dies when he smiles at me. I put my tray on the table along with the box of chocolates. Peter introduces the blonde as Susan, who quickly corrects him.
“It’s Sarah,” she says, putting her tray on the table and sitting down.
“Right. Sarah, I meant Sarah.” But Peter is only halfpaying attention because he’s already pulling open the box of chocolates.
“Is this what I think it is?” He pulls back the tissue paper and peers inside. “Awesome,” he says. “Can I have one?” he asks, looking up at me. I’m stuck. It’s not like I can say
Um, no actually they are for Ben Donovan and not someone who can’t even pronounce robot.
“Sure,” I say. He grabs two and drops them into his mouth one after the other.
“Dude,” he says, closing his eyes. “You have got to try these.” Ben Donovan takes one. I hold my breath, watching, thinking what if the love potion does work? Then I check myself. This is reality. In reality as I know it, there’s no such thing as magic. I look over at Peter as he starts shoveling forkfuls of pancakes into his mouth. Okay, so in addition to being sort of moronic, he also has terrible manners.
“Piper, these are awesome,” Ben Donovan says, reaching for another truffle. I take a sip of my coffee and smile at him. I needn’t have worried about what to talk about. The next several minutes are devoted to the guys shoving as much food into their mouths as they can in the shortest amount of time possible. I look over at Sarah, who seems too taken with Peter to be bothered by his gluttony. In addition to eating their own breakfasts, they inhale most of mine and Sarah’s. The guys finish off their feast with the rest of my box of chocolates. They offer one to Sarah, who shakes her head primly, as if
she couldn’t possibly
.
“So, Piper,” Peter says, leaning back and looking at me. “Whose heart are you breaking now?”
I roll my eyes at him, but I’m aware that Ben Donovan is looking at me too. “I am currently unattached,” I say, pretending to be much cooler than I feel.
Peter smirks at me, then looks over at Ben Donovan. “Dude, watch out. She’s ruthless.” I feel my cheeks heating up. It’s all I can do to avoid looking over to see his reaction.
“I’ll take that under advisement,” he says. I peek at him out of the corner of my eye and see him smiling at me. Peter just laughs and puts his arm around Sarah, who looks like she’s about to dissolve into a puddle of happiness. Luckily the bell signaling the end of zero period sounds, saving me from having to actually say anything. Sarah stacks the trays and gets up to return them. And of course the guys let her. Someone needs to tell her to stop being so servile.
“Thanks for breakfast, Peter,” I say. He just shrugs. I know money is nothing to him. His family is loaded.
The four of us head out to the hall, where we split off toward our various homerooms. I only make it about a dozen steps away before I hear my name behind me. I turn and look at Ben Donovan, standing there with a grin on his face. I notice that everyone else within earshot has turned and is looking at him too.
“See you around.” He smiles at me then walks away down the hall, parting the crowds in front of him. All eyes are on me. Everyone wants to know who Ben Donovan is going to“see around.” I feel myself blushing all the way down into my veggie sandals. I walk to my locker, hyperaware that people are still gawking at me. I open my locker, grab my perfect banana and pull out my books. It isn’t until I spot the other box of chocolates that I pause. What if—but I snap my locker shut before I can even finish the thought. If there were magic in the world, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t exist in Atlanta. Seriously.
“And then what did he say?” Jillian asks. General school craziness kept me from talking to Jillian and Claire all day long. I even spent lunchtime in the
“It’s Sarah,” she says, putting her tray on the table and sitting down.
“Right. Sarah, I meant Sarah.” But Peter is only halfpaying attention because he’s already pulling open the box of chocolates.
“Is this what I think it is?” He pulls back the tissue paper and peers inside. “Awesome,” he says. “Can I have one?” he asks, looking up at me. I’m stuck. It’s not like I can say
Um, no actually they are for Ben Donovan and not someone who can’t even pronounce robot.
“Sure,” I say. He grabs two and drops them into his mouth one after the other.
“Dude,” he says, closing his eyes. “You have got to try these.” Ben Donovan takes one. I hold my breath, watching, thinking what if the love potion does work? Then I check myself. This is reality. In reality as I know it, there’s no such thing as magic. I look over at Peter as he starts shoveling forkfuls of pancakes into his mouth. Okay, so in addition to being sort of moronic, he also has terrible manners.
“Piper, these are awesome,” Ben Donovan says, reaching for another truffle. I take a sip of my coffee and smile at him. I needn’t have worried about what to talk about. The next several minutes are devoted to the guys shoving as much food into their mouths as they can in the shortest amount of time possible. I look over at Sarah, who seems too taken with Peter to be bothered by his gluttony. In addition to eating their own breakfasts, they inhale most of mine and Sarah’s. The guys finish off their feast with the rest of my box of chocolates. They offer one to Sarah, who shakes her head primly, as if
she couldn’t possibly
.
“So, Piper,” Peter says, leaning back and looking at me. “Whose heart are you breaking now?”
I roll my eyes at him, but I’m aware that Ben Donovan is looking at me too. “I am currently unattached,” I say, pretending to be much cooler than I feel.
Peter smirks at me, then looks over at Ben Donovan. “Dude, watch out. She’s ruthless.” I feel my cheeks heating up. It’s all I can do to avoid looking over to see his reaction.
“I’ll take that under advisement,” he says. I peek at him out of the corner of my eye and see him smiling at me. Peter just laughs and puts his arm around Sarah, who looks like she’s about to dissolve into a puddle of happiness. Luckily the bell signaling the end of zero period sounds, saving me from having to actually say anything. Sarah stacks the trays and gets up to return them. And of course the guys let her. Someone needs to tell her to stop being so servile.
“Thanks for breakfast, Peter,” I say. He just shrugs. I know money is nothing to him. His family is loaded.
The four of us head out to the hall, where we split off toward our various homerooms. I only make it about a dozen steps away before I hear my name behind me. I turn and look at Ben Donovan, standing there with a grin on his face. I notice that everyone else within earshot has turned and is looking at him too.
“See you around.” He smiles at me then walks away down the hall, parting the crowds in front of him. All eyes are on me. Everyone wants to know who Ben Donovan is going to“see around.” I feel myself blushing all the way down into my veggie sandals. I walk to my locker, hyperaware that people are still gawking at me. I open my locker, grab my perfect banana and pull out my books. It isn’t until I spot the other box of chocolates that I pause. What if—but I snap my locker shut before I can even finish the thought. If there were magic in the world, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t exist in Atlanta. Seriously.
“And then what did he say?” Jillian asks. General school craziness kept me from talking to Jillian and Claire all day long. I even spent lunchtime in the
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