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constantly through most
of their relationship, and for the most part had treated him unfairly, but I
knew she loved him—desperately.
    Not
that any of my angst really mattered anyway. Drew had never offered to break up
with Laurie. To have me be his one and only. Nothing like that. Actually, he
really hadn’t offered anything. At all. All he really said was that we couldn’t
be friends any longer, that his feelings had moved beyond friendship. But he
hadn’t actually said where they had moved to … not that I had given him a chance
to say much of anything.
    But
that was because we couldn’t be anything.
    As
much as I wanted to be his everything—like he had always been
mine—still, the more I thought about it, the more I knew it was
impossible.

 
 
 
 
    CHAPTER 13

 
 
    All
this week I avoided both Drew and Laurie. I continued letting Ethan pull me to
the band room for lunch so I didn’t have to eat in the cafeteria—where I
used to have to endure the couple either fighting or kissing. Now I just had to
fight off Ethan’s attempts to get me alone with him. Thank goodness the band
room was always full of friends—just not the ones Laurie would approve
of. She’s a social snob. I’m so not.
    Avoiding
Off-Limits Drew in classes was harder, as I’d always feel his eyes on me, but I
didn’t sit near him and I’d race out the classroom door as soon as the bell
rang.
    As
for Laurie—she called a few times during the week, but I’d just text her
back. Short answers. Really short. Like, one word replies.
    I
thought my avoidance strategy was working out fairly well—until Friday
morning. Then I groaned. ‘Cause they were both standing at my locker waiting
for me when I got to school.
    Seeing
them, I froze. My stomach seriously knotted at the sight of them—there at
my locker, obviously wanting to talk to me. Groan.
    “Cute
couple, huh?”
    The
unexpected voice was sardonic—and Rider’s. (aka: Heartbreaker Hanson’s)
(or Kindergarten Boyfriend) (Or Total Wad) (your choice).
    Rider
grinned, “You don’t look too happy that they’re at your locker. In fact, you
look like you might even rather talk to me than them.”
    “Fairly
astute observation,” I murmured dryly … though he was right. Well, pretty much.
However, I told him , “Only, I’d
rather even talk to them than you.”
    He
put his hand over his heart. “Ouch.”
    He
was only playfully teasing. Playing. I mean, that’s what players do, right?
They play, play, play. And he was a serious player, otherwise he wouldn’t be
able to break so many hearts. Grrr!
    “You
know, you can stay here talking to me and they’ll go away,” Rider suggested,
seeming to somehow get my situation. What the—??
    I
cut my gaze back to the couple. I thought about simply turning and running the other
direction. Seriously, I was willing to bypass my needed books not to have to
endure being with them. Only they were watching me. And they knew I saw them.
    So,
busted.
    I
mumbled to Rider, “No, they’ll just come over here, and Laurie will try setting
you up on a date with me.”
    Rider
grinned, “Then let her come.”
    I
rolled my eyes. “I’d rather eat worms.”
    “Ouch,”
I heard Rider say as I wobbled away from him, preparing to meet my doom.
    Slowly
I slogged through the crowded hallway to the disturbingly gorgeous couple,
since really I had no other choice. Though I thought about running the other
direction anyway—only I needed my history project from my locker. So,
smart move on their part, I guess.
    Anyway,
I slogged over to them and tried not to grimace, and in fact attempted to smile
(sort of) in greeting when I got to them. “What’s up?”
    “That’s
what I want to know,” Laurie said. “It seems like you’re avoiding me.”
    I
noticed that Drew was hanging back, and I realized that Laurie had dragged him
along with her to find out what was going on with me, but that he was
uncomfortable about getting involved with any dispute