“Again, we disagree on that.”
“We disagree because you’re wrong,” Clarisse said, clearly confident in her own assessment. “Whenever we’re with him, either the four of us with Robbie, or in a bigger group, he always looks at you first when there’s a joke. Like he wants to see if you’re laughing. In fact, healwayslooks at you first. No matter what we’re talking about. You’re the only one he sees.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not. And you don’t notice because you’re too busy looking only at him.”
“Fine.”
“You just said you like him, don’t deny it now.”
“Fine.”
“Are you mad?”
“No.”
“Sure,” Clarisse said. “If you like him, Adonis, why don’t you say something to him? Have you said something to him? Did he reject you?”
“No, I haven’t, and no, he didn’t.”
“So, why don’t you?”
How could he explain all the reasons that had seemed so important a few months ago but felt less important each day, now? “We’re going to graduate soon,” he offered. “And then he’s joining the NHL, and I’m doing—whatever I’m going to do.”
“Whatareyou going to do?” For best friends, Adonis and Clarisse avoided talking about the future. Mostly that was Adonis’s fault. He didn’t like talking about his changing plans.
He mumbled something about law school, which got Clarisse’s attention. “That’s new,” she said.
“It is.”
“You’ll be a great lawyer. What type of law? I can picture you shouting in a courtroom.”
“Not that kind of lawyer. I’m thinking maybe something in sports law.”
“Not as glamorous, but I can see it.”
He smiled, the first time he’d smiled when talking about his future with someone who wasn’t Bash. “Thank you.”
“There are law schools in Seattle,” Clarisse pointed out. “You could always pick one of those.”
“I’d have to get in first.”
“Have you taken the LSAT?”
“Yes.”
“And how did you do?”
“I don’t know yet. Well, I hope. I studied whenever I wasn’t practicing or doing other homework.”
“I wondered why you’d suddenly seemed to be such a diligent student.”
“I’ve always been a diligent student.”
“Don’t lie, Adonis. It’s not attractive.”
“Fine,” he said, and then he smiled, and she smiled, too, and he spent the rest of the bus ride with his head on her shoulder, letting himself dream about what it could look like if he moved to Seattle after graduation, and he and Bash became an actual couple.
