Page 38 of The Two of Us

Cat smacks my butt as she speeds away. Her next class is four hallways over. “Au revoir!”

“That’s French!” I call.

“Tomato, potato!”

I chuckle and start hauling ass to my next period. No matter how boring school is, she always finds a way to make it entertaining.

Lunch period in high school is the Wild West. Students hobble shoulder to shoulder, rushing to grab food as quickly as they can to maximize their socialization time. Everyone talks over each other in an effort to be heard, and it makes me feel like I’m standing in the mosh pit at a rock concert. I’m never disappointed when the thirty minutes are up. I unwrap the sandwich I packed as Cat recounts the way she asked Maitland to homecoming. Apparently, he was too intimidated to ask her and he said yes before she even finished her question.

She rambles off details about the kind of dress she wants to find and I let my eyes wander around the lunchroom. They land on the same table they do every day and I start the mental clock on my daily allowance of self-wallowing. The Lucky Four sit together, their belongings spaced out, taking up an entire table meant for at least ten kids. They’re only sophomores, but they have already carved out a reputation of popularity among the masses.

Ambrose is at the head of the table, laughing at something Jackson whispered into his ear. Sasha clings to him, picking fries off his tray and dropping a kiss on his cheek every few minutes. Their relationship is a fan favorite at school and everyone knows they’re a shoo-in for homecoming court. Ambrose lifts Sasha’s chin with his finger and kisses her slowly. I look down at my sandwich, suddenly engrossed by the kernels in the whole wheat bread.

“Hello? Earth to Mara?” Cat says, waving her hand in front of my face.

I snap back to reality. “Sorry. What did you say?”

“I said, why is Brandon Lang walking over here?”

I follow her eyeline and sure enough, Brandon is making his way over to us, eyes locked on me.

He stops in front of our table with a kind smile. “Hey, Mara. Cat.”

Cat taps on her phone without looking up. “Brandon.”

Brandon is my partner for our AP world history project and Cat is still bitter that Mr. Moinyhan refused to pair us together. He said best friends don’t make as efficient of a team. Thankfully, Brandon is a great student and never lets me do more than my fair share of the work.

“Hey, did I forget to give you the rest of my printed slides for the presentation? I could have sworn I did,” I say, reaching for my bag.

“Oh. No, you’re good, I got them. That’s not why I came over.”

My brow furrows in confusion and Cat stops tapping on her phone.

“I came over because I wanted to see if you were going to the dance.”

I don’t have to look at Cat to know she’s listening. She never keeps her mouth shut for this long.

“Unless you’re already going with someone,” he rushes.

I take in his soft hazel eyes. I’ve always thought Brandon was handsome ever since the first time he lent me one of his books and I like that I never feel jittery or confused around him.

Beneath the table, Cat crushes my ballet flat under her boot, insinuating that I should take him up on the offer. I don’t want to go, but I’m also flattered to be asked. He and Cat would make the dance more bearable.

I regard his expectant face and smile. “I’d love to go with you.”

He claps his hands together. “Awesome! We’ll talk car pool details later. It’s gonna be a good time.”

He leaves and Cat shrieks into my ear about how we need to stop by the mall first thing after school. I smile, knowing how happy my agreeing to attend the dance makes her. The bell rings and I collect my trash, casting one last glance at The Lucky Four. Ambrose watches me, his eyes as clouded over as the storm raging outside.

***

“That’s it, that’s the one,” I say, popping a mint into my mouth.

Cat puts her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. “You said that about the last four dresses.”

“They all looked amazing on you!”

She’s wearing a sage-green A-line dress that falls just below her knees. It has a cinched bodice and pleated tulle skirt, giving it a whimsical flair. It’s stunning.

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