Page 42 of Friends with Benefits

“If Connor and Matt aren’t evolved enough to know that people of different genders can be friends, how is that our problem?”

“I don’t want them to, like, harass you.”

“How noble of you, Theodore.”

“I’m serious! Unless you, like, want everyone to think we’re dating, we can’t be school friends.”

Evie laughs. “So what if people think we’re dating?”

“We’re not.”

“Right. But why do you care if theythinkthat? Why do you care so much about what the Four Square Jerks think at all?”

“The Four Square Jerks?”

“Matt and Connor’s crew.”

“Am I a Four Square Jerk?”

“Lately!” Evie stands, so over this conversation. “Can we just run the routine again from the first chorus so I can go home?”

She flinches.

It’s the third time she’s referred to the bungalow ashome.

She presses play.

“I’m sorry,” Theo says, standing and moving toward her, then pausing the music. “I don’t want to be a Four Square Jerk. It’s just… Connor and Matt made sixth grade suck so bad and theyleave me alone now. School is easier, pretending to be friends with them.”

Evie softens.

She knows Theo has been bullied because he’s a boy who loves to dance.

“You’re my best friend,” she repeats. “But I want to be school friends, too.”

Theo’s quiet as she removes her tap shoes and packs up, so ready to call her grandmother and ask to be picked up early. So hoping Theo will ask her to stay. She wants him to choose her over the Four Square Jerks. But she doesn’t want him to be bullied by the Four Square Jerks because his best friend is a girl.

Also?

It bothers her, Theo seeming weirded out by the idea of them dating. Why is this bothering her? Does she want to be more than Theo’s best friend? She doesn’t think she likes Theo like that. But how does she know? He’s her favorite person. Maybe that means they’re supposed to be more than friends? She isn’t sure. It’s all so confusing. She loves Theo. But does she want to kiss him? She’s thought about it. Has he thought about kissingher?

Now she can’t stop thinking about it.

One step away from her dramatic exit, she pivots. “Maybe I want to be more than friends.”

“What?”

Evie’s cheeks are on fire, but she doubles down. “I don’t know. If people at school are going to assume either way… we might as well figure it out ourselves? I mean. Think about it. Like. If we were to, say, I don’t know, kiss, we’ll know for sure that we’re supposed to be just friends instead of, like, wondering—”

“Youwonder?”

Evie shrugs. “Don’t act like youdon’t. It’s not a big deal.”

She isn’t sure how their fight devolved from calling Theo a Four Square Jerk to an admission that she’s thought about kissing him… but whatever! Evie’s here now. Her eyes meethis. They’re the same height. His cheeks are on fire. Evieknewit. Theo has wondered, too.

“I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

“Me either,” Evie admits. “Can I?”

---