Bob nodded and we left. We went out back, down by the bleachers. A few other couples were wandering around. Silhouettes in the evening. I wondered if Chad was out here with Lisa. Then I sighed and sat down. Bob sat down next to me.

“Are you having a good time?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry about your dress.”

“It’s okay.”

“And I’m sorry about the hygiene comment in front of your parents. When I get nervous, I babble.”

It was the first thing he’d said on the whole date I could relate to. “I do the same thing.”

“You do? I’d think a pretty girl like you would never get nervous.”

“Thanks, but I babble more than I’d like to admit. Either that or I can’t think of anything to say.”

“You can get away with that, though. You don’t need to say anything to get a guy’s attention.”

Bob had been leaning down with his elbows on his knees. At this point he attempted to sit up and put his arm around me. At least that’s what I assume he was doing. Instead, his elbow caught me on the nose. A flash of pain shot through me, and I fell backward into the seat behind me.

“Sorry!” Bob jumped up and hovered over me.

I put my hand to my nose. It was bleeding.

Bob took hold of my other hand and pulled me to my feet. “Are you okay?”

I tilted my head back to try and stop my nose bleed, but it just got worse. Blood ran between my fingers and down my arm.

“Aw be awight in a minute.” I headed towards the school and Bob followed beside me, apologizing all the way. “I’m so sorry, Cassidy. I can’t believe I did that. Do you think it’s broken? I can take you to the ER if you want.”

“No, no, Aw be okay.” I was lying. I wasn’t okay. I was dripping blood across the pavement. If someone didn’t clean it off before school started on Monday, it would look like the scene of some grisly crime.

By the time we made it to the bathroom, my dress was bloody and a crowd of people had gathered around me. Caitlin gave me a wad of toilet paper to hold against my nose. Faith soaked some paper towels and swiped at my dress. One of the chaperones got ice from the kitchen, and I held it up against my nose.

When it finally stopped bleeding, I told Bob, “Maywe you’d betta tage me homb.”

Bob nodded and we left.

We ran into Chad and Lisa at the front door. He saw me and did a double take. “Are you all right?”

“Ya. Ah wiw be.”

“What happened?”

Bob cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I hit her with my elbow.”

Chad shook his head. “Trying to beat her into submission, Caveman?”

“It was dust a wittle accident,” I said.

Chad kept shaking his head. “I don’t know if you should hang around this guy. Your boyfriend is obviously a brute.” He chuckled, though I wasn’t sure what he thought was funny—the idea of Bob being a brute, the idea of Bob being my boyfriend, or just my disfigured face.

I strode out the door without looking back.

Chad called after us, “Next time, try over the head with a club. It isn’t as messy.”

There was only one good thing about coming home from a date wounded. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bob wouldn’t attempt to kiss me. On the porch I said, “Aa tink Aw’d betta go id now.” He nodded, offered one more apology, and let me go inside.

I went straight to the bathroom to survey the damage. My nose was still red, but it wasn’t misshapen. So at least it wasn’t broken.

Mom came in and saw my dress. “What did you spill this time?”

“Blood.”

She gasped, and I told her the story.

She listened to it, mouth open. “When I said your first date would be memorable, I didn’t think it would be this memorable.”

“I’m never going out on a date again.”

Mom gave me a hug and two ibuprofen tablets. I went up to bed and fell asleep, even though it was only nine thirty.

I was awakened from my sleep, and a dream in which I was being chased by six-foot-tall boxing ants, by a gentle tapping sound. I sat up in bed and looked at the clock. It was eleven forty-seven p.m. The tap came again. Something had hit my bedroom window. I pushed back the curtain and saw Josh on our front lawn. He motioned for me to come down.

I threw on a sweatshirt, some exercise pants, and my shoes. Then I tiptoed down the stairs and out of the house as quietly as I could.

Josh was still wearing his suit. He looked out of place, standing there on my lawn all dressed up.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Do you know where Elise is?”

I shook my head.

“She told my parents she was with you—a story I found hard to believe, considering I’d just seen you at the dance, and she didn’t appear to be anywhere around.” He sighed. “She’s not answering her cell phone, so I’m supposed to be here getting her. I’ve got to find her before my parents freak out and call the police. Any ideas where to look?”

I shrugged. I was still half asleep.

“Who are her other friends?” he pressed. “Where do they live?”

I folded my arms to keep warm. “Faith and Caitlin were both at the dance . . . she wouldn’t be with them. She could have gone to Mischa’s. She lives on High street. Or maybe Becky’s. She’s on Garfield. They both live on College Hill.”

“What are their addresses?”

“I don’t know. They both live in white houses.”

“Could you be more specific?” Josh’s voice had an edge to it. “I can’t knock on the door of every white house on the street.”

“What are you so upset about?” I asked. “So Elise said my name and she meant someone else’s. She’ll call for a ride eventually, won’t she?”

He shook his head. “It wasn’t a mistake. She’s out getting wasted somewhere, and the sooner I find her, the less upset my parents will be. Can you come up with addresses or not?”

“I’ll come with you.”

I thought about telling my parents I was leaving. I really did. I pictured my mother’s face as I woke her up to tell her I was going to drive around alone with Josh in the middle of the night. Then I decided it was better not to disturb her.

I climbed into the passenger side of Josh’s car. He sat down at the wheel, but hesitated as he put the key in the ignition. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It’s Elise I’m mad at, not you.”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

When I’d finished putting on my seatbelt, Josh pulled away from my house. His lips were drawn in a tight line. “Elise didn’t even bother coming up with a good cover. I guess she wanted you to be the first to know she’s gone back to lying and partying.”

He was right, I realized. If one of Elise’s parents had come to get her from my house, they would have woken up my parents, and it would have been a huge deal. Had Elise even considered that my parents might not want me to be friends with her after that?

Maybe that’s why she’d done it. Maybe she thought I was too boring and was looking for an excuse to ditch me.

“Where should I try first?” Josh asked. “Which of her friends is more likely to have a fake ID or parents with a liquor cabinet?”

Good question. Where would Elise go to find someone with alcohol? I’d barely posed the question to myself when I thought of the answer. Kaylee McGee, resident sophomore drunkard. Her boyfriend had broken up with her a couple weeks ago, and she’d decided to boycott the dance by throwing a party of her own. It was something she did without much provocation anyway. Her parents were frequently out of town, and her college-age brother could get the liquor for her. This made her a celebrity among the sophomores, and her parties were widely advertised. Even some of the more alcoholic juniors and seniors went to them.

“Kaylee McGee is having a party tonight,” I said, “but I don’t know where she lives. Look it up on your cell phone.”

Josh pulled over to the side of the street. “I don’t have internet on my phone. Can you look it up on yours?”

“I didn’t bring my phone with me.” I hadn’t known when I left my bedroom that I was going anywhere.