I did a science project with Lacey once—let’s try that again: I did a science project all by myself while Lacey watched once, and she was nice. She might not be the brightest crayon in the box, but for the captain of the cheerleading team, she’s… surprisingly decent.
I sit by the pool, rolling the hem of my jeans as high as I can and kicking off my fake Toms to dip my feet into the water.
“Vee, hey. Glad you could make it,” Finn says to be polite. It’s as obvious as Brie’s fake-tan that he’s only being nice to me because I’m his girl’s best friend, but I appreciate it nonetheless.
Theo snorts. “Aveena, is it? Anyone ever tell you your name sounds like a hand cream?”
I’m about to reply when Theo’s eyes light up.
“There he is,” Theo cheers. “About fucking time.”
“Where’d you go, princess? Got held up at the hair salon?” Finn laughs.
I whisk my head back to see none other than Xavier Emery walking out of Theo’s house in all his sexy good-boy glory—I’d say bad boy, but according to the entire flipping town, the guy can do no wrong. He’s in shabby jeans and a black T-shirt. Looks like he didn’t get the pool party memo either.
“Babyyy!” Brie leaps off her lounge chair, strolling toward him and flinging her arms around his shoulders to plaster a kiss to his cheek. Xavier doesn’t even look at her before untangling her arms from his neck one by one.
Ouch.
Then he ambles over to the pool to give some sort of handshake to Finn and Theo. It’s a guy thing, don’t ask. Brie stands there, eyes widened, jaw hanging.
“You can’t be fucking serious. You’re still mad?” she whines.
As cool as a freaking cucumber, Xavier swivels around, looks her dead in the eyes, and says, “I’m not mad. We’re just over.”
The backyard is so quiet I can hear my own breathing.
“Daaamn, son!” Theo presses his fist to his mouth.
Remember when I said Theodore Cox wasn’t that stupid?
Never mind.
“I meant what I said last night, Brie. We’re done. You need to stop hanging around my friends.” Xavier finishes her.
Any normal person would be devastated in this situation, but the most prominent emotion on Brie’s face isn’t sadness. It’s rage. She looks like she’s wondering how to get away with cutting Xavier up into a million tiny pieces.
“Whatever. Not like I ever loved you anyway,” she spits, turning to leave. “Lace, you coming? We’re not welcome here.”
“Actually,” Finn chimes in. “Lacey came over because Dia invited her, unlike your stalker ass who decided to tag along and invite herself, so she can stay, and you can scram. How’s that?”
Brie’s bruised ego peeks through her poker face for a fraction of a second.
“Lacey?” she insists.
Lacey avoids Brie’s glare. “Actually, I… I think I’m going to stick around for a bit.”
I almost feel bad for Brie.
Almost.
Then I remember the time she superglued my chair in the third grade and I had to strip off my pants to get up.
Dia pads out of the house in her bikini just as Brie’s telling Xavier, “Just so you know, if anyone asks, you’ve got a micro dick.”
On that note, she flips him off and exits the Coxes’ property. Her car roars down the street seconds later.
“What the… What’d I miss?” Dia asks.