Page 37 of Falling Like Leaves
A grin creeps across my face. “But I texted you today because Sloane couldn’t come.”
Jake barks out a laugh. “Ah, I see. I’m your second-choice friend. Sounds about right.”
“More like my only friend. I love Sloane, but she’s got a wholelife here, with her own friends and her own stuff going on.”
“You’ll make more. You just got here.”
We both take bites of our burgers and chew while we people-watch. I don’t bother telling him I’m not great at making friends. Or at least not at keeping them.
“It’d probably help if you got out and did things with people, though,” he says, leaning back in the red vinyl seat and wiping his hands on a napkin.
I shrug. “Maybe. But I’m not here long enough to really worry about it.”
“When do you leave?”
“Sometime before Thanksgiving.”
“That’s plenty of time to make friends and have some fun. You don’t have to stay holed up in your room studying all the time,” he says.
“I leave the house. I’ve been helping with the fall events,” I remind him.
“Yeah, that’s a start. But it’s stillwork.”
“Okay, and what would you suggest I get out and do here in Bramble Falls?”
Jake ponders the question. “For starters, I’d say come to my parties.”
I roll my eyes. “I think we’ve established that already.”
“Football games.”
I scrunch my face. “That does not sound like fun. I don’t know the first thing about football.”
“I’ll teach you, and then you can come cheer me on.” I continue grimacing at him, and he laughs. “Listen, Taylor learned athing or two about the sport, and now she loves it. So, don’t knock it till you try it.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Taylor…?”
“Swift. Obviously.”
“Right, obviously. I guess I just didn’t realize you two were on a first-name basis,” I laugh. “I’ll think about it, okay?”
“That’s all I ask.”
“All right. What else?”
“Homecoming’s around the corner. That’s a great place to have fun and hang out with friends.”
“I’ve never gone to homecoming. It’s not really a thing in New York.”
“Tell me you’re joking,” Jake says.
“Nope. Kids usually just party in the penthouse of whoever’s parents are away on business that week.”
“Ellis. You have to go, then. It’s your last high school homecoming.” He bites his lip and casually shrugs a shoulder. “I could take you.”
My eyebrows lift. “Take me… to homecoming?”
He lets out a nervous chuckle and looks at the table. “Yeah, why not?”
