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Harry. “It’s an orange heart,” I said, grabbing for her wrist. “Orange is a symbol of enthusiasm and admiration—give it!”
“Enthusiasm,” she echoed, shoving me back. The buzzing continued between us. “I can tell.”
Right before I latched onto the cell, Margot pressedanswerand flicked on the speakerphone. “Hello,” she called, voice sounding strangled from pushing me off her. “You’ve reached Destelle Marie—ow! Stop trying to squish me!”
Mortified. I was mortified, and if looks could kill, Margot would be merely a dead body on my bed.
“Is this Margot?” Harry guessed into the phone, the amusement in his tone obvious.
Margot raised her eyebrows at me, flashing a grin. “I know I heard him talk on Monday, butdang, you’re right. His voice ishot.”
A dead, dead body. Maybe I could hire Jamie and Nellie to bury her in the backyard for twenty dollars.
“You should hear me sing,” Harry replied with a laugh. “Ask Stella about our karaoke session. We werefantastic.”
Any trace of annoyance or frustration with Margot went out the window in an instant, all because of one word.Stella. She seemed to notice it too, her lips twitching into an almost smile. Relenting on my attempt to pry the phone from Margot, I fell back onto the bed, gazing at the ceiling.
Harry laughed again, the sound crackly from the static in the phone. “So, what are you two lovely ladies doing today? Important things?”
I liked that he and I had this running joke, that in the course of just a few weeks we went from being strangers to having our own inside joke. “The opposite,” Margot replied. “Destelle is holding me hostage at her boring house. She can’t leave because she has to babysit, and apparently that means I’m stuck too. You should come stand in my place.”
“Ah, like tap in for you?”
My brain translated his words:Ah, like come to Destelle’s house?
Come to my house. Ha, that’d be a hardno. Absolutely not. Harry Russo could not come over. The twins would see him, tell my parents, and I’d be dead meat. I could already hear Jamie ratting me out. “Destelle had aboyover without your permission!”
Mom would skin me alive.
But then again…Harry coming over could be exciting. Throwing caution to the wind. Being more like Stella…
“Exactly. I think someone else should suffer.” Margot lifted her eyes to mine. I could practically read her mind when she looked at me like that, as if her gaze opened some secret connection.It’s your life. It’syourlife. Don’t let your parents dictate it for you anymore. “What do you think,Stella?”
The name itself was a little arrow, slicing straight through me. A challenge. What wouldStella do? Stella was brave and confident; she’d invite a boy over in a heartbeat. She would take advantage of the fact that her parents were gone.
Harry waited for my response quietly, letting me decide. I knew he’d be content even if I said no. He’d never push me.
Stella wouldn’t let this opportunity pass her by.
“Sure.” Not exactly the overly confident response I’d been hoping to give, but I’d take it. Margot gave me a thumbs-up.
On the other end of the line, I could hear the smile in Harry’s voice. “Tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”
