dragging Larissa off her bar stool and toward the door with the skirted figure on the outside.
“So what’s up?” Larissa asked once they were safe under the fluorescent overhead lighting. She rummaged in her oversize bag for her Lancôme bronzer and momentarily disappeared in a puffy glittering cloud.
Cassidy watched her and tried to compose herself. She realized she didn’t even know where to begin.
“They’re pretty cool, aren’t they?” Larissa asked, taking advantage of the silence.
“Cool?” Cassidy said. She had no idea what Larissa was talking about. Who were “they”?
“Fumiko and Dina’s friends,” Larissa continued. “That guy Toby with the shaved head—did you know he’s a professional graffiti artist? And then Mary-Jane, who won’t tell me what she does, but I bet it’s something really nasty.
Do you think she’s a dominatrix? She has that vibe. And, like, who actually names their kid Mary-Jane ?”
Cassidy couldn’t have picked Toby or Mary-Jane out of a police lineup. All she could think about was Zach’s face swimming close to hers, the look in his eyes, and that tiny smile.
“I guess so,” Cassidy said. “I didn’t talk to them much yet.”
“You really should,” Larissa said. “I mean, Mary-Jane is fab, but Toby is just … amazing. He used to live in San Francisco and build sets. He’s totally ripped too.
You should check out his biceps if you get a chance.”
Cassidy tried to picture Toby in her mind, but she couldn’t help seeing Zach—and, of course, Eric, who would be completely heartbroken if he knew where she was, and who she was with, and how she was starting to feel.
“Is he that bald guy?” she asked.
“He’s not bald; he just shaves his head,” Larissa said.
“I mean, he’s like in his early twenties—how could he be bald? You’re really out of it tonight, Cass. I can’t believe I introduced you to Toby and you can barely remember who he is.”
“I’m sorry,” Cassidy said. She suddenly felt drained, as if in between wanting Zach and worrying about Eric, she’d expended her allotment of energy for the night. “I guess I’m just a little nervous about the quiz and everything.”
Larissa shrugged. “So go home and study,” she said, sounding put out. “I’m going to stay here, and then Dina’s having an after party at her place since we don’t have to open the store until noon tomorrow.”
Cassidy waited for Larissa to invite her along like she always did when there was a party, but Larissa just headed for the door.
“Come on,” she said. “They’re going to think we drowned in here.”
“Wait!” Cassidy said. Larissa paused, her hand on the doorknob.
“What?” she asked.
“What do you think of Zach?”
“He’s okay, whatever,” Larissa said. “I asked him if he wanted my number, but he said he was interested in someone else.”
She pushed through the door and back to her friends, and Cassidy followed slowly, her head spinning. He’d said he was interested in somebody, but he couldn’t be talking about her, could he? Cassidy’s muscles tensed up the moment she approached the dance floor and saw Zach waiting patiently for her. He stretched out his hand, beckoning her to join him once more. She took a deep breath and walked forward, hoping that she was the one, yet she was almost frightened of what was to come.
* * *
Cassidy pulled into her driveway and snuck quietly into her house. Once she got to her room, she pulled out her cell phone and noticed the red light on top was blink-ing. Just as she was flopping onto her bed to check her
messages, her phone rang again—the special 50 Cent ring tone she’d set just for Eric. She hesitated a moment before steeling herself and hitting Talk.
“Sweetie!” His voice was riddled with a combination of anxiety and relief. “I tried calling you three times, and when you didn’t pick up, I swung by your place to see if you were okay. But your parents said you
“So what’s up?” Larissa asked once they were safe under the fluorescent overhead lighting. She rummaged in her oversize bag for her Lancôme bronzer and momentarily disappeared in a puffy glittering cloud.
Cassidy watched her and tried to compose herself. She realized she didn’t even know where to begin.
“They’re pretty cool, aren’t they?” Larissa asked, taking advantage of the silence.
“Cool?” Cassidy said. She had no idea what Larissa was talking about. Who were “they”?
“Fumiko and Dina’s friends,” Larissa continued. “That guy Toby with the shaved head—did you know he’s a professional graffiti artist? And then Mary-Jane, who won’t tell me what she does, but I bet it’s something really nasty.
Do you think she’s a dominatrix? She has that vibe. And, like, who actually names their kid Mary-Jane ?”
Cassidy couldn’t have picked Toby or Mary-Jane out of a police lineup. All she could think about was Zach’s face swimming close to hers, the look in his eyes, and that tiny smile.
“I guess so,” Cassidy said. “I didn’t talk to them much yet.”
“You really should,” Larissa said. “I mean, Mary-Jane is fab, but Toby is just … amazing. He used to live in San Francisco and build sets. He’s totally ripped too.
You should check out his biceps if you get a chance.”
Cassidy tried to picture Toby in her mind, but she couldn’t help seeing Zach—and, of course, Eric, who would be completely heartbroken if he knew where she was, and who she was with, and how she was starting to feel.
“Is he that bald guy?” she asked.
“He’s not bald; he just shaves his head,” Larissa said.
“I mean, he’s like in his early twenties—how could he be bald? You’re really out of it tonight, Cass. I can’t believe I introduced you to Toby and you can barely remember who he is.”
“I’m sorry,” Cassidy said. She suddenly felt drained, as if in between wanting Zach and worrying about Eric, she’d expended her allotment of energy for the night. “I guess I’m just a little nervous about the quiz and everything.”
Larissa shrugged. “So go home and study,” she said, sounding put out. “I’m going to stay here, and then Dina’s having an after party at her place since we don’t have to open the store until noon tomorrow.”
Cassidy waited for Larissa to invite her along like she always did when there was a party, but Larissa just headed for the door.
“Come on,” she said. “They’re going to think we drowned in here.”
“Wait!” Cassidy said. Larissa paused, her hand on the doorknob.
“What?” she asked.
“What do you think of Zach?”
“He’s okay, whatever,” Larissa said. “I asked him if he wanted my number, but he said he was interested in someone else.”
She pushed through the door and back to her friends, and Cassidy followed slowly, her head spinning. He’d said he was interested in somebody, but he couldn’t be talking about her, could he? Cassidy’s muscles tensed up the moment she approached the dance floor and saw Zach waiting patiently for her. He stretched out his hand, beckoning her to join him once more. She took a deep breath and walked forward, hoping that she was the one, yet she was almost frightened of what was to come.
* * *
Cassidy pulled into her driveway and snuck quietly into her house. Once she got to her room, she pulled out her cell phone and noticed the red light on top was blink-ing. Just as she was flopping onto her bed to check her
messages, her phone rang again—the special 50 Cent ring tone she’d set just for Eric. She hesitated a moment before steeling herself and hitting Talk.
“Sweetie!” His voice was riddled with a combination of anxiety and relief. “I tried calling you three times, and when you didn’t pick up, I swung by your place to see if you were okay. But your parents said you
Similar Books
