"Do you have paper?" Grayson asked, fingers stained with a shallow cut.
"I have a bandage," Lisa said, and reached into the corner of her tote where the pink box lived.
The stationery case at Summit Books & Stationery was packed tight with teenagers hunting notebooks and stickers. A crowd around the glass display pressed in from every side.
"Hey, watch it," someone hissed behind Lisa as elbows bumped her ribs.
A tall guy in a blue hoodie reached across the case. His shoulder clipped Lisa. The glass display at the edge trembled.
"Whoa—" someone breathed.
The world gave a small, sharp sound as pens and gel ink cartridges clicked together. The glass rattled harder, and a corner of the case scraped against the counter.
"Hey! Who did that?" a woman demanded.
"That girl," a student said, pointing at Lisa before she could react. The voice was Jazlyn's, polished and loud enough to carry.
"I didn't—" Lisa started, voice small.
"Clumsy," Jazlyn added, smiling like she was placing a verdict.
The guy in the blue hoodie laughed and leaned back, smirking. Ford, Lisa realized. He had that confident glossy grin that made other kids follow his jokes. He took it as a game.
"I didn't mean to—" Lisa said again and wrapped her hand tighter around the skinny black-and-white pen she had been reaching for.
Grayson's hand was held out at his side, thumb pressed against a white flap of paper. He had a pair
