Page 39 of Switch!

He starts telling me about the trouble he’s gotten into, like when he toilet-papered the house of a guy who started dating his ex-girlfriend, only to get the address wrong. He realized his mistake when the porchlight switched on and a woman walked out flashing her badge. “That was the first time I ever ran from the police,” he brags. “But not the last.”

Eddie has a lot of stories like this. I dig through Caleb’s memory to find a few stories of my own that don’t revolve around beating up innocent kids, and by the time the bottle is empty, we’re both wiping tears from our eyes.

“We better get back,” Eddie says.

“Now?” I ask, not hiding my panic. “I’m wasted!”

Eddie snorts. “That’s the point.”

“Yeah, but won’t they notice?”

“You’re worried about a bunch of drunk adults noticing that we’re drunk too?” Eddie stands, brushes himself off, and offers his hand. “It’ll be fun. If anyone gets suspicious, just leave it to me. I’ve got your back, man. Friends take care of each other.”

I’m pulled to my feet and feel emotional, probably because of the booze. Or maybe because, for the first time in recent memory, I finally have a friend.

“One more thing,” Eddie says. “We gotta chew gum. Never leave home without it.” He pats himself down. Then he goes wide-eyed. “Oh shit!”

“Now who’s worried?” I tease. I nod toward the festivities. “Come on. I’m sure we’ll find some for sale over by the carnival. I wanna go on some of those rides too.”

“You hoping to puke?”

“I have an iron stomach,” I boast. No idea if that’s true, and I also don’t care. I’m not ready to stop goofing around with my new friend, so together we make our way out of the woods to see how much trouble we can get into.

— — —

“I think I know which chapter is the most romantic.”

Sarah says this to me as I’m carrying a tray full of dirty dishes to the kitchen. I stop anyway. She’s seated at her usual table, except it isn’t her lunch break. In fact, shouldn’t she be off work by now? She always finishes before me.

“You mean inThe Little White Bird?”

She nods.

“Okay then,” I say. “Which chapter is it?”

“A Confirmed Spinster.”

That’s the one. I’m absolutely certain, because I may have read the book only once, but I kept returning to that chapter again and again. “I’m not sure,” I bluff. “Let me take a look.” I’m about to set the tray on the table when I notice the piles of picked-clean bones stained orange from barbeque sauce. “Actually, just a second. I’ll be right back.”

I shouldn’t sit down with her. I have customers waiting on me, but I can’t help myself. Sarah and I have been flirting with each other every day. Any excuse to talk to her is irresistible. I use my phone to check my appearance before leaving the kitchen. I’ve finally gotten used to seeing Caleb’s face staring back at me. I’m especially glad to see him now since his handsomeness gives me an extra boost of confidence.

I fight off a grin before sliding into the booth. Caleb knows more about women than I do, and playing it cool is crucial, according to him. “Mind if I take a look?”

She pushes the book across the table. “Page eighty-two,” she says.

I flip through the chapter and pretend to scan the words. Then I nod. “Yup! That’s it.” I act like I’m about to leave the booth, as if the conversation is over, when actually I’m hoping she’ll stop me. And she does!

“Hold on a sec. When does your shift end?”

“At seven.” Is this what I think it is?

“Another twenty-five minutes,” she says without checking the clock. “I suppose I can wait.”

“For what?”

“Nothing,” she says, shaking her head. “There’s this guy I work with, and I keep hoping he’ll ask me out.”

“I can relate,” I say. “I’ve been waiting for the same thing.”