Ty rolls his eyes in exactly the same way. ‘I’m bad at making friends because I tell people my thoughts too much.’
‘That is not true,’ says Daze.
‘No? How so?’ asks Ty.
‘You don’t tell Dad how you really feel about anything.’
Ouch. I can tell a killer blow when I see one. Ty’s mouth tightens, his gaze gets more intense.
Daze shakes his head. ‘Sometimes the truth hurts.’ He bounces the ball and starts heading for the house. ‘Thanks for the advice, Selena. I’ll tell you how it goes.’
I look at Ty. ‘Is he right, about your dad?’
I thought he was going to get defensive, but Ty shrugs. ‘Yeah, he’s right.’ He must see my shocked face, because he gives a small smile and says, ‘What? I’m many things, but I’m not a liar. Maybe that’s why people don’t always gravitate to me.’
‘You don’t have to be a liar to make friends,’ I say. ‘You have to care about what people think.’
‘Ah, but that’s the other problem. I don’t want to care about what other people think of me.’
‘Except your dad.’ It’s a statement, not a question.
He looks away. ‘I don’t want to talk about him.’
I leave it. If anyone knows wanting to be left alone about certain topics, it’s me right now.
‘Did you register for Rose Conrad?’ I say instead.
‘Yeah, did you?’
‘Nope, I let the day slide after spending so much time talking toyou about it yesterday.’
‘Ah there’s the famous British sarcasm.’
‘Are you going to tell me why you like Rose Conrad yet?’
He shakes his head. ‘It’s not a big deal. My ex was really into her. She discovered her whenRosescame out. I was having a tough time and she played me the album, and since then . . . Well, Rose Conrad has spoken to me, y’know.’
‘What happened to your ex?’
Ty gives a small smile. ‘We discovered we were better off as friends. That and she was clearly in love with her lab partner.’
I make a face.
‘I didn’t take it personally, she was good to me. But I don’t know. She wasn’t the one, you know? When Rose Conrad sings about love, I feel it’s got to feel bigger than anything I’ve ever felt before.’
‘So you lost a girlfriend and gained Rose Conrad?’
‘Something like that.’
Looking at Ty’s pretty face and listening to his clever words, right now it’s hard to imagine anyone leaving him. But then again he does have a very prickly personality.
‘Why are you homeschooled?’
‘Because I’m in the last year studying for my High School Diploma, so I can’t take whatever levels you have here.’
‘What do you study in the diploma?’
‘A bit of everything: Math, English, Politics. All AP.’
