“Homigosh!” Chelsea squealed, assaulting Laurel from behind and practically yanking her fingers from David’s grasp. She put her face right in front of Laurel’s. “Faerie boy is totally in my English class! Hurry before Ryan gets here — you have to spill!”

“Shh!” Laurel said, glancing around her. But no one was listening.

“He’s really hot,” she said. “The girls were all watching him. Oh, and the Japanese guy is in my Calculus class even though he’s only fifteen. When do you think American schools will get the memo that there’s a global economy out there?” she demanded. Then she paused and her eyes widened. “Man, I hope he doesn’t blow the curve.”

David rolled his eyes, but it was with a grin. “That’s what everyone else is thinking about you,” he said.

“Listen,” Laurel said, pulling Chelsea closer, “I don’t know anything yet; I still need to talk with him, okay?”

“You’ll tell me though, right?” Chelsea asked.

“Don’t I always?” Laurel teased, smiling.

“Tonight?”

“We’ll see,” Laurel said, turning her around by her shoulders and pushing her in Ryan’s direction. “Go!” Chelsea turned and stuck her tongue out at Laurel before ducking under her boyfriend’s arm.

Laurel shook her head and turned to David. “One class together is not enough,” she said in a mock-stern voice. “Whose idea was this, anyway?”

“Not mine, that’s for sure,” David said. They went into the classroom and claimed a couple of desks near the back.

After everything else that had happened that day, Laurel shouldn’t have been surprised to see Tamani walk into her and David’s Speech class. When Tamani entered, David tensed, but he relaxed when Laurel’s erstwhile guardian chose a desk at the front of the room, several rows away.