"He's screaming like a little girl and he's not even in yet!" one of them teased.

"Get outta here!" Jack said to the guys. "I'm supposed to do this alone, right?"

He waited for the others to retreat and then nodded to me that it was clear.

"Damn, girl, you scared me! What are you doing here?"

"I live here and lost my keys. I'm just trying to get back in," I joked.

He caught his breath and smiled. "Who are you?"

"Raven. I already know who you are. You're Jack Patterson. Your father owns the department store where my mom buys her swank purses. I've seen you working the cash register."

"Yeah, I thought you looked familiar."

"So why are you here?"

"It's a dare. My friends think the place is haunted, and I'm supposed to sneak inside and get a souvenir."

"Like an old couch?"

He smiled that same smile. "Yeah, goofball. But it doesn't matter. There's no way—"

"Yes, there is!" And I showed him the loose boards at the basement window.

"You go in first," he said, prodding me forward with trembling hands. "You're smaller."

I slithered easily through the window.

Inside, it was really dark, even for me. I could barely make out the cobwebs. I loved it! There were stacks of cardboard boxes everywhere, and it smelled like a basement that had been there since the beginning of time.

"C'mon already!" I said.

"I can't move! I'm stuck."

"You have to move. Do you want them to find you with your backside hanging out?"

I yanked and pushed and pulled. Finally Jack came through, to my relief, but not his.

I led the terrified senior through the moldy basement. He held on to my hand so tight I thought he would break my fingers.

But it was nice to hold his hand. It was big and strong and masculine. Not like Nerd Boy's, whose tiny hand always felt squishy and smarmy.