Page 36 of Better Than the Movies
“No, thanks—I only have a second. I’m on my way to get my little sister from soccer, but Liz won’t respond to my texts, so I had to stop by.”
Crap.
Helena smiled and said, “She’s the worst, right?”
Jocelyn smiled at Helena but also leveled me with a look. “Right.”
“I, um, I’m about to leave too.” I swallowed and hoped I could get her out of there quickly. “In five minutes.”
“Where are you going?”
Helena had asked the question, but they both stood there, staring at me as I tried to come up with something.
“Um, Wes from next door is going to the basketball game and he, um, asked if I want to go. I mean, it’s a casual, no-big-deal thing—I was just bored and it sounded less boring, y’know? I totally don’t want to go but I said I would. So.”
Jocelyn’s eyebrows shot up. “Youare going to a basketball game.” She said it like I’d just professed myself a triceratops. “With Wes. Bennett.”
Helena crossed her arms over her chest. “Didn’t you call the parking police on him a few days ago?”
“No, I, um, I said Ialmostdid.” I spit out an awful fake laugh and shrugged. “Yeah, honestly, I have no idea why I said I’d go with him.”
I knew exactly why.
“Did Bennett make you buy those Chucks, too?” Jocelyn was staring at my shoes. “Because youhatethose shoes.”
It was true. I’d always thought Converse high-tops were ugly and utterly lacking in arch support. Now I had a weird affinity for them that made me question my own mental fortitude.
“They were on clearance, so I said, ‘What the hell.’?” Again with the terrible laugh. “Why not buy some Chucks, right?”
Jocelyn did a little head shake, like she had no idea what she was witnessing.
Same, girl. Same.
“Well, person I used to know, I only swung by because my mom needs to know which day we’re going dress shopping next week.”
Ironically, after I’d finally agreed earlier to go shopping with her, her mom had had to reschedule for a different day. Initially I was relieved to put it off longer, but now it felt like the universe just wanted to torture me. At this point, I kind of just hoped for a dress to be stuffed into my closet so I could stop hearing the phrase “dress shopping.”
“Ooh—I love dress shopping.” Helena tilted her head and added, “I rarely wear them because sitting like a lady sucks, but every spring I want racks and racks of floral dresses.”
“This is prom dress shopping.” Jocelyn was still looking at my clothes as she said, “Liz and I are going together, and my mom said she can take us dress hunting.”
“Oh.” Helena blinked and glanced at me for a second, and I felt like a monster. She’d mentioned multiple times that she thought I should go to prom because I’d regret it if I didn’t, and she’d also mentioned multiple times that she could take me dress shopping and we could “make a whole day of it.”
She’d thought it would besofun.
But that had been, like, a month ago, and I’d kind of forgotten.
Kind of.
My feelings about Helena doing the things my mom should’ve been there to do with me were tricky, and most of the time I just avoided them until they went away.
Or until this happened.
“Well, I’m sure that will be a blast.” Her eyes were sad, but she said, “Just don’t get anything too revealing, okay, guys?”
Jocelyn grinned. “We’ll do our best, but no promises.”
The doorbell rang—it had to be Wes this time, right?—and I felt nauseous as both of their eyes landed on me.
