GUYS YOUR SHIP IS SAILING, the top of the post read. Below it were several pictures of Edan and me on the subway. We were standing side by side in the first one, smiling at each other in the second one, and appeared to be cuddling in the last one. Edan’s arm was around my waist, and I was gripping the back of his hoodie. My face was in his chest, and his was tilted down to look at me, almost like he was getting ready to kiss me.
“OK, that picture is wildly misleading,” Edan said. “The train was crowded, and Clara just bumped into me.”
“Uh-huh,” Priya said, mischief in her smile. “Why were you guys out together just the two of you, anyway?”
“We came here to do some sparring practice, and then Edan wanted some fish and chips, so we decided to get lunch. He picked a place with a scrab attack,” I said.
“But they gave us free fish and chips for killing the scrab,” Edan said. “So really I chose well.”
“There are pictures of that too,” Noah said, handing his phone to Edan. “Scroll down.”
“You started your date with exercise?” Priya scrunched up her face. “You guys are weird.”
“It wasn’t a date,” I said.
Edan scrolled to the pictures and videos of us fighting scrabs. They came from several different angles, but the boys in the restaurant had clearly gotten the best shots. They had one of me at the moment I’d stuck the blade in the scrab’s neck, my face turned away as blood splattered on my arms. The series ended with a picture of Edan wiping down my neck, each of us smiling at the other.
They are the cutest, the first person who had reblogged the picture said.
The second one said, She’s cheating on Julian??????
Edan glanced at me, and then quickly away. He avoided my gaze as he handed the phone back to Noah.
Heat rose up my neck. The pictures told a story that wasn’t entirely true, but it suddenly put the afternoon in a different perspective. Someone had cobbled together a narrative for us from only a few images. I didn’t have any images to counter the story, just a memory of an afternoon that had felt like two friends hanging out. This new spin felt intrusive and confusing.
“Sorry to disappoint Tumblr, but we were not doing anything nearly as romantic as those pictures suggest,” Edan said. He was obviously trying to keep his voice light and only half succeeding.
“I’m not sure that picture of you wiping blood off of me even qualifies as romantic,” I said with a grimace. “I think Tumblr needs to reevaluate that one.”
Edan laughed. Our eyes met, and he widened his, like he was annoyed by the situation.
“Julian’s not going to like this,” Madison said.
“When does Julian like anything?” Noah grumbled.
I bristled. “Not going to like what?”
“These photos of you and Edan. You guys hanging out behind his back.”
“It was not behind his back,” I said, my words sharp. Priya eyed us warily, and I stepped closer to Madison and lowered my voice. “I was just hanging out with a teammate.”
“Did you tell him beforehand?”
“No, it was a last-minute thing.”
She lifted her eyebrows as if to say that I’d just proved her point.
The door opened, and Julian walked in, staring at his phone. He wore his high-collared jacket, the one that made him look like he belonged on the pages of a magazine.
Madison was wrong. She was just jealous. Julian wouldn’t get mad without at least talking to me first.
Julian glanced up from his phone, his gaze catching on mine. He clenched his jaw so hard I could see it.
My chest tightened. Madison hadn’t been wrong.
UK team thirteen walked in with Grayson, snagging Julian’s attention away.
“All right, guys, I’m splitting some of you up today,” Grayson said. “Clara?” He beckoned me over.
I walked to him. Julian stood beside him, intently avoiding my gaze.
Maybe it was stupid to think he wouldn’t be mad. I’d be upset if I saw pictures of him hugging another girl. Sure, I’d want the whole story, but I wouldn’t be able to control my initial reaction.
“Julian wants you with him on a special assignment today,” Grayson said. “Is that OK?”
“Sure,” I said. “What is it?”
“We got a huge shipment of stuff in from people’s lists, and we need someone to go through it.”
“Can you spare Julian for that?” I asked.
“I mean, I’d rather not, but . . .” Grayson was resigned, like they’d already fought about this.
“It’s fine,” Julian said, his voice clipped. “We’ll get it done by this evening and then we can resume your wild goose chase.”
Grayson turned his back to Julian. “You are welcome to stay with the rest of the team, if you’d rather not hang out with this jerk. We’re following some leads on MDG movement in the area.”
I actually didn’t want to desert the team, but I couldn’t decline to spend the day with Julian, especially when he was upset. I clearly needed to talk to him about those pictures.
“I’ll help Julian. It’ll go faster with the two of us.” I gave Julian a smile that he didn’t return.
“OK.” Grayson seemed like he wanted to say more, but he closed his mouth and walked across the gym.
Julian strode toward the door without saying a word. I hurried to catch up with him, catching the door before it closed. “Julian!” I called.
He stopped on the sidewalk and turned to me. His mouth was set in a hard line, anger radiating off the stiff set of his shoulders.
“Are you mad about those pictures with Edan?” My words came out in a rush. “Because it’s not what it looks like. Someone took a photo right when I bumped into him. You can tell, can’t you? That they’re misleading.”
“Not really,” he said, voice rising. “I saw photos of the two of you, away from the rest of the team, apparently having a great
