taking a psych elective at school," Jonathan said with a grin. "I kind of wish my teacher were here right now, 'cuz she might bump my C to a B if she heard that little speech," he joked.
"Y ou're getting a C and you're trying to lecture us?" Vivi shot back. "Nice try."
"Insults! Good tactic! Do you want me to help you out with this thing or not?" Jonathan asked.
Vivi glowered at him, and Lane tried not to smile. She liked this guy. It was the rare person who could actually render Vivi speechless. Still, the silence dragged on, and Lane suddenly sensed that if she didn't step in soon, Jonathan was going to bail and they'd be back to square one. And with prom less than two weeks away, square one was not an option.
"The thing is, Isabelle has made this mistake before. A bunch of times," Lane said calmly. "I totally understand where you're coming from. I wasn't all that psyched about this plan in the beginning either--was
Vivi mumbled something under her breath and took another long drink of her shake. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared at Lane.
"But now I think it really might be the best thing for Isabelle," Lane added. "Shawn is not a good guy, and if he keeps this up? I honestly think he might ruin her life."
Vivi glanced over at Jonathan to gauge his reaction. He seemed to be mulling it over for the first time since they'd sat
105
down. Lane felt a little thrill inside her chest. Had she actually convinced him?
"I don't know," he said finally, playing around with the remnants of the salad with his fork. "It just seems so dishonest."
"We'll pay you," Vivi blurted.
Jonathan's eyebrows shot up, and he dropped his fork. "Y ou're kidding."
"I've got three hundred dollars that says I'm not," Vivi told him. "Plus all expenses will be paid for. Tux, corsage, limo. Everything."
"Everything?" Lane gulped.
"Everything," Vivi replied, never taking her eyes off Jonathan. "Y ou're gonna be driving your brother to the theater every other day for rehearsal if he gets the part, right? Three hundred dollars is a lot of gas money."
Lane smirked. Ever since Vivi had gotten her own car, she'd been complaining that all her allowance went right into the tank, and half the kids at school had part-time jobs just to pay for gas. Girl knew how to make a convincing argument.
"Y eah, but I don't know," Jonathan said. "I mean, have you guys really thought this through? What if Isabelle figures it out? Or what if someone from your school brings someone from my school to the prom and we get caught? This could be really messy."
Vivi sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Y know what, Lane? I think we should bag this. This guy has no guts. There's no way this guy
ou could be a badass like Brandon anyway." Vivi made as if to slide out of the booth.
106
Lane's heart skipped a surprised beat. "Vivi! What are you--his
"Forget it, Lane. I'm done," Vivi said pointedly. She grabbed her suede jacket from the coat hook on the outside of the booth.
"Wait! I can be a badass!" Jonathan protested. "That is so not the issue. If you wanted me to be badass, I could be badass."
He pushed up the sleeves on his jacket and cracked his neck back and forth, all tough. Lane grinned. Suddenly she understood what Vivi was doing.
"See? That's not bad," Lane said.
"Oh, please. All prepped out with your lacrosse and your high moral standards and your salad. This is a diner, for God's sake. Who gets the garden salad?" Vivi said, zipping up her jacket like she was still going to bail. "I bet the most dangerous thing you've ever done is part your hair on the wrong side."
"Hey! I've done dangerous stuff," Jonathan replied.
"Like what?" Vivi countered. She stood next to the table with her hands on her hips.
"I snowboard," he said. "And I'm saving up for a motorcycle."
"No way," Vivi said.
"So you do need money," Lane added.
Jonathan glanced away, his foot bouncing up and down under the table. He
"Y ou're getting a C and you're trying to lecture us?" Vivi shot back. "Nice try."
"Insults! Good tactic! Do you want me to help you out with this thing or not?" Jonathan asked.
Vivi glowered at him, and Lane tried not to smile. She liked this guy. It was the rare person who could actually render Vivi speechless. Still, the silence dragged on, and Lane suddenly sensed that if she didn't step in soon, Jonathan was going to bail and they'd be back to square one. And with prom less than two weeks away, square one was not an option.
"The thing is, Isabelle has made this mistake before. A bunch of times," Lane said calmly. "I totally understand where you're coming from. I wasn't all that psyched about this plan in the beginning either--was
Vivi mumbled something under her breath and took another long drink of her shake. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared at Lane.
"But now I think it really might be the best thing for Isabelle," Lane added. "Shawn is not a good guy, and if he keeps this up? I honestly think he might ruin her life."
Vivi glanced over at Jonathan to gauge his reaction. He seemed to be mulling it over for the first time since they'd sat
105
down. Lane felt a little thrill inside her chest. Had she actually convinced him?
"I don't know," he said finally, playing around with the remnants of the salad with his fork. "It just seems so dishonest."
"We'll pay you," Vivi blurted.
Jonathan's eyebrows shot up, and he dropped his fork. "Y ou're kidding."
"I've got three hundred dollars that says I'm not," Vivi told him. "Plus all expenses will be paid for. Tux, corsage, limo. Everything."
"Everything?" Lane gulped.
"Everything," Vivi replied, never taking her eyes off Jonathan. "Y ou're gonna be driving your brother to the theater every other day for rehearsal if he gets the part, right? Three hundred dollars is a lot of gas money."
Lane smirked. Ever since Vivi had gotten her own car, she'd been complaining that all her allowance went right into the tank, and half the kids at school had part-time jobs just to pay for gas. Girl knew how to make a convincing argument.
"Y eah, but I don't know," Jonathan said. "I mean, have you guys really thought this through? What if Isabelle figures it out? Or what if someone from your school brings someone from my school to the prom and we get caught? This could be really messy."
Vivi sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Y know what, Lane? I think we should bag this. This guy has no guts. There's no way this guy
ou could be a badass like Brandon anyway." Vivi made as if to slide out of the booth.
106
Lane's heart skipped a surprised beat. "Vivi! What are you--his
"Forget it, Lane. I'm done," Vivi said pointedly. She grabbed her suede jacket from the coat hook on the outside of the booth.
"Wait! I can be a badass!" Jonathan protested. "That is so not the issue. If you wanted me to be badass, I could be badass."
He pushed up the sleeves on his jacket and cracked his neck back and forth, all tough. Lane grinned. Suddenly she understood what Vivi was doing.
"See? That's not bad," Lane said.
"Oh, please. All prepped out with your lacrosse and your high moral standards and your salad. This is a diner, for God's sake. Who gets the garden salad?" Vivi said, zipping up her jacket like she was still going to bail. "I bet the most dangerous thing you've ever done is part your hair on the wrong side."
"Hey! I've done dangerous stuff," Jonathan replied.
"Like what?" Vivi countered. She stood next to the table with her hands on her hips.
"I snowboard," he said. "And I'm saving up for a motorcycle."
"No way," Vivi said.
"So you do need money," Lane added.
Jonathan glanced away, his foot bouncing up and down under the table. He
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