Page 20 of Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling

“Excuse me. You are blocking the exit,” a voice says behind me, making me jolt. I turn to see a man with a gummy-bear topped yogurt creation and an exasperated scowl.

Charlie scoots over to the side and I follow. He nods toward the door. “So should we join ’em, kid? Those boys are going to destroy that toppings bar if we don’t keep them in line.”

So much for ending this back-and-forth, he-likes-me-he-likes-me-not for good. But I guess I got my answer the moment I saw Asher and Beau in the back seat. I’m searching for subtle signs when he’s already practically painted a billboard for me.

“Sure, yeah. Let’s go.”

We join Asher and Beau inside, where they’ve already started sprinkling toppings on their impressively high mountains ofyogurt. The place is decorated for Valentine’s with swirling red and pink streamers hanging from the ceiling and paper conversation hearts taped to the walls. It’s another great reminder of what I expected from tonight and what I’m actually getting.

We’re standing in line to pay for our yogurt (strawberry with mochi and mini chocolate chips for me), when Charlie’s phone rings. He’s one of those rare people who don’t keep it on silent at all times.

“Oh shit!” Charlie’s eyes go wide when he looks at the screen. “It’s the guy, Neil, from Brass Knuckle! He’s finally calling us back.”

Brass Knuckle is a recording studio we’ve been trying to get into ever since the New Year’s show, so we could re-record the old music with my vocals and also record new stuff the guys have been working on.

“I better take this outside,” Charlie says, gesturing up to the speakers that are blasting “Stupid Cupid.”

“I’m coming too, man,” Beau says. “He’s only calling you back because of that favor I called in with my buddy Joe.”

Asher puts his giant cup of yogurt down, scattering rainbow sprinkles. “Well, I’m bankrolling this operation! You can’t leave me out of this call!”

Charlie is already out the door, with Asher close behind him. Only Beau pauses to consider me standing there alone with four cups of yogurt. “Can you take care of this, Delilah?” he asks, scratching the back of his head and revealing a shock of dark armpit hair. “We’ll be right back.”

“Mm-hmm. It’s fine.”

“You’re the best,” he calls behind him as he follows the guys outside.

I’m the best, but they didn’t even consider including me in this phone call. Right.

Sometimes I wish I could scream and kick in real life like the girl I’ve started to channel on stage. How different would things be if I was loud and wild and let out everything I’m holding in?

I definitely wouldn’t be scooting their cups along the counter to the register. Taking out my own wallet to pay for them. On Valentine’s Day.

“Whoa, hey!”

Wait... I know that voice. I look up and smile.

Reggie

“It’s um... okay, don’t tell me! It starts with a D...” I snap my fingers and pretend I don’t know her name, even though it’s been repeating in my head like a heartbeat ever since I saw her outside standing all close to her boyfriend.Delilah Delilah Delilah.I can’t let her know that though. “D... Delilah! Delilah, right?”

The corners of her lips turn down, just slightly. If you blink you’d miss it. It’s as if her face is determined to remain in neutral at all times.

“Right. Hi, Reggie,” she says, dropping my name easily. And I’m torn between absolute joy because SHE REMEMBERED MY NAME and absolute panic because maybe I’ve miscalculated and ruined everything by trying to play it cool.

“Of course I remember you. Delilah.De-li-lah!” I was trying to walk it back, but now I’m holding my hands out and singing her name and this is way too much. I clear my throat, try again. “Sorry, it’s just been a minute.”

“Yep, that’s me.” Her lips quirk into a small smile. “I looked for your essays online, you know. The Dungeons & Dragons ones? I couldn’t find them.”

And okay, now I’m pretty sure that I passed out. Fainted, knocked my head on one of the frozen yogurt dispensers, and now I’m in a hospital bed dreaming up a fantasy. Because surely, SURELY, this beautiful girl didn’t take time out of her supercool life to go Googlemyessays.

“Really?” I croak out.

“Yeah, really. They sounded interesting.” She shrugs. “But I guess I didn’t have tons to go on. Just your name and the game... I should have asked you for the website.”

I still can’t believe this conversation is real. I fight the urge to pinch myself. “Well, Idowrite under a pseudonym, so they wouldn’t have been easy to find.”

“Oh yeah? Why a pseudonym?”

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