Oh shit. That is some good, steamy tea. “Are you serious?”
Tori nods. “Paisley swore me to secrecy, but it’ll eventually get out. Can you believe it? She really was ho’ing around in Tahoe. She’s a Tahoe ho.”
I can’t help but giggle, and I tell myself to stop. “I’m guessing she probably broke up with him then, if she’s hooking up with Jayden.”
“Nope. I just texted Dom and asked about it, and he said Beck broke up with her,” Tori says, sounding triumphant.
That puts an entirely different slant on the situation. Did Beck find out about her getting with Jayden behind his back? I’m sure that made him mad—and upset him too. Beck has always had a good heart. Was he in love with her and she just stomped all over it?
“You need to swoop in, my friend. Snap that boy up and make him your senior year boyfriend,” Tori says encouragingly.
“I can’t just swoop in. He literally just broke up with his girlfriend. He’s probably all down and out,” I say.
“What better reason to be a good friend for him and console him during his troubling times?” Now it’s Tori’s turn to giggle.
“I don’t know.” A sigh leaves me. “I’ll feel bad.”
“Now is not the time to let your guilt drive you. Look at Emma. She goes after what she wants, whenever she wants it. And she snagged Marcus.”
“Who I’m sure will still be talking to Monique on the side. That girl has him ensnared,” I say, way too truthfully.
It’s always been Emma and me first. We would confide in each other about everything. Stand up for each other, no matter what. We have lots of dumb private jokes, and we don’t have to say a word to each other yet somehow know what the other is thinking just by sharing a look.
Lately, though, we’ve been drifting apart. She’s become more secretive, especially this summer. I worked a lot so maybe that made a difference, but still.
I feel closer to Tori right now. Her support feels unconditional, as a friend’s support should be, but Emma has been snarky and judgmental.
“Marcus is funny and I like talking to him, but I don’t think I’d want him for a boyfriend,” Tori admits.
“He’s kind of awful,” I agree, suddenly desperate to change the subject. What if Tori tells Emma we were talking about her and Marcus and we think he sucks? She’d lose it. “How are things going between you and Dom?”
She can barely contain the smile on her face. “Good. Wonderful. Awesome. I can’t wait to see him at school tomorrow. How about you and Liam? Or are you going to forget all about him, thanks to Beck being a free man?”
“I don’t know what to do,” I admit, because it’s the truth.
Stick with Liam? Or try to see if something happens with Beck?
“You know what I love about this situation?” Tori asks me.
“What?”
“You have options, girl. Solid ones.” She grins, and I have to agree.
For once, I do have options.
Things are suddenly looking up.
First day of school and it’s the typical scene. Lots of familiar faces and some new—most of them young and petrified, since they’re the incoming freshmen. I’m hanging out by Emma’s car, Tori and I chatting while Emma and Marcus are wrapped up in each other.
“Didn’t Monique post a photo of her and Marcus with him licking her neck just last week?” Tori asks me, rolling her eyes.
“Yeah.” I glance back in the couple’s direction when Emma squeals as Marcus nuzzles her neck. “Looks like that’s his thing.”
Tori laughs. “Maybe he has a fetish.”
“Who has a fetish?”
We both turn to find Liam standing in front of us, a friendly smile on his face.
“Oh nothing. No one,” I tell him, waving my hand dismissively. The last thing I want to talk about is fetishes with Liam. I barely know him.
He blatantly scans me from head to toe. “Looking good, Addison.”
“Thanks.” I don’t know if I liked how he just checked me out, but I go with it. He has such an expectant look on his face, I realize quickly that he might be waiting for a compliment in return. Hmm. “You look good too. I like your shoes.”
Liam kicks out his foot, showing off the new Vans he’s got on. “Thanks. Just got them.”
We’re all rocking our new back-to-school clothes. I don’t get as many as I used to when I was a kid, but Mom always takes me shopping a few weeks before school starts and I pick out a few things. “I just got my shoes too.”
I lift my leg, showing off my white-on-white Nike Air Force 1 shoe to Liam, but he’s not even paying attention, too busy glancing around, as if there might be better prospects appearing.
“You want to get together tonight?” he asks when he returns his attention to me.
I can practically feel Tori vibrating with excitement at him asking me out, which points out the complete nonreaction I’m currently having. I mean, it’s cool that Liam is asking me out, but…
I don’t know why I’m not excited.
“I have practice after school,” I say.
“So do I,” he says. “How about after? We can go pick up something to eat. Hang out.”
His expression is expectant, and I look at him—really look at him. He’s tall, though not as tall as Beck. The shaggy, slightly wavy dark blond hair that’s always falling in his eyes is kind of cute. He’s attractive, but being in his presence doesn’t make me feel all tingly, and I’m not having that butterflies-fluttering-in-my-stomach feeling like I do when I’m with Beck.
But he seems nice enough. Maybe I need to get to know him better first. How can I know him better if I don’t do things with him? Hang out with him?
“Okay.” I nod. “Sure.”
He breaks out into a huge smile, just as the warning bell rings, indicating we need to head for our first class. “Great. I’ll text you later and we can meet up.”
The moment he’s gone, Tori is on me, grasping my arm and giving it a shake. “This is so great. You’re going on a date with Liam!”
“Shh.” I don’t want anyone else—namely Emma—to hear. “It’s nothing. Just dinner.”
“That’s a date,” Tori says with a giant smile. “I’m excited for you!”
I smile and nod, wishing I was as enthusiastic as Tori.
But I’m not.
Because he’s not Beck.
EIGHT
BECK
First day of school and I’m finally top dog.
Kind of a stupid way to think, I know, but I can’t help it. It’s hella hard to feel on top of anything when you’re the baby of the family. I’m the last Callahan, and trust me when I say that all my older siblings let me know it on a regular basis. Plus, I’ve been compared to one or all of them at some point in my life, even my sisters. They’ve all “been there and done that” and I’m the one who’s just coming after them, scraping up the leftover pieces where I can.
I’m used to it. It’s cool. But every once in a while, I think to myself, what about me?