"I have a theory about what happened at the party." I didn't remember much about the fight between Jeremy and Leo or why it happened, but I did know that they were very good friends up until that point. After that, their relationship was affected by everything that happened around them. "Ihave a feeling Jeremy was jealous of your brother and his girlfriend's relationship, and that day he decided to complain and confess his feelings. Your brother probably felt cornered by his confession, but then he changed his mind, and everything went to hell."
"So if we can get Jeremy to confess his feelings to Leo in a more stable and safe environment, we can prevent them from fighting at the party," Lily finished for me.
"Exactly. And if there’s no fight, there’s no video."
"And Brandy?" Lily asked.
I thought about everything she did at that party, how she was with Oliver all the time, and how she didn’t care that Leo and Jeremy made a scene at all. "I don’t think we could stop her from going; she and Oliver had a good relationship, and I’m sure he planned all this just for her."
I could see her mind working, formulating her own plans and approach. "I will take my brother, and you will start earning Jeremy's trust," she said decisively.
"And we will stop the night that ruined our lives," I finished for her.
"And in the meantime?" she asked.
I reached out, cautiously tucking a strand of her short blonde hair behind her ear, half-expecting her to pull away from my touch. She didn't. That small gesture felt like a victory. She didn't reject me as much anymore.
"In the meantime, we have patients in the hospital that we have to take care of, we have tests we need to pass now with excellent grades, and we have ten years of not knowing each other to catch up. I think I have a month to convince you that long hair doesn't suit you like the one you have now."
Lily didn't say anything. She stayed silent for a few minutes, maybe thinking about my words. But then she stood up to leave, as if nothing I said mattered to her. I watched her walk away for a few minutes, but just before she disappearedinto the bushes, she turned around and said, “The person you miss no longer exists, so get over it."
She didn't say it in a bad way; her words felt a little broken, as if she regretted that I still believed it was worth it to get to know her again. So I just let her go without saying anything.
I sat there for a long time, contemplating the city and thinking about those last words."The person I missed no longer existed,"she had said with such seriousness and ease, and yet, I felt like it was all a lie.
CHAPTER 15
Kyle
Kyle: I think it would be good if we texted each other updates so we know how we are doing with our mission.
Lily: Are you looking for excuses to text me?
Kyle: I don't need excuses. I want to talk to you.
Lily: You're insufferable.
Tryingto be Jeremy's friend was not going well.
For the past week, I'd been trying every approach I could think of to get close to him.
I'd "accidentally" bumped into him between classes, offered to help with his chemistry homework (which Lily told me was his worst subject), and even tried complimenting his fashion choices (which, admittedly, were always on point).
But Jeremy Richardson was not an easy person tobefriend when he didn't want to be. Every time I approached, he'd find some excuse to slip away, usually with a thinly veiled look of suspicion.
"I need to get to class." "Sorry, I'm meeting someone." "Actually, I'm good with chemistry now."
By Thursday, I was starting to wonder if Lily was having better luck with her brother. We hadn't really talked since our day at the park, as if we had agreed to give ourselves some space to adjust to this reality. I'd see her in the hallways sometimes, and our eyes would meet briefly before one of us looked away. It was strange, this dance of avoidance with someone who once knew me better than anyone else in the world.
Sometimes, when she hasn't been looking at me, I've taken the opportunity to analyze this new version of the person I used to know. I realized that although she had matured, many things were still there, like the way she pushed her short blonde hair behind her ear when she was concentrating, or the slight furrow between her brows when she was thinking hard about something.
Ten years had passed for both of us, but those little habits that made me crazy the first time were still there. And part of me was afraid that those details would trap me again.
"My god, you can't be more obvious," a voice said from behind me, making me jump.
I turned to find Jeremy standing next to me, his arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, quickly averting my gaze from where Lily was organizing books in her locker.
