She shakes her head, but she's smiling. "Okay, so we'll go the seven minutes in heaven route." She throws her head back as she cackles. "Oh my God, they're gonna freak!"
"Oh, I know!" I snap my fingers excitedly. "We need to set up a hidden camera—one with audio!"
She immediately stops laughing. "You really are starting to scare me."
Immensely pleased with myself, I pop a jalapeño popper into my mouth and grin widely.
*******
When lunch break ends, I make my way to the second floor for my next class but stop midway up the stairs when I hear two voices from the landing.
"Because I expected you to pursue me! You should've fought for us instead of getting a second-class replacement."
The female voice has my brows drawing together. Is that Heather?
"Don't call her that," an angry voice responds, making me stiffen.
Duane.
Why is he talking to Heather? And in the stair landing of all places? Is he...getting back together with her right now?
Walk away. Save yourself from the hurt of seeing them together.
But instead of listening to my inner voice of reason, I decide to be a masochist and move a couple steps forward until I get a side view of their faces.
"Allie isn't a second-class replacement. Jesus, Heather." He runs his fingers through his hair, clearly frustrated.
"She is, compared to me," she scoffs.
"That's what you like to think. But Allie is so much better than you. Better than you'll ever be."
Butterflies swarm in my belly at Duane's words. He thinks I'm better than Heather? Did he really mean it or did he just say it to make her jealous?
An ugly look takes over Heather's face. "How could you say that? And how could you date someone like her? She's no one."
Duane scoffs. "Cut the bullshit. You know there's nothing wrong with her. You're just jealous that I managed to move on fast."
"You're right. I'm jealous," she practically shrieks. "Why didn't you try to win me back?"
"You dumped me, remember? You said I was too clingy. That I was asking a lot of your time."
My eyes flare wide. That's the reason why she broke up with him?
"What a cold-hearted bitch," I mutter under my breath.
"It was a mistake and I've regretted it ever since." She steps closer, sliding her hand across his chest. "Cut the bullshit, you said? Then break up with her. Come back to me. You and I both know that's where we're heading, anyway."
I whirl around and hurriedly descend the stairs, unable to listen and watch anymore, ignoring the growing ache in my chest.
Because I know what's going to happen next. They're going to pick up where they left off. They'll be the 'It' couple who everyone envies once again.
And me? I'll be back on the sidelines, pretending that seeing them together doesn't hurt.
Which is why I'm in a somber mood the rest of the day, dreading seeing Duane and Heather walking through the halls, acting like the loved-up couple they used to be. While my ears are alert for even the tiny bit of gossip about them.
But I don't see or hear anything. And Kiera, who's always the first one to know about these things, just smiles at me when I walk past her at her locker. Her smile isn't even full of malice or sympathy. It's warm and genuine.
Does it mean nothing happened?
But I saw the two of them talking—
"Hey."
I nearly squeak out in surprise when I see Duane standing in front of my locker. What is he doing here? Isn’t he supposed to be with Heather right now?
“Sorry, did I startle you?” he chuckles softly, stepping aside so I can deposit my books.
“Just a little. So, um, I guess congratulations are in order?” I keep my front casual as I open my locker and put my books back.
“Congratulations? For what?” Confusion lines his voice.
Keeping my eyes trained inside my locker, I say, “You and Heather. I saw the two of you talking at the stair landing a while ago. You’re back together now, right? We don’t have to fake date anymore?”
“You saw us?”
“Yeah. But don’t worry.” I force out a grin, careful not to meet his eyes. “I quickly turned around when I saw you. You know, to give you both some privacy.” When he doesn’t respond, I hurry on, “So I was correct, right? You got your real girlfriend back. Mission accomplished.” I flick my tongue over my lips. “Which means—”
“We’re not back together,” he cuts me off.
I snap my head to him. “What?”
Instead of answering me, he says, “Do you have plans with Indie today? I’m in the mood for some ice cream. I was hoping you’d want to join me.”
“But what about Heather?”
“What about her?”
“Didn’t you guys—”
“Nope.”
I blink.
He grins. “So, ice cream?”
*******
I’m lost in my own thoughts as I sit at a corner table in The Ice Cream Shop while Duane orders at the counter. When he asks me what I want, I tell him to get whatever he’s having. My mind is preoccupied with unanswered questions.
He said he and Heather aren’t back together. But why? It’s pretty clear that she wants him back. She said breaking up with him was a mistake, and she practically told him to dump me so they could be together again.
But why isn’t Duane “breaking up” with me? Instead we’re getting ice cream like nothing happened. Unless...
Hope flares inside me. Did he change his mind for some reason? Did he realize he didn’t really want her back?
Oh please, let it be the case.
“Allie?”
I have to blink a couple times to register the boy standing in front of me, and a couple more times to realize that I know him. “Justin Samuels?”
A smile tugs at his lips. “Or just Justin. You don’t have to include my last name.”
I let out an embarrassed laugh, my cheeks reddening. “Sorry. I’m a little preoccupied.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” he chuckles, shoving his hands in his pant pockets.
He’s wearing a navy blue polo shirt bearing Maple Grove Prep's crest, which tells me he just got out of school.
“Come here often? Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in The Ice Cream Shop before.”
“Funny, I was about to tell you that I’ve seen you here with Indie once or twice. And right at this table.”
“Oh.” I blink before registering a throat-clearing sound nearby.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Duane is now standing next to Justin, holding two cups of what look like rocky road ice cream with sprinkles and cherry on top, an unreadable look on his face.
“Right. Um, Justin, this is Duane. Du—”
“Her boyfriend,” Duane cuts me off, his gaze never leaving Justin.
My eyes pop wide as I stare at him.
Justin looks to me with a small frown. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”
“Have,” Duane once again speaks for me, smirking. “We’re still together. And it’s not going to change any time soon.”