Page 52 of Missed Notes (Rixon High 5)

“That’s great. I’m excited for you both.”

“Don’t sound so glum. You have college to look forward to, brainbox.”

“We’ll see.” I murmured, not realizing I’d said the words aloud until Aaron balked, “We’ll see? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? The plan was always to study psychology at Columbia. It’s all you’ve ever wanted.”

“It was. I mean, it is.”

“You’re acting weird.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.” His cell phone vibrated, and he checked it, smiling at whatever was on the screen.

“Poppy?” I asked.

“Actually, it’s Kacie.”

“What does she want?”

“Kandon, apparently. She’s been hounding me to get her an introduction.”

“Kacie Goodman likes Cole?” My stomach dipped. Kacie was exactly the kind of girl I could see him with. Popular but not mean, she was a cheerleader with an exemplary academic record. Beautiful, smart, and athletic.

It was the perfect trifecta.

“I’m going to set them up.”

“Y-you are?” My fingers tightened around the mug.

“Yeah. She seems cool and Poppy knows her. I figured we could double date. It would be nice to have another couple to hang out with. E and Leigh are too all up in each other’s business.”

“Like you and Poppy don’t subject everyone to endless streams of PDA,” I said, trying to ignore the fact that my brother, the clueless idiot, was going to set Cole up on a date.

“Do you think he’ll say yes?”

I regretted the words the second they left my lips.

Aaron smirked. “Knowing Kandon, probably not, but I’ll talk him around. It’s time my boy got some. And Kacie is exactly his type.”

Cole had a type now.

And if my brother was right, then it obviously wasn’t me.

Kacie was tall and slim with a typical cheerleader’s body. Pale skin and blonde hair. We couldn’t have been more different.

“Sofe, are you sure everything is okay? You look a little green.”

“Me? I’m fine.” Another forced smile. “I think I’m going to walk today, get some fresh air.”

“Walk? You don’t have to do that. Me and Poppy aren’t that bad.” Aaron smiled up at me with that puppy dog grin of his, but it barely touched the ice around my heart.

His life was just beginning. He had this exciting future to look forward to. I’d had it all too. But now I didn’t know what the next few months would bring me, let alone the next four years.

“You should let me set you up with someone too, then we can all go out.”

“No! Absolutely not.”

Oh God, I couldn’t think of anything worse.

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