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“Did everyone hear her?” Mr. Daniels asks.

Almost everyone says no. The only one who nods is the cute guitarist.

“Can you repeat all of that?” Mr. Daniels asks me. “Project for the people in the front.”

My heart races as I repeat my introduction. Some people still lean forward while others stare at me blankly, including Mr. Daniels, who nods once. For several seconds, silence swamps the room.

“Let’s move on,” Mr. Daniels says.

Can I cry right now?

“I’m Jase.” So his name is Jase. One syllable—so simple, so pleasant. “I’m also going to be a senior in August, and I go to Wilson High School.”

He introduces himself as if he’s been friends with everyone here since kindergarten. Wish he could teach me his ways, albeit without ice cream.

Klyde Foster narrows his eyes to the hole on Jase’s shirt and says, “You know, it’s always good to check the mirror before you leave your house.”

Chloe Kensington adds, “Interesting fashion choice you have there.”

The way she says this, along with the bemusement that saturates her face, I can tell she’s using interesting as an insult rather than a compliment.

This is why Chloe and Klyde are meant for each other, and why they intimidate me so much, especially when they’re together. They always speak up, even—no, especially—when they’re speaking in front of an entire class. Now, several people turn to Jase and follow the AP couple’s line of sight.

“Thanks,” Jase says easily. I have a feeling he can sense their sarcasm. He tugs on a plaid area of his shirt, stretching it to bring out the hole even more. “Ripped a hole through this one and all my other shirts. I think I want to start a trend.”

Klyde furrows his eyebrows while Chloe makes a face that says What on earth did I just hear? Mr. Daniels arches an eyebrow. Everyone else turns away like it’s no big deal.

But I’m impressed. Even when two of the most intimidating geniuses I’ve ever known threw their sarcastic remarks at him, Jase just shrugged it off.

The introductions snake their way through the classroom. Once the last person speaks, Mr. Daniels saunters from row to row, handing everyone a binder. There’s a packet hooked inside the binder, and the first page features a passage from a novel.

Class starts as soon as everyone gets their binder. One by one people read a paragraph out loud.

“Let’s go over the first question,” Mr. Daniels says after we finish our popcorn-reading. “How does the character change over the course of the narrative? Remember, you have a time limit. You have to read efficiently and think quickly. Let’s read only the first two paragraphs, then the last one.”

After what feels like a minute, people snap their heads up after reading.

“Any volunteers want to answer?” Mr. Daniels asks.

Several hands shoot in the air. Jase, however, is still reading the first couple of paragraphs. When he finally turns the page, his eyebrows furrow. I hope he knows what’s happening in the passage. It’s never fun to answer questions for something you don’t understand.

Mr. Daniels calls on Chloe.

“It’s B,” she answers.

“That’s right!” Mr. Daniels says. “How were you able to figure that out just by reading three paragraphs?”

“I looked at the first several sentences in each paragraph, then noticed the differences in her actions and attitudes.”

Mr. Daniels elaborates on why her strategy is so efficient. Pens and pencils scrawl across notebook pages. From table to table, erasers squeak as they rub against paper. The smell of eraser shavings and pen ink roams through the room.

As class continues, the process stays the same. Understanding that there’s a time limit, applying a strategy, answering questions, and discussing why that strategy is efficient. Every minute drags on. My eyelids even start to flicker. Pencil lead is smudged on the side of my pinky, and all of my notes are smeared. Even though we’re only on question nine, my eyes fly to the clock hanging above the posters, a glint of light dimpled across the glass. Only thirty minutes have passed. I zip my mouth shut, preventing a sigh from puffing out.

“On to the next passage,” Mr. Daniels says.

Everyone turns to the following page. Printed from top to bottom is a passage from a science article. Again, different people read out loud.

“In line 5, the author uses ‘traced’ to mean, what?” Mr. Daniels asks. “Look into the context clues.”