Page 78 of People Like Us

August’s brows pulled together immediately. “My sister doesn’t have a boyfriend.” He tilted his head slightly. “Did she tell you she did?”

“No.” I shook my head. “When I had dinner at your house that first time, you were teasing her about having one. I just assumed.”

Understanding crossed his face then, followed by a brief laugh under his breath.

“Oh. That.” He rubbed at the back of his neck absently. “No. My sister doesn’t like boys.”

The statement startled me enough that I sat up straighter. “Really?”

The second the word left my mouth, August’s expression changed. Not angry exactly. Just attentive in that hypervigilant way he got sometimes, like he was measuring whether someone was about to become dangerous.

“Does that bother you?” The question came flatly, but I heard the tension beneath it anyway.

“No—of course not.” I frowned immediately. “I just didn’t know.”

“She’s not exactly out.”

The crowd roared at something happening onstage while I stared at him through the pulsing red lights.

“Then why are you telling me?”

August shrugged one shoulder. “The group knows. Her friends know.” His thumb dragged against the rim of his soda can. “I don’t think she’d care if you did.”

“Still,” I said firmly, “it wasn’t your place to tell me.”

Something tired flickered across his face then. The sort of exhaustion that didn’t belong to eighteen-year-olds.

Before he could respond, Angelica and Penelope came crashing toward our table smelling like cigarette smoke, sweat, and greasy fries. Angelica slid dramatically into the booth beside me while Pen nearly collapsed across Ben laughing.

“What are you two lovebirds arguing about now?” Angelica asked brightly.

“We’re not—” I said flatly.

“Coming out.” August’s voice overlapped mine.

Angelica’s face lit up instantly. “Oh my God.” She turned immediately toward me, eyes widening theatrically. “Is someone coming out?”

I cut August a glare sharp enough to peel paint. “Well maybe. Unless someone else outs them first.”

Angelica scoffed immediately, smile falling from her face. “There’s a special place in hell for somebody who outs another person.”

Silence settled over the table. I watched realization dawn slowly across her features as she pieced together what she’d interrupted. Her expression shifted awkwardly, trying to backpedal without making it worse.

“Well,” she said quickly, forcing brightness back into her voice, “unless it’s you outing one of the Barbies to me.” She stole a fry from my basket and pointed it at me. “I’m desperate to know which one of those girls is buried in their designer closet.”

Normally I might’ve laughed. But something had been sitting wrong inside me all night. Maybe it was Shannon still missing. Maybe it was the way everyone in town had already started speaking about him like he was dead.

Whatever it was, it made my response come out harsher than I intended.

“Why?”

Angelica blinked at my tone but smiled anyway, chewing thoughtfully. “Because I’ve got a thing for bitchy girls.” She winked. “They’re crazy in bed.”

Something inside me snapped. “You’re disgusting.” I spat.

The table went still. Angelica’s smile fell completely.

August looked at me carefully. “She was kidding, Lola.”