Bridge, me at the symphony, and the pictures of Owen at the Tower, but nobody in the background that looks even a little bit like Griffon, at least as far as I can see. I’m relieved. Mostly.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Kat asks.
“No,” I say, handing the camera back to her. “But that’s a good thing.”
“So you have no idea where he lives?” Rayne asks. “Not the city or the state, or anything? I thought I trained you better than that.”
I smile at her. Rayne is always trying to pull me back from the edge of Loserville. I’ve spent so much time with the cello the past few years that it’s like I’ve been dating it instead of boys. Rayne’s trying her best to help me make up for the time I’ve lost.
“No. He could find out my info through Owen and Kat, but it looks like he hasn’t bothered. It’s … awkward. I mean, I faintedright into him. He was just being nice by getting me something to drink. Nothing more to it.”
Rayne shakes her head and takes a sip of her extra-hot soy latte. “I don’t know. If you’re talking about him at all, that means you’re thinking about him. A lot.” She looks over at me. “You are, aren’t you?”
I don’t want to have this conversation, but it feels like if I don’t share just a little of the feelings swirling inside I’ll go crazy. I printed out the picture from Dad’s camera and have it in my folder, but I’m not ready to show anyone. Not even Rayne. As much as I don’t want to admit that I think about Griffon so much, I can’t lie to her. “Yeah,” I say. “I guess I do.”
“Then you should totally tell your sister to have that other guy give Griffon your number,” she says, the excitement building in her voice. “Maybe you two are destined for each other. Ooh, can you imagine how romantic it would be to tell your grandchildren how you met? The Tower of London—where he rescued you.”
“Come on, Rayne,” I say, looking around to make sure nobody else in the café is paying attention. “Settle down. For all I know he lives all the way out in New Jersey and is a total creep.” Rayne’s mom has pumped her head full of hippie ideas about destiny and auras and ridiculous things like that, and she’s always making a big deal about every little coincidence. Nothing is allowed to just
happen
. Everything has a hidden meaning.
Rayne reaches up and unties her necklace, handing it to me. “Here,” she says. “You need this more than I do.”
I look at the light pink stone that hangs on a black cord. “Thanks,but pink isn’t really my color.” I never wear necklaces. The feeling of weight around my neck is always a little suffocating.
Rayne stands up and ties the cord around my neck. “Like it or not, you need it,” she says. “It’s rose quartz—the symbol of universal love. It attracts positive energy, and that’s what you need right now, I can feel it.”
I lift the stone and feel it thunk back against my chest. Despite its pinkness, it
is
pretty, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. “Thanks,” I say. “Let’s hope it works.”
“Some people are just meant to be together,” she says. “Their spirits search the world for their match, and when they find it, everything else melts away until they’re united.”
I nod. “Right. I’m sure that’s what’s going on.” Even though I think she’s completely nuts most of the time, she is my best friend. My phone chimes, and I reach over to read the text.
“That’s weird,” I say, reading it again. “Kat wants me to meet her at the shop after work.” Except for vacations when she has no choice, the two of us don’t exactly hang out.
Rayne downs the rest of her coffee. “That
is
weird. Maybe she needs money. Or maybe she’s in some kind of trouble that she doesn’t want your parents to know about. That’s why she wants you to meet her out of the house.”
“I doubt it,” I say. But I can’t think of a more logical reason.
The glass
“Did you find what you were looking for?” Kat asks.
“No,” I say, handing the camera back to her. “But that’s a good thing.”
“So you have no idea where he lives?” Rayne asks. “Not the city or the state, or anything? I thought I trained you better than that.”
I smile at her. Rayne is always trying to pull me back from the edge of Loserville. I’ve spent so much time with the cello the past few years that it’s like I’ve been dating it instead of boys. Rayne’s trying her best to help me make up for the time I’ve lost.
“No. He could find out my info through Owen and Kat, but it looks like he hasn’t bothered. It’s … awkward. I mean, I faintedright into him. He was just being nice by getting me something to drink. Nothing more to it.”
Rayne shakes her head and takes a sip of her extra-hot soy latte. “I don’t know. If you’re talking about him at all, that means you’re thinking about him. A lot.” She looks over at me. “You are, aren’t you?”
I don’t want to have this conversation, but it feels like if I don’t share just a little of the feelings swirling inside I’ll go crazy. I printed out the picture from Dad’s camera and have it in my folder, but I’m not ready to show anyone. Not even Rayne. As much as I don’t want to admit that I think about Griffon so much, I can’t lie to her. “Yeah,” I say. “I guess I do.”
“Then you should totally tell your sister to have that other guy give Griffon your number,” she says, the excitement building in her voice. “Maybe you two are destined for each other. Ooh, can you imagine how romantic it would be to tell your grandchildren how you met? The Tower of London—where he rescued you.”
“Come on, Rayne,” I say, looking around to make sure nobody else in the café is paying attention. “Settle down. For all I know he lives all the way out in New Jersey and is a total creep.” Rayne’s mom has pumped her head full of hippie ideas about destiny and auras and ridiculous things like that, and she’s always making a big deal about every little coincidence. Nothing is allowed to just
happen
. Everything has a hidden meaning.
Rayne reaches up and unties her necklace, handing it to me. “Here,” she says. “You need this more than I do.”
I look at the light pink stone that hangs on a black cord. “Thanks,but pink isn’t really my color.” I never wear necklaces. The feeling of weight around my neck is always a little suffocating.
Rayne stands up and ties the cord around my neck. “Like it or not, you need it,” she says. “It’s rose quartz—the symbol of universal love. It attracts positive energy, and that’s what you need right now, I can feel it.”
I lift the stone and feel it thunk back against my chest. Despite its pinkness, it
is
pretty, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. “Thanks,” I say. “Let’s hope it works.”
“Some people are just meant to be together,” she says. “Their spirits search the world for their match, and when they find it, everything else melts away until they’re united.”
I nod. “Right. I’m sure that’s what’s going on.” Even though I think she’s completely nuts most of the time, she is my best friend. My phone chimes, and I reach over to read the text.
“That’s weird,” I say, reading it again. “Kat wants me to meet her at the shop after work.” Except for vacations when she has no choice, the two of us don’t exactly hang out.
Rayne downs the rest of her coffee. “That
is
weird. Maybe she needs money. Or maybe she’s in some kind of trouble that she doesn’t want your parents to know about. That’s why she wants you to meet her out of the house.”
“I doubt it,” I say. But I can’t think of a more logical reason.
The glass
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