Ex-Rating (10 page)

“Stop it, Ramona,” Lina said. “You’re so wrong. We’re definitely going to do something. We just don’t know what yet. We’re
meeting tonight to come up with ideas.”

“Good luck with that,” Ramona said. “Let’s sit over there.” She pointed to a table in the center of the lunchroom.

“Why this one?” Lina asked as they sat down.

“Because it’s prime eavesdropping real estate,” Ramona whispered. “Duh. The only thing that makes lunch bearable.”

Lina wasn’t used to eating lunch alone with Ramona—she ate with Holly and Mads when she could, and Ramona was usually surrounded
by her Goth goons. But this afternoon the goons—Chandra, Maggie, and Siobhan—and Holly and Mads all had a history test next
period and were huddled in the library cramming. Lina and Ramona were in the same history section, and they had taken their
test third period. So Lina was left to eavesdrop with Ramona.

“It’s not very polite,” Lina said.

“Who cares?” Ramona said. “Neither is gossiping, which is what I believe is going on behind me, if I’m not wrong. Let’s zoom
in on it with our bionic ears and see.”

She cupped her hand to her ear as if it could send out sonar signals.

“We should at least try to not
look
as if we’re eavesdropping,” Lina said.

“Shh. Tell me who’s sitting back there so I don’t have to turn around and make it completely obvious that I’m listening.”

Lina looked at the group of girls sitting behind Ramona. They were a glossy trio of juniors, all blond or at least blondish:
Bridget Aiken, Flynn Hawley, and Rachel Stromm. Flynn was the blondish one, more of a light brown with blond streaks.

“I’m spending the summer in Canada,” Flynn was saying. “Aunt Lacey hired me as an intern on her next movie. They’re shooting
in Vancouver.”

“Wait—don’t tell me,” Ramona whispered to Lina. “Flynn Hawley. She’s always bragging about her aunt Lacey. And she goes nowhere
without Bridget and Rachel. Right?”

“Right,” Lina said. Flynn’s aunt Lacey was the famous film director Lacey Kittredge. And Flynn
was
always bragging about her. Lina didn’t know her well, but she was no fan of braggarts. Flynn rubbed her the wrong way.

“You’re so lucky,” Bridget said. “I’ve got to give tennis lessons at the club again this summer. Yawn.”

Lina unwrapped her cheese sandwich. She really didn’t care how Bridget and Flynn were spending their summer. She tried to
ignore them, but it was hard because Ramona was busy listening and shushed Lina whenever she tried to talk.

“I was really excited about working on the movie before,” Flynn said. “But now, I don’t know if I want to be gone all summer.
What about Walker?”

Lina’s ears perked up. Walker? Yes, what about Walker? Ramona caught her eye. Lina’s body tensed as she waited to hear more.

“Maybe he can come visit you,” Rachel said. “Vancouver’s just a short flight away.”

“It will be hard for him,” Flynn said. “He has to get a job here, although he doesn’t know what yet. … Things are just getting
good with him, you know? I really like him.”

Lina stifled a gasp. Ramona’s eyebrows nearly shot to the ceiling. Things were just getting good? Lina knew Ramona could read
the question in her eyes: Were Walker and Flynn a couple?

“And we’re in the beginning stages,” Flynn went on. “I don’t quite have him nailed down yet—know what I mean? If we’re not
more settled by June, I’ll be afraid he might meet someone else over the summer.”

“But he really likes you,” Bridget said. “That’s obvious.”

“He’d wait for you, Flynn,” Rachel added.

Lina pinched Ramona’s arm. “Walker and Flynn?” she whispered.

“It can’t be,” Ramona said. “But Flynn sure seems to think so.”

“I already told Aunt Lacey I’d do it,” Flynn said. “I can’t let her down. I wonder if she’d give Walker a job, too?”

“Are you guys finished eating yet?” Bridget asked. “I’ve got to get out of here. This place smells like ammonia.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Rachel said. The three girls got up, bused their trays, and left.

Now Lina and Ramona could talk freely. “How could Walker like her?” Lina asked. “She’s so superficial!”

“I thought he was cooler than that,” Ramona agreed.

“Maybe it’s only in her imagination,” Lina said. She knew she was clinging to a thread of hope, but it was all she had left.
“Maybe she just
wishes
she was seeing Walker. How can we find out for sure if it’s true?”

“Just look out there.” Ramona nodded toward the windows, which opened onto the courtyard. Flynn, Bridget, and Rachel bumped
into Walker, who smiled and took Flynn’s hand. Lina felt like screaming.
He was holding Flynn’s hand!

There was absolutely no question about it: Walker actually liked Flynn.

“Ugh! I can’t look!” Lina dropped her head on the table. So that was why Walker couldn’t go out with her—and why he was so
vague about the reason. He liked Flynn.

“It is a horrible sight,” Ramona said. “Totally gross.”

Lina felt like crying. “You know what kills me? I could have had him. I mean, I think I could have. If only I hadn’t wasted
so much time mooning over Dan. If only I had realized what a great guy Walker is the first night I met him … we could be together
now!”

“Well, nobody can blame you for being obsessed with Dan,” Ramona said. “You’re only human.”

“It was so stupid,” Lina said. “And now … I really like Walker. And I’m afraid I missed my chance.”

“Timing,” Ramona said. “It’s the key to love. I’m beginning to see that now.”

“It’s everything,” Lina said.

“Like, if I’d only been born about seven years earlier, I’d be the right age for Dan,” Ramona said. “But on the other hand,
I wouldn’t be in high school, so I might never have met him. I just can’t get the timing right.”

“Remember Romeo and Juliet?” Lina said. “They had the worst timing ever.”

“Yeah, bad timing can actually kill you,” Ramona said. “It’s spooky. And now you and Walker—another casualty of fate. Another
chance for happiness, missed. Two lives ruined because you couldn’t get yourself together—”

“He’s got a new girlfriend,” Lina wailed. “I’m too late!”

“Probably,” Ramona said. “But not necessarily. People break up, you know.”

“But what if they don’t? Or what if they do but it’s not for years and years, when I’m an old lady?”

“Then you and Walker will be old geezers together,” Ramona said. “Better late than never.”

Lina didn’t find this funny. “Ramona, what am I going to do?”

“Don’t give up so easily,” Ramona said. “You heard Flynn: Things are in the early stages. She’s not too sure of him yet. She’s
afraid to leave him alone this summer. So you’ve still got a chance to lure him.”

“But how?”

“I’ll start on some love potions right away,” Ramona said. “The hard part is slipping them into his food without him knowing—that’s
always tricky. But I can manage it. And we’ll take it from there.”

Love potions. Was she reduced to that? Lina’s heart sank. She didn’t put much faith in Ramona’s abilities as a shaman. She
hadn’t seen one of her spells work yet.

“This is all my fault,” Lina said. “He liked me when we first met, and I pushed him away. And pushed and pushed. Of course
he gave up and went for another girl.”

“You can get him back,” Ramona said. “If he liked you once, he can like you again.”

“I don’t know,” Lina said. “I really like him as a friend, too. Is it going to be weird between us now that I know he has
a girlfriend? What if I just swallow my feelings and pretend nothing’s wrong? Do you think we can be friends the way we used
to be while he’s going out with Flynn?”

“You guys will never be friends the way you used to be,” Ramona said. “You never
were
friends the way you think you were. He had a crush on you. You were clueless. End of story. I’m beginning to think guys and
girls can’t be friends, anyway.”

“Yes, they can,” Lina said. “I can do it. I’ll just put my feelings aside. Be professional. He’ll see that I’m cool with whatever
is happening, and that nothing he does can hurt me.”

“That is a total lie.”

“I know that. But he doesn’t have to. I’ve already humiliated myself enough. If I can’t have Walker, at least I can have my
dignity.”

“Dignity? Please. Love and dignity have nothing to do with each other.”

“I will rise above,” Lina said. “You’ll see. Tomorrow is Spring Sports Saturday. That will be the ultimate test.”

Spring Sports Saturday was like homecoming except it happened in spring instead of fall. Most of the sports teams had major
contests, and Lina and Walker would be working together all day, covering the games for
The Seer
. If things were awkward between them, it would be a long, long day.

“I’ll show him that I’m above jealousy. Sure, I asked him out and he said no. He has a new girlfriend. That won’t bother me.
I’m a journalist. I’ll do my job no matter what. And nothing he does can bother me. Because I’m already over him.”

Ramona snorted. “He won’t buy that for a second. This is going to be a disaster.” She smushed her lunch bag into a ball and
stood up. “I’ve got to hit the office. See you.”

The office
, Lina thought.
Ramona works in the office. There’s got to be a way to use that. But how?

“Hey, Lina.” Sebastiano had a prime seat on the front bleacher at the softball field, right behind the home bench. Lina sat
down next to him. “What’s happening? I logged onto the Dating Game and there was this Big Brother-ish note from Rod saying
the school site would no longer carry it. What did you do to piss him off?”

“Nothing,” Lina said. “Some parents complained and he shut us down. Too sexy.”

“Hello, that’s the whole point,” Sebastiano said. “I wouldn’t bother with it otherwise.”

“We’re going to get it back,” Lina said. “Somehow.” She had a glimmer of an idea, but it was so risky she didn’t want to tell
Sebastiano about it. It involved Ramona, and Lina would only share it on a need-to-know basis. That meant Holly and Mads—not
Sebastiano. “What’s the score?”

Spring Sports Saturday had arrived. Lina had just watched the boys’ varsity lacrosse blow a lead and lose to archrival Draper.
The game had gone into overtime, and Lina had missed half of the tennis tournament. She couldn’t remember if she or Walker
was supposed to cover tennis, anyway. But she knew he was doing girls’ softball.

“It’s 3-3 in the sixth,” Sebastiano said. “We’ve got the winning run at the plate right now.”

Lina checked out the RSAGE batter at the plate, who was knocking dirt out of her cleats and getting ready for the pitch. The
visitor’s pitcher threw a strike.

“I didn’t know you were a softball fan,” Lina said to Sebastiano.

“I’m not,” Sebastiano said. “I’m scouting a Draper player for Holly. Apparently some Rosewood guy X-Rated her highly, and
Holly wanted me to check her out.” Holly was spending the day dress shopping with Julia. “Of course, now that there’s no Dating
Game, it doesn’t make much difference.”

“Holly has a hard time turning off her matchmaking instinct,” Lina said. “Which girl are you scouting?”

“Right field. Hard to see her from here,” Sebastiano said. “My first impression is she’s a hot-tempered spitfire type.”

“Is that good or bad?” Lina asked.

“Depends,” Sebastiano said.

“Have you see Walker?”

“Right in front of you.” Sebastiano pointed to the players’ bench just six feet away. Walker was sitting with his back to
them in deep discussion with Flynn.

“Here comes the pitch,” Sebastiano said. “And—strike two!”

Lina watched Walker. His head was turned toward Flynn, away from the game. He hadn’t even seen that pitch! How could he write
a decent story on the game if he wasn’t even watching?

“Full count,” Sebastiano said. “Here comes the crucial pitch … and—ball four! No—the ump calls a strike!”

The batter and the umpire began to argue over the controversial pitch. Lina fumed. Walker hadn’t even seen it! She got up
and marched over to him. “Walker!” she snapped.

He looked up from his conversation with Flynn. “Hey, Lina.”

“Are you covering this game?” Lina asked.

“Uh-huh. Shouldn’t you be watching the tennis tournament?”

“I wasn’t sure,” Lina said. “That’s what I came to ask you. But you’re not even paying attention. You missed the last at bat—and
it was the most crucial one of the game.”

Walker’s eyes trailed over to home plate, where the batter was kicking dirt on the umpire’s shoes. “Bad call,” he said. “I’ve
got it covered.”

“How do you know it’s a bad call?” Lina asked. “You didn’t see the pitch.”

“Flynn, you’re up,” the softball coach called.

“Good luck,” Walker said. Flynn leaned close to him, and he gave her a little kiss. Then she picked up her bat and bounced
over to home plate. That little kiss made Lina’s blood boil. So much for cool and professional. She felt ornery and spoiling
for a fight.

“You shouldn’t fraternize with the athletes while you’re covering a game,” Lina said, hating the snippy sound of her voice
even as the words escaped her.

Walker stared at her. “I’m not fraternizing. I’m getting the inside dope.”

She didn’t really care how Walker covered the softball game. She just wished he wouldn’t be so into Flynn that he stopped
paying attention. That wasn’t like him. It wasn’t the Walker she knew. The Walker she knew was the best reporter at the paper.

“What are you going to do, tell on me?” Walker said. “Go ahead. It’s not like I’m getting paid or anything. What do you think
Kate will do, fire me?”

“I don’t care,” Lina said. “I don’t care what happens.” She stormed away. She sensed someone running after her. She was afraid
to look back, but she hoped—maybe it was Walker. Maybe he wanted to apologize.

“Lina!” It was Sebastiano. “Talk about hot-tempered spitfires. Not that it’s any of my business, but I have to butt in—what
was that little tiff about?”

“Nothing,” Lina said.

“It didn’t look like nothing to me,” Sebastiano said. “Looked like a little lovers spat. Is there something going on I don’t
know about?”