On the Edge by Allison van Diepen Page B

right?”
    â€œNot a total snob, no. But you obviously think you’re too good for the guys I introduce you to.”
    â€œYou’ve got to be kidding.”
    I wasn’t in the mood for Iz’s drama. I closed my eyes for a second, wishing I was back in bed. It wasn’t homework that had kept me up late—it was my mind, which had replayed every second of the car ride with Ortiz.
    â€œWake up, Maddie. You can’t go thinking you’re better than everyone all the time. Guys don’t go for that.”
    Ouch. I was used to Iz bitching at her boyfriends, not me. Did she actually believe that? Was this about the scholarship?
    Before I could say anything, she gave a big sigh. “Sorry for being a bitch. But you should’ve at least given Jack a chance. I would have.”
    So that was what this was about. Iz kept trying to get me with guys that she would’ve gone for, and every time I passed one up, she took it personally.
    â€œLook, Iz, it’s super nice of you to try. But don’t bother setting me up with another guy. I’m fine.”
    â€œYou’re not fine. You said last week you were horny as hell!”
    A middle-aged woman in front of us turned with a look of disgust. My face went red.
    Iz laughed. “It’s true! Have you noticed how happy Carmen is right now? She says I’m a master matchmaker.”
    â€œYeah, and she’s ditching us this weekend to be with him. How’d that work out for you?”
    â€œOkay, point for you. But at least she’s not still going on about Eric. I was ready to slap that girl sideways.”
    It was the perfect time to mention that I’d seen Eric and Julia last night, but I kept my mouth shut. Although I didn’t want to keep anything from Iz, I didn’t want to rub it in her face either. And she was being kinda clingy these days, more than usual. Must be because I was leaving in the fall.
    Something clicked in my mind. Maybe that was why she wanted to find me a guy so badly. Because she wanted a reason for me to come back to Miami. Because she was afraid of losing me.
    I might be moving away, but I wasn’t going to let our friendship suffer. Maybe once she realized that, she’d stop sending all those guys my way.
    My morning classes dragged. I spent lunch hour working on my article in the library, sneaking bites of a sandwich under the study carrel. I actually enjoyed writing about what to expect at college. I could fantasize about all the cool things ahead—making new friends in the dorms, partying during orientation week, choosing my classes, meeting my professors. But there were things to beware of too, like the pretty insane rates of sexual assault reported by freshmen girls. And then there were the health concerns. It turned out the “freshman fifteen” wasn’t a myth, thanks to greasy cafeteria food.
    I wanted to cut last period, but I wouldn’t dare miss physics. Ms. Tate was going to give hints on the next test, which she always did on Friday afternoons to stop people from cutting. Contrary to what Eric thought, I could still lose my scholarship if my grades plummeted or if I failed a class.
    On the bus home, Tom called to tell me there was a four o’clock staff meeting. I wished I hadn’t answered it. I’d been so looking forward to a nap before work.
    As I approached the house, I heard Dex barking in the backyard. There was a white van in the driveway.
    I stayed on the sidewalk, not wanting to get closer to the house. I took out my phone to call Mom at the hotel. Then Boyd’s heavy body stepped backward out the front door, holding our forty-inch flat screen TV.
    â€œBoyd,” I called out. “What are you doing?”
    He went down the steps and headed right past me. “Picking up some of my stuff.” When he got to the van, he set it down inside and wiped his forehead.
    Bald and bearded, Boyd wasn’t a good-looking man, and the gray