sympathetic, reacting exactly the way I'd expect her to. And I couldn't wait to get off the phone with her.
“You sure you don't want me to come over?” she asked. “Or you could come here? My dad could pick you up.”
I didn't want to see a dad. Any dad.
“No,” I told her. “It's fine. I'm gonna do some homework, probably go to bed early. I didn't get much sleep this weekend.”
“ OK. If you're sure.” But she sounded doubtful, as if she really thought I was making a bad decision, staying home instead of hanging with her.
“ I'm sure. I'll see you tomorrow, OK?”
I hung up.
I flopped down on my bed and stared at the backpack on my desk. I knew what waited for me in there—pages of math, a lab I needed to finish. I knew I should walk over to the desk, unzip the bag and pull out my books and notebook. I knew I should call my dad, too. But I didn't. I didn't do either of those things.
My cell phone vibrated and I flipped it open. A text from Aidan. I punched in his number.
His voice made my heart leap. “I miss you already.”
“ Me, too.”
“ Tell me what you're doing right now,” he said.
“ I'm laying on my bed—”
Aidan chuckled. “Mmm, I wish I was there with you. You know what I'd be doing if I was?”
My breath caught in my throat and I forgot all about my homework. “Tell me.”
I settled back and closed my eyes.
And he did.
*
The attention was making me sick to my stomach. I pushed my half-eaten lunch away as I drowned in my friends' sympathy —their pitying looks and mumbled condolences as Jada informed everyone about the newest house on the market. Mine. She and Logan both oozed concern. Even Carter, usually so indifferent, patted me on the back and gave me an awkward hug. The only one who remained quiet was Case.
“ Have you started looking?” Logan asked. I was sandwiched between him and Jada. “You know, there's a house down the street from me that's for sale.”
Jada's face brightened and she clutched my arm. “Oh, me, too! Four or five houses down. Just think —we could be neighbors and best friends.”
I faked a smile in return. “Yeah. Cool.”
But the neighborhoods they lived in, the bay side of Pacific Beach, were just as pricey as my own. We'd never be able to afford that. I had a sinking feeling that we wouldn't be able to afford much of anything.
Case spoke. “Are you staying here?”
“Of course she's staying,” Jada told him, frowning. “Where else would she go?”
He shrugged. “I don't know. Sometimes people want a fresh start. Need one.”
Jada hugged me. “Well, Megan doesn't. Right, Meg? You're staying right here.”
I didn't know if she was trying to convince me or herself so I just plastered on another smile and nodded. It wasn't something I was prepared to think about.
Logan changed the subject. “We have auditions for the Spring show this week.”
I could have kissed him.
He looked at Case. “You planning on trying out?”
“ I don't know. Maybe.” He finished his sandwich, peanut butter and jelly slapped between two limp pieces of white bread. He had the same lunch every day.
“ You should try out.” Logan pivoted on the bench, turning to face me, and I realized he was now speaking to me. “Help get your mind off of everything.”
The very thought of it gave me stage fright. “No thanks.”
“Why not?”
“ I'd rather swim in shark-infested waters with an open wound than get up on stage.” My shudder of horror was real.
My friends laughed and I smiled, a real one this time.
“What's so funny?” a voice asked.
I glanced behind me. Aidan was there, looking at me, a grin on his face.
I smiled uneasily as my friends shifted their eyes from me to Aidan. Frowning, assessing. The only one who didn't was Case. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” Aidan said, his eyes on me.
He walked around to the front of the bench. None of my friends spoke. His hair shone white, the blinding sun glinting off it, infusing those silken
“You sure you don't want me to come over?” she asked. “Or you could come here? My dad could pick you up.”
I didn't want to see a dad. Any dad.
“No,” I told her. “It's fine. I'm gonna do some homework, probably go to bed early. I didn't get much sleep this weekend.”
“ OK. If you're sure.” But she sounded doubtful, as if she really thought I was making a bad decision, staying home instead of hanging with her.
“ I'm sure. I'll see you tomorrow, OK?”
I hung up.
I flopped down on my bed and stared at the backpack on my desk. I knew what waited for me in there—pages of math, a lab I needed to finish. I knew I should walk over to the desk, unzip the bag and pull out my books and notebook. I knew I should call my dad, too. But I didn't. I didn't do either of those things.
My cell phone vibrated and I flipped it open. A text from Aidan. I punched in his number.
His voice made my heart leap. “I miss you already.”
“ Me, too.”
“ Tell me what you're doing right now,” he said.
“ I'm laying on my bed—”
Aidan chuckled. “Mmm, I wish I was there with you. You know what I'd be doing if I was?”
My breath caught in my throat and I forgot all about my homework. “Tell me.”
I settled back and closed my eyes.
And he did.
*
The attention was making me sick to my stomach. I pushed my half-eaten lunch away as I drowned in my friends' sympathy —their pitying looks and mumbled condolences as Jada informed everyone about the newest house on the market. Mine. She and Logan both oozed concern. Even Carter, usually so indifferent, patted me on the back and gave me an awkward hug. The only one who remained quiet was Case.
“ Have you started looking?” Logan asked. I was sandwiched between him and Jada. “You know, there's a house down the street from me that's for sale.”
Jada's face brightened and she clutched my arm. “Oh, me, too! Four or five houses down. Just think —we could be neighbors and best friends.”
I faked a smile in return. “Yeah. Cool.”
But the neighborhoods they lived in, the bay side of Pacific Beach, were just as pricey as my own. We'd never be able to afford that. I had a sinking feeling that we wouldn't be able to afford much of anything.
Case spoke. “Are you staying here?”
“Of course she's staying,” Jada told him, frowning. “Where else would she go?”
He shrugged. “I don't know. Sometimes people want a fresh start. Need one.”
Jada hugged me. “Well, Megan doesn't. Right, Meg? You're staying right here.”
I didn't know if she was trying to convince me or herself so I just plastered on another smile and nodded. It wasn't something I was prepared to think about.
Logan changed the subject. “We have auditions for the Spring show this week.”
I could have kissed him.
He looked at Case. “You planning on trying out?”
“ I don't know. Maybe.” He finished his sandwich, peanut butter and jelly slapped between two limp pieces of white bread. He had the same lunch every day.
“ You should try out.” Logan pivoted on the bench, turning to face me, and I realized he was now speaking to me. “Help get your mind off of everything.”
The very thought of it gave me stage fright. “No thanks.”
“Why not?”
“ I'd rather swim in shark-infested waters with an open wound than get up on stage.” My shudder of horror was real.
My friends laughed and I smiled, a real one this time.
“What's so funny?” a voice asked.
I glanced behind me. Aidan was there, looking at me, a grin on his face.
I smiled uneasily as my friends shifted their eyes from me to Aidan. Frowning, assessing. The only one who didn't was Case. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” Aidan said, his eyes on me.
He walked around to the front of the bench. None of my friends spoke. His hair shone white, the blinding sun glinting off it, infusing those silken
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