Page 58 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

“I asked her if she could go online and find me a guy,” Mia tells us. “And you know what she said?”

“What?” Rylee asks.

Mia rolls her eyes. “She told me I should focus on school and not on boys.”

Rylee and I laugh.

Mia frowns. “It’s not funny. She’s a freakin’ robot and can use her robot brain to find me the perfect guy. But she’s holding me back.”

Rylee’s phone beeps with a text. After she examines it, her face lights up in a way that can only mean one thing. Mason texted her.

She releases a squeal. “Sorry, guys,” she says as she quickly responds, thumbs flying across her phone. “Just going to answer him real quick…Oh, right.” She puts down her phone and focuses on us. “Elena is throwing a party tomorrow night. You guys want to go?”

“Nope,” I say.

Mia gives me a face. “No surprise there. Does Mason want to go? I thought he doesn’t go to parties.”

“He didn’t. But now that we’re together, we think it might be fun. We can spend the whole night dancing, pretending the rest of the world doesn’t exist. Just me and him in our own Love Land.”

“You know you can have that anywhere,” I point out. “You don’t have to go to a party to dance together.”

“True, but it could be fun. Plus, Mason also wants to hang out with Jason.”

“Well, you know I’m in,” Mia says. “As I always say, parties are the perfect place to find a boyfriend.”

“You also say parties are the perfect place to fail at getting a boyfriend,” I remind her.

“Yeah, but one should always cling to hope, right? For if not for hope,” she says in an exaggerated tone. “What else do we live for?”

Rylee nods. “Even without wanting to find a boyfriend, we could have lots of fun. Remember—as long as we’re together, we can have fun anywhere.”

“The Musketeer Trio forever,” she and Mia say.

“So, Zoey, you in?”

I glance from one to the other before sighing. “Only because I want to spend as much time with you as possible before we separate for college in two years.”

“Can we please not bring that up?” Mia asks. “I get so sad just thinking about it.”

“But we’ll all move back here once we graduate college, right?” Rylee asks. “I’m going to knock Witch Teagyn Abberton off her throne and become the cheer coach. Mason will be a doctor at Edenbury Medical Center, Mia will live here between projects, and Zoey…” Her brows furrow. “What do you even want to do after high school?”

I shrug. “Not sure yet. But I do love volunteering for my mom’s organization. Maybe I’ll go to school for business or finance.”

“That’s awesome,” Mia says. “So we’re going to Elena’s party tomorrow, then? Official?”

Rylee raises a brow at me.

I reluctantly nod. “Official.”

“Yay!” Mia says. “Maybe I’ll meet a sweet guy there and we’ll ride off into the sunset.” Her eyes suddenly widen. “My mom’s here. She must have finished work early today. Mom!” She waves at the door.

I turn around and find Charlie walking into the restaurant. Her face brightens when she catches sight of us. “Hey, guys!” After greeting the staff, she makes her way over. “I didn’t know you guys would be here.” She hugs Mia and kisses the top of her head, then hugs Rylee and me.

Charlie is famous for two things. Her dark red hair and her genius brain. She works for NASA’s Georgia office and loves her job. She’s always been an inspiration to me because she went after what she wanted and didn’t let anyone get in her way, just like my mom.

Ae-Cha walks over with a menu. “Would you like to order?”

Charlie smiles. “I’d love to. I’ll have japchae just like the girls. Gamsahamnida, Ae-Cha. How is your mother feeling?”

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