“I was just making a statement on how you’re clearly over it, so you can consider it water underyourbridge. As far as I’m concerned, my valley’s still flooded.”
He laughed. “You’re funny.”
“I wasn’t trying to be.”
“Will you stop this?” He took a step toward me again but I backed away.
“No. You hurt me and then ten minutes later I was reading the inscription in that damn journal. Man, you got over that sentimentreallyfast.”
“Can we go back to the way things were?”
“Are you going to address what I just said?”
It was bright out but freezing. His lime-green Wayfarer sunglasses were sitting crookedly on top of his head. He had a thick flannel jacket over a white T-shirt that read “Chubby, Single, and Ready for a Pringle.” The sun was making his pleading and beautiful eyes look impossibly green. He was perfect. I had told him to date other girls and now he was, and I was feeling exactly how he predicted I would.
“Are you gonna answerme?” he said.
“You didn’t answerme.”
“Can we please go back to the way things were?”
“You mean with or without Lottie?”
He shook his head. “I thought we were keeping it platonic instead of atomic. Isn’t that what you meant?”
He was right. I had meant it at the time because I was scared.Did I still mean it?“She’s pretty,” I said.
“She is.”
I wanted to crumble into a ball and freeze to death in the snow right at his feet. “I have to get to practice,” I told him.
“Do you want to study tomorrow?” he asked. Studying with Gavin usually involved lying around listening to music.
“I have conditioning until three.”
He looked away, somewhat frustrated. When he looked back, his expression was sincere. “I have to work at five but I can come over for an hour or whatever before... if you want. Just to talk.”
“Okay,” I said with little emotion. We would work things out tomorrow.
I turned around and noticed Ling talking animatedly to Lottie and Lance. She was keeping them occupied.
“Ling’s a good friend,” I said.
“Not your best friend, though.”
“No. I guess not. Though she doesn’t try to make moves on me, so that makes things easier.” I smirked.
“You liked it, but consider that part over.” He put out his fist like we were going to fist-bump. I hugged him instead, and he held me long enough for it to count.
I pulled away. “See you tomorrow.”
He nodded.
“Lots,” he called out.
Ew, he calls her Lots?
When I walked back over to Ling, she had her arms crossed over her chest. Lance looked oblivious.
