That'sall we can address now if you're going to get to school on time, which youshould. Business as usual." She flashes me that warm smile again. "We'lltalk more in depth later."

I say good-bye to my parents, not quite able to look them in the eye, andcall for Maeve as I grab the keys to the Volvo. I spend the whole drivesteeling myself for something awful to happen once we get to school, butit's weirdly normal. No police lying in wait for me. Nobody's looking at meany differently than they have since the first Tumblr post came out.Still, I'm only half paying attention to Kate and Yumiko's chatter afterhomeroom, my eyes roaming the hallway. There's only one person I want totalk to, even though it's exactly who I'm supposed to stay away from."Catch you guys later, okay?" I murmur, and intercept Nate after he ducksinto the back stairwell.

If he's surprised to see me, he doesn't show it. "Bronwyn. How's thefamily?"

I lean against the wall next to him and lower my voice. "I wanted toapologize for my dad making you leave last night. He's kind of freaked outby all this."

"Wonder why." Nate drops his voice as well. "You been searched yet?"My eyes widen, and he laughs darkly. "Didn't think so. I was. You'reprobably not supposed to be talking to me, right?"I can't help but glance around the empty stairwell. I'm already paranoidand Nate's not helping. I have to keep reminding myself that we did not, infact, conspire to commit murder. "Why did you stop by?"His eyes search mine as though he's about to say something profoundabout life and death and the presumption of innocence. "I was going toapologize for stealing Jesus from you."

I recoil a little. I have no idea what he's talking about. Is he making somekind of religious allegory? "What?"

"In the fourth-grade Nativity play at St. Pius. I stole Jesus and you had tocarry a bag wrapped in a blanket. Sorry about that."I stare at him for a second as the tension flows out of me, leaving melimp and slightly giddy. I punch him in the shoulder, startling him so muchhe actually laughs. "I knew it was you. Why'd you do that?""To get a rise out of you." He grins at me, and for a second I forgeteverything except the fact that Nate Macauley still has an adorable smile."Also, I wanted to talk to you about--all this. But I guess it's too late. Youmust be lawyered up by now, right?" His smile disappears.

"Yes, but ... I want to talk to you too." The bell rings, and I pull out myphone. Then I remember Robin asking about communication recordsbetween the four of us and stuff it back into my bag. Nate catches thegesture and snorts another humorless laugh.

"Yeah, exchanging numbers is a shit idea. Unless you want to use this."He reaches into his backpack and hands me a flip phone.

I take it gingerly. "What is it?"

"An extra phone. I have a few." I run my thumb across the cover with adawning idea of what it might be for, and he adds hastily, "It's new.Nobody's going to call it or anything. But I have the number. I'll call you.You can answer, or not. Up to you." He pauses, and adds, "Just don't, youknow, leave it lying around. They get a warrant for your phone andcomputer, that's all they can touch. They can't go through your wholehouse."

I'm pretty sure my expensive lawyer would tell me not to take legaladvice from Nate Macauley. And she'd probably have something to sayabout the fact that he has an apparently inexhaustible supply of the samecheap phones that corralled us all in detention last week. I watch him headup the stairs, knowing I should drop the phone into the nearest trash can.But I put it in my backpack instead.

Cooper

Monday, October 1, 11:00 a.m.

It's almost a relief to be at school. Better than home, where Pop spent hoursranting about how Simon's a liar and the police are incompetent and theschool should be on the hook for this and lawyers will cost a fortune wedon't have.

He didn't ask if any of it was true.

We're in a weird limbo now. Everything's different but it all looks thesame. Except Jake and Addy, who're walking around like they want to killand die, respectively. Bronwyn gives me the least convincing smile ever inthe hallway, her lips pressed so tight they almost disappear. Nate's nowherein sight.

We're all waiting for something to happen, I guess.

After gym something does, but it doesn't have anything to do with me.My friends and I are heading for the locker room after playing soccer,lagging behind everyone else, and Luis is going on about some new juniorgirl he's got his eye on. Our gym teacher opens the door to let a bunch ofkids inside when Jake suddenly whirls around, grabs TJ by the shoulder,and punches him in the face.

Of course. "TF" from About That is TJ Forrester. The lack of a Jconfused me.

I grab Jake's arms, pulling him back before he can throw another punch,but he's so furious he almost gets away from me before Luis steps in tohelp. Even then, two of us can barely hold him. "You asshole," Jake spits atTJ, who staggers but doesn't fall. TJ puts a hand to his bloody, probablybroken mess of a nose. He doesn't make any effort to go after Jake."Jake, come on, man," I say as the gym teacher races toward us. "You'regonna get suspended."

"Worth it," Jake says bitterly.

So instead of today's big story being Simon, it's about how Jake Riordangot sent home for punching TJ Forrester after gym class. And since Jakerefused to speak to Addy before he left and she's practically in tears,everyone's pretty sure they know why.

"How could she?" Keely murmurs in the lunch line as Addy shufflesaround like a sleepwalker.

"We don't know the whole story," I remind her.

I guess it's good Jake's not here since Addy sits with us at lunch likeusual. I'm not sure she'd have the nerve otherwise. But she doesn't talk toanybody, and nobody talks to her. They're pretty obvious about it. Vanessa,who's always been the bitchiest girl in our group, physically turns awaywhen Addy takes the chair next to her. Even Keely doesn't make any effortto include Addy in the conversation.

Bunch of hypocrites. Luis was on Simon's app for the same damn thingand Vanessa tried to give me a hand job at a pool party last month, so theyshouldn't be judging anyone.

"How's it goin', Addy?" I ask, ignoring the stares of the rest of the table."Don't be nice, Cooper." She keeps her head down, her voice so low Ican hardly hear it. "It's worse if you're nice.""Addy." All the frustration and fear I've been feeling finds its way intomy voice, and when Addy looks up a jolt of understanding passes betweenus. There're a million things we should be talking about, but we can't sayany of them. "It'll be all right."

Keely puts her hand on my arm, asking, "What do you think?" and Irealize I've missed an entire conversation.

"About what?"

She gives me a little shake. "About Halloween! What should we be forVanessa's party?"

I'm disoriented, like I just got yanked into some shiny video-gameversion of the world where everything's too bright and I don't understandthe rules. "God, Keely, I don't know. Whatever. That's almost a monthaway."

Olivia clucks her tongue disapprovingly. "Typical guy. You have no ideahow hard it is to find a costume that's sexy but not slutty."Luis waggles his brows at her. "Just be slutty, then," he suggests, andOlivia smacks his arm. The cafeteria's too warm, almost hot, and I wipe mydamp brow as Addy and I exchange another look.

Keely pokes me. "Give me your phone."

"What?"

"I want to look at that picture we took last week, at Seaport Village? Thatwoman in the flapper dress. She looked amazing. Maybe I could dosomething like that." I shrug and pull out my phone, unlocking it andhanding it over. She squeezes my arm as she opens my photos. "You'd looktotally hot in one of those gangster suits."

She hands the phone to Vanessa, who gives an exaggerated, breathless"Ohhh!" Addy pushes food around on her plate without ever lifting her forkto her mouth, and I'm about to ask her if she wants me to get her somethingelse when my phone rings.

Vanessa keeps hold of it and snorts, "Who calls during lunch? Everybodyyou know is already here!" She looks at the screen, then at me. "Ooh,Cooper. Who's Kris? Should Keely be jealous?"I don't answer for a few seconds too long, then too fast. "Just, um, a guyI know. From baseball." My whole face feels hot and prickly as I take thephone from Vanessa and send it to voice mail. I wish like hell I could takethat call, but now's not the time.

Vanessa raises an eyebrow. "A boy who spells Chris with a K?""Yeah. He's ... German." God. Stop talking. I put my phone in my pocketand turn to Keely, whose lips are slightly parted like she's about to ask aquestion. "I'll call him back later. So. A flapper, huh?"I'm about to head home after the last bell when Coach Ruffalo stops me inthe hall. "You didn't forget about our meeting, did you?"I exhale in frustration because yeah, I did. Pop's leaving work early sowe can meet with a lawyer, but Coach Ruffalo wants to talk collegerecruiting. I'm torn, because I'm pretty sure Pop would want me to do bothat the same time. Since that's not possible, I follow Coach Ruffalo andfigure I'll make it quick. His office is next to the gym and smells liketwenty years' worth of student athletes passing through. In other words, notgood.

"My phone's ringing off the hook for you, Cooper," he says as I sit acrossfrom him in a lopsided metal chair that creaks under my weight. "UCLA,Louisville, and Illinois are putting together full-scholarship offers. They'reall pushing for a November commitment even though I told them there's noway you'll make a decision before spring." He catches my expression andadds, "It's good to keep your options open. Obviously the draft's a realpossibility but the more interest there is on the college level, the betteryou'll look to the majors."

"Yes, sir." It's not draft strategy I'm worried about. It's how thesecolleges will react if the stuff on Simon's app gets out. Or if this wholething spirals and I keep getting investigated by the police. Are all theseoffers gonna dry up, or am I innocent until proven guilty? I'm not sure if Ishould be telling any of this to Coach Ruffalo. "It's just ... hard to keep 'emall straight."

He picks up a thin sheaf of stapled-together papers, waving them at me."I've done it for you. Here's a list of every college I've been in touch withand their current offer. I've highlighted the ones I think are the best fit orwill be most impressive to the majors. I wouldn't necessarily put Cal Stateor UC Santa Barbara on the short list, but they're both local and offeringfacility tours. You want to schedule those some weekend, let me know.""Okay. I ... I have some family stuff coming up, so I might be kinda busyfor a while."

"Sure, sure. No rush, no pressure. It's entirely up to you, Cooper."People always say that but it doesn't feel true. About anything.

I thank Coach Ruffalo and head into the almost-empty hallway. I havemy phone in one hand and Coach's list in the other, and I'm so lost inthought as I look between them that I almost mow someone over in mypath.

"Sorry," I say, taking in a slight figure with his arms wrapped around abox. "Uh ... hey, Mr. Avery. You need help carrying that?""No thank you, Cooper." I'm a lot taller than he is, and when I look downI don't see anything but folders in the box. I guess he can manage those. Mr.Avery's watery eyes narrow when he sees my phone. "I wouldn't want tointerrupt your texting."

"I was just ..." I trail off, since explaining the lawyer appointment I'malmost late for won't win me any points.

Mr. Avery sniffs and adjusts his grip on the box. "I don't understand youkids. So obsessed with your screens and your gossip." He grimaces like theword tastes bad, and I'm not sure what to say. Is he making a reference toSimon? I wonder if the police bothered questioning Mr. Avery thisweekend, or if he's been disqualified by virtue of not having a motive. Thatthey know of, anyway.

He shakes himself, like he doesn't know what he's talking about either."Anyway. If you'll excuse me, Cooper."

All he'd have to do to get past me is step aside, but I guess that's my job."Right," I say, moving out of his way. I watch him shuffle down the halland decide to leave my stuff in my locker and head for the car. I'm lateenough as it is.

I'm stopped at the last red light before my house when my phone beeps. Ilook down expecting a text from Keely, because somehow I ended uppromising we'd get together tonight to plan Halloween costumes. But it'sfrom my mom.

Meet us at the hospital. Nonny had a heart attack.