9781250209153

“Yeah, I know, I’m just considering whether she would be there,” I say
carefully. “I mean, I’m not above making her jealous.”
Kevin snorts into his Gatorade. Danielle squeezes her eyes shut like
she’s praying for patience. I don’t care; I have a new mission.
I find Irene after lunch. “Hey,” I say, leaning up against her locker. “Did
you hear about Charlotte’s party?”
Her eyes turn stormy. “What about it?”
“It’s next weekend, once break starts.” I lower my voice. “Our first
public outing together.”
“I’m not going to Charlotte’s party,” Irene says, slamming her locker.
I follow her as she stalks off, grabbing hold of her backpack to slow her
down. My basketball button stares up at me. “Um? Why not?”
“Because I despise her. Which you already know. Everyone knows.”
“Candlehawk people will be there,” I insist. “Tally will be there.”
“Who cares? We can flaunt our sexy relationship in front of her at the
Candlehawk game. I thought that was your goal.”
“No,” I say, getting heated now. “We agreed this was part of the deal:
You helping me make Tally jealous.”
Irene spins around by the Language Hall. She pulls me into a room two
doors down.
“This is a teachers’ lounge,” I say as she snaps the door shut.
“Only the language teachers use it, and they all have third block
classes.”
I squint at her. “You’ve come in here before?”
She ignores the question. “I’m not going to Charlotte’s house.”
“You don’t have to talk to her,” I say impatiently. “For God’s sake,
there’ll be a million people there. You can hang with me and Danielle and
Honey-Belle.”
Irene looks ready to incinerate me with her stare. “Don’t push me on
this, Zajac.”
“What’s your problem with Charlotte, anyway?” I ask, even though I
know the rumor from Gunther.
Her eyes flash. “That’s none of your business. You’re not entitled to
know or understand how I feel about people.”