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“I’ve finished several.”

“You didn’t let me see,” I sing.

“Maybe if you came to a show,” she sings back, on key.

I bark out a laugh. “I know that’s a joke.”

She sighs. “I can’t show my bandmates the songs.”

“I’m not in your band.” I turn in my seat. “You can show me. You’ve literally seen me at my worst. There’s nothing you could do or say that would be more embarrassing than what happened last year.”

One day during junior year, I walked around with my dress accidentally tucked into my period undies the whole way from the stairwell to the front exit of the school. She had to literally tackle me to cover up the embarrassment.

She glances at Devon Miles Smith and Juniper, and I follow her gaze. They’re arguing, arms flailing. It’s infuriating to watch. Why be with someone who makes you angry, who treats you like shit?

Angling toward me, she lowers her voice. “If anyone in the band read my songs, it’d just be, you know, really obvious.” She glances at Devon Miles Smith again. “It might break up the band and we have something good.”

I stare at her for a second. Two. Three. “Wait.”

“Don’t say anything.”

“Wait.”

“Saine Sinclair.”

“Devon?Since when do you like guys?”

“No. Not Devon.”

“So then...” I glance back at our friends. They’ve reached the front of the popular table and Devon Miles Smith seems to be figuring out what he can buy with Juniper’s money. “Juniper.”

Kayla smacks my arm. “Quiet.”

“Oh no.” I look between Juniper and Kayla. “Ohno.”

“I know!” She shuts her notebook again. “I’m so in love, it’s gross. The day we shot the music video was the best day because I got to just be around her all day and Devon was barely around, but, you know, that doesn’t stop him from taking credit for the music videoand,somehow, his girlfriend’s hotness.”

I rub Kayla’s arm and she falls forward, her forehead on my shoulder.

“But even if they broke up, then there would be hurt feelings, and it doesn’t change the fact that I’m still in a band with him and I still don’t know any other guitaristsandhe writes the majority of our songs.” She sighs, her breath tickling my neck, and straightens. “He doesn’t even like her, Saine. He just likes having a girlfriend.”

“Maybe we can convince her to break up with him?” I shrug. “And then when she does, she can convince him that it’shisidea?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to overstep...” She watches Juniper and Devon Miles Smith sit down at our regular lunch table, still arguing. Actually, is it even an argument if he’s doing most of the dramatic hand gestures and mouth moving?

“We’ll figure something out.” I squeeze her shoulder.

“I want to see smiles!” Corrine says, rushing by. “Paint those smiles on like a deranged killer clown!”

“Oh mygod, Corrine.” I burst into laughter as she disappears into the hallway beyond the cafeteria.

Kayla shakes her head. “It should be illegal for a girl to tell another girl to smile.”

“Yeah, but when she says it like that, I’m guaranteed to do it even if I don’t want to.”

Holden

Today 4:17 PM