I shook off my yoga mat and quickly rolled it up. I’d clean it really well when I got home, but I wanted to get out of here. Now.
There was an awkward silence as I grabbed my water bottle and slung my bag over my shoulder. Ryan hadn’t moved to pick up his stuff, and I felt a pang of hurt. I guess I was on my own. I shot a bitter look in his direction.
“I’ll see you at home,” I said irritably in his direction.
“Wait!” Brett exclaimed as he climbed to his feet. “I’ll go with you, so you don’t have to ride the subway on your own.”
“Thanks,” I said with a hesitant smile.
“Yeah,” Ryan agreed as he rolled up his yoga mat. “Give us a second.”
I rolled my eyes. Now that Brett was coming, Ryan was all about leaving? Traitor.
Rachael said something snide to the other girls, and they all chuckled. I didn’t catch their words, but it was obviously a dig at me. They could have their laughs – I had more important things to worry about.
I turned on my heel and walked away. Those girls were a waste of my time, and I wasn’t going to stand here and trade insults with them. They didn’t get what they wanted, and now they were reverting into their usual mean girl roles.
Brett and Ryan caught up to me quickly, and Brett flashed a bright smile at in my direction.
“Sorry,” Brett said. “Those girls can be real bitches sometimes.”
I shrugged as if I’d already forgotten the incident. “It’s whatever.”
Brett chuckled. “Ryan’s lucky to have you as a friend,” he said brightly. “Not only are you ridiculously talented, but you’re also really chill.”
Ryan frowned, and I wondered what was bothering him. Was Ryan jealous Brett was paying attention to me instead of him? Or was he worried that Brett and I would become friends and leave him out?
I sighed. I was completely over all the drama in my life. Why couldn’t things just be simple?
“I’m the lucky one,” I answered Brett with a tight smile.
We got to the stairway to the subway, and I lead the way. The three of us maneuvered through the crowd until we could stand together on the platform.
“You wanna come to our place to hang out?” Ryan offered.
“Sure,” Brett said with a smile flashed in my direction.
Ryan looked irritated, but Brett didn’t notice. I sighed. This was going to be an awkward evening if things kept going this way.
“What are your plans for summer?” I asked Brett to make conversation. Maybe I could set him and Ryan up on a real date.
Brett shrugged. “The same as usual. I’ll be around.”
“Cool.”
My eyes caught on a man hovering on the other side of the platform, and I grabbed Ryan’s arm.
“Look!” I hissed. “That’s the guy again!”
Ryan rolled his eyes as Brett turned to look.
“Who?” Brett asked in confusion.
“Nothing,” Ryan said irritably. “Katya’s just being weird.”
I widened my eyes at him and jerked my head toward the stranger.
“Just look,” I pleaded. “I promise it’s the same guy.”
Ryan sighed, but he turned to look. I knew the second that he saw our stalker, because his entire body stiffened.
“What’s wrong?” Brett asked as he looked between the two of us.
“Nothing,” Ryan and I said together.
Our train barreled into the station at that exact moment, and I pulled Ryan down a couple of cars. We got some irritated looks from other people trying to board, but Brett followed behind us, and we were able to get on without the stalker.
The doors closed, and I sighed in relief.
“You can’t say that’s a coincidence,” I told Ryan. “It’s one thing to be on the same train at the same time every day when we’re on our way home from school. But this trip was completely random. There’s no way it could be a coincidence.”
“You think someone’s following you?” Brett asked curiously.
I chewed on my lower lip before I spoke. “I don’t know,” I said finally. “It’s crazy, right?”
“Kinda,” Brett said with an amused look at Ryan.
Ryan shrugged his shoulders as if to say: yeah, she’s crazy, but she’s my best friend.
I huffed in irritation. Ryan just didn’t want to admit I was right in front of Brett. He was still trying to impress his crush, and acting like a paranoid psycho wouldn’t help.
“I guess it’s a good thing you’re getting out of the city,” Ryan pointed out.
I glared at Ryan. That wasn’t a done deal. I was still hoping to stay in New York if the Logans could talk some sense into Richard. I knew he was the driving factor behind this nightmare, because my mother wouldn’t think twice about leaving me behind and never looking back.
“Really?” Brett asked cheerfully. “Where are you going?”
“I might take a break,” I lied awkwardly. “After my grandmother…you know.”
A flash of sadness hit me. I still missed my babushka every day. I missed her greeting me when I got home from school, I missed the days we’d cook dinner together, and I even missed her scolding me about my laziness when I tried to sleep in. Losing her felt like I had been cast adrift in an ocean with no sight of land. Without Ryan, I’d be completely alone, and without ballet, my life would be pointless.
“Yeah,” Brett said uncomfortably as he cleared his throat. “I get it.”
The lights flickered before we slowed for the next stop, and I grabbed hold of the metal pole in front of me, so I didn’t lose my balance. A few people got
