Page 176 of We Shouldn't Be Together
“And what about Jamie?”
“I’m expecting the volcano to finally erupt.”
Tabitha winces. “I’ll park it on a bench until they chill.”
I take Tabby by the hand and leave her to sit on a bench and then approach my friends. The guys are fast on their approach, but Jamie is already backing away like I have the plague.
Her expression is unreadable. Her focus flashes from me, to Tabitha, and back to me. Holy cow, has the penny only just dropped for her? I had hoped Jamie was deflecting conversations around Tabitha because she didn’t want to accept that she and I were together. But was she blocking it out so much that it didn’t even come up as a possibility for her?
Jamie moves down a ramp and blurts, “I gotta go.”
I reach out for her. “Hey, where are you going?”
She backs away from me, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. “There’s a bus leaving in five minutes. I’m gonna catch it because Maddy is with Mr. Stuffy.”
“Don’t go.” This isn’t how it’s supposed to go. “Hang out with us. One of my parents can drive you home if Maddy is still out by the time we get back to my place.”
“No, it’s okay.” She rushes forward and flings her arms around me in a hug. “Have a great rest of your birthday.”
“You’re really leaving?”
This is worse than when she punches me.
She shrugs, and it’s doing a bad job of masking her uncomfortableness. “It’s getting late, and it was a long shift at the cafe.”
Maybe if I coax her into ribbing me, she’ll lighten up? “Aw, lil Jamie is tired,” I mock, pinching her cheek.
She takes a breath, and for a moment, I think she’ll stay. But when she zeroes in on our friends, ogling Tabitha, she’s on flight-mode again. Jamie utters a few syllables, her skin growing a paler shade as she squirms to get away from the situation. Away from me.
I give her a pleading look, but she doesn’t budge.
What else am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to get on my knees and plead that she accepts the girl I like? No. If I got on my knees, she’d surely pin me in a headlock.
I huff with a shrug. “Okay, you go. But tomorrow you won’t need the bus. I’ll be able to drive us.”
She smiles and her tone is more upbeat. “What time is your test?”
“I get to skip third period. Then I can drive us around after school.”
“Yes,” she cheers. “I’m so excited.”
Thank goodness, she’s still acting like my friend. I need to take another stab at this. It’s worth risking a bruise if she’ll stay. I tease her with, “I’m not gonna flunk out like you.”
She socks my arm. “Hey!”
“I’m just playing.” Okay, that punch was only half as hard as I was expecting. “Okay. You’d better get your bus.”
I can’t help it. I turn toward where Tabitha sits.
Every cell inside me vibrates.
Dang, is she beautiful.
Jamie shifts on her rollerblades, making a sharp squeak on the concrete.
I double-take at her. Whoa. Does she want to ask me about Tabitha? Maybe she’s chilled and wants to hang out after all. “What?”
She shakes her head, backtracking. “No nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow. Happy birthday, bro.”
