I tilt my head to the side. “Sure, but she wants you. I already told you that, didn’t I? She won’t stop until she has you.”
He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Okay. Want me to leave?”
“No.” He faces me. “Why do you think I want to get rid of you?”
My mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. We sit quietly until I say, “Because you don’t want to be my friend. And that’s cool,” I quickly add. “But that won’t stop me from being your friend.”
His eyes hold mine. “Why? Why does it matter to you whether I have friends or if I sithere alone?”
I can’t answer because I don’t know. I mean, sure the crush has a lot to do with it. I want to spend time with him and get to know him. But it’s deeper than that.
“You never answered my question,” I say after a few minutes. “About the Ball. Want to go with me? You’ll have to dress up and everything, but the food will be worth it.” I throw him a smile.
“When is it?”
“Friday night.”
He shakes his head. “I have plans with my grandmother.”
My heart might as well ooze out of my body and spill all over the floor. “Oh. That’s cool.” I avert my gaze, squeezing my hands in my lap some more. “Have fun.”
“You have fun, too.”
I won’t, not if he’s not there. Even if we’re not a thing, it’ll be so hard for me to see Jason and Jenna twirling around on the dance floor. I can still remember how warm Ryan’s hands felt on my waist at the school dance last week.
Ryan gets to his feet. “Can I walk you home?”
“Uh, sure. I was going to ask my brother to pick me up, but sure, we can walk.” It’s cold out, but something tells me I won’t feel it.
We gather our stuff. Ryan packs the canvas for me and then we leave the art room. The school is basically empty, except for a few students in their clubs and other kids working on projects or whatever.
I press my algebra textbook to my chest as Ryan and I start the trek home. It’s about twenty minutes by foot, and he doesn’t seem to mind. He also doesn’t seem to mind that my house is farther from school than his is. He’s going to walk extra? Why?
“Are you sure you want me to keep that?” I nod to his hand, where he’s clutching the canvas like it’s his most prized possession.
“Yeah. If you want, you should hang it on the ceiling, over your bed. So you can look at it before you go to sleep and when you wake up. You’ll feel like you’re in the ocean.”
I smile. “That’s cool. Thanks.”
We reach my house and bid each other goodbye. I watch him walk off. He’s still hunched over like he’s carrying the world on his shoulders, but it’s different now. Lighter.
“So did you ask him?” Mom says the second I enter the house.
Shrugging my jacket and backpack off, I say, “He has plans. It’s fine, anyway. He probably would have been miserable there.” Like I’m going to be, but I’m doing this for my dad.
She pats my arm. “It’s just one night, sweetie. You’ll survive.”
I force a smile. I never fit in with other rich people, but she’s right. I’ll survive. “Hey, at least there will be good food.”
She laughs, wrapping her arm over my shoulder and steering us toward the kitchen. “Speaking of food, come help me with dinner.”
Chapter Sixteen
Artemis
I have no idea what these people have done to me, but I don’t even look like myself. I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Mom hired makeup artists and hair stylists to make me appear more…how did one of them put it? Oh yeah, classy.
