Page 43 of The Kissing Booth
But everybody wanted to know.
Word travelled fast – texts, phone calls, and given that everyone was at the carnival anyway... My popularity had just shot through the roof, and I was helplessly lost.
Some sophomore kids walked past and a girl pointed at me. ‘That’sthe one who made out with Flynn.’
At first I grimaced. But then again, there were worse things to be known for.
‘Do you want to be with him?’ Lee asked when we were finally alone, after the carnival had finished. The student council and a few others were still clearing up their booths and counting the cash. ‘I mean, I thought you were over him.’
‘I am. I don’t know. It’sNoah. You know?’
‘Not really. For one thing, he’s my brother. For another, I’m a guy.’
‘I guess. But you know what I mean... I kind of hate him, I kind of like him.’
‘Well, if you’re not sure, then don’t do anything. Should you talk to him or something?’
I ignored the last part. ‘I don’t know that I would anyway. If I did get together with him, which is totally unlikely anyway, and it ended messily, then it might damage our friendship. I don’t want that.’
‘How cheesy of you.’
‘Shut up.’
‘But I was thinking the same... Five hundred and fifty,’ he muttered, setting the pile aside. ‘If you guysdidget together then had a messy breakup, you might not want to be around me so much. And I’d miss you.’
‘I’d miss you too. Just a little.’
‘Thanks,’ he said sarcastically, and we both laughed.
‘It’s going to be so awkward when I see him now.’
‘Yup.’
‘How comforting, Lee,’ I said sarcastically. I smacked his arm. ‘You can’t be a little more sympathetic?’
He shrugged. ‘I don’t think you should get together with my brother anyway. It’s weird. And kind of gross.’
‘For you.’
‘Yup.’
I shook my head at him. ‘Lee, there’s only five hundred and forty-nine here.’
‘Oh, damn.’ He passed me another dollar bill and I added it to the pile. It was just as well I was double checking everything he counted.
‘So is your dad giving you a ride home?’
I shook my head. ‘He had to taxi Brad’s friends to the movies straight after they left so he can’t. I’ll just hitch a ride with someone. Since you’reditchingme for your newgirlfriend.’
‘I’m not ditching you! You said it was okay! I asked you first!’
I laughed. ‘Calm down, I’m just messing with you.’
Lee rolled his eyes at me.
In the end we counted up six hundred and fourteen dollars. Our booth raised the most, which was pretty impressive. That might’ve been because we didn’t have to buy a load of giant teddy bears, or hot dogs and buns, but whatever. Lee left with Rachel, while I stayed to help clean up some of the litter with Joel, who was still grumbling about losing his bet with Lee.
‘It’s your fault, you know. Really,youowemethirty bucks.’
