Page 38 of As You Walk On

I rest my chin on my knuckles, beaming.

Luca gives River an awkward fist bump. “I like that. Normalize being respectful and inclusive to everyone. Assumptions are for assholes.”

“I was so confident when Katie dropped me off. Then I walked in and...” River trails off, picking at the edges of their name badge. “I got some strange looks. Real invasive questions whenever I tried to make conversation, so.” They nod toward the bed. “Been under there for almost two hours.”

“I’m sorry people are dicks,” I say.

I don’t include that I hope my friends weren’t among them. That I hope Jay didn’t say the wrong thing like he tends to after getting buzzed.

River sweeps hair out of their eyes. “Is it bad that I wanted to stay in here until my sister came back to pick me up?”

“Not at all,” Luca replies.

I paste on my best maybe-a-little grin, but frankly? It’s not the worst thing. In here, the music’s softened. A continuous tremor of unrecognizable hip-hop songs, one after another, beneath our feet. It’s warm, but not stuffy like downstairs. The fairy lights sketch a waterfall of stars across our faces.

I bet Maddie never has a reason to leave.

“Maybe... we could all hang out?” River suggests.

I blink at them.

“Uh, unless,” they stammer, trading nervous glances between Luca and me. “You have other places to be?”

I bite on my thumbnail, considering. It’s way past the five minutes I told Christian I’d be. More like twenty-five. Though, for whatever reason, I don’t feel as pressed to get back.

“Nah,” I reply. “No rush. These things go on for hours.”

Luca’s knee brushes mine as he nods.

“Good.” River throws us a funny look. “Or I can leave, if I’m interrupting something...?”

Interrupting what?

My eyes shade in Luca’s direction. He’s rotating his thumb ring, not staring at anything in particular. Talking with himwasthe easiest part of my night. It was as if we speak all the time during classes instead of in passing. Nothing like my conversation with Christian, who Ihaveshared a class with. Who’s been my project partner before. But our conversation earlier was more about my nerves.

Talking to the boy you like should be tricky, I think.

But maybe...

I shake my head before my brain can go there. Out of the question. Christian’s the endgame. I just need ample time to prepare. And I guess I’m doing that by hanging out with these two.

Luca says, “You’re not interrupting” convincingly. Great. So, he agrees. Nothing’s happening here.

“Besides,” I say to River, ignoring the new knot in my stomach, “you were here first. We’re trespassing. Our fate is in your hands.”

“Hmm.” River taps an index finger along their jaw. “I suppose there are worse people I could hang with.”

“Much worse,” I confirm.

River waits a beat, fully drawing this out, before declaring, “Fine, you may stay... but only if we do one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“One sec.” River scampers under the bed again. They seem to have an affection for dark, cramped spaces.

While River’s waist-deep in their Narnia world, I chance a look at Luca. His eyes slowly skim over my face. Like he wants to say something. Ask something. He doesn’t. However, the left corner of his mouth ticks up a little. Mine does too.

I wonder if he’s thinking about what River suggested. The two of us sitting on a bed in a semi-dark room... alone.

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