“What kind of name is Parvin, anyway?” Hudson read my name tag, pronouncing it Par-vin, and not PAR-veen, like Ruth and Fabián did. What was going on? Why wasn’t Wesley sticking up for me? I felt my friends bristle beside me, ready to step in.
Too late. “Don’t you have some used cars to sell?” Fabián sneered, gesturing to Hudson’s outfit.
“Yeah!” Ruth added, a bit unhelpfully.
But in that moment, I could have kissed them both. Fabián and Ruth were my ride-or-die BFFs. They weren’t going to let just anyone make fun of me. After all, making fun of me was their job.
Wesley stared uneasily at the floor. Why was he friends with this jerk? And why wasn’t he saying anything? I was starting to get annoyed now.
“Let’s go over here,” he said finally, leading me alone to an empty hallway away from Hudson and his crew. Gone was the happy twinkle in Wesley’s eye from whenever he saw me. Now he looked as nervous about high school as I felt, and he kept running his tongue over his braces-free teeth.
“How do you know those guys?” I asked. And why won’t you look at me? It felt like the second I’d introduced my friends, Wesley had clammed up. Was he intimidated by how awesome they were? Being BFFs with an influencer could be nerve-racking, sure, but Fabián had been on his best behavior just now.
“They go to my church, actually. I didn’t know they’d be here until yesterday.”
I nodded. I was glad he was starting school with some friends, even if they seemed dumb.
He still wouldn’t meet my eye.
“Wes?” I took a step closer, reaching for his hand. But he shoved them both into his pockets.
Fabián and Ruth gave me a sympathetic look from where they waited over by Wesley’s church friends. They were probably wondering where the hysterical boyfriend I’d bragged so much about had gone. I’d told them how funny Wesley was, but he was completely different from the boy in front of me.
For someone who had asked me to be his girlfriend a couple days ago, Wesley sure wasn’t acting like my boyfriend.
“Listen, Parvin,” Wesley started, finally making eye contact. “I’ve thought about it a lot, and I think it’s better if we just stay friends. You’re just . . . a little . . .”
My heart stopped. I held my breath, waiting for Wesley to explain the punch line. This had to be a joke, right? Who dumped someone two days after asking them to be their girlfriend?
“Loud,” he said finally. He gestured to all of me, as if I could read his mind and understand what that meant.
I gasped. Loud? Moi? This had to be another one of Wesley’s jokes, like the time we covered the lifeguard chair in body glitter.
“Shiver me timbers, Wes,” I snorted, remembering how much he liked my pirate-speak earlier this week. “Good one, Captain!”
But Wesley just shook his head. “It was fine at the beach and all. But things are different now. You’re just really . . . um . . .”
He looked at the ceiling tiles, as if he’d find the right word up there. “Too much.”
This couldn’t be happening. This had to be a prank.
“What does that even mean?” I chuckled, but it was a strained, shaky sound.
He remained silent. I reached for his hand again, but he kept it in his pocket. “We’re still on for hanging out after orientation, right?” I pressed. I had already scoped out the school’s parking lot, and if I moved each assigned parking space over by one, Principal Saulk wouldn’t have a spot to slide his Prius into tomorrow. It was the perfect trick, and I needed Wesley’s help since Fabián and Ruth refused to help with my little schemes anymore.
“Ummm,” he said uncomfortably.
The laugh I’d been holding back for when he yelled “Just kidding!” died in my throat. Was this really happening? Wesley had never mentioned before that I was “too loud” or “too much” all summer. He had seemed happy enough listening to me explain why mint chocolate chip was the best ice cream flavor, or why I still wore bronzer even though my skin was already pretty bronze.
Wesley just shook his head. “Sorry, Parvin. I don’t think you should be my girlfriend anymore.”
He walked away, back to his church friends.
And then I died.
■ ■ ■ FIVE SECONDS LATER
Oh, look, a comfortable patch of linoleum.
I think I will lie down for a bit.
■ ■ ■ HALLWAY 10 MINUTES LATER
Fabián had emptied a bag of Hot Cheetos, and Ruth was using it to resuscitate me.
“Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in . . .”
I tried to make the bag expand and collapse with my breath, but it felt too hard, and the Cheeto dust kept making me cough. Why bother with breathing? Or existing?
I was so upset I was shaking. Tears of fury pricked at the corners of my eyes. How dare he dump me at orientation? How dare he dump me at all?
“Parvin, do you feel any better?” Ruth rubbed my back. “You look like you’re going to cry.”
“I’m not sad,” I insisted. “Just mad.”
“I can’t believe him.” Fabián shook his head. “That guy is a total loser.”
He was forming a human shield in front of me and Ruth so I could hyperventilate in peace under the water fountain by the lockers.
“Exactly.” I huffed. “I’m way too cool for him. If anything, I should have dumped him!”
The truth was, I was still in shock. I didn’t understand why this was happening or how I could have misread my relationship with Wesley so badly. My head hurt from all the thoughts spiraling around inside it, wondering what I’d done to make him think I was too much for him, and why being loud was such a bad thing in the first place.
Ruth bit her lip. “Maybe he was just nervous about his first day? It’s scary starting over.”
“So? You can’t dump
