“Class goes by fast when you don’t spend the entire time doing work.”
We pack up our things, and Eve looks behind us. “Henry’s leaving,” she murmurs to me. “Catch up with him.”
I turn around too. Henry meets my eyes and raises a brow, as if to say,want me to wait for you?
I hesitate, then tip my head to the door.Go ahead. I’ll see you at recess.
“I’ll catch up with him later,” I tell Eve as we zip up our folders.
“Okay. It’s better to walk together, anyway. Everyone at the lockers will see us.”
“Right,” I say, though I wasn’t thinking of that at all.
13
Eve: Rising Status
Ruby and I stand in the line for the canteen, surrounded by noisy year 7s, deciding whether we should buy icy-poles now or after lunch.
“If we wait to buy them, the pink Zooper Doopers might be sold out,” I say.
Ruby nods, then gasps. I think it’s an epiphany about icy-poles, but instead, she says: “I just remembered what I heard in Bio. Do you know what Sana was saying? She said that something is going on between you and Noah Rosselli.”
“What?” I try to sound incredulous. It doesn’t work. I clear my throat. “Why would she think that?”
Ruby narrows her eyes. “You were sitting together in Maths, acting close and touchy-feely.”
“Ew,” I say. “We were nottouchy-feely.”
“So you were sitting together! Also, you did not just say being touchy-feely with Noah is ‘ew’.”
Saying that ruins the whole ambiguously dating plan, but it’s true. The thought of doing anything romantic with him makes me feel weird.
“Anyway, what the heck, Eve? Since when did you spend Maths class hanging out with Noah? And remember what happened last week, when you went to the library for him?”
“I was helping him with a Psych test,” I say.
“Something sus is going on.”
The line moves forward, which buys me some time to respond. “Look, Ruby,” I say. “Nothing sus is going on. We were just talking.”
“You don’t have a crush on him, do you?”
“I don’t have a crush on anyone,” I lie. “You know I’d tell you the truth.” My mind flashes to the cinemas on Friday night. I should tell Ruby. I planned to tell Ruby. Except, the end of that night was such a disaster, bringing it up now would be pointless.
I open my mouth. What should I say?So, I went on a date with your brother, except it wasn’t a date, even though I wanted it to be a date. And I’m only telling you now.
“I’ve decided that I’ll buy lunch now and get the Zooper Doopers later,” Ruby says, looking through the window of the canteen. “If we’re stuck with an average flavour, so be it.”
I nod, relieved the topic is dropped, and launch into a spiel about orange flavoured icy-poles.
When I arrive at school on Tuesday morning, Noah swings an arm over my shoulders and whispers that the plan is working.
I look around and see how many people are looking at us, brows furrowed. People I hadn’t spoken to all year look at me up and down, evaluating my physical attractiveness. I want to smile like Noah, but the attention makes me bristle.
Jasmine and Isra bounce up to my locker as I’m getting my folders for first period.
“Eve! Are you dating Noah Rosselli?” Jasmine asks.
