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homeroom this morning, I said I’d see you at your locker at lunchtime. Don’t you remember?”
    Oh man, Fallon thought. She’s sunk her claws in deep. I’ll bet she’s memorized his entire class schedule, so she can find him any time of the day. Just like she did with me.
    Fallon watched as they walked off together, and felt helpless. He wanted to warn Ryan—if he didn’t do something, Susan would drive him over the edge. Ryan looked about ready to jump off a bridge already. But what could he do?
    He followed them back out into the main hall. When Susan had been his “friend,” she’d eaten lunch with him in a small corner of his school’s front foyer. At first, they’d sat and eaten with Fallon’s friends. Then Susan had decided she didn’t like his friends, and she’d asked if they could have lunch somewhere else, alone. Fallon hadn’t wanted to, but Susan had been so damn persuasive.
    â€œThey don’t understand me,” she’d said. “They don’t know how to listen, not like you do.”
    â€œBut they’re my friends,” Fallon had said. “And Becky’s my girlfriend. Why don’t you at least try to … ”
    â€œNo,” Susan had said. “Please come with me, Fallon. I don’t want to be alone. I need to talk to someone right now, someone who will listen.”
    And so Fallon had left his friends for what he’d honestly thought would be one lunch period. He and Susan sat by the auditorium doors and he listened to her latest problem. The next day, when he left his last class before lunch, Susan intercepted him on his way to his locker.
    â€œWanna have lunch with me by the auditorium doors?” she’d said, ever so sweetly. And before he knew it, he was spending every lunch alone with her. His friends forgot ab out him.
    Ryan and Susan sat down with a group of teens by the school’s main entrance. Fallon hurried over and slipped into the wall behind them, and watched.
    There were seven in the group, including Ryan and Susan. They sat in a small circle, their lunches in front of them, talking animatedly. There were three other girls and two guys, but to Fallon’s eye there were no couples. Maybe he could do something about that later. For the moment, he wanted to keep an eye on Susan.
    â€œWe were just talking about God,” said a long-haired brunette in a blue-collared blouse. “Any thoughts?”
    â€œDon’t tell me you’re going all religious on us,” Ryan said.
    â€œWe’re not talking about religion,” said a blond boy in black pants and a black shirt. “Cynthia’s doing a project for her sociology class.”
    â€œI want to get as many opinions as possible,” the long-haired brunette said.
    â€œWhy don’t you talk to the Psalm Troupe?” Ryan asked with a chuckle.
    â€œI think it’s pretty obvious what they would say,” said a plain-looking girl in a faded blouse and worn jeans.
    â€œYeah, plus they creep me out,” Cynthia added.
    â€œThey have a new pamphlet out,” said a short-haired boy with glasses. He pulled a small leaflet from the breast pocket of his checkered shirt and read with mock seriousness. “ Gary thought no one knew about his alternative lifestyle, but someone was watching! ”
    â€œAre they still picking on gays?” said the girl in the faded clothing.
    â€œAs if they’ll ever stop,” said Cynthia. “Right, Peter?”
    â€œWait, this gets better!” the checkered-shirt boy said, skipping to the end. “ On the Last Day as he stood trembling before God, he found he could not hide … ” He paused for drama. “ … from Judgment! ”
    They laughed then, all but Susan. She shifted uncomfortably, just enough for Ryan to notice.
    â€œI’m sure God isn’t like that,” said a blond girl in a tie-dyed T-shirt. “I’m