“Art, hello?” Jenna says. “This outfit or this one?” She holds two shirts up.
“They look the same to me.”
She frowns. “You’re hopeless when it comes to this stuff.” Shrugging, she chooses one and tosses the other on her bed. “You didn’t tell me how the art thing with Ryan went.”
“I think we’ll be late for school.”
“Nah, we have, like, half an hour. I know you still like him, so stop pretending like you don’t. Does he like you?”
I shake my head. “I’m not sure he even wants to be my friend. And I stupidly want to invite him to the Ball.”
She blinks a few times. “What? You’re thinking of asking Ryan? Don’t you think you should give the guy some space?”
I give her a hurt look. “You think I’m too much in his face?”
She tilts her head from side to side. “Maybe? Look, Art, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but…”
I sit forward. “What?”
“Jason and I went to Ocean’s Deep yesterday and I heard girls talking about him.”Ocean’s Deep is a diner where most kids hang out after school.
“And?”
“They said Brianne asked him out and he said yes.”
My head spins as I think back to the cafeteria today, when they talked and she touched his arm. And then he left and she was so pissed.
“That can’t be,” I tell my best friend. “Ryan hates Brianne. He keeps pushing her away.”
She’s quiet for a second or two. “Or maybe he’s pretending to hate her. Or maybe they got together after school or something. After you guys hung out, I mean.”
I don’t know what to say. It doesn’t seem possible, but anything is possible with Brianne Crawford. When she wants something, she’ll punch through a stone wall to get it.
“I’m sorry, Art.”
I shake my head. “I don’t care.” I don’t know who I’m convincing more—her or me. “We’d better get ready for school.”
I don’t pay attention to the clothes I grab, just make sure they’re clean before throwing them on. I tie my hair into a ponytail and join my family in the kitchen. They’re all talking like they’re the happiest people on the planet.
I don’t know why I’m feeling this way. It’s not like he’s my boyfriend. He can date whoever he wants.
But it doesn’t make sense. Why reject her in front of the whole school? Is that part of his game or something?
I manage to stuff some food down my throat and wash it down with orange juice before Jason and I climb into his car. He turns on rock music and I let it distract me as I stare out the window.
We pick up Jenna on the way and she’s still gushing about the Ball. I force a wide smile on my face so she won’t think I’m bothered about Ryan. I tell myself to just forget him, but I can’t for some reason. Maybe because none of this makes sense?
As soon as I enter the school building, my eyes sweep around the students for the guy in question. He’s not here, always manages to come a few minutes before first bell.
I grab my things, then take off for first period. I freeze at the doorway as my eyes latch onto the dark-haired guy sitting at the back of the room, face buried in a sketchbook. He’s early.
Without having control over them, my feet take me toward him and I plop down in the seat across from his.
“Want to go to the Ball with me?” I blurt.
His eyes lift from the sketchbook. I can’t see what’s on the page because he’s covering it with his hand. “Huh?”
I laugh awkwardly, my fingers tangling in my hair. “Do you want to go to the Ball with me?”
