Page 26 of Kiss Collector

The three of them look at me, and I say, “Good. Then we’re going.”

They cheer.

“I call dibs on Kyle!” Kenzie whispers.

“Not if I get him first,” Lin responds with an evil laugh.

“You’re feeling better, then?” I ask Lin.

She gives a shrug and her face falls. “Not really, but I think I knew it was coming.”

“You seemed pretty crushed last night,” I say.

“That was partly the beer.” She gives an embarrassed eye roll. “I mean, I’m still upset, but I thought about it all night, and... I’m not sure I loved him, you know? Not like you loved Wylie. So, I guess if you can move on, I can, too.”

I put my fingertips together and hold them out. She does the same and we touch them together, like our fingers are smooching.

Kenzie’s phone starts blaring Harry Potter music, her ringtone, and she sighs. “It’s my mom. Be right back.”

The rest of us eat until she comes bouncing back in with a huge grin. “Someone at work gave my mom four tickets to the country jamboree tonight, but they already have plans. She said we could have them... .” She bites her lip and watches us expectantly while Monica, Lin, and I shareWhat the what?looks.

“Is that a jug band?” Monica asks, making me snort.

Kenzie sighs, exasperated. “It’s a huge country concert. Come on, you guys, it’ll be so much fun!” She starts to name off the bands and singers who will be there, and I recognize a few of the names from online and television.

“Is this an old people thing?” I ask.

Kenz gawks at me. “I only went to one in Texas, and there were tons of country boys.”

The other three of us perk up now, and Kenzie goes for the kill.

“Cowboy hats. Cowboy boots. Super hot guys who callyou ma’am, and not in a you’re-an-old-lady way but in a sexy I-respect-your-womanhood way. And the music is fun, I swear! It’s outdoors. The weather is supposed to be beautiful.”

“What would we wear?” Lin asks. “And do we have to square dance?”

Kenzie laughs. “No! It’s all about cute comfort. Jeans. Boots. Maybe something flannel tied at the waist. Pigtail braids. I have some hats— Ooh, Monica, I have a leopard-print one that would be amazing on you. We can get ready at my house!”

We’re all smiling now, because her excitement is contagious.

“I’m in,” I say. The others agree, and Kenzie claps her hands. If nothing else, it’ll be an experience.

When we finish eating, we start to get dirty looks from the people who are standing with trays, so we get up to let others sit. I lead us into the arcade where I find Zeb immersed in a race-car simulator. I crouch next to where he’s sitting.

“We’re going to walk around the mall. Call me if you need me.”

“Okay,” he says without looking away from the screen.

After the phone incident the other day, Mom bought Zeb one of those pay-as-you-go ones from a gas station.

We go out and walk the mall, rating outfits in the windows and commenting on prices. When we get near the food court, Lin stops and pokes me in the ribs.

“Ow!” Lin is buff from throwing flyers on the cheer squad, so when she pokes it hurts.

“Is that Rex Morino?” she whispers.

Oh, no. I look over to see Rex with a handful of goons and some tough girls by the wall near the cookie stand. He’s looking right at us. My first instinct is to tuck and run, but I look straight forward and whisper, “Ignore him.” We start to walk, but Kenzie hisses, “He’s coming over!”

Sure enough, Rex is swaggering in our direction. I swallow hard and meet his eyes as he makes his way into our circle.