Page 33 of Wonderstruck

It was a thought she could have shot lightning from her eyes they snapped to mine that quickly. And this time,when she rolled them, there was firebehind it. Not the playful spark I loved seeing, but something fierce.

“Why do you care?” she shot back, her arms lifting by her side. “Is this some sympathy thing? Are you worried I’m gonna break like some pathetic little teacup?”

“No, Rory, I don’t—”

“Because I’mnota teacup,” she cut meoff, her voice cracking. The sound of itwrecked me.

I nodded quickly, desperate to reassureher. “I know you’re not.” I stepped closer, even though I wasn’t sure if she’d let me. “You’re the strongest person I know—”

“Why didn’t you talk to me this much lastyear?”

The question hit me like a slap. My breath caught, and all I could do was stareat her, frozen.

I counted the golden flecks in her eyes,each one a little sparkling pond that Iwanted to drown in over and over again until she was all the air I needed. I traced the hidden smile lines on her face, the shadows of dimples that I could think about for hours. Her appley cheeks and their constant blush that only made it harder and harder not to admit that I had already fallen for this girl.

And all I could think was,you don’tdeserve her. She asked you out, and you sat there in silence.

You embarrassed her.

You made her feel like nothing.

“I don’t know,” I whispered finally, thewords tasting bitter on my tongue. Itwas pathetic, and I knew it. I wanted to fix this—fix us—but I didn’t even know how to mend something this delicate.

Her face didn’t change. No softening, no flicker of hope. Just disappointment. It hit me square in the chest, and I felt it settle there like a weight I couldn’tshake.

I watched her eyes dull, as though the light hadlost its power. “Figures,” she muttered, and the finalityin her voice shattered something inside me.

She gave me one last look—just enough tolet me know exactly how much I’d hurt her—and then turned away.

Ten minutes later, and I was still stuck in that hallway with her—mentally, atleast. Her words played on a loop in my head, her voice breaking just enough to tug at something raw in me. But in reality, I was here, helmet on, stick in hand, smack in the middle of the lineup and ready to skate out.

And right before the lights dimmed, I made myself swear not to glance toward the cheerleaders. One look ather, and I’d be useless out here.

chapter ten

if you catch me spelling out H.E.L.P M.E with my pom poms then just mind your business

“Oh God, I’m going to throw up. Pourquoi ai-je mangé deux pots de maïs au caramel?”1

Two was a horrid decision. And now itwas coming back to haunt me.

Sweat was practically dripping from the railing of the stage I was gripping onto. But I was too scared to move, knowing that if I did everyone in this place would see just how bad I had it for caramel corn.

“I know. I know,” Bindi whispered softly,sliding an arm around my shoulders,her warm palm soothing me. “I looked just like you do before my first performance.”

I carefully turned to her, narrowing my eyes. “You told me you’ve been cheering sinceyou were eight.”

She shrugged, unapologetic. “Yeah, and I looked and felt exactly like that.”

I gave her adramatic eye-roll, leaning forward on the railing again as if I couldpour all my nerves out into the cold metal. My breath stuttered, but after a moment, and another deep breath, I straightened, determined to stand on my own two feet—until my other problem became blindingly apparent.

“Seigneur!”2 I groaned, trying my best to pull at my top. “Whoever designed this uniform forgot that boobs exist. I’m genuinely worried for their safety.”

Bindi tried to stifle a laugh, but it slipped through anyway. “You’ll be fine.”

Easy for her to say. Her B-cups weren’t going anywhere. Meanwhile, myD-bordering-on-E’s were waging a war against the confines of this uniform and losing spectacularly.

I tugged at the fabric for the hundredth time, feeling both ridiculous andcompletely out of my depth. The reality of what I’d agreed to was settling in, but I couldn’t back out now.

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