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Keeping to the edge of the pathway, I was careful not to bother the joggers and people walking their dogs There were a lot of people out, and as the day progressed, the park would be packed I could already hear childlike shouts and giggles coround

I came to Centennial Lake often, at least once a week for the last year or so I loved being outside, taking pictures even though I knew I probably wasn’t that good at it Moreat and that I had talent So did Zoe and Heidi James wasn’t interested unless the photos were of hot chicks in bikinis Usually April laughed atattention when I shared them

I doubted Mo didn’t h It wasn’t why I took pictures I did it because of how it made me feel

Or how it didn’t make me feel

My brain just sort of emptied out while I had a ca--about how scary the invasion had been I didn’t think about the surreal quality of the last four years or what had happened the night at the club I sure as hell didn’t think about the kiss that didn’t even count as a real kiss Or everything my mom had told me

The camera put a wall up between the world and me, and it was an escape, one I looked forward to I cut off the pathway and trekked up a shter and squeals drew irl darting fro Another kid, a little boy, nearly belly-flopped off the swing, letting the seat spin back I caught the e, the seat cockeyed in flight

I sucked in a shallow breath, feeling a sudden burn in the back of my throat

I slowly lowered the caround set to another Everything about them was carefree and happy Innocent They were lucky None of the fear None of the what kind of world ere going to wake up in co, if there would even be a world They had the freedom the rest of us had had the minute and second before our lives had imploded

The invasion had been so trau before it I s, but those ht the Luxen came and the days afterward I’d looked it up once, to see if that was coh, they’d never have--

Stop

Closing , deep breath out When I held the camera, I didn’t think When I took a picture, I didn’t feel

Today was not going to change that and ruin it

Pressing ether, I shook it out--shook led all the way down to rass It probably looked weird, but I pictured all the fears and worries being rattled right off ain, and the unwanted knot of eotaway fro shot of the lake, but er slipped over the zoo

Blue Mohawk?

What the hell?

It was the guy froe of the pathway, hands shoved into his pockets In the daylight, his blue hair was even ainst his pale skin I bet he was a redhead He wore a black shirt with some kind of symbol on it Two snakes, mouth to end

What was his name? Kent Yeah, that was his na in a sharp breath, I jerked the camera away from my face There was no way he could see ht atI’d had in the school parking lot

Well, noas being paranoid, because those two things had nothing to do with each other

I shook my head and then scanned the pathway down below No Kent Frowning, I craned one around the bend It shouldn’t be hard to see hi here? Yeah, this was a public park, but as the likelihood of seeing him at the Lake, especially when I’d never seen hi you here"

Instantly I recognized the deep voice co from behind me My stomach dropped at the sa, I looked upand up some more I nearly dropped my poor camera

Luc