Page 77 of Kiss Collector

I’m a wreck until the bell rings. Monica is all the way upstairs in science. It’ll be difficult to get to her without being late, but I have to. I run. I nearly bowl her over outside the smelly science hall that reeks of sulfur. I grab her arm and she looks at me with surprise, a hint of red around her eyes.

“Monica!” I’m panting.

“What?” She gently pulls away, looking down.

“Why didn’t you say yes? You should say yes!”

Her jaw clenches with surprise. “I didn’t tell anyone that yet.”

“Hetold me.” Her eyes widen, and I go on. “He’s really sad, Monica.”

Guilt shrouds her face and makes her shoulders hunch. “He’ll be fine. It’s not worth it.” I was right. She said no because of me.

“Look, Monica, I’m sorry.” I’m still trying to catch my breath. “I never should have—”

“No,I’msorry.” She chokes up. “I’ve been feeling like crap since Saturday. It’s not worth it if you’re not going to talk to me anymore.”

Me not talk to her? “Monica, I’m over it, okay? You shouldgo with him. He’s... a good guy.”

“I don’t want you to be mad at me. Or sad.”

“The only thing I was mad or sad about today was that I wasn’t by your side to support you when you saw that message.” I swallow hard. “It was so perfect, and you deserve it.” My voice cracks.

Monica wipes under her eyes. “But if I go with him, who would you go with?”

“I don’t want to go.”

“You have to! You’re up for prom princess!”

“I don’t care.”

“Miss Sanchez,” calls her science teacher from the doorway.

Monica gives me one last look before dashing into her class. I run down the hall as the bell rings. I will happily take the tardy.

The three of us are together at lunch again. The atmosphere at our table is strained, and we’re all quiet, but we’re together. Nobody mentions prom. Nobody mentions Dean. Nobody mentions anything that could be a trigger.

“Lin is visiting Virginia Tech this weekend,” Monica says. Lin hasn’t apologized to me, but I haven’t said sorry to her either. I think we both know we equally screwed up.

“I can see her as a Hokie.” Kenzie smiles and takes a nibble of her yogurt. “My mom is taking me dress shopping today.” Her cheeks darken, probably realizing she just brought up prom in a roundabout way, but nobody reacts.

“Send us pics,” I say. That seems to make her happy.

“Wait, aren’t you grounded from your phone?” she asks.

“I’m grounded from going out the next two weeks, but I get to keep my phone, thank God.”

We eat quietly together.

During Spanish, my stomach does a flip when Joel shows at the door with a pass for me to go to guidance. He doesn’t talk or acknowledge me as we walk. After about two seconds I can’t take it anymore.

“Are you mad at me?” I ask.

“For what?” He keeps his eyes straight ahead.

“I don’t know. Anything?”

“Nope.”