anything.
“Probably one of our last afternoons of fun before we have to start crazy studying,” Paige said.
“I’m starting tonight,” I said. “Good-bye, TV and movies.”
Eric sipped his soda. “I’m getting the impression that finals are tough here.”
Paige nodded. “They’re hard, but you just have to study. A lot. Oh, and don’t sleep. Just… study. Constantly.”
Eric lowered his spoon into his bowl of chocolate ice cream. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Not really,” Paige said, hanging her head. “You’ll see.”
We joked about finals and chatted till we’d all finished our snacks.
“I’ve got to go,” Eric said. “I told Troy I’d meet him.”
He squeezed my hand before getting up. “Text you later.”
“Okay. Bye.” I smiled at him.
Paige and I looked at each other.
“Do we
have
to go study?” I asked.
“After I have one more sip,” Paige said. She started to take a drink, but her eyes stopped on something over my shoulder. Her face turned the same color as her pink straw and she coughed, almost sputtering soda.
“Paige?” I leaned toward her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she squeaked. She put down her soda and looked at the table. Paige pulled the menu in front of her and started reading it.
“Aren’t we leaving? What happened?” I looked behind me.
Ryan, an incredibly cute guy from Paige’s math class, stood at the counter. He’d also played a security guard at her
Teen Cuisine
premiere party.
“Omigod,” I whispered. “You like Ryan!”
Paige picked up the menu and shielded her face.
“Paige!” I reached over and pulled down the menu.
Paige inched down into the booth. “Yes,” she whispered. “I like him. But I can’t talk to him right now. I don’t know what to say.”
“He hasn’t seen you. Don’t worry.” I glanced over my shoulder again, pretending to look at the wall clock. The barista handed Ryan a soda and he walked out the door.
“Phew,” Paige said. “Let’s go in case he comes back.”
It was so funny to see Paige act this way! She was usually so calm and supercomposed. I’d never seen her this flustered.
We got up and walked to the door. Paige checked out the window to be sure Ryan had walked away before we went outside.
“You should totally talk to him,” I said. “He was into you at your party. I know it.”
Paige’s eyes widened. “You think?”
“I know.”
21
OWNED!
“TODAY’S GOING TO BE AWESOME ,” I SAID. “Cross-country!” I peered out the window of our room, overlooking the sidewalks and lawn. A gentle breeze swayed the trees and puffy clouds filled the sky.
Paige, looking up from her homework, nodded. “Your fave. And tonight…”
I pretended to think. “Something’s on tonight. Let me think… Friday night… there’s a show on Friday night… some show with a girl and there might be, like, cooking.”
Paige tossed a wadded up piece of notebook paper at me. “Meet me in the common room for snacks and stuff.”
I pulled on my boots. “I’ll be there.”
*
At the stable yard I mounted Charm as Callie led Jack toward us. Callie looked like a riding catalog model— she wore a royal purple three-quarter-sleeve shirt, black breeches, and matching cross-country vest.
“I’m so psyched for cross-country!” Callie said.
“Me too,” I said. “I’m ready.”
“Ready to get owned at cross-country?” I asked Eric with a teasing smile when he and the rest of the team finally arrived.
“Oh, please,” Eric said. “You’re good, but not that good.”
I folded my arms. “Excuse me? I’m so gonna take you down for that.”
Eric just shook his head.
“
That’s
new,” I heard Heather say. I followed her gaze.
Mr. Conner
was on horseback. He trotted Brooklyn, a gelding he was training, over to us. I wasn’t used to seeing him on horseback during our lessons.
Mr. Conner let Brooklyn trot past us, and then looked back over his shoulder. “C’mon. Let’s go!”
The rest
“Probably one of our last afternoons of fun before we have to start crazy studying,” Paige said.
“I’m starting tonight,” I said. “Good-bye, TV and movies.”
Eric sipped his soda. “I’m getting the impression that finals are tough here.”
Paige nodded. “They’re hard, but you just have to study. A lot. Oh, and don’t sleep. Just… study. Constantly.”
Eric lowered his spoon into his bowl of chocolate ice cream. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Not really,” Paige said, hanging her head. “You’ll see.”
We joked about finals and chatted till we’d all finished our snacks.
“I’ve got to go,” Eric said. “I told Troy I’d meet him.”
He squeezed my hand before getting up. “Text you later.”
“Okay. Bye.” I smiled at him.
Paige and I looked at each other.
“Do we
have
to go study?” I asked.
“After I have one more sip,” Paige said. She started to take a drink, but her eyes stopped on something over my shoulder. Her face turned the same color as her pink straw and she coughed, almost sputtering soda.
“Paige?” I leaned toward her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she squeaked. She put down her soda and looked at the table. Paige pulled the menu in front of her and started reading it.
“Aren’t we leaving? What happened?” I looked behind me.
Ryan, an incredibly cute guy from Paige’s math class, stood at the counter. He’d also played a security guard at her
Teen Cuisine
premiere party.
“Omigod,” I whispered. “You like Ryan!”
Paige picked up the menu and shielded her face.
“Paige!” I reached over and pulled down the menu.
Paige inched down into the booth. “Yes,” she whispered. “I like him. But I can’t talk to him right now. I don’t know what to say.”
“He hasn’t seen you. Don’t worry.” I glanced over my shoulder again, pretending to look at the wall clock. The barista handed Ryan a soda and he walked out the door.
“Phew,” Paige said. “Let’s go in case he comes back.”
It was so funny to see Paige act this way! She was usually so calm and supercomposed. I’d never seen her this flustered.
We got up and walked to the door. Paige checked out the window to be sure Ryan had walked away before we went outside.
“You should totally talk to him,” I said. “He was into you at your party. I know it.”
Paige’s eyes widened. “You think?”
“I know.”
21
OWNED!
“TODAY’S GOING TO BE AWESOME ,” I SAID. “Cross-country!” I peered out the window of our room, overlooking the sidewalks and lawn. A gentle breeze swayed the trees and puffy clouds filled the sky.
Paige, looking up from her homework, nodded. “Your fave. And tonight…”
I pretended to think. “Something’s on tonight. Let me think… Friday night… there’s a show on Friday night… some show with a girl and there might be, like, cooking.”
Paige tossed a wadded up piece of notebook paper at me. “Meet me in the common room for snacks and stuff.”
I pulled on my boots. “I’ll be there.”
*
At the stable yard I mounted Charm as Callie led Jack toward us. Callie looked like a riding catalog model— she wore a royal purple three-quarter-sleeve shirt, black breeches, and matching cross-country vest.
“I’m so psyched for cross-country!” Callie said.
“Me too,” I said. “I’m ready.”
“Ready to get owned at cross-country?” I asked Eric with a teasing smile when he and the rest of the team finally arrived.
“Oh, please,” Eric said. “You’re good, but not that good.”
I folded my arms. “Excuse me? I’m so gonna take you down for that.”
Eric just shook his head.
“
That’s
new,” I heard Heather say. I followed her gaze.
Mr. Conner
was on horseback. He trotted Brooklyn, a gelding he was training, over to us. I wasn’t used to seeing him on horseback during our lessons.
Mr. Conner let Brooklyn trot past us, and then looked back over his shoulder. “C’mon. Let’s go!”
The rest
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