Page 23

The truth is, Jenni had a good time that night. She was glowing by the time the night was over and was even nice to me a few times.
Mom returns to her seat all aflutter about her conversation with Meera, but I don’t get to hear the details because the race is beginning.
I’m on the edge of my seat the entire time. I glance over to see Jenni with her hand to her mouth, her nails perfectly manicured. It’s a moment of vulnerability I don’t often see from her. Is she as nervous about winning as I am? Thunder has been on a winning streak, and I’m not excited to see that broken.
Thunder and Valentine are neck and neck for the majority of the race, and my heart is pounding as I squish the program in my clutched fist.
As they cross the finish line, it’s too hard to tell who’s won. But then Valentine is announced as the winner, and my jaw tightens and my teeth clench. Even all that extra time with the trainer, the new jockey, wasn’t good enough. I want to throw my wrinkled-up program, but that would be littering, and I care about the planet.
“Better luck next time.” Kaison pats me on the back.
“So much for that winning streak,” Ashton says, shaking his head, sharing my disappointment.
I don’t want their sympathy. I don’t need it because this has taught me that I only need to work harder. I glance over to see Jenni celebrating with her family, and I scowl. To think I was starting to like her a little bit. I know I’m being a bad sport, but I want to let myself wallow for a minute before I have to face her.
“I don’t know how I feel about this,” Mom says. “I wanted Thunder to win, but I can’t help but feel so happy for Jenni that Valentine is doing so well after his injury.”
She’s a better person than me. I’m grumpy about my loss.
As we’re walking to the waiting car, Jenni falls into step next to me.
“You coming over here to gloat?” I ask, slowing my gait so the rest of the family walks away a bit so we can talk without them overhearing.
“Nope. You look sad enough all on your own.”
“So you’re saying you’re happy when I’m sad? I thought you said we were friends now.”
She nudges me with her elbow, which is kind of hot and borderline flirty, and my bad feeling dissipates a little. “That’s not what I was saying at all. Don’t put words in my mouth, silly. And we’re still friends. Unless you’re too much of a sore loser to handle a friendship with the girl who just decimated you.”
“You hardly decimated me. You barely won,” I point out.
“Stop flirting over there, and get in the car,” Ashton calls back to us with a grin.
“We’re not flirting,” I say.
But then Jenni gives me a look like she wants me to be quiet.
Oh yeah. We’re supposed to be pretending to be together.
“I mean…” I put my arm around her. “It’s just a lover’s quarrel.”
“Lovers?” Mom says, walking back toward us. “Then it’s true. When I went over to ask earlier, Meera said you were dating now, but I didn’t believe her.”
So Jenni had already told her mom… She should have communicated that to me because I feel like a fool. “That’s right, Mom. Jenni is my girlfriend.”
“And you’re just now telling me this?”
Jenni is warm against my side. She feels nice there, like she fits into me. For a moment, it’s almost like the rivalry is gone between us. But who am I kidding? She’s only acting.
“I didn’t know we were telling people yet.” I look down at Jenni.
“We talked about it, babe.”
Babe? Now we’re using pet names? I’m so out of my league here.
“So that’s why you took her on such a nice date!” Mom looks like a kid who just got a coveted toy on Christmas morning.
I can’t help but feel a little guilty at the look of pure joy in my mom’s eyes.