Page 34 of Love and Other Goals

Monday morning, I leave the AOPi house with a smile. Mateo and I texted several times yesterday, and I’m feeling more and more confident about how I’m feeling about him. Which is that I like him. A whole lot.

I breathe in the morning air and decide to walk to campus without my ear buds in, a decision I immediately regret when I hear Bailey’s voice calling out to me.

She falls into step beside me. “So, Lana,” she begins, sounding uncharacteristically unsure. “I heard some interesting rumors about you over the weekend.”

Oh boy. Are we really going to middle school gossip this? Undoubtedly, Bailey was one of those popular girls who served as the central power lines for the rumor mill.

Finding no way around it, I simply ask, “What do you mean, Bailey?”

“Well, a couple of the girls from TriAlpha who were at the soccer game claimed they saw you there, and that there seemed to be some sort of flirtation between you and Mateo Alvarez,” she says. Then she audibly scoffs, and I work overtime to keep my facial expressions in line. “I told them I didn’t know of any such connection, but they insisted.”

“I’m not sure why you would care about my romantic life, Bailey,” I declare without answering her unspoken question.

That seems to throw Bailey off, and she’s scrambling to find a dignified way to get her questions answered. I have to admit it’s a little satisfying seeing her fumbling so much when she’s usually so socially confident. I struggle not to smile to myself.

“It’s always useful to know what dating dynamics are going on with Arrow leaders,” Bailey says. “And I’m just being curious as a friend.”

I pretend to look at something to my side so I can roll my eyes at her use of the word “friend.” My first instinct is to say something snarky back to her, considering how unfriendly Bailey usually is to me, but then I hear Teegan’s voice in my head. Embrace it.

“Yes, Bailey, there was flirtation between Mateo and me at the soccer game, because we’ve gone on a couple of dates.”

Bailey’s mouth drops open for a moment before she collects herself, but her eyes remain wide. She’s silent until we reach the point where our paths diverge toward different buildings.

“Um, wow, how nice for you, Lana,” she finally spits out, looking like it physically pained her to do so. “I’m surprised, but, you know, that’s very exciting for you. See ya.”

She speed walks away, and I can’t help but shake my head at her ability to be so condescending in her response to me dating Mateo. As I head into my building for class, I quickly text the Beefs.

Well, Bailey just cornered me into confirming to her that Mateo and I have been dating

Amaya

Prepare for the entire town of Brooklyn to know about it within a few hours

Teegan

I’m here for this gossip train

Amaya

TEEGS

Teegan

I’m only jealous that I didn’t get to be the engine

Amaya is right. I do need to prepare myself, because the lid has been officially blown off this relationship. Although I’m still a little anxious about how Aaron is going to react, I’m mostly relieved and excited to not feel like I’m keeping my dates with Mateo under wraps anymore.

The next afternoon, I’m sitting in the Harry Potter room, laptop open, Mindful Mellow playlist streaming through my ear buds. I’ve typed and deleted so many beginnings to my personal essay, never making it more than a sentence or two in before deciding I hate the direction I’m going.

I receive a text from Mateo, a welcome distraction from my writer’s block.

Mateo

Hey, Coach ended practice early. Where are you right now?

I give a half smile to my phone and take a selfie with the room in the background. I send the photo to him, curious if he’ll know the location.

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