He looks in that direction, shrugs, then looks away. “Don’t care.”
“I just….”
He looks up. “What?”
I shake my head. “It’s just weird. Brianne is everything a guy could want. Pretty, rich, hot. She’s like the perfect girl.”
He scowls. “I wish you wouldn’t compare yourself to her.”
“I don’t. Believe me, I don’t want to be anything like her. But when a guy…well, when a guy looks like you, wouldn’t he go for a girl like her? I know we already talked about this, but I still don’t get it.”
He studies me. “What do you mean a guy who looks like me?”
I roll my eyes. “Come on, do you need me to feed your ego? You know you’re the hottest guy here. Why else do all the girls stare at you and all guys wish to be you?”
His eyebrows furrow, then a dark look conquers his face. “No one should want to beme. I wouldn’t wish what happened to me onto anyone.”
“What do you mean? What happened to you?”
Clenching his teeth, he averts his gaze. “I don’t want to get into it, Artemis.”
I bend close. “You know, now that we’re buddies and everything, you can call me Art.”
His eyes slowly move to mine. “I’d rather call you Artemis. I like it better.”
His words fill me up with so much warmth, I tingle all over. “Oh, um, okay. That’s cool, friend.”
He clenches his jaw again, looking away.
“What?” I ask. “Why are you so mad?”
He shrugs. “It’s nothing.”
I’m about to say something else, but the teacher walks in and begins her lesson.
Throughout the class, I notice Ryan’s knuckles are white as he grips his desk table. What the heck is up with that? What made him suddenly get so upset?
***
I strain my eyes, searching for my new buddy. The lunch line is moving so slowly and I saved him a spot so we could hurry off to the art room. But he doesn’t seem to be here.
My turn finally comes and after paying for my food, I scan around some more. Maybe he’s already there.
I’m about to leave the cafeteria, but someone nearly crashes into me. Luckily I stop my tray from toppling all over me and the floor.
Brianne stands there with her hands on her hips. Even when she’s pissed off she manages to look beautiful.
“Can I help you?” I ask.
She flares her nostrils. “So you and Ryan are together now?” She steps closer to me. If she’s trying to be menacing, she’s doing a crappy job. I’m not scared of her. “He and I were together, you know. You stole him from me.”
I step back. “First of all, he’s not anobject,he’s a person. No one can steal him. Second, we’re just friends. Not that it’s any of your business.”
I push past her, but she grabs my arm. She’s trying real hard to make me spill my food, but I’m doing a better job at keeping it all together.
“You’d better watch it,” she hisses in my ear, like a snake. “Ryan likes me. A lot. So save yourself the heartache and let him go.”
“Are you deaf? I told you we’re just friends.” I narrow my eyes. “And anyway, I don’t think he likes you. Why else would he ditch you at the Ball?”
