Page 98 of My Debacle with De Lorenzo

“It sounded more exciting when you said it like that.” He sits up to slurp water from his bottle. “So, what are you doing tonight? You think your mom will let you come over to my house so we can binge-watch Riverdale?”

“I can’t. It’s Cat’s birthday today, and it was Scott’s birthday earlier this week. You remember Scott, right?”

“Scotty the hotty? Yeah, I remember him. The other one was hotter, though. What was his name? Peter? He’s so aggressive. I like that in a man.”

“He was also the one who called me a rat.”

“I forgot about that. Fine. I’ll scratch him off myTo Dolist.” He wags his eyebrows. “Get it?”

“It’s a terrible joke. Anyway, we’re all supposed to go out tonight to Sky Lounge to celebrate...but I don’t think I’m gonna go.” I exhale a heavy sigh. “Actually, Tom, I’m thinking of ending this whole thing with Dylan. It’s been a crazy three weeks, and I think if I let this continue, I’m just going to end up getting hurt. Bottom line. You can’t have a hookup type arrangement with someone who is boyfriend material. On the one side, you have me, who’s completely crazy about him, and on the other hand, you have him who’s just kinda meh about the whole thing. He doesn’t see me as a girlfriend, so he won’t tell me things he would tell a girlfriend, and I can’t exactly force the issue because I’mnothis girlfriend, so we’ve reached a stalemate. It’s just best to end it.”

A frown creases his forehead. “Where is all this coming from? I thought everything was going great.”

We move into sitting cross-legged, facing each other. “Tom, have you not been paying attention to anything that has happened? The guy is like...Jekyll and Hyde. He’s a mind-fuck. I can’t figure him out.”

“I think you’re going to have to re-explain because I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I groan my annoyance. Tommy has developed a soft spot for Dylan, so he doesn’t see all his weird behavior patterns, or maybe because it’s been spread over time, he just hasn’t put it together.

“You were at the school last Thursday. You saw what happened, you saw what he looked like. He was a mess on Thursday. He comes to school on Friday, and I swear it was like nothing happened. This week, he’s his usual self. He’s happy, joking all the time.”

“So? What’s wrong with that? He had a bad day, and he’s fine now.”

“Are you serious?” I glower at him, and he still doesn’t get it. “It wasn’t a bad day. He disappeared for an entireweek, Tommy, and he refuses to tell me what happened.”

“You’re overreacting.”

“I’m not overreacting! Something is wrong with him.”

“I think you’re starting to feel things and it’s scaring you and that’s the real reason why you want to end it.”

I give it some thought and he’s right and wrong. “I won’t deny that I really like him, like alot, Tommy, and yes, it scares me, but that’s not the reason I want to end it. I’m sad to end it because I didn’t even get the D yet. And that’s another problem. Do you know how many times we came close to doing it this week, and he pulls back every time? He doesn’t want me, but I want him so bad I could cry. He’s got an impressive piece of equipment on him. The length is only a little more than average, but the girth could do some damage. My hand can’t even wrap around that thing. Do you understand how messed up the situation is for me to give upthatdick?”

“You make me want to get a little taste.”

“Well, you can’t, because he’s mine.”

“Not for much longer.”

My heart sinks into my stomach at the thought. I let out a small groan because I’m so frustrated with not knowing what to do. “Shit, Tom, why is this so compli?”

“Yo, Isa!” Scott calls as he climbs up the porch stairs with my sister behind him.

Cat and Tommy exchange greetings, but I scowl at Scott long enough for him to sense my urge to slap him.

“Why do you call me like that? It’s so annoying.” My focus moves over to Cat. “How was your birthday...outing?”

I choose my words carefully because I don’t want to admit that my sister may be in the beginning stages of dating Scott Carter. Gross! Something has gone awry in this world.

“It was great. He took me to get my cast removed, so that just made everything ten times better. And then afterward, we went to a funhouse, and there was this haunted section where?”

“Cat ended up screaming like a girl,” Scott cuts in.

She slaps his arm with the back of her hand. “Iama girl, douche. And then he had the nerve to laugh at me...butI forgave him because he promised to take me to see the newMen in Blackmovie when it’s released next year. Chris Hemsworth is in that one, so you know I’m going to be all over that.”

“Then you’re taking me as well,” I chime in.

“I told you she’d want to come,” Cat says, looking up at him with the slightest hint of adoration, and it makes me want to puke.

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