“Thanks, dude,” I said with a smirk.

“Ha. Still not loving that.”

“Do you have a nickname? Donnie, maybe?”

“In grade school people called me that. But now, surprisingly, everyone says my entire three syllables all the time.”

“It’s a good name.”

“I’m glad you approve.”

“Sit your butt down already.”

He sat down next to me. “How did everything go today? Did you ever find out who was talking about you?”

“No, but it’s fine. Just on-set drama. Thanks for listening, by the way, and for . . . taking off my makeup.” So much for not being awkward.

“No problem,” he responded with perfect poise. He seemed perfectly normal to my weird and embarrassed.

Focus. I could be normal too. “I actually felt good in front of the camera the last two days.”

“Good.”

“Yes, all is right in the world.”

“I’m not sure all is right in the world.”

A jolt of panic went through me. “Why? Is everything okay?”

He cracked a smile and nodded toward my packet. “You actually started homework without someone forcing you to.”

I let out a breath. “I know. I was just thinking earlier that you were rubbing off on me. The world must be ending.”

He laughed. “Oh, Mrs. Case asked me to give you this test.” He pulled some stapled pages from his bag. “She said you couldn’t use the computer, but she didn’t think that would be a problem, since she wasn’t sure you knew how to anyway.”

“Ah, Mrs. Case. Who knew she was a comedian.”

“Comedian slash volleyball coach.”

“So she is a volleyball coach? I thought she might be.”

“My sister plays on the team.”

“Nice. I don’t know that I’ve ever actually watched a volleyball game.”

“They’re fun to watch.”

“My sister does dance and my brother does T-ball. But they’re both so young that most of the time it’s just kids chasing each other around. It’s also fun to watch, but in a different way, I’m assuming.”

“Probably.” He picked up my packet and looked over the few questions I’d done. “Looks like you don’t need my help after all.”

“No, I totally need your help,” I said too fast.

Donavan looked up from the packet and was about to say something when my trailer door flew open and Grant stepped in. His eyes went back and forth between Donavan and me.

“Geez, Grant, you scared me. Don’t you know how to knock?” I said.

“Knocking? What’s that?” He gave me his schoolboy smile. “Do you really want me to knock? I can knock.” He stepped out of the room, deliberately shut the door, and gave three slow knocks.

“Who is it?” I called.

He cracked open the door. “It’s your biggest fan, here to have you sign my forehead.”

“I didn’t bring my Sharpie today. Maybe you can borrow one from your fan club outside. Tell them how awesome I am while you’re at it.”

He came into the room, and this time Amanda followed. I hadn’t realized she was with him before.

“Hi,” Amanda said. “Oh, hi, Donavan.”

“Hey.”

“We wanted to see if you wanted to hang out.” She gave me the eyes that said now was the time for our plan.

“Oh, um . . .” My eyes went to Donavan, who was looking at his palms—his nervous habit, I was learning. “I’m doing homework. This is Donavan, my tutor. Donavan, this is Grant, and you already met Amanda.”

Donavan nodded.

Grant turned his wide smile on Donavan. “Ah. The infamous tutor. Nice to meet you.” Dancing Graves sat on the coffee table in front of Donavan, and Grant picked it up. “If you have a writing instrument, I can give you an autograph. I love my fans.”

I held in a laugh at the irony of that statement. “That’s my book, dork. And I don’t want your autograph.”

“Well, I want yours,” Grant said.

I rolled my eyes because I knew he was trying to be funny.

“So you’re busy, then?” Amanda asked, her mind apparently on only one thing.

“Just for a little while longer. I was thinking, Grant . . .” When Amanda and I had talked about me suggesting this, Donavan wasn’t supposed to be present. I don’t know why it made a difference, but it made me uncomfortable. I forced it out anyway. “Maybe we can practice our kissing scene after I’m done with homework?” I knew Grant wouldn’t find this suggestion odd. He’d understand why I was giving it. We had been told repeatedly we needed to work on our chemistry and that was without adding kissing to the mix.

Grant flipped the book in his hand and set it back down on the coffee table. “Sure thing.”

“Amanda? Maybe you can give us feedback?” I said.

“Of course. We’ll meet you in Grant’s trailer in a little bit?” she said.

I nodded.

They headed for the door. “Nice to meet you, Jonathan,” Grant said, then just like that his bigger-than-life presence was gone.

Amanda leaned back through the door. “Thank you,” she mouthed, and pulled the door shut behind her.

Everything was perfectly still for three beats, then I said, “About that. It’s just . . .”

Donavan reached forward and picked up the packet. “I’m just here to tutor. You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

“Okay.” I was going to tell him I’d done that for Amanda, but, apparently, he didn’t care. Which was good. I didn’t need him to care. I didn’t need anything from him except homework help.

“I can come back tomorrow if you need to go,” he said.

“No, stay. I have a little time.”

“Thanks for not outing me,” he said, placing the packet in my hand.

“Why would I do that?”

“You were right,” he said. “I didn’t want to tell Grant who I was.”

“He was acting overly confident anyway. He didn’t deserve to know who you are. Maybe he needed those bad reviews. People need to hear hard things sometimes to push them to be better.”

“You think so?” he asked.

I met his eyes. “I think so.”

Dancing Graves

EXT. FOREST SURROUNDING MANSION—NIGHT.

BENJAMIN clutches a vial of bright green liquid, hoping it’s finally the cure they’ve all prayed for, and searches desperately for SCARLETT. A noise in the trees makes him whirl around. He sees a zombie, but it’s not her. The zombie advances on him quickly. He pulls his sword. The zombie is undeterred. After a scuffle, Benjamin kills him. Scarlett appears from the left, surprising Benjamin. He turns and swings his sword at her, narrowly missing. When he sees who it is, he drops his sword to the ground immediately and rushes toward her.

BENJAMIN

Scarlett! Did I hurt you?

SCARLETT

(eyes on the dead zombie)

What have you done?

BENJAMIN

Forgive me. I had no choice.

SCARLETT

Soon you will have no choice with me either.