Page 80 of The Executioners Three
“Did you want him to kiss you?” Divya asked.
“No.” Freddie opened one eye. Then the other. She was a terrible,terriblefriend.
“Jeez Louise. No wonder you look like a dejected unicorn, Fred.”
“And I feel like one too,” Freddie mumbled. Which was true, although not for the reason Divya now believed.
“So what happened?”
“Ugh.”Freddie grimaced; her insides grimaced too—both because of the kiss and because this wasn’t the story she was supposed to be telling.“Kyle just leaned in, before I could stop him. Then I turned my head at the last second, so he ended up bumping my cheek with his lips.”
“Oof. Then what?”
“Then I bolted.”
“Oofoof.” Divya squeaked her brakes for emphasis. “I’m a little confused, though, Freddie. I thought… I thought youlikedKyle.”
“Idid.” With a moan, Freddie doubled over and draped herself across the handlebars. “But now I don’t think I do.”
Divya leaned over her own bike and peered into Freddie’s dangling face. “Does that mean you like Theo Porter?”
“NO!”Freddie practically screamed, shooting back upright. “No.Theo Porter is the enemy.”
“Is he, though?” Divya asked with definite skepticism in her eyes. “I mean, if you like him, then you like him. Will it suck? Sure, because Ireallylike Laina, but if youreallylike Theo, then… we’ll figure it out.”
“I don’t, though,” Freddie insisted, and the grimace in her belly deepened.Liar, liar, pants on fire! You’ve already made plans to see him tonight, haven’t you?
“Huh” was all Divya offered in reply.
And Freddie was certain her guilt must have been written plainly across her face.WORST BEST FRIEND,it said.SECRET KEEPER AND VOW BREAKER.She wanted Divya to get with Laina—she deeply, desperately wanted that. And she didn’t want to risk that not happening by fooling around with their sworn enemy.
So it was decided, then: Freddie would cancel on Theo tonight. The kiss from that morning had just been another one-off. End of story.
As Divya flew down the driveway in an air-whizzing roll, Freddie followed.
“So, uh… what happened yesterday?” Freddie asked. “When you hung out with Laina—how was it?”
“Ooooh.” Divya flashed a wide grin before bursting into a whirlwind description ofevery single encountershe and Laina had shared after school yesterday. And for a few minutes, as the neighborhood blurred past in all its fall glory, Freddie was able to forget her shame and simply revel in all the savory details of her best friend’s romantic joy.
“So, are you officially together?”
“I don’t think so.” Divya frowned, her cheeks flushed from their pedaling. “I guess we’re talking? But we haven’t, like, defined the relationship or anything.”
“But Lainadoeslike girls?”
The frown compressed into a squee-like grin. “Definitely. She held my hand this morning before class.”
Freddie gasped. “That’s huge!”
“It was.” Divya gave a happy shiver. “We were at my locker, and she just kind of took my hand into hers.” She released one handlebar to display which hand. “And I was trying so hard not to freak out where everyone could see.”
Freddie sighed, her insides all flustered and warm. “This is better than any rom-com, I swear. But you better tell me if you do DTR, okay?”
“Uh, duh.” Divya gave a playful eye roll. “We tell each other everything, Fred.”
Ah, right.Yep, Freddie was officially the worst BFF of all time.
When at last Freddie and Divya pedaled up to the yellow police tape marking the county park trail, both girls were smiling ear to ear about all the gushy Laina details. And they were panting too because, ya know,exertion.
