before, but he was probably right. Under other circumstances, I probably wouldn’t have sought out his friendship. But that didn’t matter.
“That’s all irrelevant,” I said. “Because we are friends. You’re one of my best friends. And I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
His hand slipped away and he smiled at me. “Thanks. I feel the same.”
Neither of us said anything for a few moments. The sound of students chattering and rushing around filled the air, pressing away the silence.
I felt like our friendship was back on track again. The rocky start to the morning felt as though it had evened out.
“Thanks for telling me that. I feel better,” I admitted.
“Yeah, no problem. That’s not the only reason I stopped to talk to you though. I also needed to let you know I don’t need a ride tonight.”
My heart dropped, landing in my stomach with a thud. “Oh. Okay. Riding with Julie again?”
He nodded.
“Well that’s just…Good for you,” I said, trying to put some cheer into my voice. “It’s great. Have fun!”
He narrowed his eyes at me.
I realized I was probably acting jealous again. Ugh. I didn’t mean to. I just couldn’t seem to help myself. I’d seen the way that Julie had smiled at him. He’d said that she only wanted help studying but I didn’t believe that. Now they were getting together two nights in a row? That was just…great.
“We talked about this,” Tristan said. He sounded irritated with me again.
I must’ve looked less than happy to hear he was spending more time with Julie.
“Sammy!” Xavier said as he wedged himself between Tristan and me.
“ Samara ,” Tristan and I both corrected at the same time.
Xavier shot an annoyed look over his shoulder at Tristan before turning back to me. “You ran off so fast. I wasn’t done talking to you yet.”
I glanced at Tristan, assuming he’d walk away now that our conversation was apparently over. For the first time maybe ever, I wanted him to go. I did not want him to stick around, questioning me on my attitude.
I leaned back, clunking my head on my locker again. My friends were right. I really needed to do something about this situation.
“Go with me to Derek’s party on Friday night,” Xavier said. It wasn’t really a question or an invitation. It sounded more like a demand.
I glanced at Tristan. He looked like he was about to burst out laughing. Did he think it was funny that Xavier had actually taken the time to notice me?
“Why don’t you go harass some other girl?” Tristan asked.
Xavier turned around to look at him. “Are you talking to me?”
“Guess so,” Tristan said with a shrug.
Xavier turned back to me. “Am I harassing you?”
“I—”
Tristan cut me off, aiming his words at Xavier. “You’re not interested in a girl like Samara. So why don’t you just move along?”
A girl like me? What was that supposed to mean?
“I’ll go,” I said. “With you. To the party.”
Xavier turned to Tristan and grinned. Then he turned back to me. “We’ll work out the details later.”
“Later,” I muttered as he sauntered off.
“You cannot be serious,” Tristan said, his voice low. “You’re actually going to go out with him ? Why?”
I shrugged, already regretting my rash decision. “ Why not?”
He threw his hands up in the air. “Whatever.”
Before I could say anything else, he stalked away.
~*~*~
I swirled around the big pile of white fluff that floated on top of my hot chocolate. I watched as it disintegrated. The colored sprinkles sank to the bottom as their life raft melted beneath them.
“Don’t look so glum,” Finola said as she gave me a nudge. “This could all work out for the best. I thought maybe if you went out with Xavier, he’d take your mind off Tristan. I never thought about how it would make Tristan feel. The way he went stomping away this morning? He was jealous.”
Finola sounded so sure. I shook my head. “I don’t think he was
“That’s all irrelevant,” I said. “Because we are friends. You’re one of my best friends. And I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
His hand slipped away and he smiled at me. “Thanks. I feel the same.”
Neither of us said anything for a few moments. The sound of students chattering and rushing around filled the air, pressing away the silence.
I felt like our friendship was back on track again. The rocky start to the morning felt as though it had evened out.
“Thanks for telling me that. I feel better,” I admitted.
“Yeah, no problem. That’s not the only reason I stopped to talk to you though. I also needed to let you know I don’t need a ride tonight.”
My heart dropped, landing in my stomach with a thud. “Oh. Okay. Riding with Julie again?”
He nodded.
“Well that’s just…Good for you,” I said, trying to put some cheer into my voice. “It’s great. Have fun!”
He narrowed his eyes at me.
I realized I was probably acting jealous again. Ugh. I didn’t mean to. I just couldn’t seem to help myself. I’d seen the way that Julie had smiled at him. He’d said that she only wanted help studying but I didn’t believe that. Now they were getting together two nights in a row? That was just…great.
“We talked about this,” Tristan said. He sounded irritated with me again.
I must’ve looked less than happy to hear he was spending more time with Julie.
“Sammy!” Xavier said as he wedged himself between Tristan and me.
“ Samara ,” Tristan and I both corrected at the same time.
Xavier shot an annoyed look over his shoulder at Tristan before turning back to me. “You ran off so fast. I wasn’t done talking to you yet.”
I glanced at Tristan, assuming he’d walk away now that our conversation was apparently over. For the first time maybe ever, I wanted him to go. I did not want him to stick around, questioning me on my attitude.
I leaned back, clunking my head on my locker again. My friends were right. I really needed to do something about this situation.
“Go with me to Derek’s party on Friday night,” Xavier said. It wasn’t really a question or an invitation. It sounded more like a demand.
I glanced at Tristan. He looked like he was about to burst out laughing. Did he think it was funny that Xavier had actually taken the time to notice me?
“Why don’t you go harass some other girl?” Tristan asked.
Xavier turned around to look at him. “Are you talking to me?”
“Guess so,” Tristan said with a shrug.
Xavier turned back to me. “Am I harassing you?”
“I—”
Tristan cut me off, aiming his words at Xavier. “You’re not interested in a girl like Samara. So why don’t you just move along?”
A girl like me? What was that supposed to mean?
“I’ll go,” I said. “With you. To the party.”
Xavier turned to Tristan and grinned. Then he turned back to me. “We’ll work out the details later.”
“Later,” I muttered as he sauntered off.
“You cannot be serious,” Tristan said, his voice low. “You’re actually going to go out with him ? Why?”
I shrugged, already regretting my rash decision. “ Why not?”
He threw his hands up in the air. “Whatever.”
Before I could say anything else, he stalked away.
~*~*~
I swirled around the big pile of white fluff that floated on top of my hot chocolate. I watched as it disintegrated. The colored sprinkles sank to the bottom as their life raft melted beneath them.
“Don’t look so glum,” Finola said as she gave me a nudge. “This could all work out for the best. I thought maybe if you went out with Xavier, he’d take your mind off Tristan. I never thought about how it would make Tristan feel. The way he went stomping away this morning? He was jealous.”
Finola sounded so sure. I shook my head. “I don’t think he was
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