Page 86 of I Don't Need Your Love

Maybe it’s too much? It’sjusta party. Who am I trying to impress?

I snort. I know exactly who I’m trying to impress. And I don’t know why. She’s my best friend’s little sister, my friend and teammate. Someone I shouldn’t be thinking about inthatway. How many times do I have to tell myself that we both want different things? She’s looking for a boyfriend. I just want to have fun.

Felix bangs on the door. “I’m dying of boredom.”

“Read a dang book,” I call to him.

“Like heck I’m going to do that! Did you fall in the toilet?”

Sighing, I throw the door open. “Happy?”

He scans me from top to bottom and frowns. “Geez, man, you look like a god while I look like a peasant.”

Laughing, I clap him on the back. “Not everyone can pull this off.”

“Clearly,” he mutters as he follows me toward the door to our room. I pull my phone from my pocket and check my texts. Nothing from Carly. I sent her the address to the party a short while ago, but she hasn’t responded. I guess she has no intention of showing up. That’s too bad.

“Why are you staring at your phone?” Felix asks, trying to peek at it over my shoulder. “Did you get, like, fifty texts from girls or something?”

I do have quite a few texts from girls, but I haven’t looked at them. Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I say, “Let’s go, man.”

We head to the parking lot and get into his car. The usual kids are with us—jocks and a few cheerleaders. Most are talking about sports and the party. And of course girls.

It doesn’t take us long to arrive at Ivy’s house. Like the other kids here, her house is massive. It’s filled with students from our school as well as a few others.

I grab a Coke and chug half of it down as I lean on a wall of what looks like the living room that has been transformed into a dance room. Then I look around. Her hair should be easy to spot in the crowd. Hmm. Looks like she’s not here yet.

Or won’t come at all, a voice in my head reminds me.

As I continue to stand on the side, watching the other kids, girls come over and ask me to dance. I have fun with them, but my eyes keep darting around the room, searching for her.

Darn it. Why can’t I get it out of my head that she’s not coming? Just because I want her to doesnotmean it will happen.

The Parker twins join in the dancing and they distract me for a short while, but the only thing on my mind is Carly.

Avery rests her head on my arm while April lowers hers on my chest. “Who are you going to the school dance with?” Avery asks me.

Right. The winter dance that will take place in two weeks. I totally forgot about it.

April pulls at my arm. “So? Who are you going with?”

They give me identical expectant looks, as if waiting for me to ask one of them. Or both of them?

“I’m not sure yet.”

Avery pouts. “You didn’taskanyone yet?”

“Nope. Still got some time.”

Carly’s face pops up before me. Right. As if she’d go to the school dance with me. She might not hate me anymore, but she doesn’t like hanging out with me socially. And of course I can’t forget how uneasy she gets when she sees me surrounded by girls. It’s not like Iwantthem to crowd around me. It just happens. And besides, like I said, Carly and I are looking for different things.

Yet why can’t I seem to let go of her?

April’s eyes are as large as the exercise ball in the other room. “Are you even going to the dance?”

“Sure I am.”

The twins exchange a look. April presses herself tighter to my chest while her sister clutches my arm, nearly blocking my blood flow.