Discipline

“Nina, don’t worry about it.” Kelsey’s voice was genuine as she stepped into my room. “Really. I know you think I’m like, this fragile mess because I cry about how boys don’t like me I embarrassed myself in front of your friends, but I’m fine.”

“I don’t think that you’re a — ”

“Yes, you do. And honestly, I don’t blame you. But here’s the thing.” A smile wiggled on Kelsey’s lips and she did a funny little shimmy of a dance. “I’m going to be partying on the beach this weekend too! At Paige’s aunt’s house in Montauk. She’s trying to hook me up with her cousin!”

My eyes popped wide open. “Oh my God! That’s great! Is he cute?”

“Super cute. Like, cuter than Logan Foster cute.” Kelsey bit her lip back as her cheeks flushed. “We comment on each other’s Facebook statuses every once in awhile but for the past few nights, he’s been like, chatting me. And we’ll talk on and off for like, hours. I was up to four this morning, just talking to him.”

I actually bounced on my toes, clapping. This was what Kelsey needed, according to Adriana and Em. “I’m so excited for you!”

Kelsey squealed. “I know! And since I told you about my guy, you have to tell me about yours.”

I froze, my smile faltering, my heart immediately thumping. “What?”

“I know you’re seeing someone, stupid! You keep disappearing and I hear you and Adriana giggling and whispering about things. I know it’s a boy.” She let her shoulders slump dramatically while sticking her lower lip out. “Come on, Nina, let’s share boy stories for once. I never get to be a part of these discussions.”

True. I felt a smile creep on my lips as I thought about Aaron. About going to the Hamptons with him. The delirious excitement was bubbling in my head, my cheeks again.

“Ah, see! I knew it!” Kelsey pointed at me, bursting into giggles. “There is a guy. Is he cute?”

I exhaled. “Yes. Very.”

“What the hell! How long have you been seeing him?”

“I don’t know, Kelsey, like a month. It’s no big deal. I don’t want to talk about him yet in case it turns out to be nothing,” I lied convincingly.

“Shut up, it’s going to be something. I know it!” Kelsey insisted, bouncing excitedly on her toes. “Love is totally in the air. ‘Cause guess what I heard from Paige today that would’ve totally bummed me out if I weren’t about to hook up with her smoking hot cousin?”

I giggled. “What’d you hear?”

“Well. Woodhill’s Brad and Jen have apparently reunited.”

“Come again?”

Kelsey shrugged with a breezy smile. “Mr. Cole is back with Cara Fulton.”

I paused, staring at her. “What?”

“Oh no, you’re upset! Don’t be, you have someone. And neither of us ever had a chance with him anyway. But basically, Paige heard through her mom who heard through someone who heard through Maura Lewis, who lives on the same street as Mr. Cole…”

Oh my God, I knew where this was heading.

“… like, right across the street from him. Apparently, Sunday night, at like one in the morning — ”

Oh my God, oh my God.

“ — she heard a car driving down the street so she looked out the window to see whose it was and whattayaknow, it was Mr. Cole’s car. So now she’s staring out the window because apparently that’s just what she does if she sees his car. And she couldn’t see what was happening but she knew he was parked at this point and he wasn’t going into his house just yet and she could just hear, you know? She could hear that he was still outside and he was with a woman.”

I swallowed hard. “How did she know he was with someone? And that it was a woman?”

“Because. She could hear. And at one point, the girl practically screamed. His. Name. In the middle of the night. Outside. And it was Cara’s voice.”

No. No, it wasn’t.

“And then this is the good part, or the second best part…” Kelsey actually covered her mouth for a moment, blushing. “Oh my God, okay, so this is what everyone’s been talking about apparently… so after she heard Cara totally moan, she heard his footsteps go really fast to the front door and just slam it shut, meaning it was about to be on. So hard.”

Oh. My. God.