Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83394 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Mike was gay, and she was trying to set me up with him.
Oh God, oh God, oh God.
It was one thing to know something about yourself, but a whole new level to set it into action. Did I even want to? Was I ready? Did I want to be hooked up with some random guy on…what? I double date with the boy I was in love with?
It took me a moment to realize I should reply. No one had called me adorable before. “Oh, I, um…wow…thanks?”
He chuckled. “You’re welcome, sweetie.”
Yeah, he definitely wasn’t from around here.
Suddenly I was even more curious about the outside world, about finding my way out of Hendersonville and being free.
“Hi, Katie. Hi, Gage.” I put my seat belt on.
Katie gave an enthusiastic hello, but all I got from Gage was a soft, “Was’up?”
Katie and Mike rambled for most of the drive to the restaurant. We went to the Potato Place, which was where everyone our age went. Gage was quiet, and I wanted to find the time to ask him what was wrong, but I couldn’t in front of everyone.
We were in a booth, me and Mike on one side, Katie and Gage on the other.
The waiter took our order. I got a burger and tater tots like I always did. Gage got a burger and fries. They had every kind of potato side you could think of here.
“So…Katie says the two of you are basically attached at the hip. Like brothers or something.”
I opened my mouth to reply, not sure how I felt about what she said, but Gage beat me to it. “We’re not brothers. The other part is true. We’re best friends. But no, not brothers.”
My stomach felt like it was a dryer with a pair of tennis shoes in it, the twisting and heavy plop happening over and over. Not for the first time, I tried to make eye contact with him, but he wouldn’t look at me.
“Oh…well, you know what I meant,” Mike replied, his eyes darting back and forth between us. It made me feel seen…naked…like he’d found something I hadn’t given him, the same way Mouse and Romeo had, but with them, I didn’t mind it as much.
“So, what do you like to do for fun?” I asked Mike to break the tension.
“I’m taking a gap year right now, but next year, I start at the University of San Francisco.”
“I can’t wait for college,” I admitted. Anything to get the fuck out of here. Plus, I liked learning.
“What do you want to study?”
“Astronomy—the stars, space, just everything up there. Everything feels infinite when you look up at the sky. Like anything’s possible.” I blushed. “Sorry. I get a little excited.”
Mike chuckled. “Don’t be. Like I said, you’re adorable.”
My cheeks got even hotter.
We talked for a little while. Every couple of minutes Katie would jump in, but Gage wasn’t saying much. I couldn’t make myself look at him either. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t look at Gage.
When our food came, I automatically scooped half my tots from my plate and put them on his. Reflex, really. I did it without breaking conversation, then went ahead and grabbed a handful of his fries. The ketchup was next to me, and I passed it over, knowing Gage would want that too. I thought it was gross.
Mike watched me as I did it, but I tried to continue on like it was nothing, because it wasn’t, really.
“What’s wrong?” I heard Katie ask Gage, and I paused my conversation to hear his answer.
“Nothin’. Just not feelin’ great tonight.”
“Headache?” I asked, concern making it impossible not to look or talk to him right then.
“Yeah, but it’s not that bad. The caffeine will help.”
“Okay. Let us know if you need to head out.” He didn’t get headaches often, but sometimes when they were really bad, they knocked him on his ass.
“I’m fine, Jojo.” He looked at me for the first time in what felt like an eternity. I shivered, like I could feel his gaze on my skin, trying to tell me something I didn’t understand. That maybe he didn’t understand. Gage turned away first.
“We should probably hurry up if we don’t want to miss the movie,” Katie said.
We finished eating, and when the waiter came over, Mike asked me, “Can I pay for yours?”
The dryer was back in my gut with a whole lot more shoes in it. I didn’t want to be rude, but I didn’t want to take advantage of him either. “Only if I can pay for your movie ticket.”
“Deal.” Mike winked, and I smiled. It felt nice to have his attention, to have someone’s attention. For once I was like everybody else.
CHAPTER FIVE
Gage
What the hell was wrong with me? I couldn’t focus, couldn’t pay attention to the movie or Katie or anything else except Joey…Joey and Mike. When Katie had suggested her cousin go, I didn’t realize what she was doing. This felt like a setup, and I didn’t just mean setting Jojo up with him; I meant a setup for all of us. But then, how did that make sense? Why would she have some secret plan to introduce Joey to a guy as if there was an ulterior motive behind it?