I could barely hear the actual words she was saying over the roar of blood rushing to my head as my world flipped upside down with this new realization.
There was no doubt about it.
I wanted Simone in my life, and I wanted her for myself.
The ridiculous magazine lay between us abandoned and I knew what I had to do.
I had to win my crush by any means necessary, which meant…
No more Mr. Nice Guy.
10
Simone
On Thursday afternoon I was back at the girls’ table with my back to the table where I normally sat.
“To what do we owe the honor?” Max teased when I came over to them and took the seat next to Avery.
“We’re supposed to share notes, remember?” I said.
Avery beamed and Max rolled her eyes. Avery was really the only one into this whole “studying how to land your crush” business. She was taking the magazines and their lessons way more seriously than the rest of us. And considering Max thought the magazines were anti-feminist drivel that ought to be burned, or at least mocked mercilessly, the two besties were not seeing eye to eye.
This didn’t seem to bother either of them since they rarely saw eye to eye on anything. It might have been an issue if Avery wasn’t such a sweetheart. She could disagree with whatever you were saying but still smile, and shrug, and agree to disagree.
Max? Not so much. She leaned over the table now. “Please don’t tell me you’ve gotten sucked into this nonsense,” she said to me.
Hazel, Lulu, and Emma were talking about the class they’d just come from and not paying attention, Charlotte was out sick for the day, but Max and Avery were clearly waiting for a response. Max looked wary, Avery looked hopeful, and I...lied. “I just think it’s interesting, that’s all.”
Truth was, I’d become somewhat obsessed. Were there ridiculous suggestions in some of these articles? Undoubtedly. But these ‘lessons’ I’d been having with Andrew were rapidly consuming my every thought.
That was actually part of the reason I was sitting here today.
Today I just needed some space. Just a little. My head felt like it was spinning out of control and I desperately needed some perspective.
After Monday night, we’d hung out after school on Tuesday before he went off to do his cardio session and I went off to help Rose with her new monologue. Then yesterday he’d shown up at my house...again.
And it was...awesome.
Again.
It wasn’t as awkward as the first time and I wasn’t so nervous about us being alone in my room, and this time we just put on a movie and hung out. We spent about ten minutes laughing over the magazine before he tucked it away and we forgot all about it.
At least, I forgot all about it.
It wasn’t until he was heading out, saying goodnight to my father, who seemed to adore Andrew with his good manners, that I realized we hadn’t talked once about Tony.
“Do you think you’re ready for this weekend?” Avery asked.
I stared at her blankly before I remembered what this weekend was. The band’s gig at the all ages’ club. Jax was nervous, Rose was excited, and I…
Had forgotten.
Crap. What did that say about me?
“Is Andrew going with you?” Max asked.
Something about Max’s tone made me tense. Her voice was mild. Her tone was casual.
Too casual. Especially for Max.
Max was not a casual person. She had a propensity for the intense and right now I looked up to see her gaze fixed on me with purpose.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Avery asked. “He’s been so sweet about helping you out.”
I tried not to wince. Helping me out. It made me sound like a pathetic urchin or a wounded puppy or...a pitiful loser.
Max still had that faux innocent tone going on. “I don’t think I know any guys who’d go to such lengths to help a girl who’s basically a stranger get the attention of another guy.”
I blinked at her. “I’m not a stranger. We’re…” Friends. The word hovered and died at the tip of my tongue.
Were we friends? Was that what this was?
My belly did a weird move. It took a nosedive toward the ground, to be precise. I risked a look over my shoulder and found myself making eye contact with Andrew.
Jax was sitting next to him and he looked utterly engrossed by his lunch.
Andrew, on the other hand…
It looked like he hadn’t even touched his food and his attention was fixed on me. I lifted a hand and gave him a little smile.
One side of his mouth hitched up in return—a sort of rueful grin. Almost like he knew I was sitting here talking about him. Everything from his posture to that heavy-lidded gaze said he didn’t have a care in the world...
But I knew better.
There was way more going on beneath the surface than he let on.
But I knew. Because he’d let me in.
Why?
Why me?
I had no idea, and that freaked me out. I felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop because this week with all our hanging out—it had been heady, and nerve wracking, and fun, and intense, and easy...all at the same time.
This was why my head was spinning. How could it not when my emotions had been all over the spectrum for nearly a week now?
I swallowed and turned back around to find Avery and Max still staring at me. “What?” I asked.
As one they shook their heads. “Nothing,” Avery said.
Max didn’t try and lie but she shoved a chip into her mouth instead of replying. I knew what they were thinking. I knew they were wondering why Lakeview High’s star pitcher had suddenly taken such an interest in me. Me, the girl who’d heretofore been invisible to the male sex. They’d seen him walking with me in the hallways
