Page 75 of Better Than the Movies
I glanced up, and Jocelyn was turned all the way around in her chair, looking at me with a huge grin on her face. She whispered, “You’re texting him, aren’t you?”
I cleared my throat. “Who?”
“You know who.” She glanced over at the teacher before turning back and saying, “Bennett.”
I inhaled through my nose before saying, “Yes, but we’re just flipping each other shit. Totally platonic stuff.”
“When are you going to admit that you like him? I’m not saying it’s love or whatever you write about in your secret diary, but you genuinely enjoy the boy.”
“Enjoy the Boy. Band name—called it.”
“Damn you.” She giggled and turned back around. Another point for me in the game we’d been playing for over a year.
I looked at the back of her head as the now-familiar feeling of guilt filled my stomach. I mean, technically she wasn’t wrong; Iwasenjoying Wes. In a friend way, he was quickly becoming one of my favorite people.
But it was kind of bothering me, not knowing what was going to happen after tomorrow night. Would we still be friends once this all came to an end? Did he have any interest in that at all?
My phone buzzed at that very second. As if he knew I was thinking about him.
Wes: Meteor shower tonight, if you’re interested. I’ve got Swishers, fyi.
I squeezed my lips together in an attempt not to smile, but it was no use.
Me: Who cares about meteor showers? If you bring the cherry ciggies, I’m so there.
Wes: You’re such a shit. See you there.
“I was merely hiding it amongst your nerd books so I didn’t get caught. I wasn’t terrorizing you.”
“Not buying it.” I turned my stick so the marshmallows rotated in the fire. “First of all, you didn’t have to decapitate the little cherub thingy at all. Second, you put red paint around the mouth and eyes and set the head up so it was staring out at anyone—namely me—who dared to access that little free library.”
“I forgot about the paint.” He smiled and put his big feet up on the side of the firepit. “Maybe there was alittleterroristic intention.”
“You think?” I removed the mallows from the fire and blew on them before pulling one off the stick. “Time has softened your memory of your old self. You believe—unless you’re straight-up faking—that you were simply a rambunctious boy with no ill will toward me at all. And that is categorically untrue.”
His eyes followed the squishy mallow that I shoved into my mouth. As I chewed, I realized that I was completely un-self-conscious around him. Instead of worrying that I looked like a pig, I said through a mouthful of marshmallow, “Admit it.”
He looked at me filling my mouth for another few seconds. Then he said, “I will do no such thing. I will, however, admit that you were a lot of fun to mess with. And still are.”
“Well, I didn’t enjoy it back then, but now—now I can take you so it’s cool.”
“Please stop with the big talk.” He grabbed the bag of snack-size Hershey bars, unwrapped one, and tossed it my way. “You cannot—and will not ever—takeme. At least not when it comes to messing.”
I caught the chocolate and sandwiched it with the other marshmallow between two grahams. I was holding the world’s most perfect s’more. “You sure you don’t want me to make one for you?”
“No, thanks, but your form is impressive.”
“Not my first time, sunshine.” I smiled and took a big bite. “Mmm—so good.”
Wes chuckled his deep chuckle and looked up at the stars. He hadn’t pulled out any cigars since I’d gotten there, so I wasn’t sure if he was no longer in the mood or if he was holding off out of courtesy for me. He’d made fun of my armful of s’more supplies when I’d showed up, but he’d also eaten about ten of my tiny Hershey bars so far.
I heard the first few notes of “Forrest Gump” by Frank Ocean come out of Wes’s Bluetooth speaker, and I smiled. Such a great sit-under-the-stars song. I hummed along with the intro and felt spring-giddy as the lyrics dripped over me like starlight.
My fingertips and my lips
They burn from the cigarettes
“What are your plans next year, Buxbaum?” He was still looking up at the sky, and my eyes lingered on his profile. Even though he wasn’t my type, that strong jaw, prominent Adam’sapple, and thick hair made a pretty, pretty picture.
