Page 112 of Don't Love the Boy Next Door
She rolls her eyes again. “And he totally ignored you.”
I bang my head again. “I know. Maybe he’s so cold and distant because he has a girlfriend.”
“Who has a girlfriend?” a voice asks.
Lifting my head, I find my older brother Jason sliding in next to Jenna and kissing her. Ugh. Those two have been together for nearly three years and they’re super crazy in love. Is it too much to want the same?
Why is it that Dad drives guys away, but Jason has never had that problem? So unfair.
“Artemis is staring at the new guy,” Jenna tells him.
“Again?”
I scowl at both of them.
My brother and best friend giggle before bending closer, pretty much eating each other’s faces up.
“Get a room,” I mutter. Not that they can hear me. When they’re like this, even a speeding train can’t break them apart.
But wait, one thing can.
“VP Miller’s coming this way,” I lie.
They repel from one another like they’ve got opposite charges. Jenna’s eyes flit across the room and as soon as she realizes I’m kidding, she flares her nostrils. “Not cool, Art.”
“Oh, but it’s cool to make out right in front of me when I’m so desperate for a boyfriend? And not just any boyfriend. Him.” I let my gaze wander to the table on the left, where the star of mydreams is scribbling in his sketchpad. What’s he drawing? What wonders go on in that beautiful head of his?
Jason follows my gaze, frowning. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
His frown deepens. “But you don’t know him.”
“It’s called a crush, babe, and she’s got a huge one. The size of Jupiter.”
I give Jenna a look. “I donot.” I cover my face with my hands, trying not to yell. “Fine. I do. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.”
Jenna grabs my hand, pulling it away from my face. “Check it out. Brianne’s headed toward him.”
I watch as the most beautiful, popular girl at school saunters over to him with that flirty smile she always shoots at guys. Most can’t resist her, because she’sBrianne. Nearly the entire male population at school would die to exchange just two words with her.
But not Ryan Rogers. Nope. He’s so sucked into his drawing he doesn’t notice the pair of designer shoes tapping on the tiled floor before him.
I lean closer to Jenna. “He’s insane. No one ignores Brianne.”
“I heard she and Derek broke up. Five bucks it’s because of Ryan. She wants to sink her claws into him before someone else does.”
I clutch her arm as Brianne bends toward him, pushing some of that silky black hair away from his face and whispering in his ear.
“No. Please wake me up from this nightmare,” I say.
Aw, who am I kidding? Of course Brianne is his type. Pretty goes with pretty and lame goes with lame.
“Oh my gosh, he’s totally ignoring her,” Jenna hisses.
Why does my heart flutter like a butterfly?
Jason groans. “Can we maybe talk about something other than the new kid?”
