The next day, Elizabeth was surprised when her study hall instructor told her he wouldn't be able to let her study on her own any longer. He told her Principal Darkholme had complained about students being unsupervised during study hall periods. After she got out of class she went to where she usually saw Todd but he wasn't there.
On Friday, Elizabeth caught Todd's arm in front of his locker after lunch. He was wearing a jacket today, in a nod to the falling temperatures of early Autumn.
"I can't spend my study hall period outside anymore," she said immediately, "Apparently, the principal is cracking down on students being unsupervised during school hours."
"Somebody must have pissed her off," Todd said, looking surprised. He glanced over at his friends, briefly, but they weren't paying any attention. He looked back at her and leaned back against his locker, casually sliding his hands into his pockets.
"Do you still want to hang out?" she asked him, choosing blunt honesty over being late to class.
"Sure," he shrugged. She had noticed he shrugged a lot. She thought he was trying to convince the world he didn't care so much. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. Elizabeth passed him a note instead.
"My cell number," she told him quickly, "Text me. We can hang out on Saturday if you're free. See you around."