Sadie's POV
"Sorry!" he said, then looked at Lily with interest. "Are you new? You look new."
Lily looked up at him. She didn't smile. She didn't frown. She just looked at him, evaluating him, like she evaluated everything, deciding if he was worth her time.
"I'm Lily," she said.
"I'm Ethan," said the boy, grinning from ear to ear. "Want to see the playground? We have a rope bridge, and if you're quiet, you can see deer by the fence."
Lily's eyes lit up. "Deer?"
"Real ones, with antlers and everything!"
"Children," Mrs. Castellan said, her voice having the gentle but firm command of a woman who made a living dealing with small human beasts. "We'll have plenty of time for playground exploration during the tour."
Ethan waved at Lily before retreating back into his classroom. Lily wat
