“So, listen,” Lora drawls, clicking her tongue, “can I ask you for a favor?”
My eyebrows crease at that. “What’s up?”
“Well, Holt and I are obviously going out on Friday,” she says, twirling her spoon between her fingers, “but I was thinking that maybe you could come too…incognito.”
“You want me to spy on you guys?” I hiss with wide eyes.
“It wouldn’t be spying!” she matches my hushed tone. “You would be there just in case the date starts going south, and I need a quick exit!”
“This conversation wouldn’t be happening if you’d just finally get your license,” I deadpan. “I don’t know how I feel about being your getaway car, Lor.”
“Megan, please?” she essentially begs, hands clasped and all. “We’re going to some food truck thing downtown by the park, so there will be lots of people around and he won’t even notice you!”
This is sounding more and more like a heist…
Lora clears her throat some. “I would do it for you, ya know.”
Ugh. Checkmate.
“Okay, fine,” I give in, noting the start of her triumphant grin, “but I am not wearing a stupid disguise.”
“You don’t have to,” she verbally waves me off, “like I said, he’s not going to notice you with all those people walking back and forth between the food trucks.” Her expression then turns sincere. “You are the best friend ever. Thank you, seriously.”
“Sure thing, although, I think your date with Holt is going to be fine.”
“Maybe,” she replies with a shrug, “but I’d rather have a backup plan just to be safe.”
Well, at least I have plans now for Friday night. It was honestly looking like another MoreFlix marathon. I even thought about trying out Cloverdale—a terrible lapse of judgement, I know.
Lora goes back to eating her food and playing on her phone, so I decide to steal a quick look around the cafeteria. But I wish I hadn’t. Just like in middle school, Brayden is sitting at one of the bigger tables where he’s surrounded by girls.
Sure, there are a handful of guys sitting at the table too, but the girls clearly outnumber them. And of course, they’re all laughing, and being loud, and having a wonderful time—Brayden included.
Why didn’t he come over here and try to talk to me again?
It doesn’t matter, you’re supposed to be giving him space.
I keep forgetting.
No, that’s a lie, I just don’t want to remember. But giving him space is the right choice, and I need to focus on being patient.
By the end of the school day, however, my patience is almost gone. I should’ve just let him talk to me after Mrs. Flint’s class. I know I didn’t want to hear him say that he’s having second thoughts, but now it feels like he’ll never talk to me again, and that was not part of the plan.
The drive home is quiet besides Kyle’s ramblings, and even though I’m grateful that Hailee hasn’t asked about Brayden—I’m also kind of surprised. Then again, she mentioned this morning about some Look This Way video that was supposed to be releasing…so maybe she’s too busy watching it to bother me.
No complaints here.
When Mom pulls into the driveaway, I immediately notice that Brayden’s car isn’t parked next door. He’s probably hanging out with his lunch buddies. There I go again, sounding like a bitter girlfriend…
“Megan,” Mom says once we’re all inside the house, “did you want to come with us for your brother’s soccer practice?”
Right, so I can end up on snack duty with all those high-fructose corn syrup crazed kids? Hard pass.
“I’m good,” I tell her with a shrug, “I’ll just stay here and do my homework.”
And possibly stalk the Knights’ yard to catch a glimpse of Brayden. Maybe I won’t…but I might…I definitely might.
“All right,” Mom replies, closing the front door, “how about you, Hailee?”
Hailee points to one of the earbuds that she still has in her ears, and then she goes upstairs.
Mom crosses her arms with a huff. “Well, I guess that’s a no.”
“Oh, hey, Mom,” I say, remembering that I agreed to be Lora’s getaway car, “is it okay if I go out for an hour or two on Friday night?”
She raises an eyebrow at that. “And what exactly will you be doing for this ‘hour or two?’”
I force myself not to roll my eyes at her air quotations. “Lora wants me to spy on her date with Holt just in case it goes wrong. They’re going to some food truck thing downtown.”
Her other eyebrow quirks up. “Really?”
“Yeah, I know,” I agree with a sigh, “but that’s just Lora…I guess. So, I can go?”
“Sure, I don’t have a problem with it.”
“Cool.” I snap my fingers at her. “Thanks, Mom.”
“What’s a food truck?” I hear Kyle ask as I start to go upstairs. “Can we get one?”
This kid…
After I’m in my room, I toss my backpack onto my bed and stride over to my window.
One. Quick. Peek.
I push aside one of the curtains just enough so I can see outside, but the Knights’ driveway is still empty. Dang it.
Also, dang it because I should’ve grabbed a snack before I came up here. Now I have to go back downstairs. So, I do. And the literal second that I make a sound in the kitchen, Kyle appears beside the island counter—wearing only his long socks and soccer shorts.
“What are you doing?”
“Go away, pipsqueak,” I tell him, opening one of the cabinet doors, “and your shorts are on backward.”
“No, they’re n—oh shoot!”
Yep. Once again, I’m right.
“Mommy!” Kyle yells, thankfully leaving the kitchen. “Megan’s having a snack! Can I have one
