pretty sure you said low-key college party when you picked me up,” I say, looking pointedly at Simone.
“Did I?” she asks innocently, avoiding my glare. The day has gone dark, but there are only a few stars out. The sky is strange tonight, and I can’t help but feel strange too.
I’m suddenly nervous, even though the party doesn’t look exactly wild. There’s a dude wearing a plaid sweater-vest, kicking a hacky sack in the driveway. And yet the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I check my phone again. Nothing.
We end up parking three blocks away, a fact that Felicity complains about the whole time we walk through the crisp October air. Gwen nearly kills herself in the spike-heeled boots she’s wearing, and when she’s not groaning about the “hike,” Felicity chatters on about looking for a quality guy. She calls dibs on the sweater-vest.
Although Simone and I have been hanging out with them since last year, it’s pretty clear this is more of a convenience friendship than anything. Lunches and parties—that’s about the extent of our interactions. I’m not close to them like I am with Simone. She and I are forever.
Just then Simone loops her arm through mine. “Guess who I heard will be here tonight?” She doesn’t wait for me to answer. “Joel.”
My stomach flips. “That’s nice,” I say, trying not to give anything away. But her laugh echoes down the street.
“Oh, yes. It is very nice. And from what I hear, Lauren is currently out of town visiting family.” I abruptly stop walking, nearly pulling Simone’s arm from its socket. Felicity and Gwen keep going, calling back that they’ll meet us inside. When Simone turns to me, I stare her down.
“You knew this all along, didn’t you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. “Is that why we’re really here?”
Simone’s red-stained lips pull into a broad smile. “It’s not like your longing looks in Joel Ryder’s direction have gone unnoticed. Don’t ever say I never did anything for you, Linus.” She smacks a kiss on my cheek and walks up the driveway to the house, giving the sweater-vest a teasing whistle as she passes. He salutes in response.
As I stand watching after her, listening to the sounds of muffled music leaking from the front door, my thoughts turn back to Gram.
I would do anything for her. Anything in the world. But instead of sitting at her side, I’m here at a party. I can’t help but think that maybe my sister is right—I am selfish. I sigh heavily.
You’re here; make the most of it, I think, rationalizing that I’ll be back with Gram in a few hours. I lift my chin and walk inside.
There’s a couple standing inside the entry, blocking my way as they argue over whether or not he was checking out his ex. I clear my throat and quietly say “excuse me,” but neither budges. Simone gets farther down the hall and I try to interrupt again, this time earning a glare from the girlfriend. I’ve started to wonder if I’ll be stuck in the breezy entryway for the rest of my life when I feel someone push in behind me.
“Excuse you,” I say, holding up a palm to stop from being flattened between the door and the wall. The pusher—a blond, blue-eyed typical college random—looks at me in surprised amusement.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” he says, too earnest to be serious. “It’s just that sometimes I don’t know my own superhuman strength.” Just to prove it, he pretends to crash through the door—mouthing explosions and slow-motion roars—before shutting it gently behind him.
I can’t help it; I laugh. “Forgiven,” I say. “But they might be your kryptonite.” I motion to the couple, who have now reached complete breakdown status. “Good luck getting past them. They’re like the bouncers from hell.” The guy glances at them, sizing up the situation before taking a spot against the closed door next to me.
“This might take a while,” he says. “From what I hear, Jared there is still into his ex. Gertrude isn’t pleased.”
“You know them?” I ask.
He meets my eyes. “Uh, no. Do you know any Gertrudes? It’s a fairly uncommon name. Wait, that’s not your name, is it?”
I move closer to the wall, putting a little more space between me and Mr. Hilarious. “I think you’re just trying to find out my name,” I say.
“Busted. Well?”
The couple in front of us finally stops talking and instead embraces in what can only be described as a make-up hug, one with roaming hands and whispers. I start to worry that I’ll somehow get sucked into their vortex of drama when my new friend murmurs next to me.
“Looks like Gerdy forgives him. It’s sweet really. Such a bright future, those two.”
“Yeah, well. I don’t think she’ll be as sweet to his ex, Belinda. After all, they used to be best friends.”
The guy beams. “Belinda was a really good choice.”
I laugh and then move ahead, finally getting past the couple as their make up turns make out. I’m scanning the room for Simone when the guy touches my shoulder.
“Do you need help finding someone?” he asks. “I know most of the girls here.”
“Is that so?” I smile, lifting my eyebrow.
“Oh . . . no,” he says quickly. “I don’t mean I know them know them . . . Well, maybe some of them . . .” When I playfully cross my arms over my chest as if waiting for him to go on, he tosses back his head and laughs. “Wow, my attempts at flirtation are going really well, don’t you think? Wonder if I can make it any worse.”
“I have faith in you.”
He bites his lip, looking both embarrassed and exhilarated by our little exchange. I take the moment to check him out, noting that with his stupidly adorable smile, he probably has no problem meeting girls at parties.
“Chris!” someone yells to him from across the room. The guy lifts his chin in acknowledgment, but then turns like he’s about to ask me something. Before he can, Simone appears out of nowhere and pulls me away.
“He’s in the backyard,” she says impatiently, not noticing the handsome blond who was about to . . . well, I don’t know what he was about to do. But it must not have been that important because when I turn back to look, he’s gone.
“Who’s in the yard?” I ask, following behind Simone like a puppy dog. She turns abruptly.
“Joel,” she says. “He’s in the backyard—without Lauren. Are you going to talk to him or secretly pine away for the rest of your life? This isn’t Pride and Prejudice, Keira Knightley.”
“You know that was a book before it was a movie, right?”
Simone rolls her eyes. “Of course I know that. But it doesn’t change the fact that the movie was ten times better. Now let’s not leave poor Joel defenseless in a party full of Felicitys.”
The full impact of her words hits, and a shock of nervous electricity races through me. Even though
