taken," Soomie replied.
Lexa and Soomie eyed Maria with interest as Ariana casually looked away, suddenly riveted by the pilling atop her cashmere sock. Maria blithely flipped another page, lifting her tiny shoulders. "I don't mind being dateless. Soomie, however, does."
Ariana looked up in time to see Lexa and Soomie exchange a glance.
"I've got it! What about one of the newbies," Maria said, sitting up straight and swinging her legs around in front of her. "Y can ask Adam! Or
ou Jasper!"
Ariana's heart twisted in an odd way at the mention of Jasper. She tugged the now abandoned yearbook onto her thighs and flipped to last year's juniors.
"Or Landon," Lexa put in.
There was a brief pause. "I'm so over Landon," Soomie replied. "And Adam . . . I don't know. He and Brigit were really close. I'd just feel weird. But Jasper . . . I've actually had some moments with him."
"Real-ly?" Lexa asked, sliding off the bed and onto the floor with the rest of them. "What kind of moments?"
Soomie blushed. "I don't know. I think he might like me."
"Do you?" Ariana asked. Her voice sounded tense. But why? She shook out her arms, trying to relax. It would be great if Jasper liked Soomie. Right?
"Why didn't you mention this before we spent half an hour going through the yearbook?" Maria asked, taking a swig of her water.
"I don't know," Soomie said, blushing even darker and flipping her hair. "But he's always making excuses to talk to me. Like asking for my help with trig and checking to see if I need refills at lunch."
That's just because he's lazy and a gentleman, Ariana thought.
She found herself squeezing her water bottle and placed it back down on the floor. She stared down at her wet, cold fingers as Lexa and Maria peppered Soomie with questions about her and Jasper's potential. Her face felt hot, and she realized, suddenly, that she had thought that Jasper liked her. Not that she would ever do anything about it. It was just kind of nice to feel special. But if he'd been treating Soomie the same way all along . . . then she wasn't special at all.
But you're special to Palmer. That's all that matters, she told herself, feeling silly and more than a little bit selfish.
"You guys seem to hang out a lot, Ana," Soomie said suddenly. "Has he ever mentioned me?"
Ariana bit her lip. "No, actually, he hasn't."
"Oh." Soomie looked down at her lap.
"But that doesn't mean anything," Ariana said in a rush. "He's a guy."
The other girls looked at one another knowingly. That argument explained away all manners of behavior.
"Well, do you think you could talk to him?" Maria asked. "At least find out if he has a date yet. Then we'll know if Soomie should even bother."
Ariana swallowed hard. "Sure. I'll talk to him."
"Really? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Soomie said, flinging her arms around Ariana's neck. "You're the best, Ana."
Ariana smiled as she hugged Soomie back. Somehow she couldn't exactly see Soomie and Jasper as a couple, but if this was what her friend wanted, of course she would try to help her. No matter how bad an idea she thought it was. "So, you're doing okay?" Palmer asked Ariana on Wednesday evening, as they kicked back in what was now becoming their spot at the Hill. It was the comfiest suede couch with the best view of the river, so of course it belonged to the most admired couple in the school. Ariana cuddled into Palmer's shoulder and slipped her arm around his waist, relishing the feel of his six-pack under his shirt.
"Oh, I'm doing just fine," she murmured.
Palmer ran his fingers over the hair on the crown of her head, lifting it and dropping it over and over in a rhythmic way. He kissed her part, then rested his chin on top of her head.
"Are you sure? You're not upset that you're not going to have a chance to say good-bye?"
Ariana cringed. Right. He was talking about Grandma Covington. Why did she keep forgetting about that? It was kind of an important detail of Briana
Lexa and Soomie eyed Maria with interest as Ariana casually looked away, suddenly riveted by the pilling atop her cashmere sock. Maria blithely flipped another page, lifting her tiny shoulders. "I don't mind being dateless. Soomie, however, does."
Ariana looked up in time to see Lexa and Soomie exchange a glance.
"I've got it! What about one of the newbies," Maria said, sitting up straight and swinging her legs around in front of her. "Y can ask Adam! Or
ou Jasper!"
Ariana's heart twisted in an odd way at the mention of Jasper. She tugged the now abandoned yearbook onto her thighs and flipped to last year's juniors.
"Or Landon," Lexa put in.
There was a brief pause. "I'm so over Landon," Soomie replied. "And Adam . . . I don't know. He and Brigit were really close. I'd just feel weird. But Jasper . . . I've actually had some moments with him."
"Real-ly?" Lexa asked, sliding off the bed and onto the floor with the rest of them. "What kind of moments?"
Soomie blushed. "I don't know. I think he might like me."
"Do you?" Ariana asked. Her voice sounded tense. But why? She shook out her arms, trying to relax. It would be great if Jasper liked Soomie. Right?
"Why didn't you mention this before we spent half an hour going through the yearbook?" Maria asked, taking a swig of her water.
"I don't know," Soomie said, blushing even darker and flipping her hair. "But he's always making excuses to talk to me. Like asking for my help with trig and checking to see if I need refills at lunch."
That's just because he's lazy and a gentleman, Ariana thought.
She found herself squeezing her water bottle and placed it back down on the floor. She stared down at her wet, cold fingers as Lexa and Maria peppered Soomie with questions about her and Jasper's potential. Her face felt hot, and she realized, suddenly, that she had thought that Jasper liked her. Not that she would ever do anything about it. It was just kind of nice to feel special. But if he'd been treating Soomie the same way all along . . . then she wasn't special at all.
But you're special to Palmer. That's all that matters, she told herself, feeling silly and more than a little bit selfish.
"You guys seem to hang out a lot, Ana," Soomie said suddenly. "Has he ever mentioned me?"
Ariana bit her lip. "No, actually, he hasn't."
"Oh." Soomie looked down at her lap.
"But that doesn't mean anything," Ariana said in a rush. "He's a guy."
The other girls looked at one another knowingly. That argument explained away all manners of behavior.
"Well, do you think you could talk to him?" Maria asked. "At least find out if he has a date yet. Then we'll know if Soomie should even bother."
Ariana swallowed hard. "Sure. I'll talk to him."
"Really? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Soomie said, flinging her arms around Ariana's neck. "You're the best, Ana."
Ariana smiled as she hugged Soomie back. Somehow she couldn't exactly see Soomie and Jasper as a couple, but if this was what her friend wanted, of course she would try to help her. No matter how bad an idea she thought it was. "So, you're doing okay?" Palmer asked Ariana on Wednesday evening, as they kicked back in what was now becoming their spot at the Hill. It was the comfiest suede couch with the best view of the river, so of course it belonged to the most admired couple in the school. Ariana cuddled into Palmer's shoulder and slipped her arm around his waist, relishing the feel of his six-pack under his shirt.
"Oh, I'm doing just fine," she murmured.
Palmer ran his fingers over the hair on the crown of her head, lifting it and dropping it over and over in a rhythmic way. He kissed her part, then rested his chin on top of her head.
"Are you sure? You're not upset that you're not going to have a chance to say good-bye?"
Ariana cringed. Right. He was talking about Grandma Covington. Why did she keep forgetting about that? It was kind of an important detail of Briana
Similar Books
