25 Roses (12 page)

Yuck.

“Did you talk to him?”

That was the first thing Sun asked me when I arrived at my locker after last period. I’d gotten so caught up in the drama with Ashleigh and Alex, I’d forgotten about Sun’s drama.

“Who?” I asked. I stepped up to my locker and opened it. She couldn’t be talking about Alex after all everyone had been saying all day.

“Alex,” Sun said, proving me wrong. “You said you were going to talk to him.”

“You said you wanted me to try to get you together Friday,” I pointed out. “At the lock-in.”

I gave her a look. She leaned against the locker next to me and stared straight ahead dreamily. I had a feeling she hadn’t heard a word I’d said.

“He passed me in the hall earlier,” she said. “He didn’t even look at me. Do you think he thinks I’m cute?”

I stopped short at that thought.
Alex. Cute.
Instantly an image flashed through my mind. It was an image of Alex sharing his ice cream cone with me the time I’d accidentally dropped mine. That was followed by an image of him smiling at me, that dimple on his left cheek making him look so cute.

“You don’t think he thinks I’m cute, do you?” she said.

Wait—what—that’s right. She hadn’t been reading my mind. She’d been asking . . . asking if I thought Alex thought she was cute. I wasn’t going to get away with not answering this.

“I don’t know,” I said. “You’d have to ask him.”

I said that, but the last thing I wanted was for her to ask Alex anything. I knew she wouldn’t do that, though. She didn’t even have the courage to walk up and introduce herself to him.

“I couldn’t do that,” she said. “But
you
could. I mean, you guys are good friends, right?”

“Right.” I felt a little sick.

“You could ask him if he thinks I’m cute. You don’t have to even let him know I like him. Just feel him out and see what he thinks of me first.”

“What if he says he doesn’t like you?” I asked.

The words were out before I’d really thought them through. It was kind of a rude thing to say, especially since I already knew he thought she was cute. He’d said he liked her. I could just tell her that and she’d be happy. She might even give me the go-ahead to try and get them together. And that was the last thing I wanted.

I was a horrible, horrible person.

“You don’t have to do it right this second, either,” Sun said. She was gabbing away as we walked down the hall toward the buses. “Just as long as you know something by the time we have the lock-in, it’ll be perfect. Then I can try to skate with him or something.”

I followed her out of the school. “You can get off at my stop,” Sun said as we walked. “I want to show you my wardrobe.”

“Your wardrobe?” I asked. I was looking at the bus in front of ours, checking each window for signs of Ashleigh. I realized then I would much rather be hanging out with Ashleigh. I hadn’t really realized how much I missed her until then.

“Yes,” Sun said. We were at our own bus by then. The driver had already closed the doors and Sun banged on them, while still facing me. “I figure you can help put together a look for Friday night. I want to walk in and have everyone go, ‘Wow.’ ”

She kept talking as we walked down the aisle, making me feel a little nervous. I didn’t mind helping people, but it was causing so many problems between me and my friends. Plus, I couldn’t help Sun get together with Alex now that I knew I liked him.

We sat behind one of Sun’s friends—some girl from math
class. She was hanging on every word we said, and by the time we reached Sun’s house, she’d invited herself along. I was worried she’d ask me to help her, too, but I soon came up with an idea. What if I got Sun’s friend to learn to help her? Then they could help each other and . . . no need for me, right?

It was the perfect idea. I smiled as we pulled onto Sun’s street. I might very well be onto something that could really work.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

To: Mia

From: Sun

Thanks for changing my life.

“So anyway, we’re meeting at my house at six thirty. Don’t be late. I heard Kaylee and her girls are planning to dress exactly alike, so let’s not do that, right? Ooh, cool boots.”

Ashleigh had been talking nonstop since I ran into her at my locker, but something stopped her long diatribe. She was looking off to the right, her gaze focused on the floor. I followed her gaze to a pair of very familiar boots. I’d pulled those same boots from the back of Sun Patterson’s closet the previous day and helped pair them with a skirt that looked way too cute for her to walk past Alex. He’d see her and know instantly she was the girl of his dreams. If he didn’t know that already.

My first instinct was to run after her and tell her she couldn’t wear that, but I had no reason why. All chasing after her would do was upset Ashleigh again anyway.

“Oh, whatever,” Ashleigh said, waving her hand in the air.

We started walking in the direction Sun had gone, several feet behind her. I had no idea whether Ashleigh knew it was Sun. She hadn’t said. She’d been so busy gawking at Sun’s boots, she might not have even seen her face. So far today Ashleigh hadn’t gotten mad at me yet, and I hoped to keep it that way.

“Don’t you think she’s a little dressy for school?” I asked. “I mean, most of us save stuff like that for after school.”

“Seriously?” Ashleigh asked, staring at me. “That skirt is key-yoot.” That was the word “cute” dragged out. “There are no rules when it comes to looking good.”

I was feeling squirmy. The whole thing made no sense. I was the one who had helped Sun look this cute, but I didn’t like it. And Ashleigh was the one who had been mad that I was helping other people, and now she was defending one of those people. Then again, she didn’t know I’d helped pick this outfit out. I wondered if she’d still think Sun was so cute if she knew I’d helped her yesterday.

I was about to find out.

Sun turned to wave at someone, then saw us out of the corner of her eye. She did a double take, and then a big smile broke out over her face.

“Hi,” she said. “What do you think?”

Ashleigh and I both slowed to a stop in front of her. I looked over at Ashleigh to find her expression had changed completely. She gave one of her fake smiles.

“You look great,” I said. “We were just saying that. But we have to get to class.”

“Wait!” Sun called out as I grabbed Ashleigh’s arm and steered her around Sun.

Ashleigh was fine with not stopping, which was fine with me. I sped my footsteps up in the hopes she’d keep up with me.

“Isn’t the skirt cute on me?” Sun asked from behind us. That was a safe enough question, but if we stopped, she might bring up something else. Like the fact that I was the one who had recommended these boots with this skirt. “I mean, I know it’s kind of fancy for school, but you said yesterday that I had to show it off. I never go anywhere but school.”

Uh-oh. I kept walking, but Ashleigh wasn’t quite keeping up with me anymore. She’d slowed down.

“What does she mean?” Ashleigh asked.

I turned to see she’d stopped. As I stood there, I weighed my options. I could keep walking and pretend I didn’t know Ashleigh was talking to me, but she might be mad at me. I’d just gotten her back on my good side.

“She helped me,” Sun said, smiling.

“I helped,” I said with a shrug. “I just showed her a few things.”

“Wow.” Ashleigh looked from me to Sun and back again. She didn’t look mad. More curious than anything. “That’s really big of you.”

“What do you mean?” Sun asked.

I squeezed my eyes closed. I was afraid to hear the answer to that question.

“Just that you guys are in competition for the same guy,” Ashleigh said. “I wouldn’t think you’d be helping her look
better
. Unless . . .”

No. Stop.

“Ashleigh,” I said in a warning voice.

“That’s it, isn’t it?” Ashleigh said. I had no idea where she was going with this, but I wanted to turn and run away. Instead I was rooted to the spot. “She did this on purpose.”

Ashleigh gestured to indicate Sun’s skirt. “She made you
wear something that will make everyone stare.” She shrugged. “It’s a no-brainer. She wants other boys to like you so she can have Alex for herself.”

“I did not,” I protested. “I told her this was an outfit for nights and weekends.”

“I don’t go anywhere nights and weekends,” Sun reminded me.

“That would change if you and Alex got together,” Ashleigh pointed out.

“Wait . . .
you
like Alex?” Sun asked.

Sun’s words, said with a tone of clear hurt, got both my and Ashleigh’s attention. I stalled. What could I say? I wanted to shout
No!
at the top of my lungs, but I couldn’t say that word. I couldn’t deny liking Alex, no matter how much I wanted to.

“I—I don’t know,” I said. And that was the honest truth. I didn’t know. I had no idea at all.

“You don’t know,” Sun said. “What does that even mean?” She looked over at Ashleigh and let out an ironic laugh. “I can’t believe this. I trusted her. I trusted you.” She turned back to look at me, her eyes wide. “You know what? Forget it. Forget I ever told you anything. I don’t believe this.”

She stomped off down the hall in the opposite direction from the way we’d been walking. That left me standing there with Ashleigh, an awkward silence between us. I didn’t know what to say to her at this point. I was so confused over what had just happened. . . . I needed time to think it all through.

“You don’t know?” Ashleigh asked. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t know anything. I have to get to class.”

I backed away from her as she gave me a confused look. Did she even realize what she’d just done? She’d made Sun mad and possibly ruined Alex’s chances with her. I was happy about that and was mad at myself, but I was still upset that Ashleigh had done such a mean thing.

It wasn’t even that Sun was probably mad at me and would never speak to me again. I mean, that was pretty bad. But worse to me was that my best friend—the girl I’d once planned to go to college with and be friends with forever—had totally been a mean girl. Something I didn’t think was possible.

“What’s wrong?” Ashleigh asked.

I’d started moving away from her, but she stepped toward
me. She planned to follow me. I had to deal with this now.

“You did that on purpose,” I said. “You knew she’d be upset. I just don’t understand you anymore.”

Ashleigh didn’t even protest.

I knew even as I was saying the words that I was sealing my lunchtime fate. I’d be sitting with Trudie and her friends again. If they weren’t mad at me too.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

To: Mia

From: The World

Quit being such a drama queen.

“So, girls . . . how was your day at school?”

There it was, the dreaded question. Dad asked that question more nights than he didn’t, so it wasn’t like it was a surprise or anything. Tonight I stayed quiet, hoping Kellie would answer so I didn’t have to.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Kellie said.