9781250209153

“Scottie, we’ve been meaning to tell you,” Dad says during a
commercial. “We’re so proud of you for moving on from Tally. You’re
giving your all to basketball and your new relationship. It’s a real lesson in
resilience.”
Mom strokes my hair back from my forehead. “We always knew you’d
bounce back.”
I make a joke to deflect their praise. I’m careful not to catch my sisters’
eyes; they’d see right through me. I feel a twitch of shame knowing that I’m
going to be dangling my fake relationship over Tally on Saturday night, but
I shut that feeling down. I’ve worked too hard to get to this point.
If you had told me a month ago that I’d be rolling into Charlotte Pascal’s
party with a crew comprised of Irene, Honey-Belle, and Danielle, I would
have laughed in your face.
And yet here we are.
“You owe me,” Irene says as we traipse up the front walk. She whispers
it close to my ear so Honey-Belle won’t hear. Part of me wishes she would
just tell her about our arrangement.
“Owe you?” I ask with a demure smile. “Hardly. Did you forget you’re
doing this because I impressed you with my big, chivalrous, note-stealing
gesture?”
“Yeah, so gallant,” she says dryly.
Charlotte’s house is wild when we walk in. There are people everywhere
with Solo cups, making noise and posing for pictures. Gunther and Kevin
stand against the foyer wall, watching everyone like they’re not sure what
to do with themselves. They’re both dressed up—at least, their version of
dressing up. Gunther is wearing his best graphic tee and Kevin has a
military-style jacket over his usual hoodie.
“We just came from dinner,” Kevin says, hugging us hello. He squeezes
Danielle around the middle and she goes exceptionally quiet. “Partridge
Pizza.”
“Brought some leftovers if you want them,” Gunther says, passing a box
toward us. “They have the best garlic sticks.”