I felt my jaw fall open. McKayla cracked up.
“That’s what I thought,” she said.
“Are you serious?” I demanded when I had control of my face again. “I mean, she was probably joking.”
“Logan and Jeremy were talking about getting started early and putting together a big thing for prom, and then Taylor said she was out because she already had plans—with you. That’s why Logan’s being so… you know… about you. He has a thing for Taylor. I figure you deserved a heads-up. After all, you broke the man code for me.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Tell her you’re not taking her.”
“I can’t just… What would I even say?”
She smiled like she was enjoying this. “Man up, Beau. Or rent a tux. Your choice.”
So I didn’t get much out of Government after that. Was it really my responsibility to uninvite Taylor to the prom? I tried to remember what I’d said to her in the parking lot when she’d asked me to the girls’ choice. I was almost positive I had not agreed to anything.
The sky was like lead as I walked to Trig, dark gray and kind of heavy-looking. Last week, I would have found it depressing. Today I smiled. There was something better than sunshine.
When I saw Jeremy sitting by an empty desk in the back row, watching the door, waiting for me, I remembered that Taylor wasn’t the only problem I had right now. My neck started feeling warm, and I wished I’d kept the scarf.
There was another open chair two rows forward… but it was probably better to get this over with and be done with it.
Ms. Varner wasn’t in the room yet. What was with all the tardy teachers today? It was like nobody even cared if we were educated.
I sat next to Jeremy. He didn’t keep me waiting.
“Dang, son,” he said. “Who knew you had that kind of game?”
I rolled my eyes. “I have no game.”
“Please.” He punched my arm. “Edythe Cullen. C’mon. How did you swing that?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“How long has this been happening? Is it some kind of secret? Like, she doesn’t want her family to know? Is that why you pretended you were going to the movie with us?”
“I wasn’t pretending anything. I had no idea she was in Port Angeles last night. She was the last person I expected to see.”
He seemed deflated by my obvious honesty.
“Have you ever been out with her before last night?”
“Never.”
“Huh. Just a total coincidence?”
“I guess.”
It was obvious when I was telling the truth—and obvious when I was evading it. The suspicious, knowing look came back to his face.
“Because, you know, it’s not a secret that you’ve been, like, obsessed with her since you got here.”
I winced. “It’s not?”
“So, I have to wonder how you turned that around. Do you have a genie in a lamp? Did you find some blackmail on her? Or did you trade your soul to the devil or something?”
“Whatever, man.”
“Exactly how much did you get in the bargain? Bet it was a pretty wild night, eh?”
I was starting to get pissed, but I knew he would twist whatever reaction I showed to make it seem like something else.
I answered calmly, “It was an early night. Home by eight.”
“Are you serious?”
“It was just dinner and a ride home, Jeremy.”
“What about this morning, though? You were still with her.”
“Still? No! What—you thought she was with me all night?”
“She wasn’t?”
“No.”
“But you were in her car—”
“She picked me up for school this morning.”
“Why?”
“I have no idea. She offered me a ride. I wasn’t going to say no.”
“And that’s it?”
I shrugged.
“Really? Please tell me you at least made out with her—anything.”
I scowled at him. “It’s not like that.”
He made a disgusted face. “That is, hands down, the most disappointing story I’ve ever heard in my entire life. I take back everything I said about your game. Obviously, it’s just some pity thing.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Maybe I should try to look more pathetic. If that’s what Edythe is into.”
“Go for it.”
“It won’t take her long to get bored with you, I bet.”
My façade slipped for a second. He caught the change and grinned, a little smug.
“Yeah,” I said. “I’m sure you’re right.”
Ms. Varner showed up then, and the general chatter started to die down while she began writing equations across the board.
“You know what, though?” Jeremy said under his breath. “I think I’d rather be with a normal girl.”
I was already irritated. I didn’t like the way he talked about Edythe in general, and the way he said normal really bugged me. No, Edythe wasn’t normal, but that wasn’t because, like his tone seemed to imply, she was something… off or wrong. She was beyond normal, above it. Surpassing it by so much that normal and Edythe weren’t even on the same plane of existence.
“That’s probably for the best,” I muttered in a hard voice. “Keep your expectations low.”
He shot me a startled look, but I turned to face the teacher. I could feel him staring at me suspiciously again, until Ms. Varner noticed and called on him for an answer. He started flipping spastically through his book, trying to figure out what she’d asked him.