"Your boyfriend ignores you? And you're still dating him?"
"I shouldn't say he ignores me. I meant he'll be talking to his friends so he won't be talking to me."
"You're not his friend?"
"I am, but it's different. You know how guys are when they're around their guy friends."
"They get made fun of for giving all their attention to their girlfriend. At least that's how it should be."
"Maybe, but that's not how it works."
"Uh, yeah, it does," she says like I'm stupid not to know this. "My last boyfriend couldn't get enough of me. When we were out with his friends, he didn't even notice they were there. They gave him shit about it."
"Okay, but that's rare. Hey, what guy are you talking about? Does he go here?"
"He used to. He's in college now in Arizona. We broke up when he left." She grabs my arm. "Walk with me or we'll be late to class."
We pass a group of guys and one of them smiles at Eve. She smiles back.
"What's that about?" I ask.
"Not sure yet. I think he's going to ask me out."
"Are you going to say yes?"
"Maybe. I usually go for guys who are a year or two older than me but now that I'm a senior, I'm stuck with guys my age."
We continue down the crowded hall.
"By the way," she says, "it's not rare."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Guys ignoring their friends for a girl. It's not rare. It happens all the time and it's how it should be if a guy really likes you."
I glance at her. "I don't think that's true. It wasn't for any of the guys at my old school. All us girls complained about it."
"Then the guys at your old school were jerks. Talk to some of the girls here. They'll tell you I'm not making this up. Or ask my brother." She rolls her eyes. "With his last girlfriend, it's like no one else existed. I couldn't even get his attention when she was around." Eve stops next to the science lab. "See you later."
"Yeah, see ya."
My next class is a few rooms down, and as I'm walking there I see Dean. "Hey!" I smile at him.
He glances at me, then looks straight ahead and keeps walking.
What the hell? Why is he being like this?
At the end of the day I see Dean at his locker and rush up to him.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on with you?"
He slams his locker shut and walks away.
I follow him. "You're not talking to me, or what?"
"I don't have time to talk. I have football practice."
"What's wrong? Are you mad at me?"
