flirting with True, having lunch with True, laughing with True.
“What should I do?” I heard myself say meekly.
“About what?” Veronica pulled into a space and killed the engine.
“Orion.” I looked at Veronica and, instead of imagining what she might do, decided to ask her point-blank. “What would you do?”
“Call him,” she said firmly. “Call him and tell him you know who he’s with. Remind him whose boyfriend he is. Put the boy in his place. Don’t be a doormat, Darla. You’re better than that.”
I whipped out my phone and hit Orion’s speed-dial.
“Just be cool,” Veronica whispered.
Whatever that meant.
“Hey, babe!” Orion answered.
Veronica got out of the car, so I did the same, blinking against the rain. “Hey! Having fun with True?”
“Yeah, I am, actually. Thanks for—”
“Well, that’s great,” I said, surprised. I’d expected him to be shocked that I knew. Or at least hem and haw. “But you’re still coming over later, right? To visit your girlfriend. Who would be me, by the way.”
He hesitated, and I glanced uncertainly at Veronica as we headed for the front of Moe’s. Had I gone too far? She gave me an encouraging nod. No. I hadn’t.
“Yeah, of course. I’ll be there around seven thirty. Is that cool?”
Cool. Be cool.
“Yep. That’s perfect. I’ll have our SYTTD marathon all cued up,” I told him.
“Great. I’ll see you then,” he said.
“Oh, and Orion? I think you should bring the food. And get me an extra spring roll, okay?”
I hung up the phone and yanked open the door for Veronica.
“That was perfect,” she said.
“Thank you.”
I grinned, feeling so much better. Sometimes I had no clue where I’d be without Veronica Vine.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
True
“Wallace? We need to talk.”
I dropped my tray and sat down across from Wallace at the lunch table he’d chosen in the corner of the cafeteria, since it was, once again, storming out. I was starting to think Hera was responsible for this weather. What better way to squash burgeoning love than to douse it with a few straight days of torrential downpour and gray skies?
“That’s ominous,” Wallace said, looking up from his iPad and popping a pretzel into his mouth. He was wearing a white T-shirt under his gray vest, and somehow the combination made his brown eyes seem deeper. Drawn up his left arm was a series of intricately detailed spaceships.
“It doesn’t have to be, as long as you answer my next question honestly.”
I took a no-nonsense posture, back straight, arms folded on the table. Eye contact, crucial.
“Shoot,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“Do you like Darla Shayne?” I asked him. “ Like her like her, I mean.”
Wallace froze. I think he stopped breathing. Somewhere in the cafeteria something crashed, and dozens of people laughed. Wallace didn’t flinch.
“Wallace?”
“Okay, yes.” He suddenly collapsed forward, his forehead hitting his iPad. “How did you know?” he asked the table.
My heart skipped around like a gymnast twirling a long, trailing ribbon. “I have a sixth sense about these things,” I told him. “The good news is, I can help you get her. Just like I helped you get Mia.” For all the good that did him.
I reached for my apple juice, popped it open, and took a few long gulps. My pulse was pitter-pattering in my veins. This was it. This was so it. I was going to match my third couple, free up Orion in the process, and return to Mount Olympus the victor. Maybe I could even get out of here without ever having to face Artemis and her obnoxious brother.
Wallace sat up straight. “That is never going to happen.”
“Why not?” I asked. “You’re a nice guy, she’s a nice girl. . . .”
Okay, I hiccuped a bit when I said she was “nice.” But she wasn’t horrible. She had once tried to help me when that awful Veronica person was posting horrible pictures of me online with embarrassing captions. She had her positive
“What should I do?” I heard myself say meekly.
“About what?” Veronica pulled into a space and killed the engine.
“Orion.” I looked at Veronica and, instead of imagining what she might do, decided to ask her point-blank. “What would you do?”
“Call him,” she said firmly. “Call him and tell him you know who he’s with. Remind him whose boyfriend he is. Put the boy in his place. Don’t be a doormat, Darla. You’re better than that.”
I whipped out my phone and hit Orion’s speed-dial.
“Just be cool,” Veronica whispered.
Whatever that meant.
“Hey, babe!” Orion answered.
Veronica got out of the car, so I did the same, blinking against the rain. “Hey! Having fun with True?”
“Yeah, I am, actually. Thanks for—”
“Well, that’s great,” I said, surprised. I’d expected him to be shocked that I knew. Or at least hem and haw. “But you’re still coming over later, right? To visit your girlfriend. Who would be me, by the way.”
He hesitated, and I glanced uncertainly at Veronica as we headed for the front of Moe’s. Had I gone too far? She gave me an encouraging nod. No. I hadn’t.
“Yeah, of course. I’ll be there around seven thirty. Is that cool?”
Cool. Be cool.
“Yep. That’s perfect. I’ll have our SYTTD marathon all cued up,” I told him.
“Great. I’ll see you then,” he said.
“Oh, and Orion? I think you should bring the food. And get me an extra spring roll, okay?”
I hung up the phone and yanked open the door for Veronica.
“That was perfect,” she said.
“Thank you.”
I grinned, feeling so much better. Sometimes I had no clue where I’d be without Veronica Vine.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
True
“Wallace? We need to talk.”
I dropped my tray and sat down across from Wallace at the lunch table he’d chosen in the corner of the cafeteria, since it was, once again, storming out. I was starting to think Hera was responsible for this weather. What better way to squash burgeoning love than to douse it with a few straight days of torrential downpour and gray skies?
“That’s ominous,” Wallace said, looking up from his iPad and popping a pretzel into his mouth. He was wearing a white T-shirt under his gray vest, and somehow the combination made his brown eyes seem deeper. Drawn up his left arm was a series of intricately detailed spaceships.
“It doesn’t have to be, as long as you answer my next question honestly.”
I took a no-nonsense posture, back straight, arms folded on the table. Eye contact, crucial.
“Shoot,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“Do you like Darla Shayne?” I asked him. “ Like her like her, I mean.”
Wallace froze. I think he stopped breathing. Somewhere in the cafeteria something crashed, and dozens of people laughed. Wallace didn’t flinch.
“Wallace?”
“Okay, yes.” He suddenly collapsed forward, his forehead hitting his iPad. “How did you know?” he asked the table.
My heart skipped around like a gymnast twirling a long, trailing ribbon. “I have a sixth sense about these things,” I told him. “The good news is, I can help you get her. Just like I helped you get Mia.” For all the good that did him.
I reached for my apple juice, popped it open, and took a few long gulps. My pulse was pitter-pattering in my veins. This was it. This was so it. I was going to match my third couple, free up Orion in the process, and return to Mount Olympus the victor. Maybe I could even get out of here without ever having to face Artemis and her obnoxious brother.
Wallace sat up straight. “That is never going to happen.”
“Why not?” I asked. “You’re a nice guy, she’s a nice girl. . . .”
Okay, I hiccuped a bit when I said she was “nice.” But she wasn’t horrible. She had once tried to help me when that awful Veronica person was posting horrible pictures of me online with embarrassing captions. She had her positive
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