that much?”
Em just gave her a look. “Please help me, Bridge. I want the picture to be decent. Not one of those stupid selfies.”
“I am helping you. I’m helping by saying stop. ”
“You know what? You have no idea. You just—don’t. Bridge, I kissed him.”
“When?”
“Right after Halloween.”
“ Halloween? That was days ago! You didn’t tell us?”
“I know. I should have.”
“Did you tell Julie?”
Em looked at her desk. “We were at practice together. It just came up.”
“Wow. So it ‘came up’ with Julie, but not with us ?”
“I said I’m sorry. I didn’t know if you guys would even, like, want to know.”
“Of course I’d want to know! This is a big deal, Em. Right?”
Em nodded. “Right.”
“What was it like?”
“Good. Weird. Good.”
“Let’s find Tab,” Bridge said. “As soon as the bell rings.”
“Tab’s all judgy now, with the Berperson.”
“She cares about you.”
“I know. But neither of you gets it.”
Bridge looked at Em. “Maybe I don’t get everything, but look—we’re sticking together. Okay? We’re still a set.” She grabbed Emily’s hand.
“So you’ll help me with the picture? Please? Please-please?”
“But you’re not going to rush into this, right? You have to promise.” She squeezed Em’s hand. “Don’t send any more pictures until you think about it.”
“I promise. You’re the best. Can you come over right after school tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Just to take the picture. I won’t send it. Promise.” Em hesitated. “And don’t tell Tab, okay?”
The two-minute bell rang, and Bridge’s attention jerked to the blank page in front of her. “Can I look at your French homework?”
Emily smiled. “Sure.”
—
After the last bell, Bridge was bumping along in the sea of kids leaving the building when Em grabbed her arm. “Hey, superstar.”
“Hey. Where were you before sixth period? Tab and I waited by your locker.”
“Nowhere. Everywhere.”
Bridge looked at Em more closely. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Em put her mouth next to Bridge’s ear. “What would you say if I told you I just kissed Patrick in the hall behind the science lab?”
“Congratulations, I guess?” But Bridge couldn’t exactly picture it. Did they just stand there in the hall with their lips touching, or did they lean up against the wall? What did they do with their hands? And weren’t they afraid someone would see them?
Em smiled. “Thanks. Gotta go. Banana Splits.” Em rubbed her stomach theatrically and started walking backward toward the library, bumping into everyone in her way.
“Save me a cookie?” Bridge called.
“Not a chance!” Em yelled.
VALENTINE’S DAY
The blond girl with dreadlocks is wiping down tables. You can now see that her boxing-glove T-shirt has words on the back: TOUCH ME AND YOUR FIRST LESSON IS FREE.
You try not to meet her eyes, but there aren’t that many places to look.
“So what happened to your money?” she asks from across the room.
You think about saying that your bag was stolen. “I forgot it. At home.”
“You need to call someone?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“You got a phone?”
“Yeah. But not with me.”
“You left that at home too?”
“Yeah.”
“You must have left in a hurry.”
You say nothing to that.
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“You told the lady in the goofy hat that you’re fourteen.” She gives you a hard look and then walks back behind the register, where she yanks a gigantic purse onto the counter and starts feeling around inside. “You can use my phone.”
“Thanks. But I’m really just waiting for my friend.”
“Your friend,” she says.
“Right.” You want to change the subject. “So, how do you like working here? It’s been a while, right?”
She nods. “Five months. It’s pretty good. Nice boss, free food, can’t complain. Do you have a job?”
“Not really. I mean, I babysit.”
“I used
Em just gave her a look. “Please help me, Bridge. I want the picture to be decent. Not one of those stupid selfies.”
“I am helping you. I’m helping by saying stop. ”
“You know what? You have no idea. You just—don’t. Bridge, I kissed him.”
“When?”
“Right after Halloween.”
“ Halloween? That was days ago! You didn’t tell us?”
“I know. I should have.”
“Did you tell Julie?”
Em looked at her desk. “We were at practice together. It just came up.”
“Wow. So it ‘came up’ with Julie, but not with us ?”
“I said I’m sorry. I didn’t know if you guys would even, like, want to know.”
“Of course I’d want to know! This is a big deal, Em. Right?”
Em nodded. “Right.”
“What was it like?”
“Good. Weird. Good.”
“Let’s find Tab,” Bridge said. “As soon as the bell rings.”
“Tab’s all judgy now, with the Berperson.”
“She cares about you.”
“I know. But neither of you gets it.”
Bridge looked at Em. “Maybe I don’t get everything, but look—we’re sticking together. Okay? We’re still a set.” She grabbed Emily’s hand.
“So you’ll help me with the picture? Please? Please-please?”
“But you’re not going to rush into this, right? You have to promise.” She squeezed Em’s hand. “Don’t send any more pictures until you think about it.”
“I promise. You’re the best. Can you come over right after school tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Just to take the picture. I won’t send it. Promise.” Em hesitated. “And don’t tell Tab, okay?”
The two-minute bell rang, and Bridge’s attention jerked to the blank page in front of her. “Can I look at your French homework?”
Emily smiled. “Sure.”
—
After the last bell, Bridge was bumping along in the sea of kids leaving the building when Em grabbed her arm. “Hey, superstar.”
“Hey. Where were you before sixth period? Tab and I waited by your locker.”
“Nowhere. Everywhere.”
Bridge looked at Em more closely. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Em put her mouth next to Bridge’s ear. “What would you say if I told you I just kissed Patrick in the hall behind the science lab?”
“Congratulations, I guess?” But Bridge couldn’t exactly picture it. Did they just stand there in the hall with their lips touching, or did they lean up against the wall? What did they do with their hands? And weren’t they afraid someone would see them?
Em smiled. “Thanks. Gotta go. Banana Splits.” Em rubbed her stomach theatrically and started walking backward toward the library, bumping into everyone in her way.
“Save me a cookie?” Bridge called.
“Not a chance!” Em yelled.
VALENTINE’S DAY
The blond girl with dreadlocks is wiping down tables. You can now see that her boxing-glove T-shirt has words on the back: TOUCH ME AND YOUR FIRST LESSON IS FREE.
You try not to meet her eyes, but there aren’t that many places to look.
“So what happened to your money?” she asks from across the room.
You think about saying that your bag was stolen. “I forgot it. At home.”
“You need to call someone?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“You got a phone?”
“Yeah. But not with me.”
“You left that at home too?”
“Yeah.”
“You must have left in a hurry.”
You say nothing to that.
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
“You told the lady in the goofy hat that you’re fourteen.” She gives you a hard look and then walks back behind the register, where she yanks a gigantic purse onto the counter and starts feeling around inside. “You can use my phone.”
“Thanks. But I’m really just waiting for my friend.”
“Your friend,” she says.
“Right.” You want to change the subject. “So, how do you like working here? It’s been a while, right?”
She nods. “Five months. It’s pretty good. Nice boss, free food, can’t complain. Do you have a job?”
“Not really. I mean, I babysit.”
“I used
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