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Cher covertly glares at me from the rim of her Chromebook. I shuffle in my seat.

Now seems like a good time to text Julianna back.

“We still meeting tonight?”

“Of course,”she texts not a moment after.“I bought you a couple of presents in Seattle. I want to make sure you get them tonight.”

I giggle. What in the world has she gotten me this time?

When I look up, I notice that Cher is no longer at her table. There’s only one way she could have gone… and it’s not in the opposite direction.

“Hey.”

Yup. She’s standing right next to me.

“Hi.” What do I do? On one hand, I’m sad she was fired from something I know she fought hard to get. On the other? Asshole was talking shit about me to my girlfriend. She can rot.

Hello, conflicting feelings!

“How goes things?”

Now I know she’s not pretending that there’s no animosity between us. Does she think I don’t know why she was fired? Does she think Julianna wouldn’t have told me as soon as she knew? I mean, Julianna wasn’t going to tell me… probably. But when I found out Cher was getting the boot, I demanded to know why. Whether she hoped I would drop it or not? Didn’t matter. Woman doesn’t get to go around firing people at the drop of a hat without telling her girlfriend why!

“Things are good. How about you? Did you…” Am I going to ask her if she’s gotten a new job for the summer? Wow, Alessa. Nice.

“I got a job on my campus. Don’t see you around my haunts very often.”

I had forgotten that she went to college around here. NW 23rd is probably her home. Me? I’m a stranger encroaching on her territory. I suddenly feel like I’m at one of the Marcon estates imposing on Julianna’s parents.

“Take it Ms. Marcon is still treating you well?”

I flinch. “Of course she is. Thank you for asking.”

“Chill. I’m not trying to break you two up, regardless of what she might have told you.” Cher stands up straight, towering over me with her long skirt and white crop top. “I’ve got better things to do with my time. Although, there’s something you might want to know.”

This is going to be a nightmare, isn’t it?

“Do tell.” I brace myself for a load of bullshit to fall out of her mouth.

She doesn’t sit down. I glance into the teashop and see my friends still in line, poring over the menu with their heads bent together.

“While you and Ms. Marcon were the biggest open secret in town,” she begins, “Ms. Bradford and I were the biggestclosedone.”

“What?” Seriously, what? “You said you had a crush on her, but…”

“But nothing. She and I had been fooling around almost as long as you and Ms. Marcon had been together. Not as serious, though, of course. And you bet your ass she dropped me like a hot potato once I was fired.”

“That so?”

“Oh, yeah. Presley was big on her pillow talk, especially if she had something to drink. I heard some super juicy stuff during the midnight hour.”

This smells like bullshit.

“You should ask your girlfriend why she really invited you up to her office that night you guys first fucked like monkeys. Because according to Presley, it was a bet.”

“A… bet?”

“Oh, honey, you honestly don’t know?”