Page 22 of Anything (Mayberry University #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I brush my teeth, praying for the courage to go to bed like I need to.

“Girl. IHOP.” Sophie eyes my favorite threadbare pajama shorts and T-shirt. “You in?”

She waits for the correct reply.

“Yes. I’m in.” Bedtime can wait. I’m relieved to put it off.

I pull on the jean skirt and top I’d worn earlier, slip my hair out of the knot on my head. A real outfit at this time of night is silly, but Levi will probably be there in his effortless sophistication.

“Levi will be there,” Sophie sing-songs from the hall.

Bless you, wonderful planner, for hitting it off with Levi’s best friend.

“Mamma Mia,” Sophie calls. “Can you leave in five?”

“You got it.” Mia glides down the hall and unloads her armful of books in their room. She must’ve been with other friends when she got Sophie’s IHOP SOS. Now she’s leaning against my doorframe, arms crossed, dark brows raised knowingly. Here comes the teasing. “Skirt on, hair brushed at nine p.m.”

Yep. She gives me a hard time, but I know she just wants me to be braver. She has no idea why the Levi thing is so complicated.

“You’re the most beautiful ‘disinterested party’ I’ve ever seen. Like Mr. Darcy.” She pats me on the head.

I keep my mouth shut and wave goodbye to Ayumi. She’s probably thrilled to get the room to herself so often.

At the restaurant, Haymitch and I form airplanes out of paper napkins and covertly test their airworthiness. I laugh in delight when mine manages a second in flight, only to bump our pendant light and fall to the table. A trip to IHOP is such a treat compared to our usual lazing around campus.

Levi and Mia discuss sports news, which I neither know nor care about. Sophie and Austin bicker about whether the server said his name was Jake or Blake. It was Blake, but I wouldn’t interrupt their flirty sparring.

“Come to Mama.” Sophie taps the picture of strawberry cheesecake pancakes.

“Mm. Great choice.” I unstick my legs again from the vinyl seat. Pants next time at this place.

“You gonna order tonight?” she asks.

I shake my head.

“I’ll share mine. No one needs that many pancakes at this time of day.”

We both know Sophie’s daily afternoon run leaves her hungry enough to down that whole plate.

“Either way.” I cover a yawn. I’m just happy to be with my friends, even if I should be in bed. Maybe I’ll have a nightmare-free night and still get some sleep.

“I’m gonna ask him for all the bacon and eggs they have,” Austin says .

“Wait, wait,” Sophie says around her laugh. “I’m worried what you just heard was, ‘Give me a lot of bacon and eggs.’”

Austin’s eyes shine. “What I said was, ‘Give me all the bacon and eggs you have.’ Do you understand?”

I’m not sure if I’m smiling at their chemistry or the Ron Swanson reference. These two confuse me.

A few minutes later, Levi leaves the table and ends up in a conversation with Blake. Mr. Charming can befriend anyone. Mia and Haymitch discuss their next poker tournament. They have several other mutual friends and often join the intense chips-only games.

“Austin,” I say. “I hear you’re going to coach the G1-ers in the ways of the football.”

He reclines, elbows spread, hands behind his head. “You know it. I’m gonna make a champion team out of y’all and revel in the glory.”

Everyone laughs. G1 has a terrible intramural record. I’m pretty sure they didn’t win one football game last year.

“We have Sophie and Mia this year,” I say. “There’s actually a chance of that.”

Mia swings bent arms in a premature celebratory dance, and Sophie gives me a high five.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Austin says to me. “I have you down for kicker.”

“How ’bout that.” Haymitch chuckles, spinning his baseball cap forward.

Apparently my lack of athleticism is obvious to others as well. Elbow on the table, I place my chin on my hand and send Austin a puzzled look.

Levi returns to the table.

“My running back here wants you on the team.” Austin nudges Sophie, who develops a glimmer.

“Come on, Kit,” she says. “You can’t miss out on the fun.”

“Ever play soccer as a kid?” Haymitch asks.

I shake my head. Everyone is staring at me now. “I mean, I kicked the ball around with my brothers sometimes. I didn’t play sports.”

“You certainly enjoy watching them live,” Sophie says.

I send her a look and avoid Levi’s reaction.

“ Pobrecita ,” Mia says. “She was too busy reading five books a week and winning the mathletes competition.”

I chuckle. She isn’t too far off.

Levi’s focus beams toward me. “Enlighten us. What was Tiny Kit like?”

I hide my hands beneath my legs. “About the same. I did read a lot. I loved ballet.”

That sends half of the table into hysterics.

“You stop in the middle of the path every time you think too hard,” Sophie says. “How did you manage ballet?”

“Sounds like how readin’ poetry can help a stutter,” Haymitch says.

Noah’s dad says something like that in in The Notebook . I wonder if Haymitch has seen that scene. It’s nice of him to stick up for me.

I shrug. “Dancing always cleared my head.”

“I can see it,” Levi says.

“Totally,” Mia says. “I thought she was joking at first, but in a way it fits perfectly.”

“When did you quit?” Levi asks.

“Two years ago.”

He edges forward like he’s going to press further, but luckily he holds back. I don’t want to discuss this in front of everyone.

“Ideas on how I can translate that skill to the football field?” Austin asks.

“You’d better keep me at kicker,” I say. “I’ll see if I can find someone to teach me.” I cringe. I walked right into that.

Everyone at the table turns to Levi. Haymitch tips his chair back to arc a napkin ball at him. Mia snorts. Austin raises brows at Levi, who smiles charmingly at me. Sophie hasn’t made a teasing remark. She’s studying Austin .

Quick, someone else in the spotlight. “Mia, what position are you playing?”

My change of subject is successful, and I can settle back in my seat. Levi sends me a wink, and my heart flutters. Lessons with him would be a blast. Might even be worth the horror of all those eyes on me every week, and that’s saying something.

When the food arrives, Blake places a funny face pancake in front of me.

I politely remind him that I didn’t order anything, and he gives a far-fetched reply.

There was an extra and I don’t need to pay?

I turn to Levi. He knows about that particular childhood memory.

He’s half smiling but refuses to meet my gaze, cutting his Belgian waffle and strawberries with refinement.

Sweet Levi. When he glances over later, I mouth Thank you .

He pretends to have no idea what I’m talking about but those playful eyes say otherwise.