years.”
“Who?”
“What do you mean, ‘who’? Mary.” Nathan rolled his eyes.
“Mary Morales? You're the one who has a thing for the twins,” Ephraim said.
“Hey, I'm holding out for her better half.”
Ephraim kept an eye on Jena, but she didn't look up at him again. He sighed.
“Wait. Are you serious?” Nathan said. “Since when do you like Jena Kim? And why? Did you hit your head?”
Ephraim felt like he'd been dropped into the middle of a different conversation than the one he'd been in a moment ago. The coin had worked its magic again and rearranged his life, but this time not for the better. If Jena was aware of Ephraim's supposed interest in Mary, his situation had just gotten even more complicated.
Had anything been different about the coin this time around? It had come up tails…he tried to think back over his wishes. He was pretty sure the coin had shown heads after his first two flips. Ephraim slipped it back into his pocket, wondering if he'd ever get used to it.
“I'm going to talk to Jena,” Ephraim said. From the way Jena had been staring at him, maybe his wish had come true after all, regardless of its other effects. If so, there had never been a better time to find out how she felt about him.
“What about the plan?” Nathan asked.
“We can still do something after.”
“Not that. The double date, man! We're supposed to date the twins. You with Mary, me with Shelley. We've been planning this since puberty.”
“But I like Jena, Nathan. I always have.”
“Oh, I get it. You're gonna go for both Mary and Jena. Play the friends against each other, do a switch. It's risky, but you'd be my hero if you pulled that off.” Nathan shrugged. “Well, you're my hero anyway, but you know. That'd be something. You're an inspiration, Eph.”
“Yeah. Don't get all weird on me. Weirder. I'll be right back.”
He headed for Jena's desk, trying to think of something clever to say. When he reached her, she closed her book and smiled at him.
“Hey, Ephraim.”
“Hey, Jena. Um. Wasn't Mrs. Reynolds just sitting here?”
That wasn't the best opening line ever, he had to admit. Jena blinked at him.
“She's been out all day. She sprained her ankle last night stepping down from a ladder.”
“I could have sworn I just saw her…” Ephraim said. He knew he'd seen her at the desk, just before he made that accidental wish.
Could the coin have caused Mrs. Reynolds to injure herself, just so he would have this chance with Jena? That was a much worse outcome than Ephraim supposedly crushing on Mary instead of Jena.
“Is she all right?” he asked.
“She'll be back tomorrow,” Jena said. She took a deep breath. She seemed as nervous as he felt. “Can I ask you something, Ephraim?”
“Sure.”
“I'm having a little party tonight. Nothing big, just a few people from school. To celebrate summer vacation and everything.”
Ephraim nodded.
“So, I was wondering…if you'd like to come.” She tapped a pen against the book in front of her.
Ephraim opened his mouth but no sound came out.
Jena laughed. “Just nod or shake your head.”
“You're inviting me to your party? Tonight?”
“I know it's short notice.” She looked past him, and he turned to see Nathan watching them. Nathan gave him a thumbs-up. Jena couldn't have missed that; Ephraim reminded himself to kill his friend later.
“I've been waiting to talk to you alone,” she said. “It's a small gathering, you know?” She smiled, a little uncertainly.
“Yeah.” Ephraim nodded again. He got it. She didn't want him to bring Nathan. “Um, what time?”
“Eight.” She handed him a slip of lavender notebook paper with her address and phone number scribbled in sparkly blue ink. “That's my cell phone number,” she said.
He forced his hand not to shake when he took it from her. “Um. Yeah…I'll be there. Thanks,” Ephraim said. “I'll hold onto this.” He waved the slip of paper around.
He'd been worried he
“Who?”
“What do you mean, ‘who’? Mary.” Nathan rolled his eyes.
“Mary Morales? You're the one who has a thing for the twins,” Ephraim said.
“Hey, I'm holding out for her better half.”
Ephraim kept an eye on Jena, but she didn't look up at him again. He sighed.
“Wait. Are you serious?” Nathan said. “Since when do you like Jena Kim? And why? Did you hit your head?”
Ephraim felt like he'd been dropped into the middle of a different conversation than the one he'd been in a moment ago. The coin had worked its magic again and rearranged his life, but this time not for the better. If Jena was aware of Ephraim's supposed interest in Mary, his situation had just gotten even more complicated.
Had anything been different about the coin this time around? It had come up tails…he tried to think back over his wishes. He was pretty sure the coin had shown heads after his first two flips. Ephraim slipped it back into his pocket, wondering if he'd ever get used to it.
“I'm going to talk to Jena,” Ephraim said. From the way Jena had been staring at him, maybe his wish had come true after all, regardless of its other effects. If so, there had never been a better time to find out how she felt about him.
“What about the plan?” Nathan asked.
“We can still do something after.”
“Not that. The double date, man! We're supposed to date the twins. You with Mary, me with Shelley. We've been planning this since puberty.”
“But I like Jena, Nathan. I always have.”
“Oh, I get it. You're gonna go for both Mary and Jena. Play the friends against each other, do a switch. It's risky, but you'd be my hero if you pulled that off.” Nathan shrugged. “Well, you're my hero anyway, but you know. That'd be something. You're an inspiration, Eph.”
“Yeah. Don't get all weird on me. Weirder. I'll be right back.”
He headed for Jena's desk, trying to think of something clever to say. When he reached her, she closed her book and smiled at him.
“Hey, Ephraim.”
“Hey, Jena. Um. Wasn't Mrs. Reynolds just sitting here?”
That wasn't the best opening line ever, he had to admit. Jena blinked at him.
“She's been out all day. She sprained her ankle last night stepping down from a ladder.”
“I could have sworn I just saw her…” Ephraim said. He knew he'd seen her at the desk, just before he made that accidental wish.
Could the coin have caused Mrs. Reynolds to injure herself, just so he would have this chance with Jena? That was a much worse outcome than Ephraim supposedly crushing on Mary instead of Jena.
“Is she all right?” he asked.
“She'll be back tomorrow,” Jena said. She took a deep breath. She seemed as nervous as he felt. “Can I ask you something, Ephraim?”
“Sure.”
“I'm having a little party tonight. Nothing big, just a few people from school. To celebrate summer vacation and everything.”
Ephraim nodded.
“So, I was wondering…if you'd like to come.” She tapped a pen against the book in front of her.
Ephraim opened his mouth but no sound came out.
Jena laughed. “Just nod or shake your head.”
“You're inviting me to your party? Tonight?”
“I know it's short notice.” She looked past him, and he turned to see Nathan watching them. Nathan gave him a thumbs-up. Jena couldn't have missed that; Ephraim reminded himself to kill his friend later.
“I've been waiting to talk to you alone,” she said. “It's a small gathering, you know?” She smiled, a little uncertainly.
“Yeah.” Ephraim nodded again. He got it. She didn't want him to bring Nathan. “Um, what time?”
“Eight.” She handed him a slip of lavender notebook paper with her address and phone number scribbled in sparkly blue ink. “That's my cell phone number,” she said.
He forced his hand not to shake when he took it from her. “Um. Yeah…I'll be there. Thanks,” Ephraim said. “I'll hold onto this.” He waved the slip of paper around.
He'd been worried he
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