jinx!"
Morningstar shook her head, then walked away.
Jett plowed into his mushroom steak like he hadn't eaten in days.
"Well, that was mature of us," I said.
Jett, his mouth full, raised his hand for a high five. I hesitated, then thudded my hand against his. He resumed eating, and I fumbled for the bottle of hand sanitizer stashed in my handbag. Keeping my hands beneath the table, I squirted a cool dollop of the clear, gelatinous liquid onto my hand. The unmistakable smell of disinfectant sharpened the air. Jett's nostrils flared, but he didn't comment.
"Your school gets out awfully early," Jett said after he had eaten half the mushroom sandwich in three alligator bites.
I dropped the sanitizer bottle into my handbag and squirmed. "It's still in session." I grasped the smoothie straw between my thumb and forefinger. The Winter Showcase had debuted without me. I had no idea how Jazmin's guitar solo had gone or if Rayne had remembered all the set changes. I wondered with whom Jazmin would go Kwanzaa shopping at the mall.
Jett paused mid-bite. Behind his curtain of hair, I'm sure he raised his dark brows.
I shrugged. "My parents pulled me out early so they could go on a cruise."
"Seriously? Just the two of them?"
I tapped the straw against the bottom of the glass. "They're trying to decide whether or not to divorce."
Jett resumed chewing. Once he had swallowed, he gestured toward the brownie and gently said, "Let me open it for you."
I slid the chocolate brick toward him. This time, he made short work of peeling back the plastic before handing back the dessert, the plastic cupped in his hands like an offering.
"Taste," he commanded.
I plucked one of the larger crumbs and placed it in my mouth. Highest-grade butter, premium chocolate, and sugar danced across my taste buds. "Wow!"
Jett dimpled again and sliced his hand through the air parallel with the table. "The best in the world, totally addictive. By the end of your stay, we'll have to enroll you in a ten-step program."
"So worth it."
"On the upside, chocolate will flood your veins, making you immune to boys named Thor."
I laughed, spitting precious brownie crumbs onto the table.
Jett flicked them at me. "You're a classy date."
"Totally." I used a napkin to brush the crumbs onto another napkin. "We should do this again sometime."
Jett crunched into a pickle. "What? Act like third graders?"
"No. Go on an actual date. Maybe sometime when Aunt Terra and Uncle Esmun are teaching an evening class. My treat. I owe you for introducing me to these brownies."
He stared at me a moment, his expression unfathomable, and then he lowered the last bite of his mushroom to the white plate. "No. I don't think so."
"You don't date?"
"Nothing personal."
I swallowed hard, pushing down a week's worth of rejection. I curled my lips inward and pressed them together so I wouldn't cry over parents who forgot to call and some trailer park jerk that thought he was too good for me.
I was beyond humiliated.
I was beyond crying.
I was furious.
Chapter Twelve
An invisible wall of hurt prevented our shoulders from touching as Jett and I navigated the narrow, sand-pocked sidewalk. Cars sped past, spewing noxious fumes. I steeled myself for one more endless block until we reached Spiral Journeys.
No? Nothing personal? Is he serious?
My flip-flops slapped my feet with each step. I pulled myself as erect as possible, as if perfect posture were armor against mortification. I needed my high heels. I needed to be taller. I needed to be impervious. I needed to not be stuck at Spiral Journeys with Jett for the next ninety minutes.
The wind chimes over the register clanged as we entered the store. For once there were a few people milling about. I hoped they weren't all board members.
"Thanks for lunch." Jett threw me a wary, sideways glance.
Find a black hole. "An Avalon-Bennett always pays her debts." I bared my teeth in a fake smile.
Get a grip, Ains. I sidled past him and
Morningstar shook her head, then walked away.
Jett plowed into his mushroom steak like he hadn't eaten in days.
"Well, that was mature of us," I said.
Jett, his mouth full, raised his hand for a high five. I hesitated, then thudded my hand against his. He resumed eating, and I fumbled for the bottle of hand sanitizer stashed in my handbag. Keeping my hands beneath the table, I squirted a cool dollop of the clear, gelatinous liquid onto my hand. The unmistakable smell of disinfectant sharpened the air. Jett's nostrils flared, but he didn't comment.
"Your school gets out awfully early," Jett said after he had eaten half the mushroom sandwich in three alligator bites.
I dropped the sanitizer bottle into my handbag and squirmed. "It's still in session." I grasped the smoothie straw between my thumb and forefinger. The Winter Showcase had debuted without me. I had no idea how Jazmin's guitar solo had gone or if Rayne had remembered all the set changes. I wondered with whom Jazmin would go Kwanzaa shopping at the mall.
Jett paused mid-bite. Behind his curtain of hair, I'm sure he raised his dark brows.
I shrugged. "My parents pulled me out early so they could go on a cruise."
"Seriously? Just the two of them?"
I tapped the straw against the bottom of the glass. "They're trying to decide whether or not to divorce."
Jett resumed chewing. Once he had swallowed, he gestured toward the brownie and gently said, "Let me open it for you."
I slid the chocolate brick toward him. This time, he made short work of peeling back the plastic before handing back the dessert, the plastic cupped in his hands like an offering.
"Taste," he commanded.
I plucked one of the larger crumbs and placed it in my mouth. Highest-grade butter, premium chocolate, and sugar danced across my taste buds. "Wow!"
Jett dimpled again and sliced his hand through the air parallel with the table. "The best in the world, totally addictive. By the end of your stay, we'll have to enroll you in a ten-step program."
"So worth it."
"On the upside, chocolate will flood your veins, making you immune to boys named Thor."
I laughed, spitting precious brownie crumbs onto the table.
Jett flicked them at me. "You're a classy date."
"Totally." I used a napkin to brush the crumbs onto another napkin. "We should do this again sometime."
Jett crunched into a pickle. "What? Act like third graders?"
"No. Go on an actual date. Maybe sometime when Aunt Terra and Uncle Esmun are teaching an evening class. My treat. I owe you for introducing me to these brownies."
He stared at me a moment, his expression unfathomable, and then he lowered the last bite of his mushroom to the white plate. "No. I don't think so."
"You don't date?"
"Nothing personal."
I swallowed hard, pushing down a week's worth of rejection. I curled my lips inward and pressed them together so I wouldn't cry over parents who forgot to call and some trailer park jerk that thought he was too good for me.
I was beyond humiliated.
I was beyond crying.
I was furious.
Chapter Twelve
An invisible wall of hurt prevented our shoulders from touching as Jett and I navigated the narrow, sand-pocked sidewalk. Cars sped past, spewing noxious fumes. I steeled myself for one more endless block until we reached Spiral Journeys.
No? Nothing personal? Is he serious?
My flip-flops slapped my feet with each step. I pulled myself as erect as possible, as if perfect posture were armor against mortification. I needed my high heels. I needed to be taller. I needed to be impervious. I needed to not be stuck at Spiral Journeys with Jett for the next ninety minutes.
The wind chimes over the register clanged as we entered the store. For once there were a few people milling about. I hoped they weren't all board members.
"Thanks for lunch." Jett threw me a wary, sideways glance.
Find a black hole. "An Avalon-Bennett always pays her debts." I bared my teeth in a fake smile.
Get a grip, Ains. I sidled past him and
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