I try to ignore the scent of tuna coming from the next table. “You know what I think. You do what you should do and find a career with opportunities and get a job. Dreams are nice, but they don’t pay the bills.”
“They do sometimes.” Avi’s gaze is disapproving through square black frames. “Look at American Idol.”
Jasmine’s pointy chin gets a little pointier. “And even if you don’t end up on a TV show, you can live a dream and make ends meet. My sister works two jobs but she’s managing.”
“She’s in fashion design. That’s a real thing.”
“Who gets to decide what’s ‘real’?” Jasmine is always up for an argument. Her parents really blew the name thing when she was born. Jasmine, in the world of essential oils, is known for its sweet scent and calming properties. Ha.
“I just mean that there are actual careers in fashion design,” I say.
“There are careers in art and theatre,” she retorts.
“But do they pay the rent?”
“So you find roommates. You take odd jobs. You make it work.”
Her words take me back to the year after Dad left. I was so lost when he took off. So hurt I couldn’t face it for a long time. Maybe that’s why it affected me so much when I realized Mom was worried about losing the house. How could I stand to lose one more thing? Jasmine’s words stick because they’re the truth. You do what you have to do. You make it work. But having been through it, I never want to go through it again. I take a long pull on my drink and nod at Jasmine. “You’re right. I’m just saying I don’t want to live that way.”
Mai holds up a finger as she takes out her phone. “Wait a second. I want to record this.”
“I’m still abstaining,” Avi says.
I smile, glad to put the dark thoughts behind me. “Chicken.” I’ve barely said the word when it feels as if a shadow passes over me. Except…it doesn’t pass. It stops. There’s an actual shadow hovering over our cafeteria table.
Which is weird because we’re sitting inside.
Jasmine looks up and squawks like a bird.
When I turn, Cooper and Jason are standing there, trays in their hands. Tucker and Anthony aren’t far behind.
“Hey.” Cooper nods with his tray. “Got room?”
Mai’s sitting beside me and immediately gestures to Jasmine and Avi. “Move over.”
“What?” From the shocked surprise in Avi’s eyes, I think it’s pretty impressive he’s managed a syllable. In all the years we’ve been eating together, we’ve never once had four baseball players speak to us, much less want to sit at our table. Their lofty place is normally on the covered patio.
In the time it takes to think this, the guys have already moved in.
Anthony sits next to Mai, Tucker next to him, while Cooper and Jason take the newly vacated spots and Avi and Jasmine shift over, dragging their lunches with them.
“You can’t just squeeze in here. I’ve barely got room,” I say. It’s not a lie. I’ve got one butt cheek off the bench.
“You want to sit on my lap?” Cooper offers.
“Ha.”
Jason rips the paper off a straw and puts it in a carton of chocolate milk. “So what’s it like at the nerd table?”
I kick him in the shin.
“Ow! It’s painful at the nerd table.”
Mai and I both laugh.
“Careful,” Cooper protests. “You don’t want to injure our players. At least wait until we’ve won State.”
“Pretty confident, aren’t you?”
“We’ve got the bats working,” Jason says. “Anthony’s going to have at least ten more home runs. Right, dude?”
“And that’s just next week.” Anthony grins and leans over the table to high five Cooper. I can’t help but notice how close he presses against Mai as he does. How she doesn’t bat an eyelash. Just how much kissing has been going on?
Jason and Anthony start spewing stats while Mai looks on. I go back to my meatloaf burrito, but it’s lost its flavor. I give up when Cooper catches my eye.
“What?” I ask.
“That’s what I’m wondering. What’s up with you two?” His eyes are serious, worried.
“What are you talking about?”
“You and G. Something happen?”
I start wrapping my uneaten lunch, lowering my face to hide the red creeping up my cheeks. “Why would you ask that?”
“G got pissed when I asked him that, too. But then, he’s been in a generally pissed-off mood all week.” His fingers play with the scruff on his chin. “He’s had a shit year, Josie. This broadcasting thing…it was starting to work. Starting to change things for him.”
“It’s still working.”
“You guys were off yesterday in the booth.”
“It happens.”
“Happened last Thursday, too.” He leans closer. “Listen. Garrett’s one of my best buds. And I know we don’t really know each other yet, but I like you, Josie. I like the two of you together.”
I wipe my fingers on my napkin, my stomach going from mix to churn. Cooper seems like a good guy and it’s sweet that he’s so concerned about a friend, but this isn’t just about broadcasting. Yeah, I’m still hurting over the soulless comment, but the scary truth is I could like Garrett way too much. I already do. I have to protect my heart. “What’s your point?”
“The point is that whatever is going on with you and Garrett, you need to figure it out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out.”
“Funny,” Cooper says, but he isn’t smiling. “Garrett said the same thing.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
I’m nervous.
Mai says it’s normal. It’s my first real date, and butterflies are part of the deal. But they’re not butterflies. They’re the size of vultures, circling my stomach in a death spiral.
This is why I should have dated more. I’m seventeen, and my only experiences are a first kiss at age twelve (followed by a squeeze of my breast and a punch to his gut) and a flirtation sophomore year that ended in a kiss so sloppy I felt like I’d rubbed faces with a bulldog. So basically,
