Page 29 of Don't Hate the Player
“See you Saturday.”
I’m hyperaware of what almost happened in the car, and from the way Jake is purposefully keeping room for the Holy Ghost between us, I feel safe assuming he’s aware too. We both lean forward in a weird, shoulder-only hug and part ways. My driver’s side door is still dangling open, and my lights are on when I get back to the car. I’m about to reconnect the Bluetooth and steel myself to text Connor when I see Jake hanging halfway out the lobby door.
“Hey, Em,” he stage-whispers. The sidewalk is narrow enough that I can still hear him. “It’s super cool not being friends with you again.”
I command myself not to smile, and my mouth rebels spectacularly. I’m still smiling two streets over when my phone lights up again. Jesus, is Connor secretly fifty years old? I was getting to you, enough with the phone calls already.
I answer before the ringtone can start and hear something that completely wipes the grin off my face: not Connor’s voice, but Penny’s.
“Hey, Lia. Just got a weird text from Matt Pearson? I have some questions. First question: who the hell is KNOX?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Team Unity Chat, Sunday
BobTheeQ: Ch-ch-checking in with Round One Winners Team Unity!
BobTheeQ: Especially and including Our Ladies, how was everything after we parted ways last night?
JHoops: i haven’t been online but yes how are you both
shineedancer: not great, bob
ElementalP: I’ve had worse
BobTheeQ: My bots are at your service. BlockBot, WipeBot, PrivacyBot . . .
ElementalP: How about MurderBot?
JHoops: ThatsAFelonyBot
JHoops: but Bob would probably build one for you anyway
ElementalP: ok i’ll take a BlockBot pls there’s only so much racism I can take before noon
BobTheeQ: DMing you the code, Sweet P.
JHoops: anything you want us to handle?
JHoops: if you give me your pw I can go through your TL and only show you the nice tweets starting from yesterday
shineedancer: don’t you have enough on your plate Jake? aren’t you still hyperventilating and/or recovering from the bus
JHoops: why would i hyperventilate
shineedancer: oh idk. she plays with fury. looks like elena of avalor. rhymes with box.
ElementalP: or maybe rhymes with shmay-oh-shmee idk what we’re going with now that she’s a known entity
shineedancer: this would be a lot easier if you just told us her NAME
JHoops: oh that’s all fine.
JHoops: fine fine fine. I don’t want to like take space rn
JHoops: also nothing happened and I took the bus
BobTheeQ: Consider me convinced!
