legs by leaning up against the wall. “I already told you. It was a rat.”
“Don’t play dumb. The knight-in-shining-armor routine at lunch?”
“Oh, that.” Levi. Henry. The incident in the lunchroom feels worlds away.
Brynn’s eyebrows arch.
“I tried to cancel.”
She rolls her eyes. “Okay, well, then what happened?”
Pressing my wrists against the cool tile of the bathroom wall, I allow it to relax me and continue talking to Brynn. “He asked if Henry and I were dating. I said no. Next thing I knew, he
was over talking to Henry.”
Brynn frowns. “Wow. That kid must really like you. Those tickets were, like, three hundred bucks.”
“They were
what
?” Most of the fear I’d felt moments ago evaporates. “No way. But why would Henry—?”
“Stella.”
I shrink. “Has he said something?” It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve been back in school and even longer since Henry asked me out the first time. Truthfully, I
hadn’t known how I felt. Not really, anyway. And since then, I hadn’t exactly had time to figure it out. Until now, that is. Until Levi. I always thought Henry and I would have time to
sort out whatever we were supposed to be.
But things change. And what I feel for Levi is different from what I feel for Henry. Ten times bigger and nothing has even
happened
yet. It’s a bonfire compared with a candle
flame.
Brynn twists her mouth to the side. “No, but…”
My eyes flit up to the ceiling. “Then you’re just speculating. I’ve known Henry for a long time. He doesn’t, like, expect anything, I don’t think. Not really
anyway.” The words leave a sour taste in my mouth, a copper-plated tinge the second they’re off my tongue.
I know Brynn’s protecting Henry, but I’m her friend, too.
“He bought the tickets before your surgery, Stella. To celebrate with you. He’s been planning this thing for a while I think.”
“Before my surgery!” I throw my hands up. “Are you kidding me? He could have jinxed me!” But secretly, I know this the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.
Brynn rolls her eyes. “Well, he didn’t. I just feel bad, okay?”
“Look,” I say. “I know. I just I need this right now. I—I can’t explain it. Besides, it was done before I even knew what was happening. And Levi’s right.
Henry’s not, like, a huge Action Hero Disco fan, and Levi loves them. It’s not like I left Henry high and dry.” I’m shocked that I can say that statement without breaking
into hives.
Brynn thumbs at the tattooed script that reads
Breathe
inked into the underside of her wrist. “I want you to be happy, Stel. You know that. You deserve to be happy after…well,
you know. But…” She trails off.
I cross my arms, my nervous energy channeling itself into anger. “Do you have something else you want to say?” I ask pointedly.
She drops her wrist to her side. “Is he?”
“Is he what?”
“A huge Action Hero Disco fan, Stella? Is he?”
I all but choke on a gob of spit as I sputter at her. “What, so you think he’s lying now? You don’t even know him.” I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and my face
has contorted into something ugly.
She studies me. “Guys have done way more to get in a girl’s pants, dumbass.”
“Guys have done way less to get in yours.”
I hold my breath. I can’t believe I said that.
Brynn narrows her eyes to a squint. Only she’s not mad. I’ve known Brynn long enough to know that if she were mad, she’d probably slap me square in the face. Now pink shows
through her freckles and rims her eyes. “You know,” she says without emotion, “I’m not sure I like this new heart of yours.” We stare at each other. “Stop
scratching yourself.”
My hands clamp into fists. The long scrape burns on my forearm. I hate that she knows my nervous habit. I hate it even more that I actually listen to her.
She shudders as if trying to shake off an unpleasant thought. “I’m sorry,” she
“Don’t play dumb. The knight-in-shining-armor routine at lunch?”
“Oh, that.” Levi. Henry. The incident in the lunchroom feels worlds away.
Brynn’s eyebrows arch.
“I tried to cancel.”
She rolls her eyes. “Okay, well, then what happened?”
Pressing my wrists against the cool tile of the bathroom wall, I allow it to relax me and continue talking to Brynn. “He asked if Henry and I were dating. I said no. Next thing I knew, he
was over talking to Henry.”
Brynn frowns. “Wow. That kid must really like you. Those tickets were, like, three hundred bucks.”
“They were
what
?” Most of the fear I’d felt moments ago evaporates. “No way. But why would Henry—?”
“Stella.”
I shrink. “Has he said something?” It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve been back in school and even longer since Henry asked me out the first time. Truthfully, I
hadn’t known how I felt. Not really, anyway. And since then, I hadn’t exactly had time to figure it out. Until now, that is. Until Levi. I always thought Henry and I would have time to
sort out whatever we were supposed to be.
But things change. And what I feel for Levi is different from what I feel for Henry. Ten times bigger and nothing has even
happened
yet. It’s a bonfire compared with a candle
flame.
Brynn twists her mouth to the side. “No, but…”
My eyes flit up to the ceiling. “Then you’re just speculating. I’ve known Henry for a long time. He doesn’t, like, expect anything, I don’t think. Not really
anyway.” The words leave a sour taste in my mouth, a copper-plated tinge the second they’re off my tongue.
I know Brynn’s protecting Henry, but I’m her friend, too.
“He bought the tickets before your surgery, Stella. To celebrate with you. He’s been planning this thing for a while I think.”
“Before my surgery!” I throw my hands up. “Are you kidding me? He could have jinxed me!” But secretly, I know this the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.
Brynn rolls her eyes. “Well, he didn’t. I just feel bad, okay?”
“Look,” I say. “I know. I just I need this right now. I—I can’t explain it. Besides, it was done before I even knew what was happening. And Levi’s right.
Henry’s not, like, a huge Action Hero Disco fan, and Levi loves them. It’s not like I left Henry high and dry.” I’m shocked that I can say that statement without breaking
into hives.
Brynn thumbs at the tattooed script that reads
Breathe
inked into the underside of her wrist. “I want you to be happy, Stel. You know that. You deserve to be happy after…well,
you know. But…” She trails off.
I cross my arms, my nervous energy channeling itself into anger. “Do you have something else you want to say?” I ask pointedly.
She drops her wrist to her side. “Is he?”
“Is he what?”
“A huge Action Hero Disco fan, Stella? Is he?”
I all but choke on a gob of spit as I sputter at her. “What, so you think he’s lying now? You don’t even know him.” I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and my face
has contorted into something ugly.
She studies me. “Guys have done way more to get in a girl’s pants, dumbass.”
“Guys have done way less to get in yours.”
I hold my breath. I can’t believe I said that.
Brynn narrows her eyes to a squint. Only she’s not mad. I’ve known Brynn long enough to know that if she were mad, she’d probably slap me square in the face. Now pink shows
through her freckles and rims her eyes. “You know,” she says without emotion, “I’m not sure I like this new heart of yours.” We stare at each other. “Stop
scratching yourself.”
My hands clamp into fists. The long scrape burns on my forearm. I hate that she knows my nervous habit. I hate it even more that I actually listen to her.
She shudders as if trying to shake off an unpleasant thought. “I’m sorry,” she
Similar Books
