Kayla's gift of persuasion had finally paid off. For her, not for me. She'd convinced me to spend my Saturday evening at Mazzeria's instead of at home with Jack. My parents still needed to hire more people, and despite their penchant for being bad at everything they tried to do, business was booming. People loved the maze theme, and even I admitted that the gluten free crust pizza tasted just as good as the gluten-filled crust. Kayla had just as much to do with the restaurant's success as Carlo and Becca. Someday, we'd be watching her inauguration on TV, telling people we knew her when.

I worked the greeting station as hostess, while Kayla and two others handled the tables. Kayla put me up front because in theory, it was easier than waitressing, but between the crowds swarming in and people coming for their pick-up orders, I wanted to pull my hair out and scream. Then, he walked in. Of all the pizza joints in all the county, he had to walk into mine.

I cursed silently as Shelby, pulling on her brother's arm, bounced up to greet me.

"Mazie, Mazie, Mazie!"

"Shelby, Shelby, Shelby." I grab a couple of menus. "Table for two?"

"Why haven't you come to a dance class?"

"I'm still weighing my options." I imagined Blake eyeing me, but I refused to look in his direction to confirm. "A table just opened up. Follow me."

Walking them to their booth, Shelby gave me a rundown of her week. Her turtle was sick. She had begun to rehearse for a big dance recital in November. Her parents were out of town this weekend and she was stuck making sure Blake didn't self-destruct.

I stopped moving and Shelby collided with my back. Make sure Blake didn't self-destruct. Such a strange choice of words. "Here's your table. Your waitress will be right with you." Handing them their menus, I avoided looking in Blake's direction like I'd turn into a pillar of salt if I saw the whites of his eyes. "I've got a line forming. Talk to you later, okay?"

"What's with her?" Shelby ask him as I walked away. If he responded, I didn't hear it.

A few minutes later, my mother emerged from the kitchen. "Take your break, honey. Why don't you go talk to your friend?"

"Kayla's too busy to talk."

"No, I mean your boyfriend. Not your boyfriend. Your friend who's a boy." My mom's cheeks turned pink. I'd picked up the easy blushing gene from her. "You know. The one with the adorable sister."

"Pass. I will go get an Italian soda, however."

I made myself a cherry soda and sat at the bar, swirling my straw around, eyes turned away from where Blake sat.

Or where I though Blake was sitting.

"We have to stop meeting like this."

I jumped at the sound of his voice. "Jesus." Blake had taken the stool next to mine. "What are you doing here? Did you leave Shelby all by herself?"

"She's playing with the maze table. She'll be fine for a minute."

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Why are you here sitting next to me trying to talk to me? Two days ago, you accused me of ruining your life—a crime I'm innocent of, by the way, and now you're acting... chummy."

He studied the floor for a moment. "I'm sorry about that. I know you didn't tell Dakota anything."

"Damn right I didn't, though I'd love to tell her off." I took a sip of my soda. "Why the change of heart?"

He swiveled in a circle, then stopped to face me again. "I should have seen right away that it made no sense. You wouldn't have lied like that. Also, I think I know who's behind all this."

That got my attention. I swiveled so I faced him too. I braced myself for the smell of cedar, but nothing permeated the air beyond the aroma of yeast and tomato sauce. "Who?"

Blake squirmed on his stool. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it totally matters. They're ruining my life. Or at least my Dorn High School life. People keep talking about me behind my back. Do you know the sort of things they're saying about me?"

His expression darkened. "I'm sorry. Look, this will work itself out."

"Yeah, it will. If you tell people who started the rumor and that it's not true."

"I have told people it's not true. I've told them you're just a friend but as soon as I say that, they just smile and say, "sure. A friend with benefits? Or something like that."

I couldn't stifle a laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Several things. The fact that I get the same reaction, for one. Also, the fact that you just called us friends."

"Well, we are... aren't we?" His forehead wrinkled as he waited for my response.

"I don't know what we are, Blake, but let's face it, most of the time we spend together—it's not friendly."

He eased back on his seat, slowly nodding his head. "That's my fault."

I turned back to my soda. "It is what it is. I don't trust you."

"That's because you're smart." He swirled around again. The childlike, carefree movement felt out of place, given the gravity of our conversation. "I am definitely not trustworthy. And that's not going to change."

"Wow, you've really decided to throw your lot in with the dark forces of the world, haven't you? You're sixteen, Blake. You can be trustworthy. You can be genuine. You don't have to walk down the same path you're on. There are countless other paths and they don't all end in disaster."

He stopped spinning. "I'm not sure you believe what you just said. Aren't you Miss Doom and Gloom?"

"Maybe. But I also know I'm a good person, and it's not by default. I'm good because of the choices I make. You can make different choices. If you don't. it's on you and you get to deal with the consequences."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to." He placed a hand over mine. I let him entwine his fingers around my own—that was my choice. "Mazie, things might get messy."

They felt pretty damn messy already. "What do you mean? Why?"

"Like you said, because of choices I made." His grip on my hand tightened. "I don't want you involved. So, I need you to do what I seem incapable of doing."

"What's that?"

"Stay away from me. Not because I want you to." He leaned in. "But because it has to be this way. Something with me isn't right. I though you could help me figure it out, but now I realize you'd have to pay a price for helping me that I don't want you to pay."

I shivered. How close he was to the truth... yet how clueless he was at the same time. I'd already paid for my alignment with him and Jack with my reputation. What more did I stand to lose?

"I mean it Mazie, move away from me. When I try to talk to you, leave. Please."

His eyes pleaded with me. They were way more convincing than his words. I took a deep breath and extracted my hand from his. "I've already been trying to avoid you. It's really no difference to me."

"Yes, it is. We'll have to stop our dance lessons."

I nearly fell off my stool. "What dance lessons?"

He shook like he'd gone outside in winter with only a t-shirt on. "I don't know why I said that."

"Yes, you do. You know why, don't you?"

His eyes turned glassy. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or through me. His jaw moved from side to side, but no words came out of his mouth.

My break was almost over. "Blake, you told me that when I went home, I still couldn't get away from you, that you were still there. What did you mean by that?"

"I'm not a stalker, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, that's not it. Think. What dance lessons? Why do you know my room is painted blue?"

He closed his eyes. "As soon as I think I'm getting at the truth, by brain goes to mush." His eyes opened again, and they searched my own. "And as soon as I can think clearly again, the first thing I think about is you."

I slid off my stool, determined not to let him see how badly I was trembling. "I'm going to do what you asked, Blake. I'll stay away from you. But I need something from you in return."

"What?"

"When you can face the truth without your brain imploding, find me and tell it to me. I can handle it. I'm not as fragile as you think I am." I realized as I said it that it was the truth. Only strong people could face anxiety attacks and public ridicule and social phobias and still carry on. Whatever truth Blake was hiding, Jack needed to know, and that meant I needed to hear it, even if it put me in danger.

Shelby cut in between us. "The pizza's here."

Blake let her drag him back to their booth and I returned to my station. I did what he asked, even making Kayla ring up their bill. I'd like to say that I never saw his face again, but there it was, staring right at me as soon as I returned home to Jack.