Page 95 of The Friend Scheme
“It’s Jason_todd11,” she says.
Jason Todd.
That’shis alias?
That’s also the name of a superhero: Red Hood. He used to be Robin, until he went down a dark path.
I search for it.
And there it is.
Jason’s Instagram. The name might be fake, but it’s still his.
This is a treasure. I want to add him, but I’m a little nervous. Even though both our profiles use fake names, who I follow is public. Not that I seriously think anyone is looking at me that closely.
“Are you going to add him?” asks Bri.
“Yeah,” I say, and then I lock my phone and slide it back into my pocket. “Maybe later, though.”
“Oh, I know this game,” she says. “You want him to add you first, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Power move. I respect that.”
I laugh, and then we bump knuckles.
After the first inning, the teams both file off the field.
Bri stands up and waves. “Wallace! Over here!”
Wallace jogs up the bleachers. Jason follows behind him, along with another dude. When they reach us, Jason runs a hand through his hair, pushing it back up.
It’s wet with sweat, and messy, in a way that makes him look a little more rugged than normal.
He’s also breathing heavy, and there’s this energized look in his eyes.
I can’t stop looking at him.
“What are you doing here?” asks Naomi. “You’re not supposed to leave the dugout.”
“I know,” says Wallace. “But I had to see my girl.”
Wallace kisses Bri on the lips, which makes Naomi cringe, then make a sign of the cross. Then she turns to the remaining two.
“What’s your excuse?” she asks. “You could get detention for this, you know?”
They both shrug, but Jason looks at me. The other dude raises a hand at Naomi, and I swear she blushes so hard I can feel the heat radiating from her face. It’s all sorts of adorable. I kind of want to push the two of them together and be like, “Now kiss.”
Maybe I’m just in a romantic mood at the moment. Who knows?
“Hey, man,” says Wallace, offering his hand. “I’m Wallace.”
“Matt,” I say as we shake.
“He’s Jason’s friend,” says Bri. “The new one.”
She gives him a very pointed look. Wallace glances at Jason, his mouth hanging open slightly. I wonder if he’s thinking that we’re together.
