Monday came faster than Eli wanted it to.

He sat in the back of his dad's car staring out the window at the passing streets and tried to organize his thoughts into something manageable. It wasn't working. Every time he got close to calm his brain handed him another image — Will's hands, Will's voice, Will's face when he said you've been in my head since that day — and the whole organizing process had to start over.

By the time he walked through the school gates his jaw was tight and his stomach was somewhere near his feet.

Marcus fell into step beside him immediately.

"You good?" Marcus asked,...