In Art, Mary sat at the same table with Sienna and David.

"I saw Carter following you in the hall," Sienna said. "Did he talk to you?"

"A little," Mary said.

"What did he say?"

David rolled his eyes. "C'mon, babe. Give her a break. She just got back. Besides, who cares about what Carter Maxwell does or doesn't do?"

"But this is big! Mary's got to be the first one he's really talked to. Did he say how he got out of the hospital? Or how come his parents made him go back to school so fast?"

Mary suddenly recalled why she didn't consider Sienna a friend. She was an unimaginable gossip.

But those were actually good questions, even though Mary didn't have the answers. Thankfully, the bell rang, and Mr. Edwards started class before Sienna could prod more.

Even though Art was Mary's favorite class, her mind was preoccupied with Carter again.

How was she going to thank him?

Just saying "Thank you" seemed weak. Borderline ingratitude.

"Thank you for saving my life. I'm eternally grateful. I pledge to thee my firstborn child" seemed excessive.

Maybe she could get him a gift? That would also be an understatement, but it would be better than just "Thank you."

But what would she get him? She didn't know what he liked.

With the other half of her brain, Mary started sketches for a new painting. Since she couldn't do the mobile, she decided to make a solar system painting instead. She had poked around the interwebs on Sunday and found a cool picture of Saturn and its rings. She drafted several different angles to see which one she liked best.

Mary worked on her sketches through lunch. She didn't normally eat in the cafeteria, and Mr. Edwards didn't mind her bringing her sandwich into the Art room. She was the only one who did that, after all.

She also wanted to avoid people. Especially today, if more questions came up that she wasn't prepared to answer.

The lead in her mechanical pencil snapped. Mary gently blew it away and examined her sketch. It wasn't looking well, so she needed to look at Saturn pics again. She took her phone from her bag and rolled her eyes.

Her phone had died in the accident, so she was using an old flip phone without Internet access until she could afford a new one.

She stuffed her “dumb” phone back in her bag before stepping out of the classroom.

"Eep!" she squeaked, nearly dropping her stuff.

"Hello, Mary,” Carter greeted. “I am sorry. I frightened you."

Duh, Captain Obvious. Why was he talking like that? Maybe another side effect from the accident.

"No. It's all right," she said. "Have you been standing out here all this time?"

He cocked his head to the side and repeated, "All this time?"

"I mean, how long have you been here? Outside this room?"

"Class was dismissed fourteen minutes ago.”

"So that's how long you've been here? For fourteen minutes?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I was waiting."

Mary wrinkled her brow. "Um okay. Listen, there's something I've been wanting to say to you."

His face lit up. "There is?"

"Yeah. I know it's kinda late, but…thank you. For saving me. That was very brave."

Wow. That was awful.

Carter smiled. "You are welcome."

"Really?" she asked. "You're not, like, mad at me?"

"Should I be?"

That was actually a good question.

"I don't know. I mean, that whole bus thing was my fault. And you are--"

"--fine," he finished. "I appreciate your gratitude. But you owe me nothing."

Mary stared at him. He had just answered the most important question that she hadn't thought to ask.

"I...don't?"

He shook his head. Like his lunge-walk, he did it in a deliberate way. She thought his head would fly off for a moment.

Mary didn't know what to say to that. Except, "Thank you."

And she really meant it.