My gut clenches at her name. Tamara used to go to our school. She left Chicago last year for an acting job in LA. She's gorgeous, talented, and in love with my boyfriend. Maybe not in love, but she wants him. She even told me she did. She said it jokingly, but she wasn't joking. She wants him.
"How long is she here for?" I ask.
"She's back for the year. That show she was on got cancelled so she's finishing high school here, then going back to LA."
"Was she at the club last night?"
"Yeah. With her boyfriend."
"She has a boyfriend?"
"He's some guy she met in LA. He's only here a few days. He's older, like 25. She brought him to school and girls couldn't stop talking about him. I guess he's a model, or actor, something like that."
She has a hot older man? That's a relief. She won't go after Chad if she's dating a male model.
"So I was thinking for our date on Friday you could come here and see the apartment. Then we could find a place to eat."
"Yeah, about that. I told the guys I'd go to the football game on Friday."
"You're cancelling our date? We haven't seen each other all week."
"I still want to see you. Come to the game. Everyone keeps asking if you'll be there."
"I can't get there. I don't have a car."
"Have your mom give you a ride."
"You can't come pick me up?"
“I already made plans. I’m riding with Mark to the game."
"Why are you even going? You don't like football."
"It's my senior year. I feel like I need to do all the stuff I didn't do before."
"Could you come hereafterthe game?"
"There's a party afterwards. I already told everyone I'd be there. I told them you would too. I assumed you'd want to go."
“How will I get home? You'll be drunk."
"Have your mom get you."
"It'll be too late. She has to work Saturday morning."
"So get a rideshare."
"I don't have money for that."
"Then I'll pay for it." He sighs. "God, Brook, why are you making this so difficult?"
"Because it's not easy to get there from here. It'll take almost an hour with traffic."
"Do you even want to come here? Because it doesn't sound like it."
"I don't care about the game. I want to see YOU, my boyfriend. I'd rather do something where it's just the two of us."
"I'm not changing my plans. I told people I'd be there. I thought you'd be excited about this. Don't you miss your friends?"
