“You know, to talk about someprivate thingshe’s been wanting to tell her.”
Patrick glares at her, but Rose doesn’t notice because her attention is latched on Joe.
Private things? What the heck is she talking about?
Joe, in his overeager fashion, rises from his seat. “Okay, sure,” he says, then trails behind Rose as they walk to her desk.
“Good luck!” Rose tosses from over her shoulder, blond hair swishing as she leaves us to it. Whatever “it” is.
I snap my gaze up at Patrick. “Private things? What’s she talking about?”
“Uh, she’s just kidding around.” He stares down at my test. “Oh, wow. Look at this! You did, uh, great!”
I snatch the paper from his grip as he comes around to sit in Joe’s empty desk. “It’s notgreat, but at least I passed.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty terrible, I guess.”
He seems nervous. It’s in the way he’s tapping his fingers over the desk, eyes darting to the window, back to Rose, and then over to me. There’s never been a time in our friendship when Patrick had trouble telling me about anything, so what’s freaking him out right now?
“Tell me what’s going on,” I say, searching his eyes for some sort of clue. “Are you okay? Should I be worried?”
“Uh,” he says, which isn’t an answer at all.
And then he leans closer, scrutinizing me.
“What?” I demand.
“Are you wearing makeup?”
He reaches out like he’s going to poke my cheek, but I smack his hand away. “Don’t ruin it!”
“Since when do you wear makeup?”
“Since when do you care?” I fire back, annoyed he’s avoiding all my questions. “What’s Rose’s deal? What did she say you wanted?”
“Geez, Sara Lin. So moody. I was just trying to compliment you.”
I sigh, crossing my arms. “No, you were just about to make fun of me. Now tell me what’s going on.” I fling my arm toward Rose. “You just made her steal Joe away from me right as we were having amoment.”
He narrows his eyes, but I glare right back. I can do this all day.
“Never mind,” he grumbles, getting up. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Wait—”
But he doesn’t. He weaves through desks and snatches the hall pass Mr. Day keeps near his chalkboard before racing from the classroom. Whatever “private thing” he needed to discuss with me must not matter much, but it’s frustrating because Rose seems to know what it is. Meanwhile, I’m clueless.
“That was kind of harsh, Sara Lin.”
I turn to the seat next to me and find Tammy fiddling with the end of one of her braided pigtails.
“You don’t even know what he was gonna say,” she continues.
Oh geez, was she eavesdropping? Not that I care. I mean, Patrick didn’t reveal anything of importance, anyway.
“But—” I drop my head in my hands. “Ugh, you’re right. Why do I keep snapping at him? He was just teasing. Classic Patrick.”
“Patrick does tease a lot.” Tammy cups her chin in her palm, and this dreamy look falls over her. “You’re so lucky. I wish he’d tease me like that.”
