by Emma Doherty
Who’s she?
I rack my brain trying to recall if he’s ever mentioned someone he works with before, and I’m pretty sure he hasn’t. Watching them now, it’s obvious she’s not just a random colleague he barely knows. At the very least, I’d say they’re friends…good friends.
Wait, is she the Selena his friends stare at when they’re here?
They clearly think she’s hot. Does he think so too?
I feel myself deflate slightly. It’s bad enough that he wants one of my best friends, but now there’s someone else vying for his attention. Apparently I’m finally ready to admit to myself that I don’t like that.
“Abigail? Abigail, you listening?”
I blink out of my thoughts and turn to see everyone looking at me.
“Sorry, what? I was daydreaming.”
“We were just asking how the fundraising is going.”
“Really good. I actually can’t believe how much money we raised from your party, Chase.” I really can’t. We should have been charging kids to party at Chase’s house for years—we’d have made a killing. “And the bake sales do really well too. We made nearly two thousand dollars last week.”
Aaron gapes at me. “That’s insane.”
“It’s because you charge so much,” Brendon points out, even though I know he doesn’t care about how much it is or he wouldn’t buy four different things every week.
I shrug. “It’s good business sense, and people pay. Besides, it’s only a little more than what they charge at Livy’s mom’s bakery, and it’s brought directly to you at school.”
“It’s just as good as the bakery too,” Jackson says. “I’m obsessed with those brownies.”
“Yeah, they’re awesome,” I agree. “Livy’s a great baker. She’s really helped me.”
The table falls silent, and it takes me a couple of seconds to think back through what I just said and realize why everyone’s so quiet.
I just complimented Livy.
Livy Chapman, the girl Chase was in love with the whole time he dated me and the girl he ultimately left me for.
The girl I’ve bitched about and bitched at for as long as I can remember.
My eyes find Chase’s, and he’s already watching me intently.
“I actually think Livy is pretty awesome. Your girlfriend is very cool, Chase.”
Jaws drop around me, like they’re amazed I can actually be this nice about Livy, but it’s the truth—she is very cool.
A wide smile breaks out over Chase’s face. “Thanks, Abbie. That means a lot. I think so too.” The look on his face shows me he really means it. He appreciates me being nice about her.
“And…” I continue, pausing to make sure I have their attention because I can’t believe I’m actually going to say these words and they may never come out of my mouth again. “…turns out Sophie Steele isn’t so bad after all.”
The table erupts.
Full-on erupts.
Laughter and variations of them saying “I knew it” ring out loudly throughout the diner, and even though I should be annoyed by their complete shock at me being nice about Sophie, I can’t help but laugh along with them. Everyone here is friends with Sophie. They all like her—always have—but it’s no secret that we’ve always clashed and fought, and I’m pretty sure they never thought they’d see the day I admitted to actually liking her.
Brendon stands up and starts looking around the diner, frantically searching in every direction, and I can’t keep myself from laughing at him.
“What are you doing?” I ask, my grin not budging from my face, perfectly aware that I’m probably teeing him up perfectly for whatever joke he has up his sleeve.
“Just looking for Jesus Christ,” he answers, his eyes gleaming, very pleased with himself for whatever punchline he’s about to string together. “Because those words out of your mouth about Sophie I’m pretty sure are a miracle.”
This sets everyone off all over again, and I can’t wipe the smile off my face as Brendon receives fist bumps at his joke. I only stop chuckling when Brett appears beside me with loaded baskets of food in his hands. “What’s so funny?” he asks curiously.
Sasha beams at him. “Oh, you know…we’re just here witnessing Abigail grow as a person.”
I flip her the finger as Brett places the food on the table, but my smile remains in place.
I am growing as a person.
It’s about time.
Thirty minutes later, everyone’s devoured the food, and most people are reluctantly admitting that it’s pretty good, “…although not quite on Ferguson’s level.”
I’m not sure how many times I’ll manage to get them back here, but as everyone chips in their money for the bill, I know they’ve all been generous with their tips. It makes me happy that Brett will be able to put it toward his savings for college.
We all file out of the booth, waving goodbye to Brett as we go, and an arm slings around my shoulder. I look up in surprise and see Chase there.
“Hey.” He’s smiling down at me.
“Hey.” I glance from his arm to his face as we walk out the door, him still not letting go of me. “What’s going on?”
He pulls me to a stop and wraps his other arm around me, just for a couple of seconds, engulfing me in a hug before stepping back. “Thanks.”
“What?”
“Just what you said about Livy.”
It really does mean a lot to him, me liking her, making an effort with her—not being a total bitch to her. “I meant it.”
“It means a lot.”
“You guys make a great couple.” And they do, way better than we ever did.
Chase opens his mouth to say something, and he looks so emotional that I start to laugh.
“Okay, Chase, we don’t need to get all deep here.” I nod toward his car as everyone starts piling into theirs and shouting their goodbyes. “Go see your girlfriend.”
He smirks at me before pulling me back into another quick hug then doing just that, leaving me to go see Livy. And for the first time in forever, I actually don’t care. He’s found someone he loves, and I’m genuinely happy for him.
“Can I get a ride?”
Jennifer (who lives a couple of blocks from me) is watching from a few yards away; I hadn’t even realized she was there. “Yeah, sure.” I glance back at the diner and see Brett looking at us through the window. “Just give me a second? I have to just check something with Brett.”
I turn, go back inside, and approach the counter.
He looks at me expectantly, probably wondering what on earth I want now.
“Um, so…I just wanted to confirm that we’re still on for tutoring tomorrow morning.”
He nods. “Yeah, you know I don’t cancel.”
He’s right. He’s steady and predictable and I can rely on him, and even if he had to change our plans, he’d find someone to cover. I really, really like that about him.
“Um…the food was really good.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “Why’d you get them all to come here?”
I clear my throat. He definitely didn’t miss that comment from Chase after all. “Well I thought we could try somewhere new.” He just continues to stare at me, knowing there’s more to this answer. “What?”
“Abigail.”
“Fine—I thought if we all came here, your tips would be better for your shift.”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m not a charity case.”
“I know that!”
“Please tell me you didn’t tell the most popular kids at school that I could use the money.”
Huh. I’ve never heard him call us that before.
“Abigail!”
“I didn’t! Jeez, give me some credit.”
He lets out a long sigh, like I’m completely annoying.
“Well were they?”
“Were they what?”
“Were your tips better?”
A rueful sigh comes over his lips. “Yes. Everyone was very gene
rous.”
“Good.” I see the girl he hugged earlier walk through the kitchen. “She’s pretty,” I say, like a complete weirdo.
He turns to see who I’m talking about. “Selena?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“Is that who Dane and Jason think is hot?”
He chuckles. “Yeah, they think it. They just don’t say it too loud because her fiancé would beat their asses.”
She has a fiancé! Hallelujah.
That make me feel pretty happy, and I flash him my widest grin before spinning on my heel. “See you tomorrow.”
Then I leave without another word, relieved that he bought my excuse as to why I brought them here. The actual truth is that I brought them here not for him and his tips or them and wanting them to try something new.
I brought them here because I wanted to see him.
I wanted to see him.
God, I’m in trouble.
23
“So, I hear you’re really into me now.”
Of course. Sophie.
I turn to face her as we walk down the hallway after lunch, and she has a shit-eating grin on her face. “You wanna be, like, my best friend or something and stay over for sleepovers and braid each other’s hair.”
I roll my eyes. “I said you weren’t that bad, not that I liked you.”
“Not what I heard.”
I pull a face. “What are you talking about?”
“Just that you’re one step away from falling in love with me.”
“Shut up.”
“You’re ready to turn for me and hoping I’ll do the same.”
I damn near choke on my laughter and shake my head as I look at her. She’s ridiculous.
“You’re a dick.”
She grins straight back at me. “And you’re a bitch.”
It might have taken us nearly all of high school, but I think we finally understand each other.
“Hey Soph,” Jennifer says, catching up to us as we pause by Sophie’s locker and she grabs some things. “Do you guys want to go to the mall after school today? We could get pedicures and go to a movie?”
I would love to do that. Would love, love, love to, but… “I have to study.”
She pulls a face. “That’s all you do these days.”
I snort. “Yeah, you know that whole failing high school thing is a real motivator.”
She snorts back a laugh. “I suppose it would be pretty hard to live that down.”
I smile back at her. “Wouldn’t go on my highlights reel.”
“Brett’s working you pretty hard, huh?”
I nod. He really is. I can tell now why Sasha said it was worth getting him to tutor me. It’s not just that he’s really smart and is getting me to understand things in a way I never have before; he’s persistent, he’s adamant about the amount of time I need to put in to pass, and he’s relentless in getting me to do it. He’s committed to me pulling my grades up, and he’s determined to make it happen.
It’s like he’s so confident in me passing that it’s rubbed off on me, and the more I study, the more that confidence grows. Even though I hate the thought of sitting for hours looking over my textbooks, I know by the end of the session I’ll leave feeling that little bit more confident, and that’s due to Brett.
“So what’s he like then?” Jennifer asks.
“What’s who like?” Sasha appears next to me, smiling at us in greeting.
“Brett,” Jennifer replies. “He’s actually pretty cute, huh?”
I blink at her. Jennifer thinks Brett is cute?
“Yeah, he is,” Sasha responds immediately. “It kinda creeps up on you. Like one day you don’t notice it and the next you’re like, wow, why did I not see this before?”
I’m frozen as they both watch me expectantly. Sasha thinks Brett’s cute too? The thought of her returning his attraction makes my stomach curl even though I promised him that date with her.
Sophie smirks, completely misinterpreting my silence. “She doesn’t see it,” she tells Sasha. “He’s not a hot soccer player so he’s not on her radar.”
“Hey!” I resent that. “I’m not that shallow.”
Sasha laughs. “No one’s calling you shallow. We’re just saying you have a type.”
“I don’t,” I bite out as Jennifer agrees with her. “Just because I dated Chase…it had nothing to do with him being a soccer player.”
Sophie crosses her arms in front of her. “Dan Summers,” she states triumphantly.
“He doesn’t count—and you’re the one who gave me his number.”
“And I forced you to go on a bunch of dates with him and make out with him, did I?”
I scowl at her.
“Hey, I’m all for it,” she says, holding her hands up like she’s innocent. She’s definitely not. The smirk on her face tells me she knows exactly how much she’s irritating me right now. “I think a sexy rebound was exactly what you needed.”
“It’s not because he’s a soccer player,” I insist. “I don’t care about soccer players.”
Sophie chuckles. “You date the hottest soccer player from our school for years, and then when that doesn’t work out, you jump to the hottest soccer player at Liberty. You definitely have a type.”
They’re pissing me off now. “I do not have a type! Dan Summers doesn’t count.”
“It certainly looked like it counted when you were making out at your auction,” Jennifer chimes in.
The thought of that alone makes me cringe. “That was nothing.”
“How are things going with him anyway?” Sasha asks.
“They’re not,” I say sharply. “It’s done.”
“That’s a shame.”
“It really is a shame,” Sophie says, that same old sly smile on her face.
“Not really. Plenty more guys out there.”
Sophie sends Jennifer a mischievous look. “Doesn’t your cousin play soccer at Florida State? Maybe he could set Abigail up with someone.”
“Sophie, shut up! You are so wrong! I do not just date soccer players, and I am perfectly capable of seeing other guys who are hot.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes!”
“Name one.”
“Name one?”
“Name another guy on your radar who you think is hot and who isn’t on the soccer team.”
I stare at her, my mouth gaping open and then closing again.
“Not got anyone on your mind?”
I have someone very much on my mind, but I’m not about to tell them that.
“Go on, name someone.”
I let out a huff as I try to think of a way to get out of this.
“You can’t do it, can you?”
My eyes scan the hallway behind them. “Him!”
They all turn to see the skinny sophomore I’ve picked completely at random.
Sophie turns back to me. “Him?”
“Yes, him.”
Sophie hold her hand out in my direction. “Go on then.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you think he’s hot, go on and speak to him then. We all know you’re not shy, so why wouldn’t you go ask him out?”
What? How the hell has Sophie Steele managed to get me into this situation where I’m about to start arguing about going up to this random sophomore kid and asking him out?
“I’m not just…” I pause, getting seriously annoyed at the grin on her face. “I can’t just…” I trail off.
“You can’t just what?”
“You know what?” I can’t stand the smug look on her face. “Okay, fine.”
Sasha decides to take pity on me and starts laughing. “Abigail, you don’t have to go up to that kid.”
“Just admit it,” Sophie says.
“Admit what?”
“That Brett’s cute.”
My body goes numb at her words as I try to keep my face neutral. “What?”
“We think he’s cute,” Jennife
r says, smiling while Sasha and Sophie watch me closely.
“Good for you.”
“I think he’s really cute,” Sophie says. “And he just seems like a really nice guy too.”
He is a really nice guy.
“And funny,” Sasha pipes up. “He can be really funny too.”
“Don’t ya think?” Sophie adds.
They know. Somehow they’ve figured out that somewhere along the way, I’ve started to like Brett. Somewhere along the way, and God knows how it’s happened, I’ve started to look forward to seeing him and wanting to talk to him and hang out with him.
“Got nothing to say?” Sophie needles me.
“Fine!” I snap. “He’s cute, if you like that kind of thing.”
It turns out I definitely like that kind of thing.
“That kind of thing?” Sophie is finding it nearly impossible to hide her amusement here.
“Yes, you know, that arrogant ‘thinks he’s smarter than everyone else’ kinda thing.”
“He is smarter than everyone else.”
“You know what I mean!”
“Why don’t you tell us exactly what it means in regards to Brett?”
I stand there looking at all three of them, barely hiding their amusement as I stutter and stammer trying to hide the fact that I can’t stop thinking about Brett even though he clearly isn’t even a little bit interested in me.
“Excuse me,” I tell them with all the dignity I can muster, straightening up. “I have a sophomore I have to hit on.”
I turn on my heel and march straight up to the random kid, who looks as baffled as I feel as I try to make conversation with him while Sophie, Sasha, and Jennifer practically kill themselves laughing at me from their spot by the lockers, drawing so much attention that the skinny sophomore keeps glancing at them as I try to think of something to say to him.
Great. Just great.
24
I’m strangely nervous when I pull up outside Brett’s house on Thursday night, like it’s a first date or something.
Which it’s not. It’s definitely not.
It’s just a different location and time than normal for our tutoring session because he asked if we could rearrange, and it just so happens to be in his house, where he lives—no big deal.