It doesn’t take him long to text back.
L:I’m sure I’ll have dinner plans too but will also feel like going to watch a band after. It will be purely a coincidence
Ha! I like this guy! And then I delete the last three messages but leave the one from earlier. Olivia would kill me if she knew I was setting up a meeting between her and Locke. And then she’d back out of going to watch Judd play. Can’t have that.
It’s been all about school and grades and graduation and nothing else with Olivia lately. She’d be happy to flirt with Locke for weeks without ever pulling the trigger on meeting up with him. She just needs a little push.
After dinner at Nonna’s, we’ll go to Superior. And what? Surprise, look who’s here.
She’ll thank me later.
While day two wasn’t as strenuous as day one, it was still a longday. Especially spending as many hours as I did in Mr. Williams’s presence. I’m not sure which was the most oppressive, him or the heat. I saw Leo a few times during the day but never had a chance to talk to him again, and I’m surprised by how bummed out that makes me.
I’m dying to retrieve my phone from Charlie. He’s got some explaining to do.
Almost every social media post shows him riding a mechanical bull and screamingYeehaw!I mean, it’s everywhere! So much for him staying in the car in front of Danlee’s house.
But I’m also dying to see if Leo texted me. If Charlie had figured out L was Leo instead of Locke, I definitely would have heard about it by now.
Nonna sent out a text to everyone this morning about family dinner, since Uncle Michael is in town, and then Wes reminded us about Judd’s musical debut at Superior, and I could cry just thinking about how long it’ll be before I get to go to bed.
Family dinner. Don’t know if I have the energy for that. But Leo will probably be at dinner, too, since he’s staying with the Evil Joes, and that makes me feel…excited? Nervous? A little of both?
But then, the Evil Joes will be there, and Charlie, Sophie, and Wes, and I’m back to wanting to crawl into bed until tomorrow. How did everything getmorecomplicated?
Charlie is waiting for me at my house when I pull up. He’s on the front porch and meets me at my car the second I put it in park.
“Take it. I’m done. Out. Off the clock.” He’s shoving my phone in my hand before I’m even out of the car. “I love Aunt Lisa, I really do, but I need to be done for the day.”
I roll my eyes, trading phones with him. “Lightweight.”
His shrugs, shaking his head. “I’ll take it. I’m a lightweight. You’re the queen.”
“Looks like you put on quite the show at the party,” I say.
He’s beaming. “That was insane! Did you see it?” He’s bouncing up and down, he’s so excited.
I punch him in the arm. “Of course I did! Everyone did! Your phone has been blowing up all afternoon.”
He swipes it open and starts checking his messages as he walks away. His laugh floats down the street as he reads them all, and I’m afraid his head is going to be too big to make it through Nonna’s back door by dinnertime. “Bianca definitely looked five-flame-emojis hot! Good call!” he calls over his shoulder. “Heading to Wes’s, then going to Nonna’s. Don’t forget about family dinner!”
“Apparently, you’re the one who needs reminding! The other half of your texts today were from every family member telling you not to forget about tonight,” I yell back.
All he does is wave his hand in the air and keep walking.
Dragging myself inside, I collapse on the couch in the den. I may never leave this spot.
My phone vibrates. It’s Mom. She’s actually calling instead of texting and I’m thankful I got here when I did.
“Hey,” I say when I answer.
“You sound tired,” she says.
If she only knew. “Not too bad. How’s it going down there?”
“Oh, fine. Just a lot of long days staring at numbers. Hoping to wrap it up Friday morning and head back.”
I’m glad she can’t see my expression because…Friday morning?!If she leaves too early, I may not be done at the course before she pulls into town.
