Page 111 of Something Rad
She continues looking through her bag, barely glancing in my direction as she questions me. “What are you even saying?”
Then, at the same moment, her and I both spot what she’s obviously been searching for. Her little red journal is sitting right behind me on Ms. Rose’s desk.
Open.
The scribblings of her curly handwriting in every color and form of writing utensil jump out at me. I swallow, forcing my eyes out of focus as I reach down and pick up the notebook, standing up from the desk and handing it to her. Her cheeks are several shades of pink darker as she takes it from me.
“I was just saying,” I continue, “it’s okay to loosen up once in a while, Cooper. It’s alright to let go.”
“I don’t have time to let go,” she says, not meeting my eyes.
I tilt my head at her as she stuffs her journal into her backpack and pulls out her Groovy Movie vest. The words just slip out of me in a near whisper.
“I wish you’d take the time anyways.”
Her face softens as she looks up at me, and, even though it was really a thought meant to stay in my head, I don’t regret saying it out loud. I just have a feeling.
Letting go would look good on her.
I definitely keepthatthought to myself though.
Silence stretches between us for a long few seconds, Cooper not having replied. I clear my throat, deciding to soothe the awkward tension. “You know, you’d have plenty more time if you didn’t spend your free afternoons in the library.” I step over to her, bumping her shoulder with mine. “Nerd.”
Cooper’s eyebrows pinch together before she lets out a laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m totally going to miss yousomuch,” she says, her voice full of sarcasm.
I grab my backpack and follow her as she walks out of the office and heads for the library exit door. “Well, at least you’re not entirely rid of me yet. We’ve still got the Homecoming dance next Saturday.”
Cooper stops in her tracks in the doorway. She blows out a breath, slowly turning to look at me. “I was wondering if you were going to bring that up.”
“Well, I did,” I nod. “Andyes, we have to go.”
She throws her head back dramatically, groaning. “I swear wejusthad a dance.”
“Yeah. And now it’s time for another one. It’s high school. We have dances. It’sfun, remember?”
She grumbles a bunch of words I can’t make out, pushing through the door far more aggressively than necessarily.
“You know, I guess you don’thaveto go,” I say, following her out into the empty hallway.
“Really?” Cooper asks, perking up.
“Yeah,” I shrug, slipping on my sunglasses. “And then everyone will just question why you aren’t there at the dance with me. That’ll just look alittleodd. Especially considering you will have just given your winning student body president speech the day before.”
Her spine steels, the smile fading from her face.
“Yeah,” I nod. “People will probably think that’s just atinybit weird that we’d break up the day you win president and the day before Homecoming, but it’s fine. I’m sure no one will think the whole thing was a sham–”
“Fine,” she groans. “I get it. I’ll go.”
“That’s what I thought.”
She presses her lips together. “But if I bomb my speech and know I’m losing the election, I’m not going.”
I tilt my head at her.Yeah, right.
“Fair enough,” I agree. “I’ll pick you up for the football game at 4:45 next Saturday.”
“Game?” she questions. “Why do we have to go to the game?”
