Page 54 of Last First Kiss

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I lay my head dramatically on the table and groan into the faux flowers.

She snorts. “You aresodramatic.”

Cathia scoots closer, and without a word, she reaches for my hands, guiding them like she and my mom used to when Alejandra and I were kids, back when they’d help us shape messy lumps of clay into tiny bowls during pottery nights.

She guides me through the loops and pulls, and somehow, a perfect bow forms between us.

“There,” she says, looking back at me with a satisfied grin. “See? Not so hard”

“Huh,” I say, genuinely surprised, holding up my first halfway-decent bow.

“Now let’s hope you can do it again.” Diana doesn’t even try to hide her smirk.

I wasnotable to replicate it, and eventually, Diana takes all my supplies away and sends me into the kitchen to make sandwiches for lunch.

I pull out my phone to text Alejandra, but there’s already a message from her waiting for me.

Alejandra 11:39 a.m.:

how’s it going?

Clara 11:40 a.m.:

Terrible! Diana is torturing me

Alejandra 11:39 a.m.:

uh oh! what happened???

Clara 11:40 a.m.:

She’s making me do bows…

Alejandra 11:39 a.m.:

LOL, i don’t know why she thought you’d be good at that. You’re the least crafty person i know. Send me pictures i could use a laugh.

Clara 11:41 a.m.:

Rude

Clara 11:41 a.m.:

But fair

Alejandra 11:42 a.m.:

i stand by it. i’ve seen you lose a battle to tape. let me see the damage.

Clara 11:41 a.m.:

IT WAS DOUBLE-SIDED

I take a picture of Diana’s perfect bow next to my scraggly one and text it to Alejandra.

Alejandra 11:43 a.m.:

Clara 11:44 a.m.:

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