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“I think I saw him down the hall.” He pointed his beer bottle down a hall off the kitchen. “He’s probably in the game room.”

“Great,” I said. “I’ll be right back.” I hurried off down the hall.

One of the doors was open and it sounded like someone was firing a gun.

“Ah! Damn it!” someone yelled. “You shot me!”

If I hadn’t heard Liam playing videogames all the time, I would have been concerned. I walked into the game room and stared at the huge TV screen. A character was gushing blood out everywhere. Somone tossed their controller onto the couch.

This room was just as packed. And I didn’t see Jacob anywhere in here either.

“There you are, baby doll,” RJ said.

I jumped. He’d snuck up behind me. “RJ, have you seen Jacob?”

“I’m more interested in hearing about your new boyfriend. I like you and Leo together.” He took a bite of a brownie in his hand. “It’s basically like you’re dating me, which I find very fascinating.”

“Leo is not like you.” But...he kind of was. Sophie had said the same thing. They weren’t like exactly the same though. They were both just funny.

“Isn’t he though?”

“And we’re not dating.”

“That’s not what everyone is saying.”

My eyes grew round. “People are talking about it?”

“Of course. News spreads fast around here.”

“Where is Jacob?” I asked.

RJ shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.”

I pulled out my phone to text him, but it wouldn’t unlock. “Crap. I forgot my glasses. Can you text Jacob for me?”

“And why would I do that? It would be a lot more fun if Jacob heard the news from someone else, wouldn’t it? We haven’t had a boxing match since the beginning of the school year. And I’ve been practicing my right hook.”

“RJ! There isn’t going to be a fight!”

“I know, more like an all out brawl, don’t you think?”

Gah! “RJ, please text Jacob.”

“You want me to tell him the news?” He shrugged. “If that’s really what you want...”

“No! Stop being dense.” I grabbed his brownie and took a big bite.

“What are you doing?”

“You know I stress eat.” I tossed the rest of it in my mouth.

“No, don’t...” RJ’s voice trailed off when I swallowed. “Oh. Um. Okay.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

He blinked, his eyes wide. “You just shoved the whole thing in your mouth like a barbarian. And you didn’t even ask me what kind of brownie it was first.”

“Dark chocolate I think.”