That night I met Adam for burgers and he surprised me by bringing Becky. Everyone was happy until Jeff and Jill Flatten came in for their date night. They chose a booth across the restaurant so it was semi-easy to ignore them. When they left, Jeff gave me a once over and Jill gave me a glare.
Sigh.
I could’ve been a part of that.
Or not.
I shuddered at the thought of being with Jeff again, not to mention the deceit from Lydia and Jessica.
And since Becky must’ve been psychic, she shot forward and slammed a hand down on the table. “I heard Lydia telling Melissa Baker that Jeff asked about you.”
Adam sat back.
“What are you talking about?”
She jerked her head up and down. “Uh huh. And Nancy Morrow overheard it too. He asked Lydia and Jessica about you, at Jessica’s locker.” She spoke like it was a hush-hush controversy.
“Come on, Becky. Jeff’s not stupid.”
“Yeah, he is.”
“He knows that he’s made his bed.”
“My cousin is a jerk-one douche bag. I bet you fifty bucks that he’s going to start talking to you again by the end of the month. And Jill knows it too.” She pointed at the door with a French fry. “That’s why she’s upped her game against you.”
“Since they got together, she’s been like that.”
“Yeah, but it’s worse. I think she hates you.” She glanced at Adam from underneath her eyelids. “And I think Ashley DeCortts is scared of you.”
“Does she hate me too?” I hadn’t done anything to anyone. Why did anyone care about me?
“No.” Becky gave me a small smile. “It’s not in Ashley to hate someone.” She looked at Adam. “Right?”
He placed two hands against the table and pushed his chair back. When he stood, he plucked the bill from the table and went to the register.
“I think that’s his answer for ‘I don’t care and let’s get out of here.’“
Becky groaned. “I think he’s mad at me.”
“Why?”
“Because he brought me on your date, because he thought you wouldn’t go without me, and now I’m bringing up Ashley.” She leaned across the table and whispered behind her hands, “He still loves her, Sam.”
When he started back to us, I stood. “Becky, you’re just being you. Don’t worry about it. You’ve got nothing to feel bad about.”
She jumped to her feet and smoothed her hands down the front of her pants while she gave me an unsteady smile.
Adam stood behind me and asked in a low voice, “Sam, do you need a ride to school tomorrow?”
Becky’s eyes got wide. She squeaked, but slapped both her hands over her mouth and jerked away.
As she hurried out the door, I couldn’t stop a laugh. “Why are you like that to her?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “Because she’s so interested in everyone else’s business. I don’t think that’s good for her.”
“Let her be. That’s just her being her.”
“Yeah.” His voice was wry. “I heard what you said to her.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “That’s how I feel.”
As we both turned for the door, his hand cupped the back of my elbow. “You never answered about that ride.”
