“Agreed!” I squirmed happily in my chair and held a hand out for him to shake.
He rolled his eyes, but reached out his hand to grab mine. The moment our hands touched, a thrilling sensation shot up my arm. It felt like the time I’d tried to plug in my hair dryer and got a shock instead, but this didn’t hurt. If anything, it felt good. I inhaled sharply and held my breath, hoping he hadn’t noticed my strange behavior.
“I think I’m going to regret this,” he muttered, his large hand enveloping mine in a hand shake.
A nervous giggle escaped my mouth and I pulled my hand out of his as fast as I could. It was still tingling.
“Not a chance.” I grabbed my notebook from the table and wrinkled my nose at him. “You’re going to be the happiest guinea pig on the planet, Mason. I promise.”
Despite the dark look he threw me, I knew he was happy. Or at least, on the verge of being happy.
It wouldn’t take him long to work his way back into Polly’s heart. With a little feminine help, Mason was going to be the best boyfriend Polly could ever ask for. It wouldn’t take long.
And my research project would be complete.
Chapter Nine
“I think my brain is literally frozen. There’s no coming back from this one, guys.”
I laughed as Audrey squeezed her eyes shut and grimaced against the pain from the cold. Mandy tossed her a napkin with a teasing smirk. In front of each of us was a large Icee, part of our weekly tradition at the Rock Valley mall.
I’d missed the last three get-togethers. Between classes, my art projects, and volunteering, my schedule was jam packed. This was the first time I’d been able to eek out a single hour to get together with my besties and I was determined to enjoy every second of it. Just us girls. No drama. No worrying about my future.
“So, Trina...” Mandy sipped her Icee and eyed me suspiciously over the cup. “Until Audrey’s brain thaws, I think you should update us on the Mason Finnick situation. Has he asked you out yet?”
I shook my head and shot her a smile. So much for no drama. It seemed like I wasn’t going to escape it after all. “No, and he’s not going to. He’s actually getting back together with his ex-girlfriend.”
Mandy and Audrey exchanged confused looks.
“He’s getting back together with Polly Thompson?” Audrey wiped her mouth with a napkin and crumpled it in her hands. “But I thought I heard her say in cheer practice yesterday that she was going out with Ethan Richards this weekend.”
I gulped down a swallow of my Icee and the cold lump hurt all the way down my esophagus. Audrey was our high school mascot, Rascal the Raccoon, a title bestowed on her by Savannah earlier this year as a kind of punishment for daring to join the cheerleading team. The original costume had been an ancient mold-infested wreck only suitable for burial in a deep, dark, forgotten hole in the ground.
But after weeks of torture, Audrey managed to turn the situation around into something awesome. With our help, she’d replaced the old mascot with a new costume that was amazing and fun. Everyone loved it, even the teachers. She still practiced with the cheerleaders and she knew Polly Thompson better than any of us.
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to hide my nervousness. That put an unexpected kink into my plan. I never even thought that Polly might be dating someone else already.
“She means that it doesn’t seem like Polly and Mason will be getting together again.” Mandy pressed her lips together and tilted her head to one side. “Did he actually tell you that was what he wanted?”
“Yes!” I gripped my Icee in both hands and squirmed under the disbelieving looks from my friends. Maybe that wasn’t quite the whole truth. “Well, he sort of said it...”
“Sort of?” Audrey repeated. “Like, as in, he actually told you he missed Polly?”
“He didn’t have to say it.” I gave them both a pleading look, hoping they’d just believe me and that we could let the subject die. “I know that he’s not happy and that they broke up not too long ago. So, I decided to use him as a subject in my Research Methods project: Project Happiness. It’s all about how the strength of our relationships affects our moods. I’m going to gauge his level of happiness now and after he gets back together with Polly. It’ll be good for him, I just know it. And I’m going to ace Research Methods with this idea.”
Audrey didn’t look convinced. “And did you already tell him about this plan of yours?”
“Yep.” I grinned. “Took a little convincing, but I think he’s excited.”
“Noooo, Trina, you didn’t.” Mandy groaned into her hands as Audrey shook her head sadly. “Please say you didn’t tell Mason that you want to get him back with his ex.”
“Of course, I did.” I sat up on the edge of my seat, nerves bouncing around in my stomach. There was no reason to feel guilty for what I’d done, but for some reason, I couldn’t stop it. My friends were getting inside my head. “I want him to be happy, just like I want you guys to be happy.”
They groaned again and I could tell that this was one argument I wasn’t going to win. They didn’t seem to want to understand. I’d told them about Polly and Mason’s history. How they’d met at cancer camp and then somehow the universe brought them together again at the same high school. I told them all of it, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. They were just being stubborn.
“But on a happier note, you’ll be glad to know Mason offered to help me with the welding side of the senior class project.” I rubbed my hands together, feeling the tingles of artistic inspiration already beginning. This was something I could talk about forever. “We’re going to split our class time between Research Methods and the sculpture.”
“Seriously, Trina?” Mandy flattened her hands on the table and gave me a pained look.