I literally don’t know what to make of what just happened, other than the fact that it basically had nothing to do with me.
Manon gives us a sarcastically slow round of applause. “The dork and the dweeb find love at first sight. How nice. You guys should go set the Santa Fe Ballet world on fire.”
I step out of Crispin’s hold, my head turning to Manon. “Fuck off. I bet you don’t last a month at NYB.”
She smiles coolly. “I have a sponsor already, so that’s unlikely.”
“Hey, did someone mention coffee?” Eric jumps in. “I say we go get some and leave this weird playground fight here.”
Manon rolls her eyes. “You guys are so fucking lame.”
She turns and skips down the front steps, as if she doesn’t have a care in the world. I frown at her.
How does Manon have a sponsor before the ballet has even performed for the public?
Crispin offers me the crook of his elbow. “Milady?”
I hesitate for a moment. Ella does me the huge favor of swooping in and dragging me away. “Nope! She’s with me.” She winks at me. “Come on. Let’s go to Heart Coffee. They always have such good matcha.”
I mouth thanks to her. She puts her arm around me, giving me a hug.
“That was intense,” she says, looking back in the direction of where Manon went.
“Yeah.” I wrinkle my nose. “I can’t believe I didn’t stand up for myself. Not with Manon, not with…”
I slide a look back at Crispin, who is walking arm in arm with Eric.
Ella scrunches up her face. “You do need to learn how to stick up for yourself. I mean, you know I’ll always jump in. But I’m not always around.”
I bump her hip with my own. She giggles, doing it back to me.
“Maybe you can help me come up with some zingers that I can squirrel away. Just to have some locked and loaded.”
She shakes her head, snorting. “It’s not about having the words at your disposal. It’s more about being ready to verbally spar with anyone, anywhere.”
I pout a little. “I wasn’t raised with those kinds of defenses.”
She gives me a skeptical look. “That’s the whitest thing I’ve heard you say all day. Seriously, that’s just straight up a terrible excuse.”
My cheeks go pink. “Yes, mother.”
She grins, patting her hair. “You wish your genes were as good as mine. We have really graceful arches on our feet and we are all petite and delicate.”
I can’t argue with that. We walk up to Heart Coffee, jostling and chatting. My phone buzzes when I’m in line; two missed texts from Calum.
I sneak a glance at Ella, then decide not to take a chance. There is no real reason to gamble on getting caught when I can just step outside.
“Hey. Will you get me a small matcha? I’ll be right back.” I wave a twenty dollar bill in front of Ella’s face. “I’ll pay for yours, too…”
“Yup.” She takes the money. “Hurry back. Don’t leave me with these boys.”
I shoulder my duffel bag and walk out of Heart, going only a few feet away to the next store. Parking myself against the wall, I look down at my screen.
I was thinking about you for the entire class today, his text reads. Every time I looked at you, I got fucking hard.
I blush and sink my top teeth into my lower lip. Scrolling down, I see an address and a time.
2128 Fifth Avenue. 4 pm.
