AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Deena came over with a cup and her phone in hand, sitting next to Kenzie.
“No boyfriend tonight?” I asked.
Kenzie gave me a warning look, but it was too late. Deena burst into tears.
Terrell, Xander, and I exchanged confused glances. “What did I do?” I asked.
“H-h-he dumped me,” Deena sobbed. My heart sank for her. Kenzie confided to me once that Deena had disordered eating, and getting compliments from guys helped her feel good enough in her skin. I hated that she couldn’t find that confidence in herself.
Kenzie patted her back. “He’s a jerk. You’re better off without him.”
Terrell pushed up from the sand. “I think that’s my cue to bounce.”
I shook my head at him. He only had one sister, and as far as I knew, she didn’t deal with a lot of heartbreak. He wasn’t great with emotions. But living with three sisters, emotions were all I knew. So I leaned over Kenz and put my hand on Deena’s shoulder.
“Hey,” I said, my voice firm enough to get her attention.
She seemed stunned as she sniffled and stared at me.
“If I learned anything from my older sister, it’s that some guys can be real jerks. But if you waste your time worrying about them, you’ll miss out on the guy who really cares.”
Her eyes softened. “You’re so right,” she whispered.
“Of course he is,” Kenzie said. She nudged my knee with her elbow, hissing, “Keep going.”
Okay, time to improvise.
“You know there are one-star reviews onTitanic, right?”
Deena sniffed. “Because it has a terrible ending.”
“It’s based on a true—you know what? Never mind. My point is it’s one of the most popular movies in all of history, and there are still people who say it’s terrible. Just because someone doesn’t see your value doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”
Deena reached over Kenzie and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Thank you, Diego. You’re just the best, trying to cheer me up like that.”
I patted her back. “Anytime. You need to enjoy yourself tonight. Have a good time. You can do that without some loser guy.”
“I promise.” She pulled away, taking another drink from her cup.
Xander nudged my side, whispering, “What kind of kung fu magic was that?”
I shrugged, about to reply when Kenzie spoke.
“Is that the new girl with Sadie?” Kenzie asked, tilting her head toward the hill everyone had to walk over to get here.
Sure enough, Sadie and April were walking toward the party, but my eyes glazed right over Sadie’s aqua hair and landed on April. She had on these short shorts that showed off her hips and thighs. They swayed back and forth as she walked down the hill, and I had to look away before my body started taking over where my mind left off.
“Do you have any classes with her?” Kenzie asked.
Deena hiccupped. “We have current events together. She’s pretty quiet.”
Kenzie nodded. “I had to partner with her in art, and she barely said two words to me.”
The guy playing guitar changed songs to an acoustic version of “Macarena”.
“Oh. My gosh!” Dee said. “We have to dance to this!”
She pulled Kenzie’s hand, and Kenzie yanked my hand. When I protested, she growled, “If I have to do this, so do you.”
