Page 43 of Friends with Benefits

Theo nods, so she leans in and presses her mouth to his, against lips that are somehow, impossibly, both dry and wet. Neither move. Or breathe. She’s kissing Theo. This is kissing? Huh.It’s weird, she decides. Kissing is weird. Kissing Theo? Super weird.

But maybe… not bad weird?

She pulls away.

Theo’s expression is undecipherable. “That was—”

“Weird.”

“Weird,” Theo repeats, cheeks still pink.

She can’t decipher his expression, if this kiss was good weird or bad weird or justweirdweird. Embarrassment slams against Evie’s diaphragm. She’s so full of it. Of course she needs Theo. As a friend. Naomi left and he knows why and the last thing she wants is for there to be any variety of weird between the two of them.

“Want to run it again?” she asks, deflecting.

“Sure.”

Relieved, Evie reties her tap shoes, then together they run through the tap routine once more, not missing a single step, completely in sync. Afterward, she turns toward him because she can’t let it go without asking, without confirming.

“Just friends?”

Theo nods. “Definitely just friends.”

Evie throws her arms around him and buries her face into the crook of his neck, so ready to bury the weirdness of that kiss and so relieved to have her best friend back.

10

It’s Halloween and Theo is teaching the state capitals dressed as Woody fromToy Storywhen it happens.

He points to Wyoming.

Milo, who is Super Mario today, raises a white-gloved hand.

Milo, who ran up to Theo and Evelyn at IKEA last night twenty minutes into them debating the aesthetic merits of various kitchen tables. Milo, whose mom, Natalia, used to babysit Theo. Whose grandmother was Lori’s best friend. Who witnessed Natalia congratulate them, his face scrunched in initial confusion. Milo, who is a spoiler ofSurvivor. A terrible gossip.

Milo, who’s currently the only volunteer.

Theo calls on him.

He has no choice.

Milo adjusts the mustache stuck above his lip, then asks, “Why didn’t you tell us that you got married, Mr. Theodore?”

Cue his classroom exploding in commotion.

Doctor Barbie (Annabelle) gasps. “What?”

“Someone seriously marriedyou?” Miles Morales (Tyler) shouts.

“OMG, OMG, OMG,” Ariel (Kaia) squeals.

He can’t say he didn’t see it coming, but the separation of his professional and personal life was nice while it lasted.

“Unfortunately, ‘why didn’t you tell us that you got married, Mr. Theodore’ isnotthe capital of Wyoming.”

Milo rolls his eyes. “Cheyenne.”

Theo nods and Milo rises from his chair to choose a sticker. Fourth graders are incredibly motivated by stickers. Shit, Theo is still motivated by stickers. It’s not a check that signifies the completion of a task on his to-do list, it’s a sticker. Milo chooses Stitch frothing at the mouth. A respectable choice.

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