Sugar Coated by Shannen Crane Camp Page A

any sign of being uncomfortable in front of this group of people who were sizing him up.
    “I’m Amber,” Amber said, giving him a polite smile even though Brynn knew she was fuming at having been lied to.
    Amber was one of those people who would always be as polite as she could to strangers because she didn’t have it in her to be rude, but that didn’t mean she was happy about something. When she was with her real friends she’d let her true feelings fly. Bennett was constantly telling Amber she had to grow a backbone and just tell people what she really felt so she wouldn’t get walked all over. Brynn thought that maybe that was the reason she always seemed so abrupt with her—because she trusted her friend enough to know that she’d still love her e ven if she was brutally honest.
    Jonah smiled and nodded at Amber, giving her a brief “Hi,” before turning his attention to Ty, who stood at the back of the group looking sullenly at the floor. He knew it was his turn to introduce himself but he made no move to do so, simply glancing at Brynn with hurt lining his face.
    “This is Ty,” Brynn finally said, feeling that the silence was stretching on far too long.
    “Hi Ty,” Jonah said, flashing him a smile.
    Ty returned the greeting with a nod, not cracking a smile.
    “I’m guessing the medicine just kicked in?” Ty asked, looking over at Brynn with an unreadable expression on his face.
    “I’m still not sure that it has,” Jonah said from beside Brynn, just as she was opening her mouth to try to explain herself. “She was wandering around in the library today saying all sorts of crazy things. Talking about Angels and fake cities,” he said with a sad shake of his head. Brynn resisted the urge to kick him under the table. “I told her she was feverish and needed to go home, but she wouldn’t listen so I brought her to get some hot chocolate. Thought maybe it would lull her into submission,” he said with a grin at Brynn’s friends.
    “That does sound a lot like Brynn, actually,” Bennett said. “Completely stubborn and talking crazy.”
    “Thanks for that, Bennett,” Brynn said dryly.
    “I’m sorry you’re sick,” Amber finally said, sounding like she really meant it and making Brynn feel like a bad friend for lying to her.
    “Actually, I should probably get you home so you can get some rest,” Jonah said, standing up from the table and taking the initiative to get Brynn out of the uncomfortable situation.
    “I’ll take her,” Ty suddenly sa id from the back of the group.
    “I r eally don’t mind,” Jonah began.
    “No i t’s fine. I live right next door,” Ty interjected, walking swiftly over to where Brynn sat and helping her up. Brynn looked back and forth between the two boys, not quite sure what to do.
    “Amber and I were just about to get some hot chocolate, actually,” Bennett said, instantly stepping in to resolve the conflict. “Maybe Jonah would like to get to know your best friends a little better,” she f inished with a brilliant smile.
    Jonah looked over at Brynn as if asking her what she wanted him to do. She shrugged and shook her head, mouthing a quick “I’m sorry” to the boy who had already put up with so many odd things on her behalf.
    “That sounds great,” he said to Bennett. “I’ll see you later Brynn?” he a sked, looking at her earnestly.
    “Definitely,” she re plied, “Same time, same place.”
    Jonah shook his head at her , but couldn’t hide his smile as she turned to leave the café with Ty.
    The two friends walked through the darkened streets in silence for quite some time, not bothering to stop and wait for a bus to take them home. Brynn and Ty had always preferred to walk around the city r ather than take the bus anyway.
    “ I knew you weren’t sick, but I didn’t realize you had a date,” Ty said, nudging Brynn with his shoulder and trying to sound nonchalant even though it just came out stiff and artificial.
    “It wasn’t a