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“But I can promise you, Annie. That woman is not myone.”
“Maybe not—”
I raise one brow.
“Okay—definitelynot. But to find the rose, you have to be willing to weed through... well, the weeds. You’ll only know for sure that you’ve tried if you show up. And that’s what you did, Owen. Those were Ang’s exact words. Don’t you see what this means?”
“That finding my one is going to mean several visits to the emergency room?”
“No.” She groans, reaching out a hand for mine. “My advice is sound. Yes, Ang isn’t right for you, but she is right for someone. And the things you did made her feel like she is worth being found.” She swallows when her eyes meet mine. “Not by you. But someone.”
17
Owen
I’m not gonna lie, I enjoy making my students believe that I have hidden cameras all over this classroom and know what’s happening at all times. Really, I just use my peripheral vision. “Rylee Nelson,phone,” I say, my teacher voice in full volume. My family likes to tease me—I’m so soft that there isn’t a mean bone in my body—but I have a teacher voice. And I’m not afraid to use it.
I continue drawing my solar system on the whiteboard, but I’m pleased when I hear Aven Parker ask, “How’d he do that?”
“Uhh, Mr. Bailey,” Rylee says. She’s walking toward me now, phone still in hand. “This is you, right?”
I blink and give Rylee my full attention. “Your phone needs to—” I start, spouting school policy, but pause when I see what’s pulled up on her screen.
Annie’s story.
I swallow.
I peer down at the screen, and it’s as ifO. Baileyis in neon lights, blinking up at me.
What kind of seventh grader reads an advice column?
“Aw. Yep.” My teacher voice has been buried under a pile ofseventh-grade cell phones. I clear my throat and then, for some reason, reconfirm. “That’s me.”
With the confirmation, three more students have generated around the board and me.
And then—
“You’re letting Ask Annie find you a girlfriend?” and “My mom’s single,” and “Is this for reality TV?” all come in at the same exact time.
One thing my mom always instilled in us was a safe place to ask questions. We couldn’t give her one that she wouldn’t answer. Believe me, Cooper, my youngest brother, tried.Hard. But she answered them all with a straight face.
I take that approach now. If I act as if this is no big deal—just like Mom did when Cooper asked why Levi’s high school girlfriend couldn’t have a sleepover—then it’ll blow over. If it’s no big deal to me, it’ll be no big deal to them.
“Come on guys, take your seats.”
“But Mr. Ba—”
“I’ll answer your questions one at a time. But only if you’re in your seat. The bell rang two minutes ago, and you all know the rules. Ms. Nelson, your phone, please.”
Rylee slips her phone into her backpack and shoots her hand in the air. I nod her way, and she asks, “Is this for real?”
“As in real dates? Yes.” I say it like it’s an everyday science-related topic.
Three more hands shoot into the air.
“Okay guys, we do have work to do today. I’m giving you the next three minutes to get your curiosity and questions out of the way, and then we’re done with this, okay?”
Stacey Killpack only waggles her hand higher with my limitations. I point her direction. “Is this like for TV? Are you the next Bachelor?”
