sophomore—but besides knowing that she and Brody both had econ this morning, I found out they also have the same homeroom and fourth-period typing class.
Al that unsupervised time together, who knows what might have happened.
Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe Brody just walked her to class and they haven’t spoken since. Maybe flying fish wil hop up on land and start salsa dancing. Stil , it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.
Straining to see over the sea of bodies in the lunch line, I hunt for the blond and brown-haired pair in the cafeteria.
But there are so many heads in my way, I can’t even get a good view on tiptoe.
“What are you looking for?” Quince asks.
I growl in frustration.
“Dosinia,” I mutter. “I think she has her eyes set on Brody.”
“Wel , that’s not great,” Shannen quips.
How observant. “Duh.”
I try to jump, hoping to propel myself above the crowd while not spil ing my trayful of lunch. My box of milk ends up on the floor.
Quince, who’s brought his lunch as usual and is only keeping us company in line, bends down and retrieves my half pint. “Why are you so worried?”
I throw him a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding look. But when he doesn’t shake his head and say, “Omigosh, you’re right,” I lean close and whisper, “Think about what happened with us.”
His lips spread into a very-pleased-with-himself smile.
“Nothing wrong with that.”
“Now imagine that happening between Doe and Brody.” He shrugs. “Stil not seeing the problem,” he says. “Your cousin is nice enough, and Benson’s not completely void of redeeming characteristics.”
“Bennett,” I snap. “And that’s not what you said two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks ago I was trying to keep your eyes off him, princess.”
“Wel , you were right before.” I try another jump and land on Quince’s foot. “He’s a shal ow, self-absorbed jel yfish.”
“I’m confused,” Quince says. “Are you looking out for Brody? Or for Dosinia?”
“Both of them,” I half shout. Why is he being so dense about this? He knows al the possible complications that might ensue if anything happens between them. “The two of them hooking up is bad news no matter which way you look at it.”
Shannen nods in girlfriend solidarity and says, “Prime-time trouble.”
With a shrug, Quince strains up to see over the ocean of students around him. With a few inches on me, he easily scans the room.
“They’re at a table together,” he says, coming back down to my level. “Want me to go out there and join them?”
“Uh-huh.” I nod my head vigorously. As he heads off into the crowd, I shout after him, “And save us seats.” As Shannen makes it to the cashier, she says, “I know you don’t like your cousin, but is she real y that bad?”
“You have no idea.”
“Would she real y kiss Brody?” she asks as she hands over her money.
“I hope not, but with Doe it’s impossible to say.” I move my tray forward when Shan picks hers up. “I mean, she hates hum—” I jerk back, realizing what I was about to say in a room ful of humans. “Wel , you know. So that’s a point in the favor of sanity.”
“But… ?” Shannen prods when I’ve col ected my change and my tray.
“But,” I say, leading the way between the lunch tables toward Quince’s dark blond head, “Doe is boy crazy and unpredictable. And she’s always been a little reckless.
Consequences don’t mean much to her.”
“A very bad combination.”
“Oh, yeah.” We reach the table and I slide onto the seat next to Quince. Across from Doe and Brody, who are sitting way too close together for my nerves. “Hi! How’s your first day going?” I ask, maybe too brightly.
“Fine,” she replies, not sparing me a glance.
Brody, however, does. “Doe’s been tel ing me some great stories,” he says with a big, teasing smile.
“I’l bet she has,” I answer with a growl.
Doe flashes her who-me-I’m-innocent eyes at me. As always,
Al that unsupervised time together, who knows what might have happened.
Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe Brody just walked her to class and they haven’t spoken since. Maybe flying fish wil hop up on land and start salsa dancing. Stil , it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.
Straining to see over the sea of bodies in the lunch line, I hunt for the blond and brown-haired pair in the cafeteria.
But there are so many heads in my way, I can’t even get a good view on tiptoe.
“What are you looking for?” Quince asks.
I growl in frustration.
“Dosinia,” I mutter. “I think she has her eyes set on Brody.”
“Wel , that’s not great,” Shannen quips.
How observant. “Duh.”
I try to jump, hoping to propel myself above the crowd while not spil ing my trayful of lunch. My box of milk ends up on the floor.
Quince, who’s brought his lunch as usual and is only keeping us company in line, bends down and retrieves my half pint. “Why are you so worried?”
I throw him a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding look. But when he doesn’t shake his head and say, “Omigosh, you’re right,” I lean close and whisper, “Think about what happened with us.”
His lips spread into a very-pleased-with-himself smile.
“Nothing wrong with that.”
“Now imagine that happening between Doe and Brody.” He shrugs. “Stil not seeing the problem,” he says. “Your cousin is nice enough, and Benson’s not completely void of redeeming characteristics.”
“Bennett,” I snap. “And that’s not what you said two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks ago I was trying to keep your eyes off him, princess.”
“Wel , you were right before.” I try another jump and land on Quince’s foot. “He’s a shal ow, self-absorbed jel yfish.”
“I’m confused,” Quince says. “Are you looking out for Brody? Or for Dosinia?”
“Both of them,” I half shout. Why is he being so dense about this? He knows al the possible complications that might ensue if anything happens between them. “The two of them hooking up is bad news no matter which way you look at it.”
Shannen nods in girlfriend solidarity and says, “Prime-time trouble.”
With a shrug, Quince strains up to see over the ocean of students around him. With a few inches on me, he easily scans the room.
“They’re at a table together,” he says, coming back down to my level. “Want me to go out there and join them?”
“Uh-huh.” I nod my head vigorously. As he heads off into the crowd, I shout after him, “And save us seats.” As Shannen makes it to the cashier, she says, “I know you don’t like your cousin, but is she real y that bad?”
“You have no idea.”
“Would she real y kiss Brody?” she asks as she hands over her money.
“I hope not, but with Doe it’s impossible to say.” I move my tray forward when Shan picks hers up. “I mean, she hates hum—” I jerk back, realizing what I was about to say in a room ful of humans. “Wel , you know. So that’s a point in the favor of sanity.”
“But… ?” Shannen prods when I’ve col ected my change and my tray.
“But,” I say, leading the way between the lunch tables toward Quince’s dark blond head, “Doe is boy crazy and unpredictable. And she’s always been a little reckless.
Consequences don’t mean much to her.”
“A very bad combination.”
“Oh, yeah.” We reach the table and I slide onto the seat next to Quince. Across from Doe and Brody, who are sitting way too close together for my nerves. “Hi! How’s your first day going?” I ask, maybe too brightly.
“Fine,” she replies, not sparing me a glance.
Brody, however, does. “Doe’s been tel ing me some great stories,” he says with a big, teasing smile.
“I’l bet she has,” I answer with a growl.
Doe flashes her who-me-I’m-innocent eyes at me. As always,
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