First Impressions

Chapter XXIII: Down in the Dumps

Britt spent that night at my house, and we got along better than we had in weeks. All the tension that had built up between us since I started working for the Savvonskis finally came crumbling down. At last, we had a real talk.

Britt explained her uncharacteristic behavior, and I admitted that I'd been afraid of losing her to a boy. I also told her about the day Josh had slapped me. She told me she had read the note I left in her locker.

Then she brought Ashton up again, and I was forced to admit the reason I had been fired. She seemed to find that amusing, although I found it more confusing than anything. We talked and laughed until midnight, and then I drifted into a deep sleep.

When I awoke to the sound of my alarm clock, I found that Britt was already awake. The sight of her reminded me what had happened last night, and I hastily got up. "Do you have anything to wear?" I asked her when she looked up at me from her spot on the floor.

She shook her head slowly, so I pointed toward my dresser. "You can pick something out of there."

Instead of going to my dresser, she sat there, staring at my bedpost. "I have to do it today."

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I wondered aloud, "What do you mean?"

"I have to face him."

"Oh." Sobered, I sank down on the edge of my bed.

"He's probably going to laugh at me."

That made me scoff. "Then laugh at him!"

Finally, she looked up from her daze. Traces of amusement in her eyes, she agreed, "With pleasure."

I nodded, satisfied. Rising to my feet again, I yanked open the door to my closet. "If you're going to serve it to him, let's make sure you look good."

Britt and I headed to school together like two soldiers on a mission. It was only Britt who could do the breaking up with Josh, but I knew she needed all the support she could get, so I stuck by her side as much as I could.

Thankfully, I wasn't the only person who had it in mind to join forces with her cause. Later that day, as I was on my way to lunch to meet with Britt, I was joined by Dave. He came up alongside me, his hands stuffed in his pockets awkwardly. "Hey, Maine."

I smiled at him, grateful for the company. "Hi, Dave."

"Are you doing okay?"

Somewhat confused, I side-eyed him, until I remembered Ash had gone to see him the other night after I'd revealed what Josh had done. "Yeah, I'm doing well."

He offered me a close-mouthed smile. "Good. Ash told me about—you know."

"Mm." I wasn't sure what else to say.

"I'm really sorry about him."

My lips twitched into a smile. "At least now I know." Before he could respond, I changed the subject. "Britt's breaking up with him today."

His eyebrows rose for a millisecond, before he pulled on an expression of feigned indifference. "And?"

"And," I said, "I think you should be there when she does it."

He looked down at his feet, "I'm not sure she'll want me there."

"Why not?"

"I'm the one who got them together."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Please. She would have gotten her way no matter what—and she couldn't possibly hold that against the 'legendary David Simons.'"