Claire nodded. Shrugged. "I think so. I hope so."
"You're going to be awesome." He reached over and grabbed her hand. She hung on for dear life.
Amy was at her locker when Claire walked into school. She could see the blond hair peeking between the shoulders of the passing crowd.
Matthew dropped a kiss on her cheek. "I'll talk to you after, okay?"
Claire nodded, her eyes fixed firmly on Amy. "Yes. Please."
She hitched her bag up on her shoulder and walked over to the bank of lockers.
"Amy." Her voice was barely loud enough to be heard over the shout and jostle of the hall, but Amy's head snapped up, her eyes widening.
"Claire!" She put a hand out, like she meant to touch Claire's arm and then thought better of it. "Listen, did Matthew tell you that he and I talked? Because I really need to say that I'm sorry. I totally jumped to conclusions, and I only said something to you because I was so worried, but I feel like Iruined any chance that we might have had to be friends." She was talking all in a rush, her thick eyelashes growing damp.
Claire leaned against the lockers. "It's okay. I'm not mad. I mean, I was sort of shocked, obviously. But I know you were just trying to do the right thing. It's not like you're the only one who's ever jumped to conclusions."
Amy mirrored Claire's posture. "I just want you to know that I'm not the kind of person who spreads stuff around." Her sure smile faltered. "I wouldn't do that. I thought you were in trouble, and I couldn't stand by and let you get hurt. I was just trying to be your friend, but I did a really crappy job of it. I'm sorry."
It was so exactly what Claire had been feeling over the last few months that it stunned her into silence.
"I hope that doesn't sound too needy or stupid or whatever," Amy stammered.
"Not at all," Claire said quickly. "I just—I've felt exactly that way before. And it sucks. I didn't mean to make it any worse for you. I haven't been . . . I'm not used to having to juggle things like boyfriends and stuff." She swallowed hard. "I'm the one who hasn't been a very good friend lately. Not to you and not to Emily. But that's going to change." As soon as she said the words, Claire knew she was right—that she'd made the right choice.
"Really?" Amy blinked in surprise.
"Yeah." Claire nodded. "Really. Maybe we can all go to Louie's or something soon?"
"That would be great." Amy raised a conspiratorial eye brow. "If you can tear Emily away from Randy long enough."
Claire threw back her head and laughed. "Okay. I'll tear myself away from Matthew and we'll convince her to tear herself away from Randy."
"Deal," Amy said. "Maybe we can bribe her with cheese fries—"
"—and a Diet Coke," they finished at the same time.
Amy smiled at Claire, a genuine smile, and Claire found herself returning it.
"I've gotta get to class," Amy said apologetically, cradling her books.
"Sure," Claire said, waving her away. "No big deal. I'll pin Emily down for a girl's afternoon and then I'll text you, okay?"
"Perfect." Amy flashed her another smile and then disappeared down the hall.
Claire watched her go, feeling lighter.
There was a sudden presence at her shoulder, and Claire turned to see Emily, who was watching Amy's retreating back.
"What was that about?" she asked casually.
Claire looked at her best friend and grinned. "Us tearing ourselves away from our boyfriends long enough to have a fries-and-gossip session at Louie's this week. You in?"
Emily's eyes lit up. "Are you kidding? I've been dying to talk to you about Randy. I mean, Amy has great advice, but she doesn't exactly know my dating history the way you do."
"All twenty volumes of it?" Claire teased. Emily swatted her on the shoulder. "Twenty-two," she corrected. A shadow crossed her eyes. A hesitation. "Are you sure you have time?"
It made Claire ache. She'd found ways around the things she wasn't willing to do as a wolf. And in her human life, she wasn't willing to lose Emily, and she wouldn't keep hurting her.
No matter what it took, she was going to find a way around this, too.
She linked arms with her oldest friend, her best friend, and dragged her into the hallway fray. "I have time," she said confidently. "From now on, I'm going to have lots more time. I promise. No more crappy best-friend abandonment."
Emily hip-checked her. "Took you long enough to figure that out." She looked ridiculously happy.
"Amy helped," Claire admitted.
Emily nodded. "She's good at that. But she's no you."
Claire pursed her lips. "Yep. I'm one in a million all right. Don't you know that by now?"
Emily laughed. "And that's what I love about you. Now, come on, before we're late."
Arm in arm, they hurried down the hall. The day was waiting. Everything was waiting. One little thing at a time, she would make a life for herself. She knew it was going to be difficult—that she'd picked the thorniest, most rock-strewn path there was—but she didn't care.
It would be worth it, in the end.