already open a crack, so I didn’t even knock. But this wasn’t a bathroom at all. I took in a spacious office with a wide desk and a bookcase lining the entire back wall. And, in the back corner, a tall figure with dark hair, sitting perfectly still in a wingback chair.
“Oh my God.” I gasped, my hand flying to my chest in surprise. But I recognized him: Max Watson, Ryan Chase’s cousin.
“Uh … hey,” he said, looking up.
I exhaled. “You scared me.”
“I got bored,” he said, holding up the book in his hand so I could infer the rest.
“So you came in here to read?”
“Well, not exactly. I was looking for the bathroom, but it turns out that someone who lives here is really into John Irving. And so am I.”
I leaned closer to get a view of the book’s cover. “Is that Owen Meany ?”
“It is,” he said, his eyebrows rising. “You’re on a first-name basis with this book?”
“I guess so. I love the closing lines.”
“Yeah,” Max said. “All the longing in the book is right there in the last two sentences.”
Barely repressing an amused smile, I crossed my arms. “You’ve read it before?”
“I have.” He pushed his glasses farther up on his nose.
“So you’re sitting in this office, alone, reading a book you’ve already read … ?”
He thought for a moment. “Seems that way.”
There was a pause, and I realized I was out of things to say. So I stumbled into an introduction. “I’m Paige, by the way.”
“I know,” he said. “I’m Max.”
“Right. English class.”
“Ms. Pepper told me you were considering QuizBowl.”
“Oh, right.” In all the drama with my parents, I’d totally forgotten. “Yeah, I am. You’re the captain, right?”
He saluted. “Aye-aye. I’m really only captain by default, though. The other two team members are super busy. I just have robotics team and Latin Club, so they said I should do it.”
“Robotics?” I asked. “Is that, like, building robots?”
“Pretty much,” he said, shrugging, and I decided I’d hit my awkwardness capacity.
“Well, have fun with John and Owen,” I said, backing out of the room. I knew Max was smart, but this was a committed and impressive display of nerdiness.
“Oh, I will,” he called as I shut the door.
I shook my head, brushing off our weird encounter. Even though Ryan had always been popular in school, it was common knowledge that Max was his closest friend. I’d even heard rumors that Max transferred back to Oakhurstbecause Ryan was having a rough time. During the first week of school, I’d certainly noticed that Ryan wasn’t running with his usual crowd. Leanne still walked down the hallways flanked by the same group Ryan had always belonged to. Ryan seemed separate now, chatting with random track buddies or student council people in the hallway instead of his big clique of so-called friends.
By the time I found the real restroom and made my way back to my friends, Tessa had texted me: This party is dead. Meet you at the car .
I found Maggie to say good-bye and then made my way through the crowd. But, once outside, I was distracted by the black Jeep parked immediately in front of the house—Ryan Chase’s Jeep.
And leaning against Ryan Chase’s Jeep was Max Watson, arms crossed.
“You again,” I said, slowing my pace. I’d never seen Max Watson at a party before, and now he seemed to be everywhere.
“Me again,” he agreed. “Slightly less creepy this time.”
I smiled. “How was the book?”
“Excellent, as you know.”
“Well,” I said. “You missed an excellent party.” It wasn’t true, really, and my time probably would have been better spent reading or watching TV.
He shrugged. “I only came because my mom is on mycase about being ‘actively social’ now that I’m back at Oakhurst. Compared to Ryan, I think I seem like a recluse to her.”
“Ha,” I said, almost fully laughing at how close my own thoughts had been to his mother’s
“Oh my God.” I gasped, my hand flying to my chest in surprise. But I recognized him: Max Watson, Ryan Chase’s cousin.
“Uh … hey,” he said, looking up.
I exhaled. “You scared me.”
“I got bored,” he said, holding up the book in his hand so I could infer the rest.
“So you came in here to read?”
“Well, not exactly. I was looking for the bathroom, but it turns out that someone who lives here is really into John Irving. And so am I.”
I leaned closer to get a view of the book’s cover. “Is that Owen Meany ?”
“It is,” he said, his eyebrows rising. “You’re on a first-name basis with this book?”
“I guess so. I love the closing lines.”
“Yeah,” Max said. “All the longing in the book is right there in the last two sentences.”
Barely repressing an amused smile, I crossed my arms. “You’ve read it before?”
“I have.” He pushed his glasses farther up on his nose.
“So you’re sitting in this office, alone, reading a book you’ve already read … ?”
He thought for a moment. “Seems that way.”
There was a pause, and I realized I was out of things to say. So I stumbled into an introduction. “I’m Paige, by the way.”
“I know,” he said. “I’m Max.”
“Right. English class.”
“Ms. Pepper told me you were considering QuizBowl.”
“Oh, right.” In all the drama with my parents, I’d totally forgotten. “Yeah, I am. You’re the captain, right?”
He saluted. “Aye-aye. I’m really only captain by default, though. The other two team members are super busy. I just have robotics team and Latin Club, so they said I should do it.”
“Robotics?” I asked. “Is that, like, building robots?”
“Pretty much,” he said, shrugging, and I decided I’d hit my awkwardness capacity.
“Well, have fun with John and Owen,” I said, backing out of the room. I knew Max was smart, but this was a committed and impressive display of nerdiness.
“Oh, I will,” he called as I shut the door.
I shook my head, brushing off our weird encounter. Even though Ryan had always been popular in school, it was common knowledge that Max was his closest friend. I’d even heard rumors that Max transferred back to Oakhurstbecause Ryan was having a rough time. During the first week of school, I’d certainly noticed that Ryan wasn’t running with his usual crowd. Leanne still walked down the hallways flanked by the same group Ryan had always belonged to. Ryan seemed separate now, chatting with random track buddies or student council people in the hallway instead of his big clique of so-called friends.
By the time I found the real restroom and made my way back to my friends, Tessa had texted me: This party is dead. Meet you at the car .
I found Maggie to say good-bye and then made my way through the crowd. But, once outside, I was distracted by the black Jeep parked immediately in front of the house—Ryan Chase’s Jeep.
And leaning against Ryan Chase’s Jeep was Max Watson, arms crossed.
“You again,” I said, slowing my pace. I’d never seen Max Watson at a party before, and now he seemed to be everywhere.
“Me again,” he agreed. “Slightly less creepy this time.”
I smiled. “How was the book?”
“Excellent, as you know.”
“Well,” I said. “You missed an excellent party.” It wasn’t true, really, and my time probably would have been better spent reading or watching TV.
He shrugged. “I only came because my mom is on mycase about being ‘actively social’ now that I’m back at Oakhurst. Compared to Ryan, I think I seem like a recluse to her.”
“Ha,” I said, almost fully laughing at how close my own thoughts had been to his mother’s
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