Page 40 of Crazy Pucking Love
“Yeah, I don’t know what that is,” Vanessa said.
“It’s the all-female Avengers team.”
Her confusion only grew, which wasn’t surprising. It was a fairly new development in the comic book world, and since I’d picked up issues #2 and #3 at the shop last week—along with the stupid old-school Thor one I took a picture of and sent to Dane—it was on my mind. Hopefully someday it would be as well known as the other Avengers team.
“Basically I’m saying that girl power thing?” I reached for my water bottle, twisted off the top, and lifted it in the air. “I’ll drink to that.”
Vanessa grabbed a soda out of the mini-fridge and tapped it to mine. “To chicks over dicks.”
I took a swig, nearly snorting my water. But as for the sentiment, I was going to make it my new motto.
…
I walked across campus toward the library, my thoughts on the assignment I needed to complete for my English class.
“Megan. Wait up!”
I spun to see Dane jogging toward me. My heart skipped a beat, and I silently scolded it, telling myself to be strong. Since our math class was in the afternoon, I thought I’d have more time to prepare myself.
Then again, I’d had the entire weekend to prepare myself.
“Hey,” he said, his voice slightly breathless.
“Hi.” I continued on the path toward the library and he stayed by my side. “Congrats on your win against UMass.”
“Thanks. It was an intense game.” Dane quickened his pace so he could open the library door for me. “What did you do this weekend?”
“Went to an improv show and watched the Bruin’s game at a pub.”
“Alone?”
I wasn’t sure if that was pity or worry in his voice—my delusional side even thought it heard a hint of jealousy. The temptation to mention Stuart and see if I could deepen it was there, but I batted it away. “Well, there were a lot of people in the pub. But I also took my roommate to both.”
He nodded.
“Yeah, I have people to hang out with.” I wanted to add a jab—something like,people who return my texts, so don’t worry about me. I have lots of friends.But again, I wasn’t going to play games or apologize for doing something for me and trying to move on from my crush.
“Good.” Suddenly he grabbed my arm and pulled me to the right, next to one of the bookshelves. He glanced around, as if he were making sure the coast were clear.
“Hiding from someone?”
“Kind of. There’s this girl who won’t leave me alone.”
“Poor you. I’m sure it must suck for girls to throw themselves at you all the time.”
He looked at me, his eyebrows all scrunched up. “I just—”
“Dane. Hi!” A beautiful girl with dark hair and the most flawlessly done makeup I’d ever seen outside a Hollywood red-carpet event appeared.
Dane threw his arm over my shoulder, curling me right next to him. “Misty. Hey.”
Misty noticed me, then, and her smile turned tight, the kind that looked like it was hard to hold on to.
“This is Megan.”
“Hi,” I said, and I supposed my smile looked about as fake as hers.
“I saw you and thought I’d see what you were up to, but it looks like you’rebusy.” Somehow she continued to hold that plastered-on smile, the cool edge to her words not so much as cracking it. I swore she was sizing me up, too, calculating what it’d take to dispose of the competition. Judging by the snide smirk, she didn’t think it’d be much. “See you around.”
