Page 18 of Damaged Boys Don't Fall For Bubbly Girls

I just stare at him. “What? But we’ve been talking about the movie for months—”

“I know.” He shrugs. “Maybe another time.”

“All you’ve been saying lately is ‘Maybe another time.’ Why don’t you want to hang out with me anymore? Do I stink?”

“Of course not,” he says. “You smell really good—” His eyes widen and his face grows even redder. “I m-mean…” hestammers. “Andy and I are going to look around town for the most awesome bugs. The weirder the better.”

“Cool! I love looking for bugs. Do you have a jar for me?” I toss the newspaper piece away. “I won the last time with that creepy slug, remember? It was so cool.”

Brock remains quiet for a moment before saying, “I kind of want to do it with Andy.”

It feels like my entire world comes crashing down. “What?”

Avoiding my eyes and focusing on his book, he mutters, “I want to hang out with Andy. Alone.”

“But…why?” I whisper.

He doesn’t say anything.

I sniff my armpit. I don’t stink. So why doesn’t he want to be my friend anymore? “Why do you always hang out with him?”

“Who, Andy? He’s a lot of fun.”

“I’m a lot of fun.”

His cheeks turn pink again.

“You’ve been hanging out with him all summer. The only time you hung out with me and the guys was at the arcade.”

“Not true. We hung out at bowling and at Barnie’s —”

“That was at the start of the summer.”

His lips snap shut and it looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t.

“If you don’t want to hang out with me, fine! We don’t need to be friends anymore.” I spin around and march down the stairs, all the way to the door. Mrs. Hastings calls after me, asking me if I’m okay, but I ignore her.

Wrapping my hand around the doorknob, I wrench it open and stomp down the stairs, wiping away the tears gushing down my cheeks.

“Lexi, wait!” Brock calls.

I whirl around and find him at the door.

“Come on,” he says. “Don’t be mad.”

“Why shouldn’t I be mad?” I push away some of my curly hair that’s in my face. “You like him more than you like me.”

“That’s not true—”

“I’ve been your best friend since forever! We said we’ll always be friends forever.”

He swallows. “I know.”

“And all you want to do is hang out with him.”

Again, he’s quiet.

“I hate him! I wish Andy Hansen would go away and never come back!”