Nick looked back at the board, at the third diagram, hoping it would be something he could work out in his head.

Yeah, right. This was AP Physics. He knew it had something to do with velocity and mass, maybe—

“Perhaps I can explain what you’ve missed when you stay after class.”

Half the class sucked in a breath and looked at him.

Gabriel would fling his pencil down and level the teacher with some snarky comment. He’d probably get himself thrown out of class.

Nick could never do that. Shame was curling his stomach into knots. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

After class, Dr. Cutter was a lot less accommodating than he’d been the previous day.

“This is an advanced placement class,” he said, a slight edge to his voice. “We move through the material quickly. Are you having difficulty keeping up?”

“No,” said Nick. “I’m sorry. Really, it won’t happen again.”

The teacher’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t really have Gabriel Merrick sitting in front of me, do I?”

Nick flinched. It shouldn’t have been an insult, but it felt like one. “No. I swear.”

“I had to call your name three times.”

Nick didn’t know how many times he could apologize for the same thing. He rubbed at his eyes. “I’m having a rough week.”

Dr. Cutter studied him. “Are you aware you’re the student with the highest average in this class?” He frowned. “Or you were before yesterday’s test.”

Nick pulled his hands down. He’d thought he was better than average, but the highest? “No, I didn’t know.”

“And you’re second in your class in AP Calc. I spoke with Mrs. Rafferty. In fact . . .” He reached behind him for a folder on his desk. He flipped the cover open. “Out of the entire senior class, based on a weighted GPA, you’re ranked fourth overall.”

Wow. He’d had no idea.

He should have been proud. He wasn’t. The pressure clamp on his chest tightened by one notch. One more expectation he had to uphold. If he were like Gabriel, Dr. Cutter wouldn’t have given a crap that he didn’t know the answer in class.

“Have you started applying for colleges?” said Dr. Cutter.

Nick’s mouth went dry. “Yeah—a few. I just—” I just have their sealed responses hidden in a drawer. “I haven’t heard back.”

“University of Maryland has a program that allows a few select students to take college level science and math classes for the spring semester. It’s by teacher recommendation only. It’s an opportunity to get a jump start on an already competitive program.”

Nick stared at him, unsure where this was going.

“I’d like to recommend you. But I also need to know you’re focused.”

Reassure him. Say you’re focused. Or thank you. Say thank you.

But he couldn’t say anything. A jump start? He was terrified of the prospect of leaving his brothers to start college next fall, and this guy wanted to accelerate that by nine months.

Dr. Cutter grabbed a cardigan off the back of his desk chair and shivered. “It certainly got chilly in here. Do you have any thoughts?”

Nick grabbed his bag and stood up. “I need to think about it.” He bolted for the door.

“Nick!”

The instinct to obey authority overrode his desire to get the hell out of the classroom. Nick stopped in the doorway, but he didn’t turn all the way around.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you,” said Dr. Cutter,

“but make sure it doesn’t damage your chances at a future.”

His voice wasn’t unkind, and Nick swallowed.

Then Dr. Cutter added, “I want to make sure I recommend the right student for this opportunity. Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly. Thank you.”

He should have been excited.

He wasn’t.

At lunch, he sat with his brothers and their girlfriends, but Hunter and Quinn didn’t show up. He didn’t care what his roommate was up to, but he did care about Quinn. Nick sent her a quick text.

She responded almost immediately.

I’m getting study help for US History. I’ll see you later. Can you give me a ride to the studio tonight?

The studio. Adam .

He mentally calculated. He was supposed to help Michael on Wednesdays, but they’d be done by seven-ish.

Sure. 7:45?

“What’s eating you?” said Chris.

“Nothing,” said Nick. He set the phone next to his tray and drove his fork into the cafeteria meat loaf.

Becca leaned in against the table. “Is Quinn okay?” she asked quietly. “She’s really upset about the Elemental stuff.”

She hadn’t said anything to Nick, but he knew Quinn didn’t want Becca to know how rough her home life had turned. And maybe she was still smarting from the secrets Becca had kept.

Nick didn’t necessarily agree with either course of action, but Quinn wasn’t exactly giving him all the details, either. He nodded. “I’ll talk to her. I’m taking her to dance tonight.”

Gabriel snorted. “Wow, playing chauffeur. Sounds like true love to me.”

His girlfriend Layne hit him. “Leave him alone.”

“Will you tell her I’m worried about her?” said Becca. “I don’t—I didn’t mean to hurt her.”