Theo steps in front of me. “I was the one who signed you up for the talent show.”
“No way!” I punch him in the arm. “All this time I thought it was Paige.” Honestly, I’m glad he did, but he doesn’t needto know that right now. “Do you know how much sleep I lost stressing over it?”
“Probably not as much as I lost over thinking about you.”
His answers just keep getting better.
Stephanie and Ian meet us by the lockers, both grinning.
“There’s the star of the show!” Stephanie says, throwing her arms around me. “You were amazing out there.”
“Don’t forget the star clown,” Ian chimes in, patting Theo on the shoulder. “What possessed you, man? I don’t think anyone saw that coming from you.”
Theo offers a slight smile and shrugs. “I thought it would move people.” His gaze falls on me.
“Oh, it moved people, all right,” Ian says. “It moved them to tears. I’m thinking of hiring you for my birthday party.”
As the four of us reminisce about Theo’s performance, we burst into laughter, the kind that makes your stomach ache in the best way. Then we head to class.
Mr. Kendrick lectures about the periodic table, but all of it flies over my head. My singular focus is on Theo. We glance at each other every chance we get, like two atoms drawn by magnetic force. Okay—maybe some of what Mr. Kendrick preaches sticks.
Paige is unusually quiet, no smug looks, no biting remarks—just silence, her head down as she scribbles in her notebook.
When chemistry ends, I tell Theo I’ll meet him outside. I need a moment with Paige. Something tells me it’s the right thing to do.
I walk up to her desk as she slips her notebook into her bag.
“Paige,” I say as she stands, her expression unreadable. I take a deep breath. “Chances are we’re never going to see each other again after high school. I don’t want us to end up hating each other. Truce?” I extend my hand, hoping she’ll take it.
She stares at it for a moment, then at my face. “Don’t push it,” she says, brushing past me.
Well, so much for that. At least I tried.
“Hey,” Paige says from the doorway. I turn and look her in the eyes. “You looked good out there.”
She storms out into the hallway before I even have time to say “thanks.” Maybe there’s hope for us after all.
When the last class ends, I rush to my locker, eager to see Theo. He had been waiting there for me, leaning against the metal rectangle, looking all suave.
As we head toward the exit, he takes my hand, his fingers lacing with mine.
It’s so surreal, everything that’s happened in the past few months. I wouldn’t change a single moment. After all, it got me to where I am right now—holding hands with the person I’m falling in love with.
Epilogue
My fingers mash the buttons as Yoshi—my go-to character since forever—zooms around Rainbow Road’s treacherous curves. Beside me, Theo reclines against my pillows, looking way too comfortable for someone who’s about to lose.
“You’re gripping that controller like your life depends on it.” Theo nudges me with his sock-covered foot. “Cute.”
I keep my eyes locked on the screen. “Mock all you want. That blue shell has your name on it.”
“Bold words from someone in eighth place.” He leans forward, his shoulder brushing mine as his Bowser character pulls further ahead.
“Seventh, thank you very much.” I snag an item box and pump my fist when the blue shell appears. “And not for long.”
Theo’s eyes widen. “You wouldn’t.”
The corner of my mouth lifts in a sinister curve as I hit the button, watching the shell fly toward Bowser.
