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I sighed and sat down on the couch in our secret lair. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Yes, black heels are the perfect complement to a gold dress.”

“I mean this whole night,” I said. “I should be hanging out with Jacob and his family.”

“You can do that next Friday,” Sophie said.

“If Jacob doesn’t break up with me after he hears about tonight.” I strapped on the heels.

“He won’t. Now do you want a fur coat or...”

I laughed. “I’ll just wear my normal jacket.” I grabbed Jacob’s varsity jacket from the couch.

“You can’t wear Jacob’s varsity jacket.”

“Of course I can,” I said as I pulled it on over my dress. “I’m not going on this date for the sake of a date, remember? I’m going on it for the reveal.”

Sophie pressed her lips together. “Yeah. It still seems kind of rude to show up to the date in another man’s jacket though.”

“I’m wearing the low cut dress RJ requested I wear.”

“I wonder if that request was actually from your kiss thief of if RJ just wanted to see you in it.”

I glanced at the portrait of RJ on the wall and shuddered. “Ew.” I pulled both sides of the jacket to hide the low cut of the top. We seriously needed to remove that portrait. It was the opposite of tasteful. “Has RJ texted you anything? He said he’d tell me the time and place but I haven’t heard from him since lunch.”

“Oh, sorry, I should have said earlier. He’s waiting downstairs in the car for us.”

“Us? No. I can just take an Uber.”

Sophie laughed. “There is no way RJ and I aren’t coming to watch your date.”

“Sophie.” I glared at her.

“What?”

“You can’t spy on my date!”

“Why? Are you thinking about letting him go to third base with you again?”

“No! But I...” my voice trailed off. “I’m uncomfortable being watched.”

“Your kiss thief has literally been watching your every move since the beginning of the school year. No, actually longer. He’s been obsessed with you for ages, remember?”

I pressed my lips together. Jacob was probably right about the kiss thief. He was clearly a total creep... My chest was hurting again. It hadn’t really stopped hurting all week. I was pretty sure I was dying a slow painful death. “I don’t think I can do this. And I definitely can’t do it if you’re watching. Please, Soph.” What if it was Mr. Halifax and Sophie had to see us on a date? God, what if I’d actually gone to third base with my teacher?! I was just like my mom!

“You’ll be fine.” Sophie looped her arm through mine and pulled me out of the secret lair.

“I’m not fine. I’m having a heart attack.” All I could think about was walking into the restaurant and seeing Mr. Halifax. Would I throw a glass of water in his face? Would Sophie do it first?

“One day when you’re actually having a heart attack, no one is going to believe you.”

“Sophie, please, you can’t come...”

“You’ll be fine,” she said again.

I wasn’t so sure about that. But I probably should have guessed she’d be tagging along when she’d changed into one of Natalivanka’s mom’s dresses too.

Maybe it would be good if she was there. She could handle yelling at Mr. Halifax and I could just run away. I’d probably need to leave the country. I’d never be able to show my face ever again. And Sophie was wrong, I was definitely having a heart attack.