Page 3 of Falling Stars

Chuckling, I feign fear. “Oh, no! Where’s my phone? I’d better tell Mav to sneak me some pizza this week.”

“If that boy crawls through your window one more time, I’m going to spank him too. I don’t care that he’s a foot taller than me.”

I laugh. “You’d have to catch him first.”

Her expression grows serious, and for a second, I’m afraid she’s going to ask me something horrible, like if we’ve kissed or any number of embarrassing questions. She lowers her voice. “Are we going to win tonight? Because I bet the ladies at the Blackbird Brew that we were going to win by seven.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “We’re definitely going to win.”

“Oh, before I forget, can you babysit for Amara tomorrow?”

I love my nephew, and I don’t mind babysitting, but my sister Amara always needs so much help. It’s annoying. “Mav was going to help me with algebra.”

My mom’s nose wrinkles. “Can’t you do that on Sunday?”

If I wait until Sunday, I’m afraid something will come up, and then we won’t get to hang out this weekend. “I’m tired of babysitting. Amara never pays me.”

“I know,mija, but she’s struggling right now. When you have a baby of your own, you’ll appreciate how much your family will do for you.”

Ugh, the guilt. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

She smothers me in a hug. “Thank you. And I know Amara doesn’t have much money right now, but I’ll make it up to you. What if I get you that homecoming dress you’ve been eyeing?”

Excitement skitters through me. Will Mav ask me to go with him? I’m hoping it’ll happen this weekend when we study. And if it does, I definitely need something to wear. “Isn’t it kind of expensive?”

“I only have one favorite daughter.”

I giggle even though I know she says the same thing to my older sister. I get it. She loves us both. “I have some money saved up, but if you could help me a little, that would be amazing.”

“You got it, kiddo.”

Mom’s phone buzzes on the counter, and the woman practically lunges for it. There’s only one asshole she gets that worked up about.

I roll my eyes and finish sweeping, frustrated that years after their divorce, she’s still letting my father yank her chain. She scurries off to the back, probably to try to hide the fact that they’re still talking.

My sperm donor is a former minor league player who, unfortunately, was always more serious about baseball than his family.

Vera, who’s only a few years older than me, coos at her phone. “Oh my God, this is adorable.” She glances at me. “Have you seen the ‘kiss your best friend’ challenge?”

She angles the screen to me. In the video, a girl is sitting in her bedroom next to her best guy friend. She seems nervous and keeps smiling at him as they talk. I don’t know what they’re saying because there’s music, and as it swells to a crescendo, she grabs his face and kisses him.

He’s in shock and freezes, leans back, and looks at her. A second later, he tackles her to the bed and kisses her back.

I sigh. “That was swoony.”

Suddenly, I don’t want to wait to study with Mav this weekend.

I want to kiss him tonight.

A plan forms in my mind. What if I track him down after the game and do this challenge? Will he kiss me back? Will he maul me like that guy in the video? Will he confess that he’s been inlove with me this whole time the way I’ve been in love with him? My hands tremble just thinking about it.

Vera’s lips twist. “Can you imagine if he rejected her, though? She’d be traumatized for life.”

I swallow. “But what if that’s the only way she’ll be able to find out if he reciprocates her feelings?”

She drops her phone into her purse. “I suppose, but it’s risky.”

The more I consider it, the more I realize it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

---