I jab my thumb at Ford. “He told Ella Garcia in the hall just now that I’m his girlfriend.”
“And you’re not?” Jack asks, giving me a sly smile.
I open my mouth but snap it shut. “It’s complicated.”
“Jack, will you tell Clark that she needs to thank me for saving her from being shoved by a mean girl,” Ford says.
Jack gives him a ‘what the hell’ look and glances at me. “Dude, she’s sitting right here. Tell her yourself.”
I huff, rubbing a hand across my forehead. “He can’t. We made a bet that he couldn’t talk to me for the rest of the day.”
Jack tips his head back, laughing. “You two and bets. What was the wager?”
“It’s—” but then I realize we never agreed on terms.
Ford waves his hands at Jack, who rolls his eyes, but asks, “Ford, what did you and Clark wager?”
“If I win, she has to go on a date with me,” Ford says with a cocky grin.
I groan, laying my head on the desk.
“Hannah, are you feeling okay? Do you need to see the nurse?” Mr. Metcalf asks, walking up to my desk. Both Ford and Jack cover their mouths, trying to hide their laughs.
“I’m fine. I’m just lamenting my life choices.”
“Okay, if your mourning gives you a stomachache, let me know, and I’ll give you a hall pass for the nurse.” Mr. Metcalf chuckles, walking to the front of the room. What the heck? Did my teacher just use sarcasm?
Jack spins around in his chair. “He just bested you.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m sitting behind you all semester. I’d be afraid.”
He gives me a goofy smile, and in return, I arch an eyebrow at him.
After history, Ford and Jack disappear down the hall toward the lunchroom, chatting as they go.I don’t even get a goodbye.Ugh, why do I care? Ford can’t even speak to me. Jack can. He could’ve asked if I wanted something out of the vending machine. Again, why do I care? I don’t want to care. I tell myself for the tenth time.
Mrs. Gomez lets the class sit where we want in economics. Her room has an entire bank of windows down one side, so I sit on the end row at one of the middle desks, hoping I can soak up some much-needed sunshine. Some classrooms make me feel like I’m in a cave. Landon Phillips walks past me, taking the seat in front of me. He’s always been nice to me. I consider him a fellow geek like myself. He’s tall and skinny. His blonde hair is combed to perfection, he wears collared shirts, and his pants always have a crease down the center, even his jeans. “Hey Hannah, how was your summer?” he asks. He’s also one of the few people in school who call me Hannah, not Clark.
“It was great. How about yours?”
“It was good. My family took a trip to Washington, D.C.”
“That sounds—” But I don’t finish because a package of starbursts lands on my desk.
Landon glances behind me, his forehead creasing. I don’t even have to look to know who’s sitting there. Jack slides into the desk next to me. He smirks, nods at me, then opens a package of Reese’s peanut butter cups. I glance back at Ford as he pops a sour patch kid in his mouth. He holds out his bag, offering me one. I shake my head and turn around. I pick up the candy on my desk and do a little happy dance on the inside as I unwrap a piece. I’m so silly; it’s only candy. “Anyhow, sorry,” I glance up at Landon. “That sounds both fun and educational.”
“It was. I have pictures of all the places we visited, including the White House, if you’d like to see them. Did you go on any vacations this summer?” Landon asks.
“Um—not really. My family has a house on Coeur d’Alene lake. We went there over the fourth of July.”
Landon nods. “Not everybody can afford expensive vacations like my family.”
I open my mouth but then shut it. I’m not sure what to make of that comment. Or was it an insult? I’m not sure. Mrs. Gomez calls the class to order, and Landon turns around in his seat. I glance at Jack, and he mouths, “what the hell?”
I shrug, shaking my head. I write a thank you note for the candy on one of my starburst wrappers and slide it back to Ford. A couple of minutes later, Jack tosses me a note that reads,Ford says you’re welcome. I laugh, but Jack rolls his eyes, annoyed. I feel Ford playing with my ponytail. He gives it a light tug, sending tingles down my spine.
The last twenty minutes of class, Mrs. Gomez gives us a worksheet to do and tells us we can work in twos or threes. Without thinking, I turn around to tell Ford to move his desk up, but he looks at me and makes another zipped lip motion with his hand. Dammit. I glance at Jack, who gives me a sheepish smile. I don’t want to put him in the middle of whatever Ford, and I are doing. Well, any more than he already is. Jack and I are still trying to figure out this new truce between us, and the last thing I want to do is cause problems.
Even before the summer and our confessed feelings to each other, Ford and I always worked together in class when we could. We both wanted the best grade possible and knew we could count on each other. I lean back in my seat, sulking that I have to work alone, when Landon turns in his seat. “Do you want to work together?”
