—
For the entire week, I made up excuses for why I couldn’t go to the ranch after school—a stomachache, a headache, chores, tutoring. On Thursday evening, I was sprawled across my bed reading aSeventeenmagazine, daydreaming about Chad Michael Murray, when the phone rang. The garbled sounds of my dad’s low voice traveled down the hallway until he was knocking heavily on my door. I sprang to life, and cracked my bedroom door open, snatching the cordless house phone from his hand with a smile.
Expecting Cassidy, I didn’t even say hello. Instead immediately jumping into conversation with, “Do you want to take this quiz with me to see which guy fromOne Tree Hillyou should date?”
Lucy Wells’s laugh filled my ear. “I think they’re probably too young for me, but you do have me curious.”
“Sorry, Lucy. I thought you were Cass. What’s up?”
“Well, I haven’t seen you all week….”Fudgesicles.“Jackson said you were sick or had tutoring or something. Are things okay?”
The deceit came easily when I was simply lying to Jackson as we’d cross paths in the school halls each day. But I couldn’t lie straight to Lucy like this. Not when there was clear concern in her voice, and I could so easily picture the worried maternal look that was definitely on her face.
“I just…” I picked at my fingernails, delaying the inevitable. “Things are weird with Denny and me right now.”
“Are you sure this isn’t a convenient excuse because you’re afraid to tell me you don’t want to compete anymore? If you want to quit, I promise my feelings won’t be hurt.”
“No! Iloveriding. I love barrel racing. I mean…I was serious when I told you I wanted to try breakaway roping next year. I definitely don’t want to quit, but…”
“Okay, so I guess I’m not understanding the issue here. You two are best friends.”
I let out a breathy exhale. I thought we were, too, before he went and acted like a moldy muffin at school. “We’re not friends anymore, apparently. So I figured it would probably be weird if I was still at the ranch every day.”
“Well, it’s your choice. But if you still love riding, I don’t think you should give up on your dreams because of a boy. If it’s weird for him to have you here, he can learn to deal with it. This place is big enough—he can go somewhere else.Youdon’t need to suffer for the sake of his comfort.”
I couldn’t help the small smile her words made crop up on my lips. “Yeah…okay, yeah. I’ll come out. Maybe I’ll see if my dad can drive me on Sunday.”
“Perfect. You know where everything is, and you’re welcome here anytime.”
“Thanks, Lucy.”
“So…who’s my teenage heartthrob boyfriend? Maybe I’ll see if their dad’s available.”
—
Megan Barlow’s parties were the height of Wells Canyon’s adolescent social scene—which wasn’t saying much, considering our entire high school had about two hundred students spread across grades eight through twelve. I didn’t particularly like Megan…. In fact, I don’t think anybody did. But we collectively overlooked how much of a rude person shecould be because her family was rich, and her parties were always incredible.
And with this about to be our first party as high schoolers, Cassidy and I spent our entire Saturday preparing. Manicures, pedicures, outfits…we even shaved our legs for the first time—only to the knee, because my grandma insisted anything further was reserved for when you were “entertaining company.” Whether it was the phrase or the accompanying wink, I’m not sure, but it turned me off shaving past the knee for alongtime.
“Do you think there will be older boys at this thing?” Cass mused as she thoughtfully twirled a piece of hair around her finger. She sat on the edge of my bed, waiting as I debated between outfits for the thirtieth time.
“I think there has to be. No way she invited the seventh graders, and I hope it’s notjustour class there.” I wriggled into a pair of black skinny jeans and eyed my scrawny, tall body in the full-length mirror hanging from my closet door. “Why? Is there a certain redheaded boy you’re hoping will be there?”
“Gross. No,” she said, quickly dropping the hair from her clutches and pretending to be engrossed in the magazine on her lap.
With a snort, I shook my head and returned to layering my tank tops—tugging on the hems to stretch them enough for my long torso—then spritzed myself with body spray and gave a nod of self-approval in the mirror. “I think we’re a good amount of fashionably late. Let’s go.”
We walked the two blocks to Megan’s house with a spring in our step, and it wasn’t until the front door closed behind us that I realized Denny would be there. Kicking my shoes off inside the foyer, I heard his laugh carrying up the stairs from the basement, and my stomach fell into my butt.
“Just ignore him.” Cassidy squeezed my forearm, tucking her sneakers neatly against the wall.
Easier said than done.I’d survived the first week of the school year by keeping my distance, but that would be impossible at a party in Megan’s basement unless I spent the entire night in the corner. Not that anybody would be surprised by Blair Hart tucked away somewhere petting the Barlow family dog instead of interacting with humans.
As we reached the bottom of the basement stairs, Megan immediately pulled Cass into an embrace. “Oh my God, I’m so happy you made it. There’s a ton of food and drinks over there.” She gestured toward the basement bar, which was covered in a spread of food. “Of course the usuals—pool table, arcade games…oh, and my dad hooked upDance Dance RevolutionandGuitar Heroin the theater room.”
“Wow, sounds like fun.” Cass smiled politely at her, taking in the chaotic scene before us.
“So much fun.” Megan clapped her hands together before turning to me, her smile wavering. “Hey, Blair.”
