I didn’t look back at him as I unfolded the note.
What didn’t you want me to see? Were you looking at p**n ? If yes, may I join you? If no, what were you doing?
I turned and gave him a disgusted look before setting the note on the coffee table and scribbling an answer.
You are a pig and it’s none of your business.
I refolded the airplane and chucked it over my shoulder, not bothering to aim as I went back to working on my blog. I couldn’t really focus, though, because I thought that any moment he was going to stick his head over my shoulder again.
My blog was mine. I didn’t post my real name, and there were no pictures of me so no one would ever know it was mine. My blog was...private. It was mine and no one knew about it. This was probably what Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne felt. Only, you know, their secret identities were more awesome than my secret blogging identity. I could say anything I wanted, be anything I wanted on my blog. That girl that I was didn’t matter. No one knew her. And besides, the blog wasn’t about me. It was about the music.
A little while later, people started packing it in for the night. I expected Dusty to get up and leave, but he didn’t. He also didn’t pass the note back, either, and when I stole a glance at him, he was back to being focused. Weirdo.
I was about to turn and ask him if he was going to stay all night when I heard a book close behind me.
“Well, I should probably get back to my shack.” He got to his feet and everyone who was still downstairs mumbled their good-nights. He looked down at me as if he was expecting something. Was I supposed to walk him out?
Hold up. Did he think this was a date? Was this a date? Why would this have been a date? Sure, dinner had been involved, but only because he’d been here when we were making and serving it.
“See you later,” I said, and it sounded just as lame as it sounded in my head, and I felt as lame as I had the night before in his car.
He opened his mouth, changed his mind and then made one of his drum sounds to cover it up. “’Bye, Red.”
I gave him one of those two-fingered waves, and he did one back with a smile on his face.
It wasn’t until after he was gone that I realized he’d taken the paper airplane note with him.
Chapter 13
“So I know your sister is, like, super down on parties, but I got an invite to one, and I can’t go on my own. Also, if you don’t want to come with me, I will hurt you. So, you’re coming,” Hannah said after bio the next day.
“My sister is never going to go for it.”
“I figured, which is why I thought I could talk to her and convince her.”
I almost started laughing. That was never going to work, and it was cute that she thought it would.
“It isn’t going to happen, Hannah. You’ve seen my sister in action.” Besides, I didn’t know if I’d really want to go anyway.
“Oh, I have powers of persuasion.” Hannah didn’t seem like the type who would be all over going to a party, so I really wanted to know why she was into it.
“Why do you want to go so much? Is it a guy?”
“No, it’s not a guy. I just feel like I want to get the whole college experience, and that includes going to a frat party at least once. It’s on the college bucket list. I checked.”
I wondered what else was on that list, because I’d probably taken care of most of it already. She was being weird about it, and I knew that it was another thing she wasn’t telling me about. In some ways I felt so close to Hannah, but in others I felt like she had all these secrets that she would rather die than share with me.
“I’m not taking no for an answer,” she said, and I recognized determination on her face. For whatever reason, she had decided that this was a thing she was going to do, and I was going along with it. Hannah had never made any demands on me as a friend, and I was so used to it from my former friends that I felt like a bitch for saying no.
“I might have a lead on a job that wouldn’t suck. If you agree to go, I’ll tell you about it.” It was like one of those game shows where they put a mystery box in front of you. I could win, or I could lose big. But it might be nice to go out and let loose, for real this time.
“I will only say yes if you can convince Renee. Because I’ve already gotten myself into hot water enough, and she’s just starting to loosen up on me and let me do things.”
Hannah put her hand out.
“Deal. I have complete faith in my ability to convince her.” She was confident, that was for sure. “So I’ll be over this afternoon.”
“If you want to come for dinner, you can. We always make plenty, and you wouldn’t be the first person who’s invited themselves over.” Crap, I hadn’t meant to mention Dusty coming over. I knew she’d want to overanalyze it and read more into it and say things that would totally mess with my head.
“I don’t even need to ask who it was. I can figure it out based on the fact that you mentioned it and that you clearly don’t want to talk about it.”
Well...maybe Hannah would turn out to be a sympathetic ear. I only paused for a second before launching into the story of Dusty helping me make dinner and then the airplane note. Of course, I left out the part about my own feelings. She was smart enough to figure them out anyway.
“So I’m just...confused and I don’t know. He’s so...complicated.” I remembered Mase saying something about the complications being the best part of life.
“Is that code for ‘sexy’? Because he is so into you.”
“Then why does he tell me that he isn’t?” I made a frustrated sound that made a few people walking in front of us turn and give me a look like I was crazy. I was going to be late for math, but I didn’t care. It was the kind of class that you didn’t have to attend to get a good grade in. Hell, the tests were open book, and I’d heard the TA would point you to the right answers if you asked nice enough.
“Look, I have to go, but we will pick this up later. What time should I come over?” she said.
“Around six?”
“See you later, girl,” she said, taking off for her next class, which was clear across campus. She was going to have to book it to get there.
I went to math and spent the entire hour and fifteen minutes listening to Maroon 5. They were one of those groups I’d loved for so long, and their music was the equivalent of a hug, or a bowl of chicken soup. Warm and comforting.
I drove back to Yellowfield House in a daze and was less-than-surprised to see Dusty’s car parked on the street.