Page 115 of Betting on You

Charlie: What’re you doing?

Me: Study hall. Reading.

Charlie: Book, please.

I smiled and texted:The Kingdom of Diamonds and Ash.

Charlie: I TOLD YOU NOT TO BOTHER!!! It’s just royals with magical powers, having sex.

Me: 10/10 would read based off that description.

Charlie: Little pervert.

Me: That’s “Lil” pervert, thank you very much.

I still couldn’t believe he’d read it. Charlie’s mom was a big reader, and when she’d gushed about how great it was, he’d given it a try.

Andhatedit. Ranted to me for twenty minutes last week about how god-awful it was.

I replied:Reading is subjective. Just because you didn’t like it doesn’t mean it isn’t good.

Charlie: Sometimes you say the most ridiculous things.

Me: As do you.

Charlie: Btw—if I have people over tonight, you’re coming, right?

I looked at the words and felt a tiny thrill that he wanted me to come. Even though he only meant it as a friend, it felt good to know he wanted me there. I texted:

I doubt it. I have to work on my lit paper all weekend.

Charlie: Sometimes you say the most ridiculous things. I’ll text you my address.

I wasn’t going to go, but his insistence put me in a good mood for the rest of the day.

When I got home from school, my mom was already there, and there was no sign of Scott. She was sitting on the sofa, watchingPoldark(she’d only just started the series), and when I came in, she grinned.

“Are you off tonight?” she asked, Puffball sound asleep on her chest.

“Yeah—I never work Fridays,” I said, slipping off my shoes and leaning down to scratch Mr. Squishy between his ears.

“Yay,” she said excitedly. “Scott has something going on tonight, so I thought it might be fun to go out for pizza. Just you and me, like old times.”

Nothing had ever sounded better. I dropped my bag and said, “I’m in—let’s go.”

She looked at the clock. “It’s four thirty.”

“Fine.” I plopped down beside her on the couch and said, “We’ll watch two more episodes, and then we’re gone.”

“Deal.”

It was nice, just the two of us. I didn’t actually know how long it’d been since we’d had an evening alone, but it felt like comfort and home and everything that was soothing. It was a moment of life unchanged, as if everything new and threatening had been removed from its spot on the horizon, and I wanted to wrap myself in its presence and take a long nap.

We got so sucked into the show that we were surprised by the darkness when we finally turned it off.

“No wonder I’m starving,” my mom said as she grabbed her keys and I put on my shoes. “I haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“Stupid Ross Poldark,” I muttered, which made her head snap up.

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