look great? He’s like my star guest—everyone wants to talk to him! How amazing would it be to be that popular?”
Liz actually laughed for real at that. “Candi—you
are
that popular!”
“Yeah, but he’s like mega-popular. It’s a kind of popular that you and I can only dream of, Liz. I wouldn’t have thought he was Faye’s type, though.” Candi nodded toward where the pair was still chatting. “They’ve been talking for ages.”
Liz felt the knife twist again and turned away. “I think she’s writing a piece on him for the
Miller,
” she muttered.
#
“I don’t get it,” said Faye. “If you’ve got an amazing car like that, why does that man drive you to school every day?”
Lucas shrugged. “It’s Mom’s car, not mine. I’m not supposed to have it.”
Faye raised her eyebrows. “Will you get in trouble?”
Lucas shrugged again. “So, what’s your favorite band?” he asked, ignoring her question.
“I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking you the questions,” laughed Faye. “And you haven’t given me an answer to any of them yet!”
Lucas grinned. “Well, maybe the ones you’re asking just aren’t any good,” he suggested.
“Hey!” Faye feigned outrage. She had to admit, an evening in Lucas’s company had changed her mind about him. He could be sarcastic, but he was charming and funny, too. She made a mental note to tell Liz as much when her friend appeared from wherever she’d disappeared to. “I’ll have you know I’m a brilliant school journalist. I’ve won prizes and everything.”
“Oh yes? Let me guess—for that amazing story you did on Farmer Giles’s giant potato last year?”
Faye felt her mouth drop open. “The farmer’s name was Baxter, actually. And you’ve been researching me?”
Lucas shrugged. “Well, you were so angry with me for that
National Enquirer
joke I made when we first met, I thought I’d better see who I was dealing with, Flash.” He glanced at her, serious for a second. “We didn’t really get off on the right foot, I guess.”
Faye shrugged. “Maybe not.”
“I’d like to be friends now, though,” Lucas added, clinking his glass against hers. “I could really do with some fun people to hang out with here.”
“Ah, then you really need to meet Liz,” said Faye, looking around for her best friend. “She’s the most fun person I know.”
“Is that the pretty girl you hang out with a lot?”
“Yeah—she’s been my best friend since we were, like, three. She’s fantastic.” Faye smiled. “You think she’s pretty?”
Lucas shrugged. “Sure. I mean, it’s not an opinion or anything. She just is. I like her outfit tonight. It’s different than what she usually wears.”
Faye nodded, pleased that Lucas had noticed—Liz would love that! “She looks gorgeous. Look, I’ll go find her so you two can get to know each other. I don’t know where she’s disappeared to.…”
#
Jimmy Paulson was going on about something to do with the International Space Station, and Liz had had just about enough. She kept staring at him, wondering if he was actually cute, as Faye seemed to think, or just stupid. But thinking about Faye took her back to Faye and Lucas, which was just too awful to contemplate. She’d had to go stand someplace where she at least couldn’t see them being together, so it wouldn’t hurt so much.
This was the worst party
ever
.
“Liz!”
Liz looked in the direction of the voice and saw Faye pushing through the crowd. She’d like to turn her back and make it clear that her
former
best friend was the last person she wanted to talk to right now, but she already had her back to the wall.
“What?” she said brusquely instead, pulling out her mirror again and making a show of reapplying her lipstick. Her reflection stared back, and she could see the hurt in her own eyes. Anger surged through her. She shoved the mirror back into her purse, stepping a little closer to Jimmy as if the two of them
Liz actually laughed for real at that. “Candi—you
are
that popular!”
“Yeah, but he’s like mega-popular. It’s a kind of popular that you and I can only dream of, Liz. I wouldn’t have thought he was Faye’s type, though.” Candi nodded toward where the pair was still chatting. “They’ve been talking for ages.”
Liz felt the knife twist again and turned away. “I think she’s writing a piece on him for the
Miller,
” she muttered.
#
“I don’t get it,” said Faye. “If you’ve got an amazing car like that, why does that man drive you to school every day?”
Lucas shrugged. “It’s Mom’s car, not mine. I’m not supposed to have it.”
Faye raised her eyebrows. “Will you get in trouble?”
Lucas shrugged again. “So, what’s your favorite band?” he asked, ignoring her question.
“I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking you the questions,” laughed Faye. “And you haven’t given me an answer to any of them yet!”
Lucas grinned. “Well, maybe the ones you’re asking just aren’t any good,” he suggested.
“Hey!” Faye feigned outrage. She had to admit, an evening in Lucas’s company had changed her mind about him. He could be sarcastic, but he was charming and funny, too. She made a mental note to tell Liz as much when her friend appeared from wherever she’d disappeared to. “I’ll have you know I’m a brilliant school journalist. I’ve won prizes and everything.”
“Oh yes? Let me guess—for that amazing story you did on Farmer Giles’s giant potato last year?”
Faye felt her mouth drop open. “The farmer’s name was Baxter, actually. And you’ve been researching me?”
Lucas shrugged. “Well, you were so angry with me for that
National Enquirer
joke I made when we first met, I thought I’d better see who I was dealing with, Flash.” He glanced at her, serious for a second. “We didn’t really get off on the right foot, I guess.”
Faye shrugged. “Maybe not.”
“I’d like to be friends now, though,” Lucas added, clinking his glass against hers. “I could really do with some fun people to hang out with here.”
“Ah, then you really need to meet Liz,” said Faye, looking around for her best friend. “She’s the most fun person I know.”
“Is that the pretty girl you hang out with a lot?”
“Yeah—she’s been my best friend since we were, like, three. She’s fantastic.” Faye smiled. “You think she’s pretty?”
Lucas shrugged. “Sure. I mean, it’s not an opinion or anything. She just is. I like her outfit tonight. It’s different than what she usually wears.”
Faye nodded, pleased that Lucas had noticed—Liz would love that! “She looks gorgeous. Look, I’ll go find her so you two can get to know each other. I don’t know where she’s disappeared to.…”
#
Jimmy Paulson was going on about something to do with the International Space Station, and Liz had had just about enough. She kept staring at him, wondering if he was actually cute, as Faye seemed to think, or just stupid. But thinking about Faye took her back to Faye and Lucas, which was just too awful to contemplate. She’d had to go stand someplace where she at least couldn’t see them being together, so it wouldn’t hurt so much.
This was the worst party
ever
.
“Liz!”
Liz looked in the direction of the voice and saw Faye pushing through the crowd. She’d like to turn her back and make it clear that her
former
best friend was the last person she wanted to talk to right now, but she already had her back to the wall.
“What?” she said brusquely instead, pulling out her mirror again and making a show of reapplying her lipstick. Her reflection stared back, and she could see the hurt in her own eyes. Anger surged through her. She shoved the mirror back into her purse, stepping a little closer to Jimmy as if the two of them
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