Page 25 of Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling

But she’s ignoring me, scrolling on her phone with intention. “Okay, you knowReputationis my least favorite Taylor album, but I think this moment calls for someReputation.”

My throat is already sore and scratchy from singing and I’m pretty sure our neighbors are going to start banging on the ceiling soon, but I snap my fingers and point at her. “Play it, Georgia.”

We belt out every lyric and dance furiously until we’re dripping with sweat and Mom comes home, hollering for us to cut it off.

St. Patrick’s Day

Reggie

“Reggie, my man, clear your schedule!” Yobani claps his hand on my shoulder mere seconds after the dismissal bell rings and I’ve walked out of the resource room.

I spin around and take him in, and the words and giggles rush to escape at the same time, getting stuck in my throat. “Wh—Wha—”

“How did I get a copy ofMeron’s Monograph of Mischiefbefore its official release date on Tuesday, you ask?” he says, waving around a copy of the D&D sourcebook. “Eduardo let it slip that they had arrived and I basically had to promise him the car on every Saturday night from now until eternity. Steep price to pay, yes, but obviously worth it!”

Eduardo is Yobani’s older brother, and the assistant manager at our favorite comic book and gaming store, Story Sanctorum. And also, apparently, a very cutthroat bargainer.

And, like, I’m way excited about early access to the sourcebook.This one is supposed to be filled with new spells and characters, and I can’t wait to add them to our current campaign and maybe write about them too. But first there’s the issue of the rings.

“Whatare you wearing?”

Yobani has on his regular uniform of a faded black T-shirt and jeans, not too different from my own. But today there’s a significant difference. Eight of his ten fingers are decked out in shiny gold rings, some so big they reach his knuckles. I hadn’t seen him all day because our lunches didn’t line up with the midterm schedule. But if I had, I would have advised him to take those suckers off immediately.

“You like?” he asks, holding his hands out so I can take them in. One has a large skull that legit seems to be staring at me like we’ve got beef. “I think I could be a person that wears rings.”

I shake my head. “No, Yo... just no.”

“But maybe also... yes? I think yes.”

“Where did you even get all these?”

“The ring store. Obviously.” He throws his head back, laughing at himself, and I shake my head, joining in. But then I realize that he’s getting looks in the still crowded hallway. Being all loud, holding up a big-ass book with a half human, half demon on the cover, wearingrings—that’s basically just asking for trouble.

I take the book from him and subtly shift so I’m facing the wall, the book out of view.

“Have you looked through it yet?”

“Of course! Ms. Robertson’s Geometry test was easy as hell, so I had like an hour. And check this out...” He reaches over, flippingto the back. “There are these one-off adventures back here. I was thinking we could play tonight, maybe? Like as a pre-game before we get back to the regular campaign on Saturday night. I already checked with Greg and he’s down, but we’d have to do it somewhere else, because Leela is going to one of Ryan’s shows.”

“A show?” I ask, trying to sound casual.

“Yeah, at that same place she made us go on New Year’s,” Yobani says, waving that away. “But we can still play, just you, me, and Greg. Maybe we can even let him DM, give him a little thrill so he’ll stop being such a control-freak on Saturdays—”

“The same place from New Year’s? You mean The Mode?” So much for being casual. My voice cracks when I say the name of the venue, probably hitting one of those pitches only dogs can hear.

“I think? She said they got added to something last minute... I don’t know. I stopped listening.” Yo stops, eyeing me all suspicious. “Why do you care?”

And like, I know I need to play it cool, because as soon as Yobani finds out why I’m all of a sudden so interested in a Ryan and the Valentines show, the shit-talk is going to be relentless. Nonstop.

But my heart is speeding up and my pits have started perspiring a troubling amount, and any hopes of playing it cool are flying out the window. I’m as conspicuous as Yobani’s stupid rings. Because, see, another band is playing The Mode tonight. A band whose social media I scan daily. A band fronted by the most perfect girl, who I haven’t given up on yet—even though doing so has been looking more and more rational as we’ve gotten further from Valentine’s Day.

That night I went home and composed a long DM to Delilah: apologizing for my mess-up, complimenting her on her music again and slipping it in there at the end that maybe we could even meet up sometime. It was good. I ran the spell-check, grammar-check, everything. But right as I was about to send... I froze. Because if I sent it and she never responded, or worse, hit me with aHow did you find me?andCease and desist, weirdo—well then, that would be the end. Officially. Zero chances after that.

So I decided that maybe I could run into her again, but be ready this time. Brainstorm what to say. Get in the New Reggie zone and be my most charming self. Fun Gi’s social media makes it pretty easy to figure out where she’ll be each week. Except, that may be even weirder, to show up to one of her shows on my own. And how would I explain to my friends why I’m willing to cancel a Saturday-night session to see some random band when I’ve given Leela so much shit in the past?

No, that wouldn’t fly. So I’ve been waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity, for Fun Gi and Ryan’s paths to cross again and make it totally normal, totally not weird for me to go to a show. And it seems like it’s fallen right into my lap. Tonight is the night. The universe is on my side.

“You know, maybe we should go and support Leela,” I say, avoiding eye contact with Yobani.

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