"Can Bryce come, too?"

"Hey, that sounds fun," you reply. "Can Bryce come too?"

"Um, I guess," Katie glances at Bryce and manages a tense smile before walking over to Alyssa. The girls whisper to one another forcefully. You can hear Alyssa hiss "Bryce?!" under her breath but they calm down and rejoin you.

"Sweet, let's go!" Bryce exclaims.

By the time the truant bell sounded, the four of you had slipped through a side exit and fled school property. The girls wandered ahead a few paces, chatting together, and Bryce flashed you an appreciative smile.

"Hey, thanks for bringing me along John," he whispered to you as you cut across the field. "Katie has always given me the brush off, this is like the first time I've ever been able to hang out with her. Anything I can do for you, just say the word, bro."

You smile, and shake your head a little bit. You're his first black friend.

As you come up to the corner, the four of you gather up to discuss what to do next. Bryce has a car parked in the school lot, and suggests hanging out at the mall. The Larsen and MacKenzie houses are just around the corner. Or maybe you have some idea?