AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Inspiration struck at a possible segue. “Yeah, it wasn’t that bad…and the football players aren’t as bad as I thought.”
“Ooh, like who? Did you talk to them? Anyone I know?”
I probably could’ve told Jozie about tutoring Connor. She was miles away at her art school. She didn’t even check Babble anymore. I couldn’t imagine her saying anything to anybody, but after weeks of keeping the information, I couldn’t break my promise to Connor now. “Well, Landon Settler was really nice. So was…” Crap, what was another football player’s name? Without thinking, I added, “Reed Manning.”
“Isn’t Reed Rachel’s brother?”
“Uh, yeah.” Her brother who had also quit the team this season. Thankfully, Jozie wasn’t aware of that. “And Connor Bray was really cool, surprisingly. I talked to him a bit after the game. Do you remember Connor?”
It was a stupid question, becauseof courseshe remembered Connor. She’d graduated last spring. She was slow to respond, though, and I knew by the hesitation that I’d screwed up. I should’ve been more careful. “Why are you asking?”
Well, I guess my stealth went out the window when I was running on zero sleep. “Oh, uh—trying to make conversation.”
“If you’re thinking of getting involved with him…don’t, Maisie. Okay?”
The thought stirred my stomach, like a bird was fluttering around in it. “Ew, Jozie, I’m notgetting involved with him. I was only asking a question. Besides, he’s dating Jade.” My brain easily conjured up the image of her kissing him on the football field, like she was marking her territory.
“I’m just saying, everything he does issuperscrutinized. Connor’s the poster child for Brentwood, and I know you know that. I mean, look at your friend’s blog, for crying out loud.”
I had looked at Ava’s blog. For five hours straight. My lips twitched into a frown, though, uncertain where she was going.
“I’d hate for someone to snap a picture of you talking to him and have it spiral out of control. Those people do things for the attention. It’s toxic, and not something you want to get caught up in.”
Like nearly being spotted in the equipment closet with him?Ha. “Yeah, I know, I know.”
The other end of the line grew quiet for a moment, leaving a white static sort of sound in my ear. I picked at the edge of my comforter, feeling where the material had thinned from years of plucking at it. “I was on the Most Likely To list this year.”
I wasn’t sure why I’d told her, or why I blurted the words as if they were some grand thing. Bringing it up now didn’t make sense. I’d put all that behind me. I’d already dealt with it. It wasn’t a big enough deal, and definitely not something I wanted to talk about with my sister, who had never been on the list.
“It’s whatever,” I said immediately, grimacing. “It’s not that big of a deal. Ava was on it too. It’s like a rite of passage, right?”
Jozie didn’t respond right away, almost like she was thinking about her words first. “What was your label?”
“It was a new one—Marry A Math Book.”
Jozie fell quiet once more on the other end, and I had to check to make sure the call hadn’t dropped. Talking to her like this, in the early morning, reminded me of times that we’d both stay up chatting.
I closed my eyes and brought my blankets up to my chin.
“Don’t get caught up in it,” Jozie said at last, her voice considerably quieter now. “I know you. You say it’s not a big deal, but you’ve probably thought about it a million times since. But seriously. Don’t get caught up in all that drama.”
It’s too late, I wanted to tell her. “You know me,” I said, searching for levity to interject into my voice. My well was running on empty. “I’m dramaphobic. I repel drama. No drama for me.”
Jozie’s ghostly laugh filtered over the phone. “Go to sleep, Maisie,” she said softly, and I could almost pretend she was in the same room now, like words were tucking me in. “It’s too early to be awake, even for me. We can talk more later.”
A weird seed of disappointment blossomed in me, but drowsiness finally tickled my eyelids. The dark was starting to lull me closer, and my sister’s smooth voice wasn’t helping. “You didn’t ask why I asked about Connor,” I mumbled, the words practically gibberish.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t. I’m going to forget you asked anything about him. And Maisie?” She hesitated, making sure she had my full attention. Sleep tugged me again, and this time, I gave in. “You should forget about him, too.”
Spirit week. The week where everyone went all-out dressing for whatever the day’s theme was. Everyone’s goal was to be top-voted the outfit for the day, and the poll could be found on Brentwood Babble, of course. It meant that the outfits were crazy, over the top, or full-on glam.
AKA, the week from hell.
“Today is pajama day,” Ava said as I walked up to her in the hallway Monday morning, eyeing my jeans with distaste. She wore a matching silk pajama set, the pink and white stripes making her look like a glammed-up jailer. “Where are your pjs, girl?”
“I didn’t get the memo,” I responded apologetically as I clutched my backpack strap. As soon as I stepped into the building, I’d sought her out, and of course she’d be at her locker. “Hey, I have a question—”
“Ava posted it on Babble,” Rachel interrupted as she came up to us, carrying her books in one arm. She wore a simple black top paired with a pair of pajama pants, ones with little rubber ducks on them. She even had an eye mask perched on her forehead. “You really didn’t see?”
