Page 89 of Riot Rules
“Wait, wait, wait.” Andre laughs nervously again. “Look, uh, you go to the fancy school, right? The one at the top of the mountain?”
I’ve never heard anyone refer to the academy as fancy before, but I suppose to an outsider Wolf Hall might appear that way. “How did you know?”
“My cousin lives here. I come back to Mountain Lakes all the time and I’ve never seen you around. Pretty sure I’d remember you. So, yeah. Kinda makes sense that you’ve been locked away up there on the hill.”
“So…youdon’t go to school here? In Mountain Lakes?” I don’t know why but I’m kind of disappointed by this.
“No. I’m in college. Albany State.”
Huh. College guy. Nice.
“Look. I know you’ve gotta go, but…I’m here studying, it’s supposed to be easier to concentrate, but…god, I’m rambling. Would you like to grab some food with me this weekend? Specifically, would you like to go on a date with me? I still feel bad about mowing you down, and we’ve already been over the fact that I think you’re really pretty so…”
I gape at him. “Uhhh…a date? Well…” Dash’s face pops into my brain, and nausea spikes in my stomach. Why the hell do I feel like I’m doing something wrong? I feel like I’m cheating on him or something, betraying his trust. I’m not the one who betrayed his trust, though. He betrayed mine. Burned it to the fucking ground. And guess what? That waseight fucking months ago.
I make up my mind. “You know what? Sure. A date sounds awesome. Thank you.”
Andre beams. He sticks a hand into the pocket of his thick red down jacket and pulls out aScreamin’ Beansnapkin. There’s already a bunch of neat, blocky writing on it, followed by a telephone number. “I was kind of hoping you’d say yes.” He looks sheepish. “That’s why I took so long in there. They couldn’t find a pen.”
I take the napkin from him, laughing. He blows out his cheeks, looking around. “Gotta check the bushes. Make sure none of my friends are watching me make a fool of myself,” he says.
“You’re not making a fool of yourself.”
“No?”
I shake my head. “Promise.”
“Best news I’ve had all day,” he says. “Okay. Go. Don’t wanna be late, right?”
I back away from him, tucking the napkin into my pocket. He watches me, nursing his latte as I get into the Firebird and start the engine. I stop at the parking lot’s exit, winding down the window.
“Hey, Andre?”
His eyes light up. “Yeah?”
“No more coffee, okay?”
He grins. “No, ma’am. Scout’s honor. No more coffee for me.”
40
CARRIE
I goon the date with Andre. I go on a second date with Andre the next night, too. He’s sweet, and he’s funny, and when he leans in and kisses me, it doesn’t feel like the world is ending. It doesn’t feel like it’s on fire, either, which is good, I suppose. It feels safe when his lips meet mine, and safe is something I haven’t felt for as long as I can remember. Safe has its merits. It means I don’t feel like I’m going to be let down any second. Andre also doesn’t have two hostile, highly aggressive best friends who want to make my life a living hell, either, which is a mark in his favor.
On our third date, he invites me to a party that his friend’s brother is throwing, and I accept. The week trudges by slowly, and everyone starts talking about the fact the Riot House boys are heading into Boston for some charity ball Dashiell’s father is hosting. I know the Edmondson party was a fluke—there’s no way Dash would show up a party being held by some college football player—but just knowing they’ll be out of town the night of the party is a relief. There won’t be any surprises with the three of them a hundred and sixty miles away in the city.
Elle doesn’t want to go to the party at first. Pres is ambivalent, becauseobviouslyPax won’t be there. It takes a little work to corral both girls into agreeing to go. Soon enough, we’re at Andre’s friend’s place, though, and everything feels…good.Free. This is what I’m supposed to feel like—a regular teenager, attending a regular party with a regular boy that she likes.
The girls and I touch up our makeup in the bathroom, and I finally come clean to Elodie and Pres about Andre. They’re both so happy for me, secretly relieved, I’m sure, that I’m finally getting over Dash. I know I haven’t exactly been a barrel of laughs to be around lately. I cried in front of Elodie atScreamin’ Beanswhen Dash rolled up out of the blue, for fuck’s sake. This melancholia I’ve been lugging around with me like a suitcase full of bricks has been a drag for my friends as well as me. They’d never say so, they’re far too polite for that, but it’s probably been hellish for them, having to deal with my rollercoaster emotions.
Andre represents a new chapter in my life. A fresh start and a fresh outlook. He’s cute. He’s smart. Uncomplicated. I can picture having a future with him, whereas a future with Dash always looked murky at best. His title. His family. His money. His friends. There were so many roadblocks standing in our way. With Andre, there are no obstacles.
I probe Elodie gently while we’re in the bathroom about this tension that’s still mounting between her and Wren, but she refuses to talk. I’ve seen all of the signs. I know what denial looks like when I see a girl falling for a Riot House boy—I used to see it in the mirror every damn day—and there’s nothing I can do to save her now.
Andre shows up at eleven. I’ve only had two beers, so I’m fully in control of my faculties. Elodie and Pres shoo me away, telling me to go and talk to the handsome boy grinning at me from across the other side of the room, and I don’t need telling twice.
He greets me by pulling me to him and kissing me deeply—something Dash would never have done—and being in his arms feels warm. Normal. When we finally come up for air, he holds me at arms’ length, laughing. “Wow. Corduroy overalls.Purplecorduroy overalls. And shamrocks. Quite the outfit there, sweetheart.”
