FRIDAY, 8:30 AM – HALLWAYA paper football fell out when I opened my locker.

  "Sorry. Sort of – SW."

  All those damn S's. She probably practiced that in a mirror.

  I unfolded it—clink, clink—two pennies hit the floor. My stomach flipped. For a second, all I heard was that medal smacking my head again.

  The note:

  "This the closest I could get to bronze. You could hit me with it. Might not have the same effect. But that's my two cents."

  She'd drawn a drum and sticks underneath.

  I almost smiled. Cute. Funny. Her.

  I grabbed the pennies fast—no one saw. Good.

  Footsteps. Nico's bleach-blond head turned the corner. Shon was already power-walking down the hall like she was te, but she gnced back right as I stuffed the note in my pocket.

  Shit.

  English was next. First time seeing them since the fight—I'd missed two days, and yesterday we had no csses together.

  8:45 AM – ENGLISH CLASSThe room was half-empty when I walked in. Shon sat right beside me—not her usual seat since winter break. She stared at the board like it was about to show a movie, strangling her pencil.

  Nico dropped into his seat behind me. "Sorry 'bout Shon, Jess. That was whack."

  We started it. But whatever.

  I shrugged. "S'all good."

  He smirked. "Yo, close your legs. You lettin' flies out."

  A ugh snorted out of me—

  SNAP.

  Shon's pencil tip shot across the floor.

  "Test time," Ms. Fraser said, spping packets on desks. "No talking."

  Shon stood up so fast her chair squeaked. She marched to her real seat across the room, kicking her backpack along like it offended her.

  Why'd she sit by me in the first pce?

  I spun a penny on my desk. Clink. Clink. Clink. Watched it instead of reading the test.

  When I looked up, Shon was staring at me like I'd just set her hair on fire.

  Bam. Our eyes locked. I looked away like I'd been caught cheating.

  "Miss Ware," Ms. Fraser warned. "Eyes on your own work."

  Shon jerked her head down, but not before her neck turned splotchy red.

  The penny toppled over.

  Two cents wasn't enough.

  Fridays meant pan pizza full of grease, but I wasn’t compining. Crystal hip-checked me in line, then rubbed my forehead scar like it was a genie’s mp.

  “Ouch. Psycho.”

  “Psycho? Nah, that’s your friend Full Metal Shonnell over there.” She grinned. “Damn, she really marked you up.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It’s Shon.”

  “This year,” snorted Christina, snapping her gum. “Britt heard from Mary, who heard from Alison in her 3rd-grade css, that Shon got up in front of everyone to announce they had to call her Shonny. Like, full tantrum.”

  “Attention hog,” muttered another cheerleader.

  Crystal fake-whispered: “Alison also said she bit a kid in 5th grade.”

  “Yup,” Christina said, like she’d been there. “And got in-school for the food fight st year.”

  I stuffed a fry in my mouth. Not really. Shon had grabbed my wrist to stop that dumb tattoo thing—but no way I’d correct them.

  “Jess.” Crystal kicked me under the table. “You scared of her or what? Didn’t she bruise you?”

  Across the cafeteria, Mattie gred daggers at our table. Shon hunched next to her, pushing fries around her tray like they’d insulted her.

  “What’s her problem?” I said, too loud.

  The whole table turned to look. Mattie’s eyes narrowed. Shon’s head snapped up—

  Then Christina howled: “At least my name’s been the same since kindergarten!”

  The table cackled. My ugh came out a second too te. Shon’s face went bnk. She dropped her gaze.

  My chest did this weird squeeze thing.

  “Whatever,” I muttered, balling up my napkin.

  The bell rang. As we stood, I gnced across the cafeteria—just as Shon shoved her hands into her hoodie pockets. Something small and metallic clinked onto the floor.

  She bent to grab it, but Mattie yanked her up by the elbow. “Leave it.”

  Shon hesitated. For half a second, her eyes flicked to mine.

  Then she let Mattie drag her away.

  I looked down at my own pocket, where the two pennies sat heavy.

  Weird.

  FRIDAY - 1:11 am

  Stupid. Stupid. STUPID.

  Shouldn’tve thrown it. But she ughed at Nico’s fly joke again. Like I’m some joke.

  Left that dumb note in her locker. 2 pennies—took from Dad’s spare change bottle. Giant mega soda bottle in they’re closet. Only had an hour after the bus before my little bro got home. Another hour ‘til Dad came and the chill started.

  Went into enemy territory to find the shiniest pennies. Junk drawer ones had ink. Took forever. Drew the drums so she’d know it was me.

  She smiled reading it. Saw from the water fountain. Then Nico came and she hid it. Laughed with him.

  I wish she kept it. Instead she balled it up.

  Went to css early to sit next to her. Ms. Fraser moved us—“no distractions.” Empty seats everywhere.

  At lunch Mattie’s hand on my back felt heavy. Saw Jess staring. Let her.

  Her table ughed. Christina yelled “Full Metal.” Jess’s ugh was fake. Like her.

  Should’ve thrown harder. Then she’d really see me.