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“Welcome to your first day!” Maggie, the girl with the awesome pink hair, calls out as soon as I walk through the door at Board and Brews. It makes my nerves go down by about two hundred percent. I had nightmares last night about her doing a one-eighty once I showed up to work today, and suddenly treating me like all the SH Prep jerks do.
“Oh. Uh, thanks,” I say, walking over to join her at the counter. “I’m excited to start.”
Which is a bit of a stretch, since I am obviously so nervous there isn’t much room for any other emotions just yet. Still, I’m excited that she was so nice to me, right off the bat. So maybe that counts.
“Is that the new girl?” I hear Hayden call from somewhere in the back. “Tell her we just got an epic new shipment of games!”
We hear the sound of a box being cut and then, a second later, Hayden’s voice again.
“A new Red Raven game! Freakin’ awesome, man!”
I can’t help the smile that creeps across my face. “I love Red Raven games,” I say. “Above and Below is in my top five games.”
Maggie puts her hand out for a high five. “Same!” We slap hands. “The characters are the coolest, right?”
Less than ten minutes in and I’ve already had a high-five. Anothernormalshared moment, but unlike the one I shared with Sebastian yesterday in class, I know this one is real. These people get me. They are geeking out over board games and I’m pretty confident neither of them go around screwing every single person who gives them a second look. Or berate and ridicule anyone who is too smart or weird or into anything that isn’t totally cool. I mean, obviously; they’re flipping out over board games.
I think I’m going to like this job.
The day goes by pretty quickly. There is way more to do than I would have thought. In addition to dealing with customers and explaining games and re-shelving them and stuff, we also bake a lot of the desserts and baked goods in the small kitchen. Also, there are two birthday parties in the afternoon in the small private rooms. Then more games to unpack and categorize. Food to prepare. Tables to clean. Purchases to ring through. And games in the small storefront section to price.
I’m still really intimidated by Hayden and Maggie. They seem so confident and comfortable in who they are, and I’m just waiting for them to realize I don’t belong here. To clue in that I’mnotconfident or at all comfortable with who I am. Which is why, when they ask if I want to stay after closing to play the new Red Raven game with them, I tell them I have to be somewhere. I cave to the nagging voice at the back of my head warning me to quit while I’m ahead. Not to ruin what has turned out to be a really good first day here. Honestly, the best day I’ve had in years. And yes, I’m aware how sad that sounds. But it’s not like it’s any secret that my social life is depressingly tragic.
So, I’m not going to ruin a good thing by pushing my luck. Not when it’s the first good thing that’s happened to me in years. Other than the news about Braden Hall, obviously.
“Fine. We’ll let you bail this time,” Maggie tells me, giving the counter a final wipe down. “But you’re not getting a pass when we crack open the Zombicide expansion pack next week.”
“Okay.” I smile.
I love Zombicide. It will be really hard to turn that down. But I don’t want to get greedy. It seems as if Maggie and Hayden like me. Which is a concept that still seems so sparkly new and fragile that I don’t want to go and shatter it by treating it like something frivolous. Hanging out with them when I don’t have the safety net of work tasks to focus on seems like exactly that. It creates a scenario where I’m way more likely to say something really lame or weird, or do something that would tip them off that I’m not the normal, chill person they think I am.
Chapter Seventeen
Caroline
Sebastiancancelshistutoringsession the next day. Which, at first, I assume is him totally playing me because it’s Sunday and, of course, there would be a bunch of cool things going on that he doesn’t want to miss out on. But then Graham texts me to let me know they will still pay me for today’s session, since it’s such a last-minute cancellation. Which makes me feel a bit better, because at least it means the cancellation is legit. Sebastian isn’t just feeding me a line or playing me for a fool.
Only, maybe heistotally playing me. And his parents.
I mean, it kind of seems like he does that a lot. That he gets away with making excuses or bailing or charming his way out of everything with a simple excuse or flirtation or far-fetched distraction. And maybe now I’m just one more person lumped into the harem of people Sebastian Murdoch has doing his bidding. Showing up when he needs us and fading into the background when we’re just getting in the way of his fun. Because it seems awfully convenient that he was totally fine on Friday—in fine form for his precious football game. And then suddenly so under the weather on Sunday that he can’t show up for a two-hour tutoring session?
I mean, can we say “hangover”?
Because I have no doubt there was a huge party to celebrate the Titans’ win on Friday night. Probably at Xavier Rockwell’s, since it sounds like he’s allowed to throw parties at the drop of a hat without his parents even batting an eye.
Not that I know for sure the Titans won. I’m just assuming. But since everything always seems to play out in Sebastian Murdoch’s favor, I figure it’s a pretty safe bet to say he led the team to yet another rousing victory.
He definitely doesn’t look sick when he wanders into science class on Monday morning, side by side with none other than Scarlett. He looks just fine, in fact. Ball cap and happy-go-lucky grin perfectly in place.
And suddenly I am fuming. I am so mad that after ditching me for the first tutoring session, andbegging me—showing up with a stupid adorable stuffy—to give him another chance and to “trust him”, he goes and bails on me after justone session.He made me believe he really felt bad about forgetting to show up for our initial scheduled slot, and that he did really want to make an effort going forward. When really, I was just taken in like everyone else, by his whole “aw-shucks-I-never-meant-to-upset-anyone” act. Because he is Sebastian freakin’ Murdoch and he can do no wrong. He can get away with doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and everyone will keep right on falling at his feet. Even me, apparently.
Only not anymore.
His eyes land on me as he swaggers down the aisle in that laid-back, devil may-care way of his, and they narrow just slightly. Like he’s trying to read me. The corner of his mouth tips into an even wider grin, and I give him a cursory smile in return. Which is a huge accomplishment since it’s taking all my restraint not to glare daggers at him right now.
I immediately turn my attention to my backpack after that, and start unloading my textbook and pencil case, setting them down on my side of the table, in between Daniel’s stuff and the petri dish in the middle.
Sebastian and Scarlett head over to the table right in front of the one I’m at. The same spot he sat at last week with Victoria, who’s already perched daintily on her stool.
