Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

But I knew he’d be here. I just hadn’t let myself think
about it, I guess. I was a freshman, and he was a senior, on his
way to college in a matter of months. My father wanted me to
wait until he was gone—start here my sophomore year—but I
wanted to start now. My classmates would be transferring
from their middle schools, just like I was transferring, so we’d
be on an even keel. In that respect anyway. I wanted all four
years with my graduating class.
I’d just avoid him and his circle, but he probably didn’t
care to trouble himself with me anyway. I couldn’t imagine
how he’d forget, because I never would, but it was possible.
GGiven the time that had passed, maybe I was just a faint
memory to him.
“Well…,” Rika began after I didn’t say anything else. “It
might be nice to live in my good memories forever.”
I nodded, letting the misconception go. I wish I could
remember any other trees but those trees.
We stopped at her locker, and I heard the hollow clunk as
she dumped her bag of books into it before taking my bag, as
well. Not that I had much in there. Some headphones, a digital
recorder the school made me buy to record lectures even
though I have an app on my phone for that, my wallet, and of
course, my cell.
All of my text books and reading material were
downloaded on Audible and on my phone, and I’d left my
MacBook in my own locker before Biology, since I’d been
told I wouldn’t need it for that class. The text-to-speech
feature, where I could type out homework and hear it read
back to me to make sure I’d typed correctly, had always been
useful, but working in groups and having my earbuds in
during class was going to be an obstacle I hadn’t thought of.
The learning curve coming here would be steep.
“We’ll pick your stuff up after lunch,” Rika told me.
My locker was at the other end of the hall, and the
cafeteria was right here. Something about the way she just
took my bag into her space, and reaffirmed that we’d be