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“Sorry.” I mouthed to him. He just shrugged. Then Cameron grabbed my shoulder and pulled me after her.

“Ugh! Why does he try to be all mysterious all the time?” She groaned as we made our way to the parking lot. I shrugged.

“I just-“ Then Cameron collided with someone.

“Oh! Sorry!” An airy voice said. I looked past a shaken Cam to see a girl about our age, with frizzy red hair that stuck out from her head, as if she had spent her whole life rubbing it with a balloon to get the effect. She wore coke-bottle glasses that made her freckly face small in comparison. Around her skinny body hung a grey dress, and around her neck various large beaded necklaces, some metal, some made from stones, clacking together as she moved. Cameron held her head and nodded at the strange girl. “I’m Charlotte.” She said, holding out her hand.

Cameron was at a loss for words, staring at this alien-like girl.

“I’m Maggie.” I said, giving her my hand, which seemed to shoot forward of its own accord. “This is Cameron.”

“Charmed.” She said in the same low voice, shaking my hand. Her grip was way too strong, and the millions of rings on her fingers cut into the palm of my hand. “I assume I’ll see you around!” She waved and disappeared into the crowd of students, heading back toward the school.

“Who the-What the-?” Cameron looked at me blankly.

“I have no idea.” I said, shaking my head.

“Whoever she is, she’s completely bonkers!”

“Maybe.” I agreed, nodding. I was about to head toward my ride, Cameron’s mom’s car, but she stopped me.

“Detention, remember?” She said, tilting her head to the side to look at me with pitiful eyes.

“Oh, right.” I said, slapping my forehead in dismay. “Maybe I could just-?”

“No, do the right thing. Get it over with now.” She said, pointing back toward the school.

“But Cam-!”

“March.” She said, smiling a bit at her own joke. I huffed, fixed my backpack, and walked back toward Ms. Oswald’s classroom.

On my way there, the crowds of students began to thin. The only people I saw were the kids who were in an afterschool club, waiting for detention, or making out.

Ugh, who would do that? I thought. Public displays of affection are just so…so…GROSS!

I took a shortcut to get back to detention in time. On the first floor there was a relatively unused teacher’s lounge, and it had two doors, one to each side of the hallway. Because the lighting in the room never worked, no one really went in there, and the doors were always locked.

It was a good thing lock pickingwas one of my many talents. The lock clicked open with ease, thanks to the hair pin I always had to hold back the mountain of frizz that I called hair.

I opened the door. The lights were out, as always, but the light from the hall shone in, so I could see two figure leaning against a wall, making out.

“Who’s there?” A familiar voice said. A light shone as the figures separated. Then I could see their faces. I gasped.

It was Andrew and Charlotte.