“We’re not hiding!” I defend my sitting choice, which may or may not be the table behind one of our school’s giant oak trees. “And it’s not like Brayden really wants to be friends with me, Lora, it’s just a stupid joke to him.”
“What if you’re wrong though?” she asks, pointing a piece of her celery at me. “What if it’s not just a stupid joke to him?”
“You know,” I drawl, smacking my lips together, “I don’t think it’s fair that you’re lecturing me about Brayden when you won’t even let Holt tutor you.”
“We’re not talking about Holt,” she states in a matter-of-fact tone, now biting into her celery. “Don’t try to turn this on me.”
“I’m just saying…” I trail off, lifting a shoulder. “If you want me to take your advice and be friends with Brayden, then you should have to take my advice and let Holt tutor you.”
She frowns at that, causing me to smirk. Ha. Now she’ll have no choice but to shut up about it. Point for Megan.
I take another bite out of my sandwich while discreetly looking around to make sure that Brayden is nowhere to be found. Like I said, we’re not hiding, I just want to avoid him. It’s simple, really.
“All right, fine.”
“Hmm?” I turn my attention back to Lora, hoping I don’t look guilty. “What’d you say?”
“You’re right. I shouldn’t expect you to take my advice when I refuse to take yours.”
“Oh, well yeah,” I reply with a snort. “I mean, it just makes sense that—”
“Which is why I’m going to ask Holt to tutor me,” she interrupts, looking pleased with herself, “and you are going to be friends with Brayden.”
Now it’s my turn to frown. “Lora, no. No, no, no! I am not—”
“You’re the one that said it, sweetheart.” She raises her eyebrows at me. “No takebacks.”
Note to self: Stop saying stupid stuff that ends up biting you in the butt.
“I hate you,” I deadpan, snatching up my sandwich again. “If you’re seriously going to insist on this, then you’re gonna need to go first. I’m not waving my flag of friendship in the air until I have proof that Holt is tutoring you.”
“You’re ridiculous,” she says with a curse, “but sure…why not? I’ll go first.”
Maybe she’ll back out. Yeah! Once she realizes that getting tutored by Holt would be absolutely terrible, she’ll have to change her mind!
“Here.” She shoves her phone in front of my face. “Is that proof enough for you?”
I blankly stare at the text she just sent: Hey, Holt. Can we talk?
Dang it.
However, I stand my ground. “It just proves you texted him, not that he’s tutoring you.”
“Did I mention that you’re ridiculous?” She rolls her eyes before pocketing her phone. “Fine. Once I talk to him, and he’s legitimately tutoring me, I’ll send you a picture…how about that?”
I force a smile. “Sounds great.”
You know what’s not great? How fast my solid, foolproof plan is slipping through my fingers.
“So, can we sit inside now?” she asks, giving me a flat look. “Please?”
“We’re not hiding,” I repeat my earlier words, “it’s just really nice out here today, and I thought we could appreciate nature in all of its wonder.”
She snorts at me while shaking her head. “You’re so full of it, Taylor.”
“Where are you going?” I ask, watching as she stands up.
“You know where,” she drawls, grabbing her tray. “Have fun hiding out here with nature.”
“I’m not hiding!” I call after her.
She waves me off before going inside, and I resume my sandwich-eating. What a hater.
I glance around the area again, this time it’s out of pure boredom though, then raise a curious eyebrow when I catch a glimpse of a familiar face.
Okay, a semi-familiar face.
It’s Lincoln’s brother’s face. So, he does go to this school. Interesting. What was his name again? Leo? Levi? Ugh. I know it definitely starts with a “L.”
Oh great, I sound like my mother.
Well, my assumption that he’s probably dating someone still stands, so his name might as well be: TAKEN.
Because that’s my life.
Dang, is he cute. And now he’s gone. Well, that was a nice distraction while it lasted.
Ya know, why couldn’t a guy like him move in next door instead of Brayden? What did I do to deserve my jerk-of-an-ex-if-you-even-want-to-call-him-that as a neighbor?
I’m a pretty decent person, right?
I try to be a good friend. I don’t always fight with my siblings. I follow my parents’ rules. I make okay-ish grades. I generally have a fair attitude toward most people.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure I deserve to have a nice guy for a neighbor.
Or at least a somewhat nice guy.
Honestly? I’d settle for having any other guy as my neighbor. No one can be as horrible as Brayden.
Who does he think he is anyway? Telling me that “people change,” as if he has. Give me a break, I know a line when I hear it.
And now I have to be friends with him? Impossible.
Today might as well be the worst day ever.
Chapter 11: A Natural Reaction
Never again am I making a deal with this brat. Not only did I have to hear cringey Look This Way songs during the entire ride to the mall, but I was also stuck listening to Hailee and Gianna’s off-key singing, and now I’m trailing behind them as they strut by the “boy stores” while gossiping about kids from their school.
Mom and Dad were more-than-happy that I “volunteered” to take Hailee and her friend to the mall, but they made it very clear that I’m responsible for babysitting them the whole time we’re out. And that’s when my dear little sister informed me that I’m not supposed to converse with her, or Gianna, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Why? Well, because I’m embarrassing and irrelevant.
Total. Brat.
“I can’t believe Ricky chose her to be his girlfriend,” Hailee continues to whine about North Ridge Middle School’s current heartthrob and his poor relationship choices. “She’s only into him for the popularity, everyone knows that.”
“Boys can be so stupid.” Gianna tosses some of her long, dark braids over her shoulder. “But ya know, if you were allowed to date, he would’ve definitely picked you.”
“Right?” Hailee lets out a dramatic sigh. “It’s so messed up. I mean, I’m perfect girlfriend material!”
I can’t hold back my loud snort. Is she for real, right now?
“I shouldn’t be able to hear you, Megan Justine Taylor,” Hailee says, without sparing me a glance.
Wow, full name…I’m so scared.
“Actually, I was told that I couldn’t ‘converse’ with either of you,” I correct her, not bothering to hide the smugness in my voice. “You didn’t say anything else besides that.”
“Well, you’re talking to me now!” she hisses, turning just enough to glare at me. “So, quit it!”
Did I say brat? Because she’s acting more like a—
My phone buzzes, and I wiggle it out of my pocket so I can see who texted me.
Lora.
And it seems like she sent an attachment…
I curse under my breath at the image of her holding a history book, with none other than Holt in the background.
Lora: As per our agreement.
She’s killing me.
Another buzz.
Lora: No takebacks.
I want to beg her to reconsider. To show me mercy. But I force myself to send her a smirking emoji paired with a snarky reply instead.
Me: Don’t have too much fun.
When it’s clear that she has no plans to respond anytime soon, I repocket my phone and cross my arms as I continue to follow the twerps’ lead. Are they even planning on buying anything? How long do we have to keep aimlessly walking around? And why do those giant, over
priced soft pretzels smell so dang amazing?
“Trust me, he’s sexy enough to be a character on Cloverdale,” Hailee drawls, distracting me from the delicious pretzel scent. “And I can totally see him being one of the werewolves.”
I almost gag.
Did she really just describe this twelve-year-old twerp as sexy?
And werewolf material?
Just—no. Absolutely not.
“You’re so lucky, Haliee!” Gianna gushes, making a horrid squealing sound. “I wish I lived next door to a gorgeous guy like that, but I’m still stuck with the Jenkels and their annoying three-year-old twins.”
What the crap? They’re not talking about that Ricky kid, they’re talking about—
“Brayden is the perfect neighbor,” Hailee states in a dazed voice. “Sure, he’s a few years older than me…”
Try five years.
“…but there’s no rule saying that I can’t be attracted to him.”
Someone please just come over here and put me out of my misery.
“Ooh!” Hailee exclaims, pointing to some store. “Let’s try out the scent of the day!”
I trudge behind them into the store, which turns out to be a stuffy perfume boutique, and I roll my eyes at some of the ridiculous perfume names.
Total Temptation.
Majestic.
Pink Passion.
Just Me.
Divine.
And so many more that are equally ridiculous.
Hailee and Gianna start chatting it up with a girl that works here, and then they walk over to me, now smelling like a mixture of saltwater and some kind of flower. It’s not a good combo.
At. All.
“I like it a lot,” Gianna comments, taking a whiff of her wrist, “it’s so…exotic.”
“Oh my goshhhhh,” Hailee says with widened eyes, “that’s exactly what I was thinking!”
Thank God it was just a free sample, and they didn’t pay to smell horrible.
We walk out the store, and while I’m trying to inhale as much fume-free air as possible—they’re fangirling about something on Gianna’s phone. For crying out loud, do they ever take a break? I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to put up with this.
“Brayden!”
My gaze leaves the ceiling at Hailee’s sudden gasp, and I mentally curse when Brayden starts coming toward us.
Seriously? First, he invades my street. Then, he invades my school. And now, he invades my mall? Well, coming here isn’t technically part of my usual routine…but still.
Brayden side-eyes me before greeting my overeager sister, and an overeager Gianna. “Hey, girls.”
“Hiiiii, Brayden!” Hailee giggles, twirling a strand of her hair. “This is my best friend, Gianna, and well…you’ve met Megan already.”
“Nice to meet you, Gianna,” Brayden says, pretending to be polite. And then he turns to me, that dreaded lopsided grin intact. “Hey, Megan.”
I hold back a serious eye-roll. “Hi.”
“So, Brayden,” Hailee chirps, gathering his attention, “are you liking Sierra Heights?”
Did she already forget that he used to live here? Or was she just not paying attention when his mom talked about it?
Knowing Hailee, I’m gonna go with the latter option.
“Uh, yeah,” Brayden replies with creased eyebrows, “it’s good to be back and all…I honestly missed living here.”
Hailee’s mouth pops open, and then she lets out a little laugh. “Oh, I didn’t realize you used to live here.”
Shocker.
“Yep, well, until I was around your age anyway,” he drawls, motioning between her and Gianna, “that’s when we ended up moving to Michigan for my mom’s job.”
Can story-time be over now? I’d much rather roam the mall without a destination in mind, then stand here listening to Brayden go down memory lane.
“Wait, did you go to North Ridge before you moved?” Gianna asks, sounding like a reporter at a flippin’ press conference. “’cause that’s where Hailee and I go.”
Brayden offers a slight nod. “I did go to North Ridge, yeah.”
“Shut up!” Hailee exclaims with wide eyes. “Megan went to North Ridge! Did you guys, like, ever see each other?”
Oh no. I don’t like where this press conference is going.
Before I can change the subject, lie, or pretend to pass out…Brayden is telling them that we used to date.
That he—and I—were boyfriend and girlfriend.
I might just pass out anyway, no faking required.
Gianna and Hailee both start speaking and flailing all at once, and I’m pretty sure I even hear one of them drop a curse word.
“Megan!” Hailee all-but-shrieks, looking at me with raised eyebrows. “Why didn’t you tell me that Brayden used to be your boyfriend?!”
I honestly can’t tell if she’s mad or not. Preteen emotions are confusing and scary as heck.
“It was a long time ago,” Brayden speaks up, probably trying to calm them down, “a really long time ago. But Megan and I are just friends now…right, Meg?”
Oh, forget about passing out, I’m going to kill him instead.
Except I can’t. Why? Because I agreed to Lora’s stupid deal. Which, unfortunately, was my idea to begin with.
Idiot…
So, I push all thoughts of murder aside, and force myself to smile. “Absolutely.”
He seems somewhat taken aback, but neither of the girls notice as they continue to ramble on.
“Guys, we should probably wrap this shopping trip up,” I tell them, even though they haven’t bought anything. “Are there any other stores you want to check out before we leave?”
Say no. Please say no. I just want to go home and wish this day could start over…
“Ooh! We should get fro-yo!” Hailee exclaims, her head bobbing up and down. “Brayden, do you want to get fro-yo with us?”
I did NOT offer fro-yo. Frozen yogurt was NOT an option.
“I’m gonna have to pass,” Brayden says with an apologetic wince, which totally looks fake. “Maybe another time, yeah? You guys enjoy the rest of your shopping trip.”
“Bye, Brayden!” they reply in unison, waving as he strolls off in the other direction.
He glances over his shoulder to give them a half-wave, then continues to walk away.
Good. Riddance.
“Fro-yo time!” Hailee announces, clapping her hands together for unnecessary emphasis. “And, Megan?” She and Gianna cross their arms in unison. “You have some explaining to do.”
Ten minutes later, I’m being interrogated.
“How could you break up with Brayden?” Hailee asks, shoveling more of her Very Berry frozen yogurt into her mouth. “He’s gorgeous!”
I give her a flat look. “Do we really have to do this right now?”
“Yes!” she exclaims, throwing a hand up. “Gianna and I want to know what happened!”
“You’re being overdramatic,” I inform her with an eye-roll, “and besides…I already told you what happened. I told you why I broke up with him, remember?”
“I think it was just a big misunderstanding,” Hailee states in a matter-of-fact tone, “I’m sure Brayden didn’t actually want to date other girls while he was still dating you.”
“Yeah,” Gianna pipes up, “it was probably like what happened with Nari and Chet last week.”
“They’re kids from school,” Hailee clarifies, undoubtedly noticing my confused face. “Basically, Nari and Chet were dating…but then Chet told Nari that they should take a break because he wanted to date other girls.”
“There was no big misunderstanding,” I reply, massaging the side of my head, “Brayden wanted more than one girlfriend at the same time. Trust me, I remember that part very clearly.”
I can’t even believe we’re having this conversation…
“Okay, okay,” Hailee says, waving her spoon around in the air, “touchy subject. I get it. But like Brayden said, th
at was a long time ago, and you guys are friends now.”
“Unless you still like him,” Gianna comments, her eyes now glued to her phone as she taps away, “then you guys being friends is totally a problem.”
Still like Brayden? Pssh, I don’t think so.
“Wait.” Hailee looks at me with creased eyebrows. “You don’t like Brayden still…do you?”
“Of course, I don’t,” I say, not hesitating to reply, “I got over him a while ago.”
“Are you sure?” Gianna asks, looking up from her phone. “I mean, you seemed a little uncomfortable with having him around.”
“Unless she really did get over him,” Hailee drawls before I can say anything, “but now she’s starting to catch feelings again.”
“Ohhhh!” Gianna exclaims, pointing a finger at her. “Just like in that episode of Cloverdale!”
“What the—no!” I almost laugh, even though it’s not the slightest bit funny. “This isn’t anything like Cloverdale, okay? And I’m not, in any way, catching feelings again. End of story.”
Gianna raises an eyebrow at Hailee. “I think she might be in denial.”
“Total possibility,” Hailee agrees with a thoughtful nod, “it’s a natural reaction.”
“I’m not in denial,” I say, letting out an exasperated sigh, “and stop talking about me like I’m not here. As a matter of fact, let’s just drop the topic all the way around.”
They exchange looks, and then start tapping on their phones.
I cross my arms as I watch them. “And stop texting about me.”
Chapter 12: That Sexy Laugh
I wish I could say that today is Friday. Because if today was Friday, then tomorrow would be Saturday…and I wouldn’t have to worry about an extra day of dealing with Brayden and school. Today isn’t Friday though, it’s Thursday, and I’m in a sour mood.
But maybe I’d be less bitter if Hailee wasn’t driving me crazy about a certain guy that I’d rather not be thinking about. Just a thought.
“Gianna and I both agree that you’re in denial,” she states in an airy tone, “which we totally understand—but denying the truth is just going to make things harder, Megan.”
My Dilemma Page 8
