I Like You I was dying to read Cade’s letter the next day, hoping it would be a happier one. I’d thought about him a lot the night before, wondering if I needed to think of another excuse to go visit him, check on him. I had talked myself out of it, remembering how poorly my last visit to his house had gone. I didn’t want to make him feel worse. So when I slid into my seat in Chemistry, I let my hand immediately go to the bottom of the desk. I found nothing there. One strategic pencil drop later produced the same result. There was no letter today. My first thought was that Sasha had taken it. But she wasn’t here yet. Lauren was looking through her review packet from the day before, and Mr. Ortega, the only other suspect, was writing on the whiteboard. Cade must’ve stayed home from school. I considered several horrible reasons for his absence, but I forced myself to settle on the idea that he was probably just sick. There was nothing to worry about. People stayed home sick all the time.
