He's With Me by Tamara Summers

spattered ketchup and carrot bits.
    “Oh, dear,” Mrs. Willis said, coming into the kitchen. “I gather we’re having
    takeout for dinner.”
    “We’re cleaning it up,” Colin said. “Don’t worry.”
    “I’m quite sure you are,” his mom said. “Lexie, Sally Kim is on the phone for
    you. When you’re done, ask her if I can speak to her mother.”
    Colin gave Lexie a curious look. He knew as well as she did that a phone call
    from Sally Kim was not at all the normal event their mother seemed to think it
    was.
    Lexie picked up Alanna for moral support, took the portable phone into her
    room, and shut the door.
    “Hi, Sally,” she said into the phone, lying down on the bed. Alanna curled
    up beside her and began licking her fingers with energetic snorting sounds.
    “Hey, Lexie,” Sally said, as if she called her every day. “So let’s figure out
    Friday. Ian’s being a pain about it because he’s going on a camping trip with his
    family the next day or something. But he’ll come. It’ll be fun, don’t you think?”
    “Sure,” Lexie said.
    “I’ve been wanting to go on a double date for ages,” Sally said, “but Bree
    hates them. She likes to keep her boyfriends to herself. Anyways, I don’t really
    want Ian to model himself on any of her relationships. But I figure he could pick
    up some tips from Jake, right? I’d love it if he treated me a bit more like Jake
    treats you.”
    Lexie thought that was funny. The whole time Jake had been dating Amy
    Sorrento, Amy had complained nonstop (Jake’s word) about what an
    unenthusiastic, uninspired, boring, neglectful boyfriend he was (her words).
    Maybe he was just better at pretending to be in a relationship than at actually
    being in one.
    “Are you excited?” Sally asked. “Dinner and a movie, totally romantic,
    right? Is it okay if I have my mom drop me off at your place beforehand, so we can
    walk together? It’s closer from your house.”
    “Yeah, okay,” Lexie said, and then, because she felt bad about how excited
    Sally seemed (even if it was a trick (, she added, “I’m excited for this movie.”
    “Me too ,” Sally said, and that started her off on a comparison of Cars and Monsters, Inc . They ended up talking for half an hour – well, Sally did most of the talking – and by the time Lexie got back downstairs, Colin had finished cleaning
    the kitchen. Mrs. Willis was standing at the counter, sorting takeout menus.
    “Here you go, Mom,” Lexie said, handing her the phone.
    “Oh, thanks, Lexie,” her mom said. “Pick a menu and order, would you? You
    both know what your father and I like. He should be home from work in about
    half an hour.” Mr. Willis took a train to the city every morning before the rest of
    his family got up, and often came home late at night. Lexie didn’t understand
    exactly what he did – something to do with numbers and law and banks and
    contracts.
    As soon as Mrs. Willis had wandered out of the kitchen chatting away with
    Mrs. Kim, Lexie pulled herself up to sit on the counter and whispered, “Colin,
    guess what?”
    “I don’t get it,” he said, studying a carrot. “Why did it look so fake? We
    were using the black-and-white setting, so it’s not the color. Even I’m not dumb
    enough to think we can get away with bright orange fingers.”
    “Colin, listen,” Lexie insisted. “I’m going on a date on Friday.”
    That did get his attention, if only for a moment. He put the carrot down and
    picked up the pile of menus. Thorn butted at his knees, demanding more carrot
    pieces with a small woof.
    “With who?” Colin asked.
    “With Jake, of course,” Lexie said. “Remember the traumatizing soap opera
    you volunteered me for?” Which you haven’t even asked me about. Like you don’t
    care if Bree McKennis murders me in my sleep .
    “Oh,” he said, sounding relieved. “So it’s just a pretend date.”
    “Well, it’s a double date with Sally Kim and Ian Montgomery,” Lexie