The next step was getting my friends in position for the big reveal. “Please take my hands, children,” I said as I reached for theirs. On my right, Isa’s small palm was warm and sent a surge of sisterly affection through me, while on my left, Ev’s calloused and caring fingers made my entire arm gonumb.
Eyelids fluttering shut, I was suddenly in a dreamy daze.Ev and I had held hands as kids, but I couldn’t rememberthisever happening…
“Are we ready, G?” Isa asked.
“Yes!” I said, my voice catching. Had anyone noticed? “Just follow my lead.”
They nodded, but it was easier said than done since no one was in sync. Isa tottered in the heels that sheinsistednever hurt her feet, and while Ev was the most natural of athletes, he kept tripping over himself. He was six foot two, and today wore a white T-shirt under an unbuttoned light blue chambray, along with a pair of olive-colored chinos and his tan desert boots.
And to top it off, his favorite Mets baseball cap.
Uh-oh,I realized. We were deep in Phillies territory now, so hometown fans wouldnottake kindly to his hat…especially since the rival baseball teams were playing each other later today.
Although before I could snatch it off Ev’s head, I had to direct my two ducklings around a crowd of tourists. They were standing stock-still, solely focused on studying their maps. Isa stumbled, and my stomach lurched, hoping she hadn’t sprained an ankle. “We’re almost there,” I told them. “Just a little bit farther…”
And ah, here we were! Standing in the middle of a rambling green lawn, surrounded by blossoming spring trees and staring at one of the most beautiful buildings I’d ever seen. Simple but stunning. It was classic Georgian-style architecture with its redbrick facade, white-framed rectangular windows, otherlittle details that I couldn’t remember the names of, and a bell tower and tall steeple. Nearby, an American flag billowed in the breeze.
“Okay,” I said, letting go of Isa’s and Ev’s hands. “You can take off your blindfolds in three…two…one!”
The sleeping masks were whipped off in a heartbeat, and both my friends’ jaws dropped…but not in awe. “Really?” Isa and Ev said, with identical inflections. Their brows knitted together. “This isit?”
Chapter 11
James
What a joy,I thought upon leaving English. What a pure joy that I would be visiting Principal Unger again today. “You’ll get this back once classes end,” Mr.Henderson had said after repossessing my phone, as if I didn’t already know the drill. “Just stop by the front office.”
Before or after detention?I wanted to ask, but kept my mouth shut.
The last thing I needed wasanotherdetention.
Ryan, Caleb, and I met up in the hallway to head to history together. They were making bets on the outcome of today’s Phillies-Mets game. My dad and I watched baseball, but man was it dull. “Tryexcruciatinglydull,” he agreed, more of a football guy. “But Mara and Jesse—” He dropped off to cough,and I felt a twinge. My dad and Everett’s dad had been friends since third grade. “Mara knows her stats,” he resumed, “and I want to keep up with her.”
Argh, my phone. I’d been so close—three more seconds and I would’ve known where Grace and Isa were. Was my sisteractuallysick? Or had she been faking it this morning?
I’d only gotten a glimpse, but that vomit had looked pretty legit.
Did she boot and rally?I wondered, because I still didn’t believe Grace and Isa were sitting at our house painting their nails while rewatchingGilmore Girlsfor the hundredth time. It would’ve taken somethingbigto convince Isa to skip school. “James, I can’t,” she’d said the one time I’d tried this past winter—just to spend some time alone with her, away from Grace and my friends and everyone else. I wanted to see if our casual flirting wassomething.“You know my parents. If they found out, I’d be grounded for life.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
I’d given it a beat, then said, “Are you really?”
Something flashed across her face, like she hadn’t expected me to challenge her. “What?”
“Are youreallysorry?” I asked. “Or is this your way of blowing me off?”
Our eyes locked, and we’d stared at each other for a good minute. Isa’s eyes were deep brown, soft but strong. They had the unique ability to either set you ablaze inside or eviscerate you outside. Even her “death stare” made my heart ignite.
It wasn’t until I raised an eyebrow that she blinked. “No,”she told me in a sort of breathy voice, “I really am sorry—truly.”
And before slipping out of my room and returning to Grace’s, she took my hand and quickly kissed me. It was sweet and burned and wiped my mind totally blank. All I could think to say was “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She grinned, squeezed my hand, and then was gone.
Now I wished I could time-travel back to that moment instead of dumping my textbook, binder, and pencil case on my desk and flopping into its chair. Next to me, Ryan had already started yawning. “Hello, everyone,” Mr.Goldberg said in his monotone voice, and I sighed. How lucky was I that I had him for both homeroomandhistory?
“Gum?” Caleb offered me a piece of spearmint.
I shook my head, worrying that Isa would soon be gone again—for good this time. Five seconds after hanging up the phone last night, I’d thrown it across my room so I didn’t call back and retract my ultimatum-like request. It was such a slimy move, but whatever fuel was left in my tank had burst into flames. I was tired—it had been months of whispered soons and somedays, and Isa and I’d only gotten closer under this CIA-level secrecy. An ultimatum had felt like my only option; I didn’t know how else to express how serious I was about our relationship. I wanted Isabel Cruz to be my official girlfriend.
