Page 76

“Of course I want to know.”

I smiled. “I’m going to do it with Jacob.”

“Do what?”

“Sex,” I whispered.

“Wait, really?” She squealed. “I had a feeling that tonight would be a big night. You’re finally losing your V-Card.”

I smiled.

“I’m really happy for you, Scar.”

“Thank you. But back to your thing.” We climbed into her car.

“Right,” she said as she pulled the car out of her spot. “Here’s the plan. Obviously I can’t ask Mr. Halifax to the Sadie Hawkins dance. But what if we moved the dance to him?”

“What?”

“You’re the school president. You can do whatever you want.” She turned out of the school.

I laughed. “That’s not how it works. There’s a whole council.” Although I was pretty sure the only thing the president did was help plan the dances. I’d been weirdly enjoying student council. I would have felt bad about cheating to become president, but the girl who’d actually been running told me how relieved she was that she didn’t win. Apparently her parents had forced her to do it. And I was having fun making this year’s Sadie Hawkins dance the best one ever.

“Then get the council to move it. I heard through the grapevine that Mr. Halifax isn’t going to be chaperoning the dance. Which means he won’t be in teacher mode. So if we can move the dance to wherever he’s going to be, he’ll be in...out of school mode. Which means he’ll hook up with me.”

“He’ll probably just be in his apartment if he’s not working, right?”

“Then I’ll text him and tell them there’s an emergency wherever we move the dance to and he’ll come.”

I stared at her. “You have his number?”

“Maybe.”

“It’s a yes or no question, Soph.”

“I may have recently acquired his number. But I haven’t used it yet. I need to wait until just the right moment. And I’m thinking that moment is the fake emergency Sadie Hawkins dance.”

“The Sadie Hawkins dance is always in the school cafeteria. Always.” It was one of the only dances held at Empire High instead of a ballroom somewhere. It was supposed to be old school. That was the whole point.

“Not this year.” She pulled to the curb.

“Why are we at my place?” Oh no. Had she set up the party in Natalivanka’s mom’s apartment without consulting me?

“Don’t you want something a little sexier to slip into for your first time?”

I was wearing leggings, an Empire High long-sleeved t-shirt, and Jacob’s varsity jacket. I guess she had a point. “Yeah, I’ll be right back.” I hurried into the apartment and hit the button for Natalivanka’s floor.

I used my key, went up the trapdoor in my secret lair, and threw open the door to my closet. I stared at my first time silky pajamas that my mom had gotten me. I’d worn them for photos for Leo. And I’d worn them to sleep in beside Axel. But I didn’t really have time to overthink it. I grabbed the silky pajamas, shoved them into my purse, and ran back down the spiral staircase.

Sophie was waiting for me in the car. “All set?” she asked.

“Mhm.”

She hit her foot on the gas. Whoever was throwing the party was only several minutes away from my place. We climbed out of the car and headed into the building.

It was more old-fashioned like Sophie’s place. There was elevator music and crown molding everywhere. And now that I was worried Sophie was going to throw a party, I was very aware of how loud the music was before we even walked into the apartment.

The place was absolutely packed. And someone blew smoke in my face as I walked down the hall. I coughed and waved my hand through the air. I was not going to do hard drugs right before my first time.