Her eyes find Breck on the love seat. “You know, not terrible. Breck is pretty smart—but don’t tell him I said that. His ego is big enough already.”
“Massive.”
“Right! At first, I thought he was only in it for the scholarship money if we win—which, I mean, I think we all are in some way. But I genuinely think he enjoys it?” Her voice heightens at the end. A question. “Anyway, the rest of the team is happy with him, too. We may have a solid chance at winning state this year.”
“That’s great,” I say, and I mean it.
“It is,” she agrees. “Hey, I miss this. One-on-one time, I mean.”
Relief eases through me. It feels good to have one of my best friends back.
“I do, too.”
“You should spend the night soon. Like old times.”
“Only if we can Netflix an obscure movie we’ve never heard of and reenact all the cringeworthy scenes.”
She laughs. “Absolutely.”
My hand slides to my pocket, which is empty. I quickly check my purse. Crap. I left my phone in my car. If I don’t text my dad to check in, he won’t hesitate to revoke my newfound freedom.
“My phone’s in the car,” I tell Lin. “I have to update my dad or I’m at risk of being grounded.”
“That’s very authoritative of him.”
“I know,” I say, but for some reason I smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Lin raises her cup. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
I wander down the hallway and toward the front of the house. When I open the front door, I freeze. Jay is standing on the porch, but so is another girl I don’t recognize. He takes an automatic step back. The other girl appears unfazed. Her honey-blond hair is perfectly straight despite the humid evening, and she’s wearing a top that’s tighter than a lid on a pickle jar.
“Kira.” Jay fiddles with his left earlobe. It’s a nervous tic. I noticed that he did it a lot during tests our freshman year. “Jennifer stopped by with more beer.” He holds up a twelve-pack.
Oh.Thisis Jennifer.
“I better go.” She eyes me like I’ve interrupted something. “I didn’t realize I was holding you up.”
I don’t want Jay to think I was looking for him, so I let my keys dangle from my fingers. “I left my phone in the car.”
I step around them and walk down the porch steps toward the driveway. When I glance back, Jennifer is still standing there talking to him. The whole image makes my stomach churn. How long has he been out here? Why was he nervous? I mean, it’s not like they weredoinganything, but it doesn’t exactly seem innocent.
I haven’t talked to Jay since Tuesday’s history class when he put my name in that hangman puzzle. I feel guilty. I know it wasn’t my fault, but still. If Whitney is overreacting about Jennifer, she would definitely overreact if she saw my name written in his notebook.
And since when did Jay start talking with older girls? And when did he start acceptingbeerfrom older girls? He’s always had a reputation for being a star student and star basketball player. Breck’s the one who’s notorious for flirting, not him.
After I grab my phone and lock up, I head back to the house. Jay is still on the porch, but there’s no sign of Jennifer. He gives me a small wave as I come closer.
“So,” I say, raising an eyebrow. “You’re on beer duty?”
He shrugs. “I thought we could use more. The night is young.”
I’m not standing very close to him, but I’m close enough to smell his cologne. It’s a little overpowering, something that’s musky and unfamiliar. He’s wearing a black button-down with a pair of jeans. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a nice shirt before. It’s like he’s stepped out of a J. Crew ad. It feels… wrong.
“Whitney’s looking for you.”
His amused expression deflates a little. “I figured,” he says, opening the front door. “Better go.”
He’s distant again. I step inside behind him, but instead of feeling uneasy at how weird our friendship has become, I feel a little irritated. He’s acting like being with Whitney is a chore. Which is annoying. Even though we’re not on the best terms at the moment, Whitney is one of the most caring people I know. She’s witty and kind and pretty, and if he can’t appreciate all the great things about her, why does he even bother?
