To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

don’t think people change at the core. They are who they are.”
    Slowly Peter says, “That’s right. You two were BFFs back in the day.”
    “We were friends,” I agree. “I wouldn’t call us BFFs, but . . .” Wait a minute, why are we talking about me again? “Everybody knows it was Genevieve who told Jamila’s parents. You don’t have to be a detective to figure out that Genevieve was jealous of her. Jamila was the prettiest girl in our grade, next to Genevieve. Gen was always a very jealous person. I remember this one time my dad bought me a . . .”
    Peter’s staring at me in a thoughtful way, and it’s all of a sudden making me nervous.
    “What?”
    “Let’s just do this for a little while.”
    “Do what?”
    “Let’s let people think we’re a couple.”
    Wait . . . what?
    “It’s driving Gen crazy not knowing what’s up with you and me. Why don’t we let her sit with it a little longer? It’s actually kind of perfect. You date me first, and then Gen will get it that we’re over. You’ll be breaking the seal.” He raises an eyebrow at me. “Do you even know what breaking the seal means?”
    “Yes, of course I know what that means.” I have no idea what that means. I make a mental note to ask Chris the next time I see her.
    Peter comes up close to me, and I scoot backward. He laughs and cocks his head to the side and puts his hands on my shoulders. “So then break my seal.”
    I let out a nervous laugh. “Ha-ha, sorry, Peter, but I’m not interested. In you.”
    “Well, yeah. That’s the whole point. I’m not interested inyou, either. Like, at all.” Peter shudders. “So what do you say?”
    I shrug my shoulders so his hands fall away. “Hello, I just got through explaining to you how Gen will kill any girl that goes near you!”
    Peter dismisses this. “Gen’s all talk. She’d never do anything to anybody. You just don’t know her like I do.” When I don’t say anything, he takes my silence as encouragement, and he says, “It would help you out too, you know. With that kid Josh. Weren’t you so worried about losing face in front of him? This could save you from more humiliation. Because why would you be with him when you could be with me? Well, pretend be with me. Strictly business, though. I can’t have you falling in love with me, too.”
    It gives me great pleasure to look up into his Handsome Boy face and sweetly say, “Peter, I don’t even want to be your pretend girlfriend, much less your real one.”
    He blinks. “Why not?”
    “You read my letter. You’re not my type. Nobody would ever believe I would like you.”
    “It’s up to you. I’m just trying to do us both a favor.” Then he shrugs and looks over my shoulder, like he’s bored with this conversation. “But Josh definitely believed it.”
    In a flash, without even thinking, I say, “Okay. Let’s do it.”
    * * *
    Hours later, I’m lying in bed that night still marveling about it all. What people will say when they see me walking down the hall with Peter Kavinsky.

25
    THE NEXT MORNING, PETER IS waiting in the parking lot for me when I get off the bus. “Hey,” he says. “Are you seriously taking the bus every day?”
    “My car is being fixed, remember? My accident?”
    He sighs like this is somehow offensive to him, me taking the bus to school. Then he grabs my hand and holds it as we walk into school together.
    This is the first time I’ve walked down the school hallway holding hands with a boy. It should feel momentous, special, but it doesn’t, because it’s not real. Honestly, it feels like nothing.
    Emily Nussbaum does a double take when she sees us. Emily is Gen’s best friend. She’s staring so hard I’m surprised she doesn’t take a quick pic on her phone to send to Gen.
    Peter keeps stopping to say hi to people, and I stand there smiling like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Me and Peter Kavinsky.
    At one point I try to let go of his hand, because mine is starting