The week after, lunch began again, and the girls had already started their conversation at their table. Debra had received four more letters earlier that day so she was ready to talk about who was sending those notes to her locker.
"Did you go to the party, Maddie?" asked Debra.
"Oh, yes, I did," Maddie replied.
"What did you do over there?"
"Oh, you know, the thing I do at every party."
"Nothing?" responded Lizzie.
"No, I did something."
"So did you talk to Darrell?" Debra asked.
"Yeah, I talked him."
"So... is it him?"
"Well, before I answer that, I asked him a series of questions to, you know, get the truth out of him. But I did it in a cool and collected way so he can open up more confidently."
"But I thought you said you were more fierce towards him," said Lizzie.
"What? No, I didn't. You must've misunderstood me."
"No, I heard you loud and clear. You said you were really aggressive when asking him questions."
Debra gave Madeline a funny expression.
Madeline chuckled in a nervous way. "No, Lizzie. When I asked him questions, I was very nice and I asked him in a very hinting way. You know, with innuendo."
"No," said Lizzie, "you said you were aggressive towards him and you were very blatant."
"What? No, Lizzie."
"And didn't you say you pinned him against a wall?"
"Of course not."
"I think you did."
"Oh..."
"Maddie!" Debra exclaimed.
"Lizzie, when I say I'm telling you something in confidence," whispered Madeline with clenched teeth, "you can't tell anybody the thing I said."
"Oh, I forgot what 'in confidence' meant," admitted Lizzie. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah, sorry doesn't make me richer. Debra, I can explain."
"Then explain," said Debra.
Madeline paused. "You know what? I can't really explain it."
"I can't believe you pinned Darrell to a wall and interrogated him. Now he's going to act all funny towards me."
"No, he's not. I told him not to tell you what I said to him."
"That doesn't make him not act weird."
"Yeah, I know. I was just trying to make you feel better."
"Well, it didn't. Does he even like me?"
"No. It turns out it's not him."
"Then your interrogation was unnecessary. Darrell can never be my friend again."
"Please, you don't need all these friends," said Andrea quietly.
"I just want to know who is 'Anonymous'. But this is getting way out of hand."
"What are you trying to say?" asked Madeline.
"I'm saying that I should forget about it. We should all forget about it."
"Debra, you can't just go through the rest of the school year without knowing who is giving you love letters," said Skye.
"But I will never know if the sender is not going to give up his identity. Who could be putting these love letters in my locker?"
"It could be your dad," Lizzie responded.
Debra gave out a blank expression. "Why would it be my dad?"
"Don't parents put little letters in their kids' lunch sometimes?"
"The letters I receive are always in my locker. Plus, why would my dad write things like, 'Your eyes sparkle like a river of spring water' or 'Your hair is like a thousand flames burning away at my chance of getting closer to you'?"
"Maybe your dad has a crush on you?"
"That's pedophilia."
"Then call the police," said Andrea.
"Guys, my dad is not a pedophile! It's some dude who likes to write poetry and stashes his poems in my locker while I'm in class or at lunch."
"Maybe the letters are meant for someone else," said Lizzie.
"He signs them 'Dear Debra'."
"Maybe they're for a different Debra."
"How many Debra's can there be in the school with brown eyes and red hair and laced clothing?"
"I'm just trying to help you."
"Debbie, I hope I'm not mistaken," Madeline started, "but I think you're starting to fall for this 'Anonymous'."
"Ah, dios mios," uttered Andrea. "It makes so much sense now."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Debra chuckled nervously.
"Proof we know!" shouted Madeline.
"Proof you know what?"
"That you like this boy. I can tell by your nervous laugh."
"How come you're always making conclusions from my use of language?"
"It's a genius thing. You wouldn't understand."
"Okay, you want to know something. Yes, yes, I do like this mystery person."
Lizzie squealed.
"But I don't even know who he is so I feel like I'm crushing over nothing."
"Sweetie, a crush is a crush," said Andrea. "You shouldn't be ashamed of who you like."
"Like how you weren't ashamed when you had a crush on that standee from the mall?" said Madeline.
"Hey, that standee is a hard photograph of a person, who is real by the way."
"Whatever. Debra, whatever you find out, we'll have your back. Even if it takes years and years and years..."
"Okay!" said Debra. "I know; it might take a while. Thanks though."
"At least seven," Lizzie blurted out.
"At least seven what?" questioned Madeline.
"There are at least seven people in the world who look like you. So there is a seven in a billion chance that another Debra is around you."
"Have you been watching the National Geographic channel again?" asked Andrea.
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