I blink a couple times but each time my lids flutter open again, my eyes find themselves fixed on Cai’s lips. He’s not making a move to press forward, nor has he made any effort to move back. I haven’t been this close to another person’s lips since we played Spin the Bottle in Katie Michaelson’s basement in seventh grade. And even then, when Katie pressed her sticky, heavily lip-glossed lips to mine, it elicited a completely different feeling from what I am feeling now. Suddenly, his lips are moving and I have to bob my head back to meet Cai’s eyes.

I’m completely dazed but what just happened…what just almost happened.

“I said, I’m sorry,” Cai says, “I didn’t mean to upset you, I thought you’d get the reference and think it was cool.” He waves his hand listlessly and settles it on his head, combing his fingers through his hair. “It’s my bad. I should have talked to you about it first.”

My breathing is ragged as I say, “You made them laugh. They were laughing at me.”

Cai winces. His knuckles go white as he clutches onto the doorframe. “No one was laughing at you, Rowan. I promise. What is there to laugh at? I actually think you’re—”

I don’t get to hear whatever he was about to say as Tanisha comes careening over towards us.

“Rowan, I’ve been looking everywhere for you! What the heck are you doing in your car, dummy? We gotta get to class. It’s the chem exam, remember?” Tanisha’s eyes flick between Cai and me, but she doesn’t make any sort of comment.

I sigh, somewhat relieved by her entrance and simultaneously curious about what would have occurred if she hadn’t come. Nothing—nothing would have happened. Except you would have missed the chem exam that’s worth half your grade. Or, at least that’s what I tell myself. I mumble out what feels like the world’s dumbest excuse as Cai pushes himself off my car, allowing me to exit.

Tanisha grabs my arm and tries to pull me away from the car. I turn to Cai one last time. “You’re gonna change out of that, right?”

“As soon as first period ends,” he promises. Cai jogs off toward the school, and T and I follow several feet behind.

“I think you overreacted,” T says, her arm looped around mine.

“Thank you, Miss Obvious.”

“You ready to ace this test?” she asks, offering me an encouraging smile.

“I don’t know. I fell asleep studying last night.” I remember Cai’s shirt, and it suddenly feels ten pounds heavier on my frame. I just can’t wrap my mind around what kind of game he’s playing. Whatever it is, I can’t let it get in the way of my school work.

“Well, I hope you fell asleep with your head on a book. Maybe you sucked up some of the knowledge through the contact,” she offers with a giggle.

“I can only hope.”

But the only thing I feel like I absorbed was the look in Cai’s eyes as he was about to—maybe—kiss me.

***

At lunch I’m actually feeling a bit better about the whole day. A few people jokingly called me Cai and patted me on the back. In passing one of Crystal’s friends even said, “That shirt is so Cai.” None of their comments were patronizing or mocking; all of it was good-natured. And I have to admit, it felt good. And thankfully, as promised, Cai changed into the shirt and jeans we’d previously agreed upon.

“You’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you?” Tanisha accuses, swirling the paper straw around in her smoothie after another senior approached me and pretended to mistake me for Cai.

“Never,” I say, a smirk involuntarily playing at my lips. Maybe it’s the shirt that’s got me suddenly feeling so smug. My eyes drift over to Cai. Crystal is just setting her tray down, and she’s already hanging all over him. Tanisha follows my gaze.

“I don’t know why a guy like Cai would get within fifty feet of a girl like her,” she says. “She’s so… I don’t know…”

I think back to the moment in the car, my up close and personal view of Cai’s lips. “It’s simple.” I shrug. “They’re the two most popular people in school. It’s basic math.”

T throws an elbow down on the table and rests her head on her palm. She sighs listlessly. “Yeah, yeah, birds of a feather and all that.” She squints at them, as if there’s something she can’t quite see. “But still, something’s just not right. He’s way nicer than she is. I don’t see it.”

Cai stands from the table, and Crystal immediately tugs at his hand. He throws a thumb in our direction. She looks at us, then back at him, a pout forming on her lips as she pulls herself up, never releasing his hand as they make their way over to us. Cai sits down and Crystal wraps her arms loosely around his neck from behind, like a toddler begging for a piggyback ride.

“Hey, Rowan, don’t forget we have a substitute in History today.” Cai shoots me a smile. “Which means this afternoon should be pretty chill.”

“Yeah, that’ll be—” I start to say. Crystal turns Cai’s head and envelops his lips in hers. “Cool,” I croak, averting my gaze. PDA, much?

When the two finally come up for air, Cai continues like nothing happened, “Let’s meet up after school and make a plan for the next competition.”

Crystal groans in response. “Seriously? You’re going to spend more time with him?” She throws herself down in the seat next to him—the toddler is on the verge of a temper tantrum. “My parents are going to be away until late tonight... I thought we could, you know, study.” She flirtatiously strokes his bicep with her long thin fingers.

Cai shrugs. It’s clear from Crystal’s face that wasn’t the response she was hoping for. “Sure, whatever,” he says, “but after Rowan and I are done meeting. The VP and the Prez gotta set the example for how to do Spirit Week right!”

Crystal shoots me a stink eye, her blue eyes glinting in the fluorescent cafeteria lighting. As the two head off, T leans over and whispers, “I’d watch your back. Crystal’s a demon. And you just got between her and her man.”

***

Tomorrow’s Spirit Week competition is a school-wide scavenger hunt, organized by the freshman class. Since it will be their first independently planned event, no one is expecting it to run smoothly. The event will start at 7:00 a.m. and last until the bell rings after last period. In that time, each team will be expected to find eight hidden golden tickets. The first to find all eight receives a mystery prize. I originally protested the idea because it just sounded like an excuse to skip class, and so the amendment was made that teams could only look for tickets when they were together, during free periods, in between classes or at lunch.

“I’m thinking we check the most obvious places first,” Cai suggests. “Auditorium, bleachers, library. None of them know the school that well yet, so all of their hiding spots will probably be pretty obvious.”

I nod. After our final classes, Cai and I met up by the bleachers to discuss the event. As it turned out, he had a wrestling practice after school that he’d forgotten about. That meant we only had about fifteen spare minutes to talk before heading our separate ways. And while Cai has been laying out a game plan for the past few minutes, I’ve been dwelling on the pit that has taken form in my stomach since this morning. Despite the fact that I am feeling a bit better about the whole Look-alike Day thing, the image of Cai seemingly mocking me in that stupid costume continues to haunt me.

Cai heads off to wrestling practice a few minutes later, and I know I need to get to my internship too, but for some reason, I can’t force myself to hurry. If I’m being honest, I really enjoy hanging out with Cai. Can’t believe I’m even thinking this! I never really get time outside of school hours to hang out with friends, and when I do, it’s usually a study date with Tanisha where talking is on the minimum. Otherwise, I don’t have much other time for a social life—not with Blazer Tag and WMC.

My car doesn’t start. This time it doesn’t even sputter. It just refuses to acknowledge the key I’m jamming into it. Now I’m definitely going to be late. I jump out of the car and attempt to slam the door closed; it whines shut. Leaning against the rusted green frame, I pull out my phone to call Dad for a ride, and a tow, but I’m stopped when a shiny black sports car pulls up in the spot next to me.

“Need a lift?” Cai flashes a smile from within, his eyes concealed by a pair of Ray-Bans. Confused, I look from his car to my own, my cheeks heating. Mine looks like it lost a demolition derby. His looks like something out of a James Bond movie.

“I thought you had practice?” I ask, readjusting my backpack on my shoulder uncomfortably.

“Got cancelled. Coach had some kind of family emergency, I think.” He shrugs and beckons me toward the car with his hand. “C’mon Rowan, I can drive you wherever you need to go.”

I get in reluctantly, placing my bag at my feet beside his leather messenger bag, which already inhabits the space. I shift my body uncomfortably in the seat, and my eyes travel over the high-tech dashboard. “So this is, uh,…this is a really nice car.” I try not to sound too envious.

“It’s my dad’s,” he explains. “Since he’s not working, he doesn’t really need it, so he lets me use it.”

I nod. Completely uncomfortable with the situation. I try my best not to imagine the amount of times he and Crystal have hooked up in the back seat. I swat away the image and nearly jump out the open window when I see Cai’s arm pass over me, brushing against my chest.

“Wh—” I breathe. There’s a clicking noise, and I feel a strap fasten me to the seat.

“Safety first,” he says with a grin. It takes me a beat to recover from the moment as Cai pulls out of the parking lot. He has one hand on the steering wheel and the other flipping through music on his phone.

“What happened to safety first?” I tease nodding my head at the phone in one hand, steering wheel in the other.

“Ah, you got me,” Cai smiles, putting the phone down. “I think you just saved my life, Space Man.” Something about the way he says that makes me laugh and for the first time I don’t think he’s taunting me.

My gaze travels to his messenger bag, and without really thinking, I thumb at a tan sketchbook sticking out. “You draw?” I ask, pulling it out, beginning to leaf through the pages.

Cai slams on the breaks, sending my body lurching forward. Good thing for that seat belt. All my former confidence goes flying out the window as he shouts, “Don’t touch that!”