different to everyone else as I must have to Harrison, whether my weight loss has been that dramatic, whether my eyes have sunken in as much as I think they have whenever I look into the
mirror.
His forehead wrinkles. “Wait a minute. I know you. You’re…” He snaps his fingers and, for some unknown reason, I wait for him to come up with the right answer.
“Stella. Right? You’ve been out, but why—”
A snorting burst of laughter comes from behind him. Tess covers her mouth, giggling into her hand. “You gave him a fake
name
? That’s so
weird
and
embarrassing
.”
I struggle not to hurl on his shoes. Harrison just sort of shakes his head brusquely as though confused, then wanders away.
Brynn laces her fingers through mine and smiles sweetly at Tess. “Better than having a fake personality.”
Tess snatches the flask out of Brandon’s hand. “Why don’t you go take a leap off the pier, Brynn? Go on, I dare you. Oh wait, didn’t you already chicken out on that dare,
like, months ago? Still scared?”
And just like that I’m invisible again. Forgotten. Brynn’s warm hand drops mine as she steps toward Tess. “Oh, like you would even dip your toe in that water.”
“What are they talking about?” I ask Henry.
“Brandon dared Brynn a few months ago to jump off the pier in her underwear.”
Brandon smirks at the girls. “I’d actually be fine with any of you doing it. Rule one of the game: One cannot call out the daree, if the darer is not, in turn, willing to accept the
dare.”
“Because we’re not morons,” says Lydia.
“I’ll pay you fifty bucks to do it.” Brandon fishes for his wallet as if to prove that he’s serious.
Lydia just glares at him.
“Chicken.” Brandon snaps his wallet shut. The group’s chatter dies down and we listen to the fire crackle. Connor rummages around the cooler for a fresh beverage.
“I’ll do it,” I say, surprising myself. I wait for a reaction, but everyone’s gone silent, and before I know what I’m doing, I stand up and dust off the back of my
jeans. “I’ll do it. I’m serious.”
Adrenaline pumps through my veins, coupled with a high-pitched ringing in my ears.
Ty’s eyebrows spike up to his mop of blond hair. “Do what?”
“Jump off the pier.” I tilt my chin and stare up at the warped planks, through which the light of faraway stars shines.
Henry’s fingers wrap around my wrist. “Stella. Stop. It’s dangerous. Not to mention freezing.”
“I’m fine. How many times do I have to tell you?”
He drops his voice low. “You don’t have to try to look cool in front of them. I don’t care about any of that.”
My muscles go rigid. Acid burns my throat. He thinks I’m worried about embarrassing
him
? I wrench my wrist free from his grip and look to Brynn for help. Gently, she touches
Henry’s arm and shakes her head.
I can’t put into words exactly why I need to do it. All I know is this: I’m sick of being sick. And I’m even more sick of people treating me that way. I’m tired of being
left on the sidelines while everyone else is busy living their lives. I promised myself I’d stop doing that. I promised myself I wouldn’t be invisible.
I brush past Henry and start kicking off my shoes. For a brief moment, I think I see someone moving on the outskirts of our group again, but the movement’s stilled by the time I pull off
my sweater and am left stripped down to jeans and a flimsy black tank top.
“Holy crap, she’s going to do it.” Connor springs from his chair.
With the group following behind, I climb the railroad-tie stairs barefoot and tiptoe onto the pier. The wood is moist and rough underneath the soles of my feet. I run my hand along the railing
as I walk farther out. Underneath the landing, we’d been protected from the wind, which now whips spray off the water and onto my face. I wipe it from my lashes and squint against the gusts.
The breeze lifts the hair off the back of my neck and I
mirror.
His forehead wrinkles. “Wait a minute. I know you. You’re…” He snaps his fingers and, for some unknown reason, I wait for him to come up with the right answer.
“Stella. Right? You’ve been out, but why—”
A snorting burst of laughter comes from behind him. Tess covers her mouth, giggling into her hand. “You gave him a fake
name
? That’s so
weird
and
embarrassing
.”
I struggle not to hurl on his shoes. Harrison just sort of shakes his head brusquely as though confused, then wanders away.
Brynn laces her fingers through mine and smiles sweetly at Tess. “Better than having a fake personality.”
Tess snatches the flask out of Brandon’s hand. “Why don’t you go take a leap off the pier, Brynn? Go on, I dare you. Oh wait, didn’t you already chicken out on that dare,
like, months ago? Still scared?”
And just like that I’m invisible again. Forgotten. Brynn’s warm hand drops mine as she steps toward Tess. “Oh, like you would even dip your toe in that water.”
“What are they talking about?” I ask Henry.
“Brandon dared Brynn a few months ago to jump off the pier in her underwear.”
Brandon smirks at the girls. “I’d actually be fine with any of you doing it. Rule one of the game: One cannot call out the daree, if the darer is not, in turn, willing to accept the
dare.”
“Because we’re not morons,” says Lydia.
“I’ll pay you fifty bucks to do it.” Brandon fishes for his wallet as if to prove that he’s serious.
Lydia just glares at him.
“Chicken.” Brandon snaps his wallet shut. The group’s chatter dies down and we listen to the fire crackle. Connor rummages around the cooler for a fresh beverage.
“I’ll do it,” I say, surprising myself. I wait for a reaction, but everyone’s gone silent, and before I know what I’m doing, I stand up and dust off the back of my
jeans. “I’ll do it. I’m serious.”
Adrenaline pumps through my veins, coupled with a high-pitched ringing in my ears.
Ty’s eyebrows spike up to his mop of blond hair. “Do what?”
“Jump off the pier.” I tilt my chin and stare up at the warped planks, through which the light of faraway stars shines.
Henry’s fingers wrap around my wrist. “Stella. Stop. It’s dangerous. Not to mention freezing.”
“I’m fine. How many times do I have to tell you?”
He drops his voice low. “You don’t have to try to look cool in front of them. I don’t care about any of that.”
My muscles go rigid. Acid burns my throat. He thinks I’m worried about embarrassing
him
? I wrench my wrist free from his grip and look to Brynn for help. Gently, she touches
Henry’s arm and shakes her head.
I can’t put into words exactly why I need to do it. All I know is this: I’m sick of being sick. And I’m even more sick of people treating me that way. I’m tired of being
left on the sidelines while everyone else is busy living their lives. I promised myself I’d stop doing that. I promised myself I wouldn’t be invisible.
I brush past Henry and start kicking off my shoes. For a brief moment, I think I see someone moving on the outskirts of our group again, but the movement’s stilled by the time I pull off
my sweater and am left stripped down to jeans and a flimsy black tank top.
“Holy crap, she’s going to do it.” Connor springs from his chair.
With the group following behind, I climb the railroad-tie stairs barefoot and tiptoe onto the pier. The wood is moist and rough underneath the soles of my feet. I run my hand along the railing
as I walk farther out. Underneath the landing, we’d been protected from the wind, which now whips spray off the water and onto my face. I wipe it from my lashes and squint against the gusts.
The breeze lifts the hair off the back of my neck and I
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