have the chance to take a load off.
“Aren’t you gonna lace them up for me?” Christopher joked.
“Don’t push it,” Abby said.
Christopher extracted the first pair of cleats from the box and went about removing the inserts.
“So, how’s everything with your sister, yo?”
“I met her man this morning,” Abby said, pulling her knees up under her chin. “Can’t stand him.”
“What? Why?” Christopher asked.
“He totally talked down to me. He heard I was a ‘good little soccer player,’” she said, putting on a doofy voice. “And he was acting like—I don’t know— like he was already part of my family—looking at me like he knew so much about me.” She glanced down at Christopher’s feet and grimaced. “P.S., those are not attractive.”
“They’re not supposed to be attractive. They’re supposed to be functional,” Christopher said, getting up to give them a test walk. He paused in front of the mirror and looked down at the neon yellow and puke green cleats. “Whoa. Those are ugly. So, what else? I mean, is the guy cool on any level?”
“Well, he’s pretty good-looking, but maybe too good-looking, you know?” Abby said.
“No. How can anyone be too good-looking?”
“It’s not that, really,” Abby said, struggling to put her feelings into words. “It was like he was too on. His hair was just the right way and his teeth were totally white and he was beyond polite and attentive to my mom. He had my parents laughing, like, all morning. I could hear them from my room.”
“So what, he’s a big suck-up or something?” Christopher asked. He dropped down next to her again and yanked off the cleats. “You think he’s a fake?”
“It’s hard to explain,” Abby said. “I just get a bad vibe from him. Don’t you get a vibe from some people?”
Just then, the door to the shop opened and Noah walked in. Abby’s heart did a little flip, and then a flop. Noah was smiling until his eyes fell on Christopher and Abby.
“Whaddup, Johnny Rockets?” Noah said, lifting his chin in greeting.
Christopher gave Noah the up and down as he worked his foot into another shoe. “You’re the cake boy, right?”
Noah let out a short exhale through his nose and then turned toward Abby. “I was just at your house and met your sister’s fiancé?” He looked very confused.
“Oh, yeah. Carol’s getting married,” Abby said flatly. “Whoo-hoo.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” Noah said. “I mean, I’ve seen you five times since she apparently told you guys.”
“Sorry,” Abby said. “I guess I just assumed you’d already heard.”
“Aren’t you psyched?”
“Yeah,” Abby said flatly. “Totally.”
Abby got up and started pacing. Somehow she’d expected Noah to be as shocked and appalled as she’d been. She was expecting antiwedding solidarity.
“He seemed pretty cool,” Noah said, walking over to her.
“I don’t know . . . he’s all right,” she said unconvincingly. “Like I was just telling Christopher, he just seemed a little too perfect. Didn’t you feel it when you met him?”
“Feel what?” Noah asked.
“A vibe. Like he’s trying too hard,” Abby said. “Like maybe he’s trying to cover something up with all this forced perfection.”
She looked up at Noah and he nodded knowingly, then shook his head at her. “What?” she asked. “What’s that look?”
“Sounds to me like you’re looking for reasons not to like the guy,” Noah said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Abby asked, her face growing red.
“That you don’t want to like him, so you’re coming up with reasons not to.”
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Christopher asked, looking from Abby’s stricken face to Noah.
“No problem,” Noah said. “I just . . . I suggest you jump on the bandwagon here, Ab. Your sister’s gonna get married no matter how much you mope and pout and slam doors.”
Abby felt the color rise in her cheeks. “I am not
“Aren’t you gonna lace them up for me?” Christopher joked.
“Don’t push it,” Abby said.
Christopher extracted the first pair of cleats from the box and went about removing the inserts.
“So, how’s everything with your sister, yo?”
“I met her man this morning,” Abby said, pulling her knees up under her chin. “Can’t stand him.”
“What? Why?” Christopher asked.
“He totally talked down to me. He heard I was a ‘good little soccer player,’” she said, putting on a doofy voice. “And he was acting like—I don’t know— like he was already part of my family—looking at me like he knew so much about me.” She glanced down at Christopher’s feet and grimaced. “P.S., those are not attractive.”
“They’re not supposed to be attractive. They’re supposed to be functional,” Christopher said, getting up to give them a test walk. He paused in front of the mirror and looked down at the neon yellow and puke green cleats. “Whoa. Those are ugly. So, what else? I mean, is the guy cool on any level?”
“Well, he’s pretty good-looking, but maybe too good-looking, you know?” Abby said.
“No. How can anyone be too good-looking?”
“It’s not that, really,” Abby said, struggling to put her feelings into words. “It was like he was too on. His hair was just the right way and his teeth were totally white and he was beyond polite and attentive to my mom. He had my parents laughing, like, all morning. I could hear them from my room.”
“So what, he’s a big suck-up or something?” Christopher asked. He dropped down next to her again and yanked off the cleats. “You think he’s a fake?”
“It’s hard to explain,” Abby said. “I just get a bad vibe from him. Don’t you get a vibe from some people?”
Just then, the door to the shop opened and Noah walked in. Abby’s heart did a little flip, and then a flop. Noah was smiling until his eyes fell on Christopher and Abby.
“Whaddup, Johnny Rockets?” Noah said, lifting his chin in greeting.
Christopher gave Noah the up and down as he worked his foot into another shoe. “You’re the cake boy, right?”
Noah let out a short exhale through his nose and then turned toward Abby. “I was just at your house and met your sister’s fiancé?” He looked very confused.
“Oh, yeah. Carol’s getting married,” Abby said flatly. “Whoo-hoo.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” Noah said. “I mean, I’ve seen you five times since she apparently told you guys.”
“Sorry,” Abby said. “I guess I just assumed you’d already heard.”
“Aren’t you psyched?”
“Yeah,” Abby said flatly. “Totally.”
Abby got up and started pacing. Somehow she’d expected Noah to be as shocked and appalled as she’d been. She was expecting antiwedding solidarity.
“He seemed pretty cool,” Noah said, walking over to her.
“I don’t know . . . he’s all right,” she said unconvincingly. “Like I was just telling Christopher, he just seemed a little too perfect. Didn’t you feel it when you met him?”
“Feel what?” Noah asked.
“A vibe. Like he’s trying too hard,” Abby said. “Like maybe he’s trying to cover something up with all this forced perfection.”
She looked up at Noah and he nodded knowingly, then shook his head at her. “What?” she asked. “What’s that look?”
“Sounds to me like you’re looking for reasons not to like the guy,” Noah said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Abby asked, her face growing red.
“That you don’t want to like him, so you’re coming up with reasons not to.”
“Dude, what’s your problem?” Christopher asked, looking from Abby’s stricken face to Noah.
“No problem,” Noah said. “I just . . . I suggest you jump on the bandwagon here, Ab. Your sister’s gonna get married no matter how much you mope and pout and slam doors.”
Abby felt the color rise in her cheeks. “I am not
Similar Books
