Chapter 3: Fruit Baskets, Awkward Numbers, and Library Fails

He sniffed, making a huge bubble that popped with a snap.

If I weren’t playing the hero, I’d have burst out laughing.

"What are you gonna do to him?"

The little boy was scared by my charge, and I pressed on:

"You even want to fight kids? Are you even human?"

"Sean" spoke, his voice a bit different:

"Who are you?"

But I didn’t notice anything wrong. From the baseball bat to the wanted poster, this guy was a repeat offender, worse than a crab walking sideways.

Today, I, Josie Monroe, was going to root out this menace.

"Look at yourself, do you even look like a person? Bullying kids—didn’t your mom teach you better?"

The little boy blew another snot bubble. His hand, holding homework, trembled:

"Ma’am, are you sure? He’s helping me with my homework."

"Mistaken? Don’t let him scare you..."

My voice trailed off because I realized the shoes this guy wore looked very familiar.

They were the same as Carter Evans’s.

No one said the bad boy couldn’t wear a white shirt, and no one said the valedictorian couldn’t change clothes.

"Sorry!" I took a step back and apologized. "I mistook you for someone else."

Because I’d gotten paint on my shirt, Carter had changed into a white shirt. He raised his eyebrows at me:

"Who did you think I was, Sean Wilder?"

He said the name slowly, and my face grew pale.

"No, I wouldn’t dare."

Once, twice, three times—my courage faded each time.

But Carter didn’t let me off. He raised his chin:

"Is he the one you want to see?"

Not far away, someone with a similar build and height as Carter was approaching.

The broom fell to the ground with a clatter, and I hurriedly picked it up.

"Uh... I think someone’s calling me, gotta go!"

Of all strategies, running is best. I quickly stashed the broom and slipped out.

I figured this was just a blip in Carter’s life and he’d probably forget what I looked like.

...But I was wrong.

That night, there was a second wanted notice on the confessions page.

"Looking for a girl in a pink T-shirt and mint green jeans who volunteered Sunday."

Maribel burst out laughing in the dorm: "Pink and green? Someone dressed like a watermelon, ha!"

I grabbed my green jeans from the laundry and tried to hide them.

But Maribel spotted them: "Hiding snacks?"

I was forced to pull out the jeans.

She went silent:

"Josie, I remember you wore a pink T-shirt today."

After she found out, I confessed everything about my face blindness.

Maribel looked at me with sympathy: "You charging in was like a blindfolded cowboy firing his gun."

"So what now?"

"How about apologizing again? I’m sure the valedictorian won’t make it hard for you."

She made sense. Based on Carter’s schedule that Maribel found, I made a plan and even bought a fruit basket as an apology.

Before leaving, Maribel looked at me worried: "You sure you don’t need backup?"

"No need!" I puffed out my chest. "You already found out he’s in a white T-shirt and gray hoodie today. How could I possibly mix him up?"

Maribel still worried and secretly tailed me.

Carter had no classes Monday afternoon and usually watched basketball near the rec center, sometimes even played.

Plus, he was tall and good-looking—a real campus heartthrob—so girls would bring him gifts.

It wouldn’t be weird if I brought fruit too, right?

But when I arrived, I froze.

At least twenty people were in white T-shirts. It was hot, so everyone had ditched their hoodies. No gray jackets in sight.

I circled the crowd, feeling the court was more packed than ever.

Finally, I saw someone with Carter’s height and build, also in a white T-shirt.

More importantly, two girls were hiding in the corner, holding a bag of fancy chocolates...

This must be Carter!

So I marched over with the fruit.

"Sorry, I mistook you for someone else the other day and caused a mess."

I bowed and offered the fruit.

"Carter" raised his eyebrows and didn’t take the fruit, but asked:

"So you’re the stalker who called me ‘not up for it’ the other day?"

What? That’s not right!

Before I could react, Maribel suddenly appeared:

"Josie! Josie Monroe! That’s the one!"

I turned stiffly and saw Carter, the real one, where Maribel pointed.

So the guy in front of me... was Sean Wilder from that day.

Carter noticed and walked over.

I was caught between the two.

No one spoke.