something.”
“No, just my mom freaking out,” Scarlet said, putting on her best smile. “Parents.” Blake nodded, and slowly smiled. But his expression was inscrutable, and she couldn’t tell if he bought it or not. He stood there kind of silent, not igniting any more conversation. She began to worry.
“I texted you yesterday,” he said.
Scarlet’s heart pounded. He was upset about that.
“Yeah I’m so sorry,” she said. “I didn’t have my phone all day,” she said.
But she feared he might think she was lying. Who didn’t have their phone on them all day? She hoped he believed her.
“Well yeah, that’s cool,” he said, sounding noncommittal.
They stood there in silence, and it was getting awkward. On the one hand, she sensed that he liked her; on the other, he seemed unsure, maybe still hurt about the text. She wanted to make things right, but she didn’t know how. Most of all, she wanted to go to the dance with him on Friday—and really wanted him to ask her, and for it to be official that they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
Especially before Vivian could try anything.
Scarlet stood there, silently willing for him to say the words: Will you go to the dance with me on Friday? She imagined the sound of his voice, his expression as he asked it.
But as they stood, there was just more silence. She felt herself filling with dread.
The bell rang again, and kids began to disperse in every direction. Scarlet’s heart sank, as she sensed he was about to head off to class.
But to her surprise, he didn’t leave. Instead, he stood there, even as everyone else was swarming around him. He cleared his throat.
“So…um…are you like going to the dance on Friday?” he asked.
Scarlet’s heart swelled with relief. It was a huge moment for her, the moment she finally realized he liked her. She heard the shaking in his voice and she realized that he was just nervous. Just like her.
“Well, I—” she began.
“ There you are,” came the voice.
Scarlet wanted to die. There, in front of her, appeared Vivian, slithering up to Blake, wrapping one arm around his.
Blake looked over at her, surprised, ambivalent, clearly unsure how to react.
“I have something really important to talk to you about,” Vivian said. “Will you walk me to class?”
Blake stood there, looking back and forth between Vivian and Scarlet, looking trapped, like a deer in the headlights. He looked like he didn’t know what to do.
Scarlet could hardly blame him. Vivian stood there, looking so tall, so gorgeous, so perfect, in her perfect makeup and tight-fitting clothes, like a real-life Barbie doll. Beside her, Scarlet felt inadequate. She didn’t have her money, or her clothes, or her style, or her perfect, flawless looks.
How could she blame Blake for not saying no?
At the same time, Scarlet wanted to scream. Why now, of all times? Why did this creature seem to plague her at every turn? It was almost too much for her to bear. Vivian had everything. Couldn’t she just let Scarlet have Blake?
“Um…okay I guess,” Blake said to her.
Scarlet examined Blake, looking for any signs of his disliking Vivian. But she couldn’t tell; he seemed on the fence, as if he were split right down the middle between Vivian and Scarlet. And that, more than anything, broke Scarlet’s heart.
“I guess we’ll talk later,” he muttered to Scarlet, sounding apologetic as Vivian literally dragged him away.
In moments, the two of them were walking away, down the hall. As they went, Vivian turned and looked back at Scarlet with a mean, victorious smile.
Scarlet stood there and watched them disappear and as she did, she felt her whole world sinking out from under her. She felt as if she had just lost Blake for good.
CHAPTER TEN
Scarlet sat in class, fuming. It was so unfair. She wanted to yell at the world. Why couldn’t she just have had thirty more seconds with Blake? Why couldn’t she have had just enough time for him to
“No, just my mom freaking out,” Scarlet said, putting on her best smile. “Parents.” Blake nodded, and slowly smiled. But his expression was inscrutable, and she couldn’t tell if he bought it or not. He stood there kind of silent, not igniting any more conversation. She began to worry.
“I texted you yesterday,” he said.
Scarlet’s heart pounded. He was upset about that.
“Yeah I’m so sorry,” she said. “I didn’t have my phone all day,” she said.
But she feared he might think she was lying. Who didn’t have their phone on them all day? She hoped he believed her.
“Well yeah, that’s cool,” he said, sounding noncommittal.
They stood there in silence, and it was getting awkward. On the one hand, she sensed that he liked her; on the other, he seemed unsure, maybe still hurt about the text. She wanted to make things right, but she didn’t know how. Most of all, she wanted to go to the dance with him on Friday—and really wanted him to ask her, and for it to be official that they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
Especially before Vivian could try anything.
Scarlet stood there, silently willing for him to say the words: Will you go to the dance with me on Friday? She imagined the sound of his voice, his expression as he asked it.
But as they stood, there was just more silence. She felt herself filling with dread.
The bell rang again, and kids began to disperse in every direction. Scarlet’s heart sank, as she sensed he was about to head off to class.
But to her surprise, he didn’t leave. Instead, he stood there, even as everyone else was swarming around him. He cleared his throat.
“So…um…are you like going to the dance on Friday?” he asked.
Scarlet’s heart swelled with relief. It was a huge moment for her, the moment she finally realized he liked her. She heard the shaking in his voice and she realized that he was just nervous. Just like her.
“Well, I—” she began.
“ There you are,” came the voice.
Scarlet wanted to die. There, in front of her, appeared Vivian, slithering up to Blake, wrapping one arm around his.
Blake looked over at her, surprised, ambivalent, clearly unsure how to react.
“I have something really important to talk to you about,” Vivian said. “Will you walk me to class?”
Blake stood there, looking back and forth between Vivian and Scarlet, looking trapped, like a deer in the headlights. He looked like he didn’t know what to do.
Scarlet could hardly blame him. Vivian stood there, looking so tall, so gorgeous, so perfect, in her perfect makeup and tight-fitting clothes, like a real-life Barbie doll. Beside her, Scarlet felt inadequate. She didn’t have her money, or her clothes, or her style, or her perfect, flawless looks.
How could she blame Blake for not saying no?
At the same time, Scarlet wanted to scream. Why now, of all times? Why did this creature seem to plague her at every turn? It was almost too much for her to bear. Vivian had everything. Couldn’t she just let Scarlet have Blake?
“Um…okay I guess,” Blake said to her.
Scarlet examined Blake, looking for any signs of his disliking Vivian. But she couldn’t tell; he seemed on the fence, as if he were split right down the middle between Vivian and Scarlet. And that, more than anything, broke Scarlet’s heart.
“I guess we’ll talk later,” he muttered to Scarlet, sounding apologetic as Vivian literally dragged him away.
In moments, the two of them were walking away, down the hall. As they went, Vivian turned and looked back at Scarlet with a mean, victorious smile.
Scarlet stood there and watched them disappear and as she did, she felt her whole world sinking out from under her. She felt as if she had just lost Blake for good.
CHAPTER TEN
Scarlet sat in class, fuming. It was so unfair. She wanted to yell at the world. Why couldn’t she just have had thirty more seconds with Blake? Why couldn’t she have had just enough time for him to
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