~ AUGUST ~

PoV: AMANDA

Today's the day, the one I've been half-dreading since Leo and I started on Angelina's bizarre request over two months ago: the first day of school. As has become my habit, I immediately reach for my phone off my nightstand and send a text to Leo, hardly giving my eyes a chance to adjust to the morning sunlight streaming in through my bedroom window.

AMANDA: I'm not ready for this

LEO: sure you are!

AMANDA: I'm serious, Leo, I'm panicking right now

LEO: does this picture of a cat cheer you up?

Moments later an image of a wide-eyed feline stuck in a toilet shows up on my screen. I giggle in spite of myself.

AMANDA: a little :)

AMANDA: well this it it, I guess

LEO: it'll be okay. promise

I hope.

"Dad, be prepared to come and pick me up today in case I suffer a humiliation-induced meltdown," I warn earnestly. We're pulling up to the drop-off zone in front of the school, and I feel like I'm going to puke. First-day-of-seventh-grade nerves times chalkboard paranoia is not a good combo.

"Okay, but I've got to go with Leo on this one. You're working yourself up over what may not even be a big deal," Dad argues gently.

"Dad. I'm wearing a huge chalkboard around my neck." I remind him in my most serious voice.

My dad just laughs! "And that was your call, sweetie. Nobody forced you to do this." Dang it. I swallow. He's kind of right, but at the same time, not really.

I give up. "Fine. But still be ready for anything," I tell him as I climb out of the car.

He chuckles some more. "You have my word."

Rory is talking with her friend Annabelle by the school's front doors. As I approach they both turn at the same time, and while Rory smiles encouragingly, Annabelle's jaw drops open.

"Whoa? Is that some new fashion trend I missed?" She asks, stifling a laugh. I eye the ground, fighting a blush. Rory elbows Annabelle. "Hey!" She yelps, rubbing her side. But I think the point gets across.

"Leo and I are doing a bet. I'd rather not talk about it," I say quickly. In our three-hour texting session last night, Leo and I decided to just tell everyone the chalkboards are part of a bet and we get a thousand dollars if we do it for a year.

"Oh, cool. Never took you as the gambling type, but good luck," Annabelle replies. Another girl comes up to her, squealing and smiling, and the million barrettes in her hair sparkle blindingly as she's moving around so much. "Sari!" Annabelle shrieks, and the two immediately start talking a mile a minute. Rory shakes her head and gestures for me to walk away with her.

We've moved a good ten feet when Rory suddenly does that thing where she looks right into me. Somehow, she knows how badly I need it. "You know I've got your back today."

I nod. "Thank you."

A few minutes before the bell rings Leo runs up to the doors clumsily, his chalkboard swinging around, and relief floods through me to see him. If he had bailed I might've actually stopped talking to him.

SORRY, he writes messily on his board once he's attracted the attention of every single person in the courtyard. TEXT LATER.

GLAD YOU'RE HERE, I reply.

I make the mistake of glancing over Leo's shoulder and notice a group of kids whispering and throwing us conspicuous looks. My stomach sinks.

I really hope this gets easier.

Wouldn't you know, it gets easier! We quickly figured out that once a few people knew about the whole fake bet story, it would spread around the school faster than we ever could by word of mouth. It's been two weeks now, and since Faith Baring tripped in the cafeteria on Tuesday and spilled her lunch everywhere nobody's really bothered with the chalkboard thing. I mean, poor Faith, but it feels nice not to be the subject of everyone's sideways glances anymore.

On Monday I hung my chalkboard from the back of my seat in English class, with the chalk in its little attached container, and when I went to grab it at the end of class I found VINNIE ROCKS written on it in crooked capital letters. I should have expected no less from Vinnie, who sits behind me in that class. I'm still not his biggest fan after what he convinced Leo to say about me on our birthday, but I'm all for letting bygones be bygones.

Tracy and Emma have fun doodling on the board at lunchtime, and Leo's even considering renting out his board to advertise stuff like the school field hockey games and bake sales. $5/HOUR, he wrote to me on Wednesday after school. WDYT? (what do you think?)

I THINK YOU'LL HAVE THAT BIKE YOU WANT WELL B4 XMAS, I wrote back. Of course Leo would think of a way to make money off our strange situation.

I still haven't listened to his CD recording yet, despite making Kylie give my player back. It's sitting in its little vinyl slip in my junk drawer, but I can't bring myself to take it out just yet. Waiting for the right time to hold the inaugural listen is almost like an incentive to continue acting according to Angelina's instructions.

And I could really use that incentive.