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My gaze drifts back to my phone, Sebastian’s message taunting me. I should delete it, block his number, and forget he ever existed. But I can’t make myself do it, clinging instead to the fading threads of what he made me feel, as pathetic as that is.

A knock at the door makes me jump. But it’s only Ju peeking in. “Everything okay in here?”

“Fantastic.” I grab my bag.

“That bad, huh?”

“You and Jason were right about him. Sebastian, I mean.”

“Did you hook up with him?”

“Not exactly hook up, hook up.”

Ju walks over and hugs me. “I’m sorry. Don’t waste another second thinking about that jerk. He doesn’t deserve it.”

“Yeah.”

“Jason is waiting outside. Maybe he’s your prince charming?”

“No, he is just a friend.”

“I see. So, uhm, you wouldn’t mind if I take my shot with him?”

“With whom? Jason?”

“Yes.”

“No. Go ahead.”

“Great.” She beams, doing a little jump. “Anyway, he looked concerned, so try to be nicer to him.”

“Did he ask you to talk to me?”

“Maybe.” She shrugs and leaves the room.

I follow, finding the person in question sitting on the couch. “Ready?”

As we walk across campus, Jason fills the silence with light chatter about his classes and football practice. I nod along, only half listening.

“Coach finally let me try out as a wide receiver. It was pretty intense, but I think I did well,” Jason says.

“Really? That’s great.”

Why does the thought of him with someone else make me feel so… empty?

“Lil?” Jason’s concerned voice breaks into my brooding. “Did you hear what I said?”

I stop in my tracks and realize Jason isn’t beside me and turn around. He’s standing a few feet away.

“Sorry, what did you say?” I ask.

“Are you sure you’re up for class today? We could skip?”

“Skip?”

“Until now, your brothers would have killed me. But here. They won’t know, right?”

True, the second Jason would have been a bad influence and made me skip school, he’d definitely be on Levi and Lan’s shitlist.

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