“And don’t forget a little violence.”
He chuckles and pulls me closer. “You are a girl of many talents.”
Chapter
11
“You were amazing,” I tell Huan for the hundredth time.We’re still talking about the party at lunch Monday afternoon.
He grins, then shakes his head modestly. He flips between looking sheepish and smug every time we bring it up.
I’m sitting next to him with Dev and Sage across from us, along with their friend Sam and his girlfriend, Kelly. Everyone leans toward Huan in anticipation, as if he might do an encore performance right now. I’m still a little in shock to have a whole table of people to sit with after only one week here. I’d come to the cafeteria alone this afternoon, but when everyone else arrived, they immediately sat down with me, as if I’d been holding the table for them. And maybe I had been, without realizing. It’s such a relief to be accepted so easily by them. Not just as someone who is allowed to sit with them, like I was at Crystal’s table, but as one of their own. As if I’ve known them for years the way they’ve known each other.
“Eh, I’m not as good as you all think I am,” Huan replies. “You don’t have enough experience to know what it means to beamazing. I’m, like, a novice at it.”
“He’s right,” Dev replies. “I hear him practicea lotand it’s really not as hard as it seems.” Dev clicks his tongue, blows through his lips, and starts making the weirdest, grossest sounds in the world. It’s like the devil’s trying to speak through him.
The entire table erupts in laughter. Huan waves his hands in horror and I reach across to slap Dev on the shoulder. Even Sage laughs at his ridiculousness, which makes him do it more.
“I don’t think I ever thanked you for bringing us along,” Huan whispers to me.
“I’m just happy you had a good time.”
“Well, I clearly wasn’t the only one.”
I cough to cover my embarrassment. I couldn’t get Will off my mind the whole weekend. Sure, I’d been hoping to date someone over here, but now... I don’t just want any British boy. I wantWill. He’s everything I could ask for—charming, fun, gorgeous—he’s perfect. But the more I think about him, the more I realize how absurd this whole idea is. And seeing multiple posts from Andy over the weekend, talking about how amazing and beautiful Crystal is, doesn’t help. How could someone like Will ever want to date me? What am I bringing to the table? I’m the weird girl hiding acorns like a squirrel. We’re nothing alike.
I start when I realize Huan is still studying me. “So, um, do you think you’d be interested in seeing everyone again?” I say before he can ask what I was just thinking about.
“Frank’s already texted twice about getting together. He wants to take me to London, introduce me to some industry people he knows.”
“What?That’s incredible! When are you going?”
“I’m not.” He waves his hand dismissively. “Chemistry is about to bury me as it is. I don’t have time for all that.”
“Are you kidding me? This could be a huge break for you.”
“Beatboxing is just a hobby.”
“Give it up, Ellie,” Dev says with his face full of crisps. (I’m really trying to get this whole British slang thing.) “Huan can be crazy stubborn.”
“But—why don’t you want to try?”
“I’m going to school for medicine. I’ve wanted that since I was eleven.”
I search the table for support but no one jumps in to help me argue my case. My shoulders sag. “You’re so talented, though.”
“He’s talented in science as well. Not as talented as me, but who is?” Sage teases.
Huan snorts.
“But...” I shake my head and focus on my uneaten sandwich. I’ve never been around people who were already this confident about what they wanted to do with their lives. Is this normal? Do all high school seniors have a twenty-year plan laid out for themselves? I wish I were that certain about what I want to do... or had any direction at all.
“Is everyone going to the talk on college application essays tonight?” Sam asks, leaning forward and surveying the table.
I groan inwardly. The last thing I want to do is talk about college right now. Everyone but Sage and I nod. At least I’m not the only one skipping it.
“I finished all my applications before I came here,” Sageexplains. “I didn’t want the distraction. Plus, I’m doing early action at Yale, so I had to work on it over the summer.”
