Page 63 of All of You

“Dude, you’re being such a chick about this. Keep doing what you’re doing. Mess around, hook up. Keep it secret. What more do you want?”

What more did I want?I want to hug her. I want to pull her in close and taste her lips over and over. I want to hold her hand in the hallway. I want to make her smile and hear her laugh. I wanted nothing—everything. Jesus, I am a chick.

“Nothing. I want nothing more,” I say instead.

“She’s pretty and all but come on man, you can have your pick of the school.”

“Who’s pretty?” Hailie asks from behind me. I shiver at the sound of her voice.

The waitress plops three tiers of pizza on our table. Niko grabs a slice and shoves it in his face while mumblingnew girl. I glare at him in a way I hope physically wounds him.

“Eh, she’s okay. Kinda boring if you ask me,” Hailie says. She plants her hands on my shoulders and starts massaging. “You can do better though.”

Niko almost chokes on his pizza. I shove my chair back and excuse myself to the bathroom.

Thirty Two

Delia

“She works in town. Not far from RootBound. Maybe just stop in after work sometime,” Miles says.

I’m on Lyra’s couch in the basement. It’s a nice basement, converted into a hangout space for Lyra and her friends. It’s cozy. Her parents even let us eat our dinner down here together.

I shrug. “I don’t want to ambush her at work.”

“Yeah. I agree. Probably not the best idea,” Lyra says.

“Well then you’re limited to your Sunday dinner or going to Langdon’s house to see her.”

“Uh, about that. I kinda yelled at him today. I don’t think there will be any more Langdon and me moments,” I say. I’ve mulled it over and although I’m disappointed—let’s face it—really bummed out—it’s probably for the best.

“Uh oh, what happened?” Lyra asks.

“He was flirting and he said he liked me. And then got really weird asking me why Danny gave me a ride home and if we messed around and I snapped at him. I pointed out that he acts like I don’t exist in public but is all about me when no one’s looking. He didn’t like that.”

Miles’s jaw hangs slack. “Girl, you didn’t. He is so fine. Why would you do that?”

“Uh, maybe because she has a sliver of self-respect?!” Lyra interjects.

“Please,” Miles says, “self-respect means nothing when you’re dealing with someone that looks like Langdon Nash.”

I giggle. “Are you saying I’m shallow? That it’s only about looks?”

Miles gives me a knowing look. “I’m saying that anyone who has a chance to score with a dude like that, should shut up and take it just for the experience.”

Lyra and I burst out laughing. A chunk of cookie shoots out of her mouth causing the three of us to laugh harder.

When I pull myself together enough to form words I say, “I like Langdon too, and I might not be popular but I’m not a social pariah so I don’t understand why he’s so weird in school. Doesn’t make sense. What’s he hiding?”

“Probably a giant cock,” Miles chuckles and just like that, the three of us are in stitches laughing.

“Well, I’m letting Danny take me out on Friday and that’s that. If Langdon has a problem with that, so be it.”

“We still need to get you to Anna though,”Lyra says.

***

Thursday at school is no different than normal. Langdon refuses to look at me. I push past the urge to look at him, slap a fake smile on my face and avert the disaster that is Langdon and me.