Matthew mulled over his thoughts. He mulled over Cyrus and Tiffany, over what he planned to do to his best friend. He thought about how he had already pretty much betrayed him by taking Lucita’s virginity. He was a shitty best friend, he realized.

Matt sat with those thoughts and made peace with them. He might be a terrible person and friend, but what he was about to do was for the best. Matt had to get him away from Tiffany, Tiffany who was toxic and vile and manipulative. Tiffany, who didn’t even care about him, not really.

But the semester was almost over, and he had to do what he needed to know before Cyrus’s life got even more messed up.

The girl was toxic.

And Luci…

Luci was good, as much as he hated to admit it. But she had a dark side; he had seen it. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have proposed they have sex. He had seen her vicious, been at the other end of it. She was damaged goods.

But she was still a good person, a beautiful person.

Matt tried to shake away thoughts of her. He didn’t like thinking about her like this. Didn’t like thinking about her at all. Except he couldn’t muster up the hate he used to feel rise up anymore. It was just gone, and he wondered if it had ever truly existed.

Sighing, he picked up his phone and called her, telling her he was about to call in the tip.

“He can’t find out,” she said.

“He won’t. I’m not about to tell him. He’s my best friend.” And he knew Luci wouldn’t say anything either. He wondered if they were just talking about the tip or the other thing, too.

“Okay.” She paused for a moment. “Do you think he’ll end things with her?”

“If he doesn’t, she sure will. She only cares about herself.” He knew this much was true from their conversations with one another.

Lucita didn’t say anything else, so they ended the conversation quickly, giving each other soft goodbyes, the weight of everything sobering. He thought he had heard someone in the background, a guy, and guessed it was Jason. Matt tried not to feel jealous about that. They weren’t even really friends; what did he have to be jealous about. Jason could be Cyrus’s problem, not his.

He looked at his computer screen and dialed the number for the admissions office.

It rang twice before a woman picked up.

“North Jackson High, this is Alyssa speaking. How can I help you?”

“Uh hi. I’m one of your students, and I, well, I didn’t know who to call.”

“Do you need to speak to a counselor? I can set up an appointment or—”

“No, no, nothing like that.” He took a deep breath. “I, uh, I’ve got something to report actually.”

“Oh? I need you to explain, please? Did something happen to you?”

“No.” He took another deep breath. “My friend has been doing drugs and…look, I’m worried about him.” That part wasn’t a lie; he was worried about him.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to start from the beginning, and I’m going to need his name. If you want to remain anonymous, that’s okay.”

So Matt did. He told them everything he knew about the off-campus party and the pot. Matthew even lied and added some alcohol in there because why not? He was probably going to hell for this, and Cyrus would never forgive him if he found out.

He listened to her scribble everything down on the other end of the phone.

“All right. Thank you for informing us. We’ll take it from here.”

“Okay. Bye.” He hung up quickly before he could say anything else.

Tiffany wrapped her arms around Ryan’s neck as he kissed her in their secret spot in the back of the library.

“You need to break up with him, Tiffany,” he said in between kisses.

“I know. I will. I promise.”

“The sooner the better. Are you going to see him later?”

“I mean, yeah, we have a study date.”

“Good, so do it then. I don’t really like competing with a guy a year younger than me.” He pulled away, giving her a quick peck on the nose in a cute, tender way that made her blush. She waved goodbye to him as he grabbed his back and ran off.

Looking at her watch, she grabbed her own bag. She needed to go meet Cyrus soon in his dorm. Ryan was right; she had to break up with Cyrus; it was the right thing to do. But she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that, despite everything, she actually did like Cyrus. Tiffany tried to push that thought away; nothing good would come from having feelings for Cyrus.

She approached his dorm room and saw a large group of students standing by the double doors. She squeezed her way through, ignoring the muttering, too focused on the police car parked along the side of the building.

Finally making her way inside, she went down the hall, past the common room where more people gathered, whispering to one another, towards Cyrus’s room. He stood across from his room, hands shoved into his pockets, while campus security ransacked his room.

“Cyrus?”

He turned to her, relief flooding his face.

“Tiff,” he wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent. Tiffany allowed herself a moment to believe that they were just a regular couple like he believed. It felt nice being wrapped up in his arms.

“Cyrus, what’s going on?” She pulled away, holding onto his hand.

Cyrus sighed, stepping close to her. “Someone called campus security, reporting me for breaking the no-tolerance policy and having drugs on the premises. Apparently, they think I’m selling pot instead of just smoking it.” He winced, looking at the ground, ashamed. She couldn’t blame him; she had tried to warn him to be more careful.

“Do they—have they found anything?”

“Not yet,” he looked into his room, “but it’s only a matter of time.” He let out a sigh. “You should go. I don’t want you to get mixed up in this. The last thing I want is for your parents to think you’re getting mixed up is something you’re not.” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and gently squeezed her hand before letting go.

Tiffany stood there for a moment longer before nodding and walking away. She forgot how sweet he was, even now, putting her first when his life was about to go up in flames. Biting down on her lip, Tiffany realized she didn’t want him to get kicked out. Worse, she didn’t want to let him go either.

“Woohoo! Midterms are over!” Lucita jumped up and laughed, skipping out of class. She was better than she had been in weeks, thanks to her friends and mother. It had been hard, but she was thankful for her friends.

“Got any exciting Christmas plans?” asked Silvia.

“No. My mom thinks going to Chicago for a few days would be best. She wants us to make peace with my grandmother and shit.”

“Don’t you want that to?” asked Jason, who had stayed close to her side. The more Evie spent time with them, the more Francis seemed to waver. Silvia was pretty sure she was manipulating things, standing too close to Liz and Francis, whispering to them when she thought no one was looking.

Lucita smiled at her friends. “Maybe. All I know is that I get to go to the bookstore today!”

“You’re like a kid in a candy shop there,” joked Liz, but Silvia could see that her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Yeah, you’d keep your big nose in one if it weren’t for us,” joked Blake.

Lucita’s hand shot up to her nose. “My nose is not big.”

“No, but your ego is.” He grinned at her, and she stuck out her tongue like a petulant child.

“Like you’re one to talk. Becca, I don’t see what you see in this loser.” She winked at them, smiling. Blake just matched her smile, rolling his eyes.

“Anyway, Francis and I better get going before we wish the bus. Y’all know I hate being in the sun.” She waved goodbye to everyone, pulling Francis alongside her.

“So, Francis, do you have any Christmas plans?”

“Not really. I kinda hate Christmas, to be honest.”

That caught her off guard. She had dated this guy and still knew so little about him. “I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “It’s whatever. It’s just another day to me.”

“I bet.” They walked along the sidewalk together in silence. Things had gotten better between them lately. The weirdness that had followed their breakup was gone, but she still couldn’t figure out how she felt about him. Better to leave that stone unturned.

“Can I join you at the bookstore,” he asked.

“Totally.”

It was weird, and she should have said no, but that would have been mean. She really just wanted to get a cup of coffee, find a quiet corner, and read the latest Dragonlance novel that had come out. But he just looked so sad, like a puppy, she couldn’t say no.

And the ride there had been equally quiet. Too quiet. It was making her feel all jittery. Even after she got her coffee, a small chestnut praline with soy milk (because it just made it taste nuttier) approached the fantasy section. She put her bag and coffee on the floor and looked for the book she planned to buy today.

“Francis, are you okay?”

“Fine, why?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, you’re just being extra quiet today.” She laughed, trying to ease the tension. “It’s kinda freaking me out.”

“I’m just thinking.”

“About what? Come on, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

“That’s the problem.” He looked at her, his big chocolate-brown eyes staring down at her tenderly. It made her squirm.

“Francis—”

“Luce, I love you. I have to say that. I know I chose to be with Elizabeth, but I did that to make you jealous. I was wrong, I know. She’s your friend, and I care about her, but Luci, I want you, I want to be with you.” He pressed her up against the bookcase, his arms gently on her shoulders. “Luce, choose me. I choose you. I love you. Just love me, and we’ll figure out the rest together. Together, we’ll fix everything.”

He was so close to her. His dark black hair, a curly and unruly mess, fell over his dark olive skin, shadowing his eyes. All she could do was stare. She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to feel. She thought about Cyrus. She thought about Jason. She even thought about Matthew.

“Francis, I—” Lucita didn’t get to finish her sentence. His lips pressed against her, and everything she felt cascaded over her like a tsunami.

Shit.