Page 36

Instead of forming a crush and giving someone the opportunity to reject me, I avoided those situations entirely. Besides, kisses are overrated. I know Annie thinks they are the best part of every movie she watches, but who cares if two people’s mouths touch? Half the time, the main characters don’t even have good chemistry.

“Did you hear what I said?” Annie asks.

“Huh?” My eyes focus on her again.

She gives me a look. “I was asking you if I could borrow your light purple dress tomorrow.”

“Why do you want that?”

She blushes. “Well, I was thinking about heading to the library again tomorrow morning, and I’ve already ran into Daniel there twice—”

“No!” I smack the table.

She jumps back. “No?”

Margo, reel yourself in . . .

“I mean... no, you can’t borrow that dress because... I tore it.” Believable? It’s a fifty-fifty shot.

“Since when? You wore it last week.”

“Since last week,” I say quickly.

“Oh, well I guess I’ll wear something else then.” She seems slightly disappointed, but I think she’ll perk back up soon enough. “Could I borrow something else?”

Not all of my clothes can have tears, unfortunately. “Yeah, sure.”

This has gone too far. She’s even wanting to dress up for the guy. There has to be someone else I could get her to like. I know Daniel is not the only mysterious boy who reads. “Do you remember Liam?”

There isn’t even a flicker of hope when I mention his name.

“Liam who?”

“Liam from orchestra. Remember how you used to talk about him all the time?”

Annie peers up from her book and raises an eyebrow. “That was three years ago.”

“Maybe we should invite him to eat lunch with us tomorrow.”

Annie closes her book and shakes her head slowly. “I don’t like Liam.”

“But I bet you would if you got to know him.”

“I know what you’re doing, and it isn’t going to work. You’re wrong about Daniel. You’ll see. I don’t want you wasting your time trying to set me up with anyone else. I want to give him a chance first.”

If Daniel thought I was determined and annoying earlier today, he’s seen nothing yet. He’s about to meet a whole new version of me because I need to fix this situation as fast as possible. I can’t let Annie fall any further down this rabbit hole.

When school finishes, I spot Daniel waiting at the bus stop surrounded by a bunch of other students. His eyes are on his feet, not caring about the world around him.

Does he really think he can get rid of me so easily? I’m Margaret Blakely, and once I start something, I don’t stop until I finish it.

I spot Annie coming out of the school and run to meet her. “Hey.”

“Is for horses,” she says.

I laugh even though she’s told me that joke more times than I can count. “I have something I need to do in town before I come home. I’ll take the city bus back home.”

“What are you doing?”