I jump at the sound of something thudding outside my door, pencil scratching across my homework. It's pretty quiet here most days and there's only a few people who ever come to see me, so it's not like I'm expecting anyone, and until Kate starts talking, I figure it's an animal or something and I'm just being a dumbass, getting spooked like that. I nearly rip the page out of the sketchbook, a half-filled one I dragged off the bookshelf a couple months ago, so I can tear it up and throw it out before I remind myself I have a fucking eraser for a reason. It's getting pretty worn, though.

Heading across the room, I think about grabbing my shirt on the way over, but it's hot as fuck so I don't bother. It's just Kate. I might if it were Carla Jean, but it's not like it really matters. "What the fuck?" I ask, pulling the door open. "What's wrong?"