Page 18 of Zero Chance

After sending her a thumbs-up emoji, I spent the next ten minutes having a mini panic attack, asking myself repeatedly what I’d just done.I started to write Xander back at least half a dozen times to back out and tell her I couldn’t make it.

And I kept listing the cons in my head as I took a shower, preparing to go.

Even though Xander had promised to dress me up, I put on a pair of my nicest black slacks and a dark gray top with tiny black flowers on it.I blow-dried my hair and sighed at my reflection in the mirror.

All my features were just so…average.It wasn’t any wonder why no one had ever expressed any interest in me.And it really grated on my nerves that I suddenly even cared about that.I’d never cared about gaining attention from the opposite sex before.Usually, I tried to escape that very thing.But here I was,caring.

It did not make me happy.

What’s worse, I think I was actually lookingforwardto tonight.

I mean, what the hell was happening to me right now?

Grinding my teeth, I grabbed my phone and texted Dad, knowing he would ask the least amount of questions.

FYI, I’m going to my friend Xander’s house for a while.

After shooting off that bomb, however, I read over what I’d just sent.Little bubbles appeared with a forthcoming reply, and I panicked.

Thinking Dad would probably assume Xander was a male, and he’d start in with a dozen questions, I quickly added:

I met her in my Early American Lit class, and she and I eat lunch together a lot.

The bubbles stopped.A second later, they reappeared, and his reply popped up.

Okay.Have fun.Love you.

Sighing in relief, I wrote back,

Love you too.You two have fun in Houston.

Jittery after the exchange, I chewed on my lip and studied my car in the backyard through my window.I didn’t know the parking situation at Archer House, so it seemed easiest to just order a ride there.But first, I wanted to eat at my favorite Chinese place, which I could walk to.

Tossing my phone onto the bed before I could text Xander to back out of everything, I changed one more time into some black leggings instead of slacks.Then I filled my pockets with money, ID, and keys before I hurried downstairs to the front door and locked up behind myself.

Twenty minutes later, I entered the restaurant and waited in line before ordering my favorite foods.Finally, I found a booth in the corner to sit.

I’d never gone to a restaurant to eat alone before, but it wasn’t as bad as I always thought it would be.I really didn’t feel lonely at all.No one paid much attention to me, so I was able to people-watch with ease.

I ate at my own speed, not feeling rushed, and it was…nice.

Meanwhile, I wondered what Keene would be like at a party.As vivacious and outgoing as he was, he was probably the life and heartbeat of every single one of them.

I’d never seen him in that kind of environment before, and I just wanted to witness it.One time.

Finishing my meal with growing anticipation, I reached into my pocket for my phone so I could order a ride to Archer House, only to realize—ugh—I’d left my phone at home.

I debated whether to walk back to the house for it or to just carry on from here on foot.I was nearly halfway there already, so I ended up walking the rest of the way to Xander’s, using the Bridleway path for most of the trip.

It took me a little over half an hour to arrive.

From the way Xander talked about how everything happened at this place, I was expecting some kind of party central with couches and beer cans littering the front yard when I arrived.But it looked like every other suburban split-level family home on the block as I neared the address.Clean, manicured lawn, trimmed bushes, lots of curb appeal.

I faltered, hoping I had the right street.Sadly, I couldn’t check my phone to make sure, and I suddenly felt very self-conscious and exposed.

This was stupid.

Why had I agreed to this?

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