Page 147 of What I Like About You

“You didn’t defend Cordelia during yesterday’s Socratic seminar,” Molly says.

“You pick thereal sportoption in gym just to avoid us,” Autumn says.

“We can continue,” Molly assures me.

“You iced me at school,” I say. “I thought—”

“Us?” Autumn frowns. “We reached out.You’rethe one who disappeared.”

They’re right. I don’t speak at all during theKing Learunit even thoughKing Learis epic. Idochoose all the terrible gym activities—basketball, ring hockey, soccer—even though Ican’t sport. I have bruises all over my body to prove it.

And theydidreach out first. I never answered their texts. But when they didn’t talk to me in class I just assumed it wouldn’t change anything. I thought I was making it easier by avoiding them. I thought that’s what they wanted.

“Hal,” Autumn says, “talk to us. Please? What’s going on?”

I want them to yell at me. I want to be chewed out.

They just wait to listen and I don’t deserve that.

“Didn’t he already tell you everything?”

I can’t even say his name.

“Nash is hardly saying anything,” Molly says.

“He’smiserable,” Autumn says. “Kind of, well, like you.”

I chew on my lower lip. “I figured you’d hate me.”

“Well, you don’t get to just mess up and disappear!” Molly yells.

Autumn nods. “We tried to give you some space, because we saw a lot of the Twitter stuff. But yeah, that’s not how this works.”

“I’ve tried texting him and—”

Molly rolls her eyes. “I’m not talking aboutNash. I’m talking about us—your two most awesome lady friends? Hello? I mean, wearefriends, right? Because we have tried so freaking hard to be your friend, Halle.”

I drum my fingers against my thigh. “Right.”

Autumn laughs. “Convincing.”

“You’re supposed to be Team Nash,” I say.

Molly’s nose scrunches, confused. “Team—? Halle, this isn’tThe Hunger Games. Nash is my best friend, so of course I’d be lying if I said I’m not pissed for him.”

“Honestly? I’m pissed forme,too,” Autumn says. “I can’t believe you’ve just been lying to all of us like that. We knew about Kels. We knew how Nash felt about Kels. Wetold you. And you just—acted like it didn’t matter.”

“It alwaysmattered,” I say. “That’s why this happened. It mattered too much.”

“So talk to us!” Molly says. “We want to hear you out. At least, I do. I want to know why you did it.”

“He misses you, even if he’s too stubborn right now to admit it,” Autumn says.

“We miss you too,” Molly says.

I bite my lower lip. Hard. “Me too.”

Over Sawyer’s cupcakes, I summarize One True Pastry’s origin story.

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