floor.
“Kelsi…” she said, pleading. Kelsi hadn’t seen Ella cry in years, not since she was a very little girl. Like then, it made her whole body weaken in a flash of sympathy, and Kelsi hated the part of her that cared.
“I hope you and that asshole are very happy together,” Kelsi snarled at her. “You’re perfect for each other!”
She tore through the house and ran out the back door. She found herself in the backyard, alone in the dark.
She sank to her knees in the grass and looked up at the night sky, as if she might find some answers written in the constellations. There were so many stars, and they were all too bright. They crowded the sky and made everything blurry.
Or maybe that’s because of the tears.
15
Beth sprawled across her bed, with her feet propped up against the headboard.
“So how’s Adam?” George was asking.
“Okay, I guess,” Beth said, trying to sound careless. Why shouldn’t she feel careless? Nothing had happened, or would ever happen with Adam. Yes, Beth liked the fact that a hot guy possibly liked her —she wasn’t the sort of girl hot guys noticed, usually—but it was all harmless, right?
“He’s actually out on a date with Kelsi as we speak,” Beth added, as if she had to prove something.
George let out an exaggerated sigh and countered with, “Great. So why are you being cagey and weird?”
“Way to turn that around on me, Mr. Too-Tired-to-Call-Last-Night,” Beth retorted, trying to steer the topic away from Adam.
She wondered how could she be in love with George andso irritated by him at the same time. But how could she not be in love with George? She’d loved him for longer than she’d even known she loved him. They’d been friends for years before they ever hooked up. But the minute she was without him, Beth was finding herself all worked up about someone else. Someone who didn’t know her that well, a guy who didn’t have a history with her, still found her to be attractive and fun. And who made her feel…wonderful.
As opposed to this conversation, which was making her feel like shit.
“I’m not turning anything around, Miss Never-Answers-Her-Phone,” George shot back. “And last night was the first time in the entire history of the world that I didn’t call you fifty-seven times. You could try answering one call, just for fun.”
“What are you talking about?” Beth groaned, trying not to get worried.
“Yeah, well, maybe I’m saying you’d rather be talking with this Adam guy instead of me,” George said, continuing the same half joking, half fighting they seemed to have every time they talked. “Maybe this guy deliberately saves the good-looking girls so he can work the whole hero thing on them.”
“Oh my God, you’re driving me insane!” Beth cried, faking indignation.
“Just as long as I’m still making an impression,” George said swiftly. And as usual, Beth could tell that underneath the jokey tone, he was trying to make a point.
Stay the hell away from Adam.
“Trust me, you make the only impression,” she assured him.
“That’s much better,” George said sincerely. “More of that stuff, please.”
“I can’t believe you’re getting so crazy about some guy,” Beth told him.
Not that Adam was just some guy, Beth told herself crossly. It was all so much more complicated than that. She swallowed hard. Maybe she should break up with George, just for a little while, until she figured things out with Adam. Beth had never understood her friends back home who two-timed their boyfriends and ended up sobbing in the school bathroom. If you weren’t sure how you felt about someone anymore, you should break up. It was simple.
Except it didn’t feel simple. The thought of breaking up with George made her feel winded, as if she’d been knocked down.
Beth rolled over. Now it was the end of July and she felt the entire summer had been twisted inside out. She felt like crying, except that in reality she had
“Kelsi…” she said, pleading. Kelsi hadn’t seen Ella cry in years, not since she was a very little girl. Like then, it made her whole body weaken in a flash of sympathy, and Kelsi hated the part of her that cared.
“I hope you and that asshole are very happy together,” Kelsi snarled at her. “You’re perfect for each other!”
She tore through the house and ran out the back door. She found herself in the backyard, alone in the dark.
She sank to her knees in the grass and looked up at the night sky, as if she might find some answers written in the constellations. There were so many stars, and they were all too bright. They crowded the sky and made everything blurry.
Or maybe that’s because of the tears.
15
Beth sprawled across her bed, with her feet propped up against the headboard.
“So how’s Adam?” George was asking.
“Okay, I guess,” Beth said, trying to sound careless. Why shouldn’t she feel careless? Nothing had happened, or would ever happen with Adam. Yes, Beth liked the fact that a hot guy possibly liked her —she wasn’t the sort of girl hot guys noticed, usually—but it was all harmless, right?
“He’s actually out on a date with Kelsi as we speak,” Beth added, as if she had to prove something.
George let out an exaggerated sigh and countered with, “Great. So why are you being cagey and weird?”
“Way to turn that around on me, Mr. Too-Tired-to-Call-Last-Night,” Beth retorted, trying to steer the topic away from Adam.
She wondered how could she be in love with George andso irritated by him at the same time. But how could she not be in love with George? She’d loved him for longer than she’d even known she loved him. They’d been friends for years before they ever hooked up. But the minute she was without him, Beth was finding herself all worked up about someone else. Someone who didn’t know her that well, a guy who didn’t have a history with her, still found her to be attractive and fun. And who made her feel…wonderful.
As opposed to this conversation, which was making her feel like shit.
“I’m not turning anything around, Miss Never-Answers-Her-Phone,” George shot back. “And last night was the first time in the entire history of the world that I didn’t call you fifty-seven times. You could try answering one call, just for fun.”
“What are you talking about?” Beth groaned, trying not to get worried.
“Yeah, well, maybe I’m saying you’d rather be talking with this Adam guy instead of me,” George said, continuing the same half joking, half fighting they seemed to have every time they talked. “Maybe this guy deliberately saves the good-looking girls so he can work the whole hero thing on them.”
“Oh my God, you’re driving me insane!” Beth cried, faking indignation.
“Just as long as I’m still making an impression,” George said swiftly. And as usual, Beth could tell that underneath the jokey tone, he was trying to make a point.
Stay the hell away from Adam.
“Trust me, you make the only impression,” she assured him.
“That’s much better,” George said sincerely. “More of that stuff, please.”
“I can’t believe you’re getting so crazy about some guy,” Beth told him.
Not that Adam was just some guy, Beth told herself crossly. It was all so much more complicated than that. She swallowed hard. Maybe she should break up with George, just for a little while, until she figured things out with Adam. Beth had never understood her friends back home who two-timed their boyfriends and ended up sobbing in the school bathroom. If you weren’t sure how you felt about someone anymore, you should break up. It was simple.
Except it didn’t feel simple. The thought of breaking up with George made her feel winded, as if she’d been knocked down.
Beth rolled over. Now it was the end of July and she felt the entire summer had been twisted inside out. She felt like crying, except that in reality she had
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