in my room.”
Vienna and London drooped like they were a pair of puppies whose owner had just swatted their noses. My fingers clenched into fists under the table. Why did Noelle feel the need to make everyone feel so inferior all the time? I opened my mouth to say something when, much to the surprise of everyone at the table, London spoke up.
“You don’t have to insult us, Noelle,” she said clearly, though not making eye contact. “If you don’t want to come, just don’t come.”
Vienna’s jaw dropped.
“She’s right,” Rose said quietly. “We don’t mock you for thinking champagne and chocolate are the only gateways to a good time.”
I had to look away. If I hadn’t looked away, I would have laughed out loud, which wouldn’t have been very BLS of me. I had never heard anyone other than myself or Ariana contradict Noelle. It was a historical moment.
Was I wrong to hope that the BLS had something to do with it?
“Fine. But I’ll be there if anyone wants to join me,” Noelle said. Her tone was as confident as ever, but the words were somehow lacking. Rose and London had gotten to her. Rose Sakowitz and London Simmons, putting it to Noelle Lange. Maybe Mr. Hathaway was right. Maybe things were on a more even keel this semester.
I was happily pondering this new development when the doors to the dining hall opened and Ivy and Josh walked in together. My heart lurched, as always. They made their way slowly toward us, glancing over at the guys across the aisle like they were thinking about joining them. Graham visibly stiffened. Josh paused and whispered something to Ivy, and she whispered something back, her eyes imploring.
This was intriguing. Finally, Ivy tugged Josh over to the table. “Hey, guys,” she said.
“Annoying couple.” Gage greeted them with a laugh.
“Ha ha,” Josh said uncomfortably. “Move in,” he said to Trey.
Trey scooted his chair forward, but the second he did, Graham stood up from the table, shoving his chair back with a screech. Sawyer’s face went ashen as Graham grabbed his bag.
“I’m done here,” he said, sliding out past Gage’s back.
He paused next to Ivy. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” she replied, looking at Josh in confusion. “You don’t have to leave.”
“Yeah. I kind of think I do.” Graham shot Josh a look of death, then cleared his throat. “Excuse me.”
Then he walked out of the cafeteria without looking back. Ivy shrugged and Josh sat down next to Sawyer, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Ivy took the vacated seat next to Gage.
“Okay. What was that all about?” Tiffany asked me.
“I have no idea,” I replied.
Sawyer was getting up from the table now, moving sideways to get past Trey. Josh slumped further in his seat, clearly upset and embarrassed. What the hell was going on between Graham and Josh? I had been meaning to ask Sawyer, but I’d been so occupied with the BLS it had slipped my mind.
“Hey, Reed,” Sawyer said, shouldering his messenger bag as he stopped at the end of our table.
“Hey,” I replied.
From the corner of my eye I saw Constance and Tiffany exchange an intrigued look. My heart fluttered nervously. Great. Now I was going to have to endure a grilling about Sawyer and me. Couldn’t a girl talk to a guy anymore without it being a crush thing?
“I was just going—” I said.
“I have to ask you something,” he said at the exact same time.
I laughed and Sawyer blushed and looked at his feet. “You first,” he said, his blond bangs falling over his face.
“No. You came to me,” I said, turning in my seat to face him better. “You first.”
“It’s okay. You,” he said.
I laughed. “Dude, just talk,” I said, taking a bite of my bacon. “What’s up?”
He pushed his hands into the pockets of his dark blue pants and puffed out his cheeks like a chipmunk. “I know it’s kind of late notice, but … would you want to maybe go to the dance with me on Saturday?”
Tiffany sat up
Vienna and London drooped like they were a pair of puppies whose owner had just swatted their noses. My fingers clenched into fists under the table. Why did Noelle feel the need to make everyone feel so inferior all the time? I opened my mouth to say something when, much to the surprise of everyone at the table, London spoke up.
“You don’t have to insult us, Noelle,” she said clearly, though not making eye contact. “If you don’t want to come, just don’t come.”
Vienna’s jaw dropped.
“She’s right,” Rose said quietly. “We don’t mock you for thinking champagne and chocolate are the only gateways to a good time.”
I had to look away. If I hadn’t looked away, I would have laughed out loud, which wouldn’t have been very BLS of me. I had never heard anyone other than myself or Ariana contradict Noelle. It was a historical moment.
Was I wrong to hope that the BLS had something to do with it?
“Fine. But I’ll be there if anyone wants to join me,” Noelle said. Her tone was as confident as ever, but the words were somehow lacking. Rose and London had gotten to her. Rose Sakowitz and London Simmons, putting it to Noelle Lange. Maybe Mr. Hathaway was right. Maybe things were on a more even keel this semester.
I was happily pondering this new development when the doors to the dining hall opened and Ivy and Josh walked in together. My heart lurched, as always. They made their way slowly toward us, glancing over at the guys across the aisle like they were thinking about joining them. Graham visibly stiffened. Josh paused and whispered something to Ivy, and she whispered something back, her eyes imploring.
This was intriguing. Finally, Ivy tugged Josh over to the table. “Hey, guys,” she said.
“Annoying couple.” Gage greeted them with a laugh.
“Ha ha,” Josh said uncomfortably. “Move in,” he said to Trey.
Trey scooted his chair forward, but the second he did, Graham stood up from the table, shoving his chair back with a screech. Sawyer’s face went ashen as Graham grabbed his bag.
“I’m done here,” he said, sliding out past Gage’s back.
He paused next to Ivy. “Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” she replied, looking at Josh in confusion. “You don’t have to leave.”
“Yeah. I kind of think I do.” Graham shot Josh a look of death, then cleared his throat. “Excuse me.”
Then he walked out of the cafeteria without looking back. Ivy shrugged and Josh sat down next to Sawyer, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Ivy took the vacated seat next to Gage.
“Okay. What was that all about?” Tiffany asked me.
“I have no idea,” I replied.
Sawyer was getting up from the table now, moving sideways to get past Trey. Josh slumped further in his seat, clearly upset and embarrassed. What the hell was going on between Graham and Josh? I had been meaning to ask Sawyer, but I’d been so occupied with the BLS it had slipped my mind.
“Hey, Reed,” Sawyer said, shouldering his messenger bag as he stopped at the end of our table.
“Hey,” I replied.
From the corner of my eye I saw Constance and Tiffany exchange an intrigued look. My heart fluttered nervously. Great. Now I was going to have to endure a grilling about Sawyer and me. Couldn’t a girl talk to a guy anymore without it being a crush thing?
“I was just going—” I said.
“I have to ask you something,” he said at the exact same time.
I laughed and Sawyer blushed and looked at his feet. “You first,” he said, his blond bangs falling over his face.
“No. You came to me,” I said, turning in my seat to face him better. “You first.”
“It’s okay. You,” he said.
I laughed. “Dude, just talk,” I said, taking a bite of my bacon. “What’s up?”
He pushed his hands into the pockets of his dark blue pants and puffed out his cheeks like a chipmunk. “I know it’s kind of late notice, but … would you want to maybe go to the dance with me on Saturday?”
Tiffany sat up
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