“What is it?” I ask. Was he going to say something more about our trip? Or what happened with his family?
He shakes his head. “Nothing.”
“Okay. Well, um, see you in the morning.”
“Yep. Good night.”
Chapter
27
Friday afternoon I’m back in the conservatory, trying todecide whether the second walkway from the acorn house should lead to the pond or the tiny swing. Ever since Miriam gave me access to her greenhouse, I’ve been coming as much as my schedule will allow. Miriam insists on displaying whatever I put together, and it’s so relaxing to be here after hours of classes. Maybe she’s right about looking into a future with this. I would kill for a job like hers. Or even something on the side if I couldn’t get a full-time job. I haven’t forgotten how fun it was helping out at the fairy garden class in the park. Something like that wouldn’t feel like work at all.
My phone rings. I assume it’s Mom since we’ve been playing phone tag, but it’s Will. My stomach rolls and I squeeze the pebbles in my palm. I was so excited to have Will come on the trip when Huan and I talked about it at the beginning of the week, but now a few days have passed and I still haven’t said anything to him. It’s a big step—what if he says no? I’m not sure I can deal with the disappointment.
“Hello!” I exclaim too loudly into the phone.
“Hello yourself,” Will says.Oh, his voice.
“How was your trip with your father? Are you back home yet?”
“If you mean Northampton, then yes. He dropped me off before catching the first train back to London. I hoped to go with him, but he wants me out here for the next few weeks to help with some of his clients.”
It hurts that he’d rather be in London than close to me, but I swallow it back.
“So I had something I wanted to ask you,” I say.
“Actually, I do too. Can I go first?”
“Um... sure.”
“I saw a video online last night and... I could have sworn it was you.”
“You did?” I sway and sit down hard on a bench. “What was it about?”
“From the looks of it, there was a party and this girl... she looked exactly like you. She has to be you. And you ran up and threw yourself at some guy.”
My forehead falls toward my lap as I curl into a ball.Nooooo!He’s seen the video! That horrible mortifying immortal video. Will I never live that down? I think about denying it, but who am I kidding? It’s clearly me and if I refuse to talk it’ll make it seem like a bigger deal than it is.
I take a deep breath and push down my fear.
“Oh, yeah, that video.” I try for a laugh, but it sounds like a parrot squawking. “That is me. It’s just a stupid video taken by stupid people at a stupid party. They posted it online and... you know, it made the rounds on the internet. I wish it didn’t exist, butthere’s nothing I can do to control that so I just don’t talk about it.”
We’re both silent and I imagine he’s processing the fact that the video is of me. Finally he says, “You really threw yourself at him.” His voice is softer than usual.
I squeeze my eyes shut in embarrassment. “I—it’s a long story. Obviously, I thought he was talking about me. But he was leading me on.” I clutch the phone tighter. “Please don’t worry about that video. That was so long ago now. It feels like a million years ago.”
“When did it happen?”
I grimace. “Before I came here.”
“So not that long at all.”
“It feels like it to me. Are you mad?”
“That some wanker posted a video of you without your permission? No. But... I don’t know. You never mentioned the video before. It’s not because—you don’t have a thing for—”
“No!” I practically yell into the phone. The idea turns my stomach. The most ironic thing about all this is that Andy is single again. He and Crystal both posted about it a few days ago. They had seemed so happy online, but I guess they were overcompensating with their constant mushy pictures. It’s crazy to think that if I’d waited around in America I’d have another shot with him now, but the idea couldn’t be more repellant to me. I don’t even feel the vindictive joy I thought I would about their breakup. If their relationship had turned out to be something real, then at least I could try to be happy for them, regardless of how it began. But I lost a friend and Crystal lost the chance to study here, all for a relationship that didn’t last three months. What a waste.
