Page 22 of Library or Lattes?

4 Library

ON MONDAY AT SCHOOL, I was still angry about Theo. Mr. Arrogant. Weatherman. Mansplainer. In fact, I’d been ranting to Lennie about him all morning, and now it was everyone else’s turn to hear my tirade. We sat outside for lunch at the same table we’d sat at for the last two years whenever the weather was nice enough.

“You should have heard him. ‘Subpar schooling.’ Ugh! It was so rude.” I rolled my eyes and Lennie nodded in support.

“Well.” Krista considered. “My sister goes to the community college, and maybe he has a point.”

“Krista!” I exclaimed.

“Just telling it like it is,” Krista said, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“Well, anyway, this guy, he mansplained the wind to me, he wants to study architecture, and he thinks he’s way too good for Oak Falls.” I felt my rage building again, the same way it had burned last night at the library. I ignored the other feeling, the one that sent shivers up my spine as the ladder incident replayed in my head.

“Yeah, Willa, that’s cool and all, but is he cute?” Avery asked with a grin.

“Why do you want to know if he’s cute?” Avery’s boyfriend, Wyatt, looked offended. But he was always offended about something. I think she was only going out with him because he worshipped the ground she walked on.

“No, he’s not cute,” I lied.

Lennie burst out laughing at that. “Even I know he’s cute,” she confirmed, “and I haven’t even met him. Anyone who gets Willa so hot under the collar must be seriously cute. Because otherwise you’re just all sweetness and light and making everything okay for everybody, blah, blah, blah!” Lennie grinned at me.

“That is so not me,” I protested, but when I glanced around the table and saw the looks the girls and Wyatt were giving me, I knew it was an argument I wasn’t going to win. I tried to smile and get in on the fun.

Krista reached over and squeezed my arm. “Oh my God, Willa, you have to invite him to the Halloween party.”

“No way! He’d bring the whole vibe down.” I shook my head and sipped the cocoa I’d bought from the cafeteria. It was no match for the Little Acorn’s.

“I was thinking … of asking Sara to come … Is that okay?” Lennie asked Krista tentatively. I acted cool, but I knew it was such a huge deal for her to mention Sara in front of everyone.

“Sara Coldwood? Sure, of course, invite whoever you guys want. Oh, and I trust everyone will be at Harvest Festival?” Krista’s eyes went around the table, looking at all of us one by one. “Dad’s sponsoring the whole thing again and Mom’s on the committee and already stressed about decorations, so I said I’d help get as many ‘young people’ there as possible.” She rolled her eyes. “But seriously, it’ll be better this year, I think—live band, s’mores station, hayrides for the kids. Mrs. Burrows is making like a thousand pies.”

“Are we going, babe?” Wyatt asked Avery.

“Of course we’re going. And to the game on Friday? Is that still happening?” Avery looked at everyone in turn, like she was hoping for one of us to put an end to that plan.

“I’m on board for some school spirit,” I said. I wanted it to happen for Lennie and Sara, so I’d be there. Lennie squeezed my hand.

“Watching some jocks run up and down a field isn’t exactly my idea of a great night,” Avery complained.

Wyatt took his chance. “We could hang out alone instead if you wanted? Go to the diner?”

Avery sighed, and we all waited for her answer. “No, babe, I have to do this. For our team.” Avery nodded solemnly, and Wyatt looked confused.

“The Oak High Hawks?” he asked.

“No, our team of friends! Just forget it, I’m out of here.” Avery stood up with her tray and walked away, with Wyatt running after her.

“You two are going to Harvest Festival, right?” Krista confirmed with me and Lennie.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” I said, and I meant it.

Krista looked me up and down. “You know, Willa, that haircut is great on you.”

“Thanks, Kris. You know it was actually Melissa who gave me the idea. I saw her in the bookstore a few weeks ago, and she said she thought I could pull it off.” I played with a piece of the short hair I was still getting used to.

“What was my sister doing in the bookstore?” Krista asked. She shrugged. “Must have been lost or something.”

I shook my head. Sometimes I wished my family didn’t just mean me and Pop—I’d have loved a sibling. But I couldn’t imagine talking about them like this.